Mushroom Thyme Crostini

Perfect Christmas appetizer for your guests. It is guaranteed to keep everyone happy and satisfied till the main dish comes. Also perfect for a friends night 🙂 Use fresh and good quality mushrooms, along with the best baguette you can find. Alternatively, you can put the bread in the oven and bake it, but grilling is faster and for me always tastier. You control your bread more and you save enough time so you can also enjoy the evening!

---

Equipment: grill pan, frying pan

Prep. Time:30 min, Serves up to 10 people

Ingredients
1 white baguette cut in thin slices
400gr white mushrooms
1 red onion
3 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
ground black pepper
fresh thyme            

Method
Take a frying pan and set in medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cut the onion in the smallest pieces you can and put them in the pan. Let them take their juice out for about 4 min. Cut the mushrooms is small pieces and add them in the pan. Stir well and let them fry for about 7 to 8 min.

When the mushrooms have decreased in size, season them with salt, pepper and some fresh thyme. Leave them for about 2 more minutes cooking and then set aside.

Take a grill pan – or you can also put them in the oven for about 15 min – and set in medium heat. Spray the baguette slices – or brush them – with the rest of the olive oil (2tbsp), sprinkle with salt and pepper and set them on the grill pan. Grill each side till golden brown, approximately 5 min.

Set the crostini on a wooden platter and add on top 1 tbsp of the mushrooms. Sprinkle with some extra fresh thyme. Serve freely to your guests! A bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and the night is yours 😀

                    

Honey Roasted Parsnip and Garlic

For those who might don’t know – because I also didn’t know – parsnip is long tapering cream-colored root with a sweet flavor, similar to carrots – but still with a unique taste. Parsnips are now in season which means you can find them easily. They are great raw, as a side dish or just plain with some yogurt. Roasted Parsnip are very easy to prepare, since you only need to peel and clean them and just throw them in an oven dish!

The same is for the garlic head, a recipe I saw on television years ago and since then I do it every time I’ m bored to do anything else or if I want to serve grilled bread with an awesome, super easy and natural spread. The honey with the olive oil and the fresh spices work so good together. Sweet and salty roasted veggies and garlic → we love! This time I served my roasted goodies with some grilled zucchini sprinkled with Gruyère cheese and fresh oregano.

---

Prep. Time: 40 min, Serves 4 people.

Ingredients
2 big parsnips
1 whole garlic head
3 tbsp honey
4 tbsp olive oil
fresh thyme
rosemary
fresh ground black pepper
sea salt

         
Method
Peel and clean the parsnips. Cut in 1cm long pieces and put them in an oven dish. Sprinkle with olive oil and honey. Add the spices – thyme, rosemary, pepper, salt – and set in the oven for about 30 min in medium heat to roast.

Check them often and mix with a wooden spoon so that all pieces will be evenly roasted.

Do the same with the garlic head and let it roast also for 25-30 min. Cover with some aluminium foil. When it has cooled down take some grilled bread and just push the garlic cloves with your hands. The inside will be soft and very easy to spread. Enjoy it with some white wine!

(the results below are half eaten 😛 – so good they were I couldn’t stop myself for pictures!)

                             

Broccoli Greek Yogurt Cheese Soup

Soups are always comforting in the winter. With some bread on the side, a glass of a good wine and the moment is fixed. Now is already the season of broccoli which means you can have good quality of roasted broccoli with cheese, in pastas, in quiches or as a side dish boiled with some lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. Don’t be afraid to be original and try new stuff with a vegetable that is generally underestimated – especially now with the kale-mania that is all over the food-blogging world.

Cheddar cheese and Greek yogurt give an excellent texture to this dish. You prepare it as you would make bechamel with the difference that here it needs to be quite thicker than normal because it is made for the soup. You can alter the doses of water in the broccoli but also in the cheese-yogurt sauce according to how thick you wish the soup to be.

---

        

Ingredients
2 tbsp salted butter, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups broccoli, florets and stems
1/4 tbsp salt
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp flour
1/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

    

Method
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt half the butter, so 1tbsp. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.

Wash the broccoli good and cut it in small pieces. Use florets and stems. Stir in the broccoli until it is coated in butter. Salt freely, about 1/4 tbsp.

Reduce heat to low, cover with the lid, and steam until the broccoli turns bright green, for approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and cover again.

In a small, nonstick sauté pan, heat the rest of butter until it is melted. Add in the flour and mix it until it is fully incorporated and cook until the flour turns golden for about a few minutes.

Throw in the Greek yogurt followed by the warm water. Whisk firmly until it becomes a thick sauce. Add the cheddar cheese and whisk until the cheese melts. Turn off the heat.

With a wand mixer puree the broccoli till smooth. You can leave some stems untouched for decoration. Add the thick bechamel in and stir well till everything is blended. Add some extra salt and pepper and alternatively some Cheddar cheese on top for extra taste.

Enjoy it with pieces of fresh bread!

Butternut Squash Risotto

It is a pity that all this time I didn’t really put a risotto recipe, because it is one of my specialties – or so I’ve been told! I make risotto very often and mostly in different versions; with meat, variable vegetables, salmon etc. I came to realize I really enjoying making it, so one day I said I am going to try it with the squash. And it turned out pretty good! I used Italian risotto rice with dried vegetables, so I followed the classic procedure without dealing with a lot of chopping of cutting.

The magic ingredients for the perfect risotto are the butter and the Parmesan (love the combo) and the best trick is at the end when you let the risotto rest. It is then when its texture becomes creamy and juicy with the help of the butter and the sticky cheese. Be careful with the salt though because you have the stock which is already salty and the Parmesan at the end. And it is always better to have less salt in the food than more!

---

Ingredients
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
400gr butternut squash
400gr risotto rice
2 wineglasses dry white wine
1 liter vegetable stock
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
100gr Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
a handful of arugula salad

         

Method
Boil one liter of water and add the vegetable stock in. Stir and set aside.

Cut the butternut squash in half and peel its skin. If you have a big one, use only the half, otherwise use it all. Take out all the seeds and cut it in 1cm pieces. Wash it good and set aside. Chop the onion and the garlic finely.

Heat the olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter on a medium pan. Fry the onion, the garlic and the squash slowly for about 15 minutes. When they have softened add the rice and turn on the heat. Stir well while the rice is frying. Fry it in high heat for about 1 minute.

Add the wine and let all the flavors do their job. After it has evaporated, add your first spoonful of stock and keep stirring. Add some salt and turn down the heat so the rice will not cook too fast from the outside. Keep adding spoonfuls of stock and stirring the rice. The trick here is to add every new spoonful only when the previous has been absorbed. Do this for about 15 minutes. Taste the rice. If it is not cooked yet, add more stock. If your stock is over add boiling water.

Remove the rice from the heat when it is soft but also slightly firm. Add the rest of the butter – more salt if needed – and the Parmesan. Add the salad and season with pepper. Stir good and cover the pan with a lid. Let it sit for 2 minutes. This will make it even creamier and juicier!

Enjoy!

Fresh Arugula Pesto

Another spread recipe on the blog this month, but this time it is inspired by a spring greens pesto recipe I dug up from an old cooking book. Originally there was roasted pine nuts and spinach in. I slightly made some changes and voilà! I thought about this recipe when I first laid eyes on the fresh biological arugula we have on our KinderResto garden, where I volunteer. We had to cut some out because the plant grew amazingly fast and became very big. It was a pity to just leave it there get cold from the November weather. So, each of us took a bag full of fresh arugula! How great for me uh? If you take a look at the blog you will understand why. Half my summer recipes this year had arugula in(!).

This pesto is great over pasta, meat, fish, crackers, toasted baguette or as spread in sandwiches. I used it with trottole tricolore pasta and it was delicious! The fresh arugula gave this intense bitter taste to the pesto that I love. Mister Kornel not so much, but it is clearly a personal taste. So if it is too bitter for your taste do this before you start with the pesto: add 1/2 tsp. of salt to raw arugula Set aside for 15 minutes. The salt will draw out most of the bitter juices. Discard the salty juice, rinse and use the arugula as instructed below.

Don’t forget you can keep it in the fridge for only one week. But you are going to love it so much that you will eat it faster than you think!

---

Ingredients
2 large handfuls of fresh arugula
½ cup walnuts (pine nuts alternatively)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic cut in small pieces
juice from ½ lemon
½ cup mushrooms
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
salt according to your needs
ground black pepper

Method
Soak and wash throughly the arugula to remove the grit and the dirt.

In a small frying pan heat olive oil and sate garlic.

In a blender add the garlic, along with the arugula, the walnuts, the lemon juice, the mushrooms and the Parmesan.

Start slowly with blending and increase gradually. Puree until silky smooth.

Add some pepper and some salt, according to your needs.

Enjoy!

Double cracker pleasure! Beetroot hummus and Arugula Pesto!

Greek Yogurt and Garlic Baked Chicken

A super easy recipe that only has a little bit of preparation. Ok you got me, 4 hours at least! But you can prepare the yogurt mixture and the chicken in the morning before work and until you come home it will have done the job itself. The only thing left for you to do is place the chicken in a pan, add the veggies you love, some lemon slices – my new favorite, they give super extra taste – and some oil and your chicken is ready to jump in the oven!

---

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup bread crumbs
fresh veggies (from package – your choice)
1 red onion cut in chunks
1 lemon cut in slices
salt and fresh ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Procedure
Lightly pound the chicken just enough to even it out. Do not pound it thin. We want it thick enough. Place the chicken in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and let it rest.

In a separate bowl put garlic, Greek yogurt, and thyme and mix them until they are combined. Pour the yogurt mixture over your chicken. Mix until chicken is thoroughly coated. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.

Preheat your oven to 375 C. Remove the chicken from bowl and shake off any excess. You should discard yogurt mixture. Put the chicken on the prepared baking pan and add the veggies and the onion. I used a package that contained carrots, broccoli and cornflower. Add the lemon slices for extra taste!

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with the bread crumbs and some extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes, or until chicken is done. Enjoy!

(Recipe inspired from diethood.com)

Vicky’s spaghetti Bolognese

When I decide to make Bolognese I always check my kitchen cabinets to check my leftovers. There is always an extra spaghetti package and some tomato paste! So in moments of “what shall I cook today”, my answer is spaghetti Bolognese! Even though it is an Italian classic, you can do it in various ways. You can add carrots and celery or/and some bacon for extra taste. I prefer the typical Greek kind of way, where you use onions, mince, some wine and tomato sauce. And oh! Some feta of course!

---

Ingredients
400 gr fresh beef mince
2 onions
3 scallions
5 cloves of garlic
400 gr tomato sauce
1 small glass of rose wine
1 spaghetti package

fresh parsley
fresh basil
oregano
olive oil
black pepper
white pepper
salt
Parmesan cheese or feta

Procedure

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium heat. Add the onions chopped along with the garlic. Let them fry for 6-7 minutes in order to be soft. Add the mince and try to open all its chunks. Throw in your herbs and spices (keep some of the fresh for garnish later and for some extra taste). Fry it in high heat and as soon as it is spread, throw in the wine. Let the wine evaporate and take out all its taste. It smells delicious doesn’t it?

Now it is time for the sauce. Reduce heat to low-medium. I used a sauce that already had some spices and was not completely tasteless. You can alternatively use tomato paste and fresh tomatoes- I just didn’t have some at home and used what I had in my cabinet! Throw some water if it is too thick and let it boil for an hour or so in low heat.

In a pan with boiling water add some salt and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. When they are ready toss them in the saucepan and stir gently so that all the flavors will combine. You can now sprinkle your gorgeous Bolognese with some Parmesan cheese or if you want to do it the Greek way with some feta! Add the extra basil and voilà!

Excellent!

Eggplant with feta (oven dish)

Summerish and easy, this recipe can also be served as a “meze” (greek tapas) accompanying the Ouzo and the Tsipouro (Greek traditional drinks), along with some smoked mackerel and extra feta on the side. Eggplants are widely used in the Greek cuisine and are known for the long time they need to be cooked, but do not worry! Once it is in the oven, let it do its magic! You do have to check it once in a while, but nothing more than that. So don’t be afraid of it!

---

 

Ingredients

2 big eggplants
1 big onion and/or 2 scallions
3-4 garlic cloves
1 tomato
1 can tomato juice (or as much as it takes)
200 gr feta
olive oil
pepper
salt
fresh parsley

Procedure

Wash and cut the eggplants in cubes, sprinkle them with olive oil and salt, so that they will not turn black. Put them in a baking pan for 20 minutes in the oven to be soft. As soon as the eggplants are softer, cut the onion and the garlic and toss them inside the pan.

Cut the tomato and toss it in along with the olive oil and the spices. Thrown in the tomato juice but do not overflow it. Just enough to give it some liquids and not letting it be completely dry. Add some water and put it in the over for 40-50 minutes until all the ingredients are mingled in and soft.

It is good to check it often so that you see how the eggplants are. Are they too soft, take it out if you don’t like it. Are they a bit crunchy, give them some extra time.

The last 10 minutes of the cooking, add the feta on top so that it will have time to be warm and a bit soft. Don’t leave it more than 10 minutes, because it can burn. Feta is not like other cheeses, it doesn’t really melt, it gets softer and after that black!

Enjoy!

Fresh egg pasta with squid ink, mushrooms, feta and fresh herbs

Following our summer recipe special, this one belongs to my summer favorites! Fresh, easy and sooo tasty! The squid ink pasta you can find it in the supermarket or your local bio market. I happened to find it accidentally in the LIDL supermarket and I thought of creating something fresh and new! With some freshly harvested herbs from my little garden, some fresh mushrooms from the market and of course feta, I created a recipe that can fill your mouth with all these Mediterranean flavors. Squid ink pasta has a quite intense and heavy flavor by itself and if you try to overload it with many and diverse ingredients, the only thing you will have left at the end of the day is a heavy stomach. So, follow my advice and do it light and trust me you will not regret it!

---

Ingredients

300 gr fresh egg pasta with squid ink
a handful of chestnut mushrooms
2 scallions
feta cheese
fresh parsley
fresh basil
olive oil
black pepper
white pepper
salt
some oregano
some arugula salad

Procedure

In a frying pan heat the olive oil. Fry a bit the scallions till they are soft. Add the mushrooms and let them get out their juice. After the mushrooms are soft enough, add the spices and the fresh herbs. Extra tip: I always prefer putting the spices at the end when cooking mushrooms, so that they are a bit crunchy and not completely soft. The salt forces them to lose a lot of water and this is not good!

Boil some water in a pot and add salt as soon as it starts boiling. Add the pasta and boil it according to package instructions. Strain them and add some pepper for extra spiciness. Mix it with the mushrooms and add some arugula salad (yes it is one of my favorites!). Sprinkle the crumbled feta and you are ready to go!

Enjoy!