VEGETARIAN MAGERITSA

This soup is traditional served on Easter Sunday and usually contains liver, heart and other interesting parts of a lamb. 
This is a vegetarian recipe which has a similar texture and feel to the original meat eaters version.


WHAT YOU NEED:


4 tablespoons olive oil
500g oyster mushrooms finely chopped
1 cup spring onions finely chopped
4 tablespoons finely chopped dill
4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
8 cups hot vegetable stock
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 cup long grain rice
1 egg (at room temperature)
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (at room temperature)


WHAT TO DO:


add oil to a large heavy based pot and saute mushrooms, 
stirring till soft (4-5 minutes)
add shallots and saute for a few more minutes
add herbs and pour in hot stock, season with salt and pepper
bring to a boil and then add rice
cover and simmer for 20 minutes until rice and mushrooms are tender


For the sauce: using a bamix, beat egg and lemon juice in a large bowl or tall container; 
continue beating and add a laddle of the hot soup (liquid only)
whisk for a minute till frothy
take the soup off the heat and slowly stir in the mixture
do not let the soup boil after adding the egg-lemon mixture


Serve hot with freshly ground pepper


Serves 4

PASTELI

Sesame Snaps  

WHAT YOU NEED:

3 tablespoons honey

3 cups raw sesame seeds

1 cup of raw almond and sunflower seeds (combined)

WHAT TO DO:

in a heavy based non stick pot bring honey to a low simmer on medium heat.

add sesame and stir well working quickly for 15 minutes (or until lightly browned).

add nuts and stir for 5 minutes till combined.

layer a biscuit tray with plastic wrap.

pour sesame mixture onto biscuit tray and cover with plastic wrap.

flatten out with a rolling pin till even.

cut into diamonds and remove plastic.

store in an airtight container in the fridge.

PESTO SAUCE

LCD Friendly

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 cup of raw nuts (either macadamias, cashews or pine nuts)

2 cups of fresh basil leaves (washed and dried thoroughly)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2-3 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

WHAT TO DO:

in a food processor blend nuts, lemon juice, garlic and salt till creamy.

then add your basil leaves.

blend adding the oil slowly till all the oil is mixed through and you have a bright green pesto sauce.
Add more oil slowly if pesto is too dry.

CHICKPEA TAJINE

LCD Friendly

WHAT YOU NEED:

4 tbsp virgin olive oil

2 red onions, sliced into wedges

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 red capsicum, deseeded and cut into strips

1 cup cauliflower cut into florets

1 cup sweet potato cut into 2 cm chunks

5 artichoke hearts, fresh or from the jar, keep whole

3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and rough chop or use 1 tin peeled ones

1 can of organic chickpeas (rinsed)

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup baby black olives, remove stone (optional)

sea salt

1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

WHAT TO DO:

In a large high–sided pan heat the oil, add the onions and garlic with a sprinkling of salt. 
Cook until softened (7 minutes) then add the spices and stir to release their fragrant oils.  
Add the capsicum, cauliflower and sweet potato and stir as they brown.  
Throw in the chickpeas, artichokes, tomato pieces, raisins and olives together with a generous serve of salt.  
Bring to a boil then simmer on low covered until vegetables are soft and still shapely and the sauce is reduced and intense, around 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve over quinoa or brown rice or mop up with a crunchy sourdough baguette, a little dollop of hot harissa sauce and lots of chopped coriander.

JAPANESE PUMPKIN AND LENTIL SOUP

LCD Friendly

What You Need: 

    1/2 Jap pumpkin - cleaned and seeds out
    3/4 cup water
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    sea salt
    2 cups green lentils, rinsed
    6 thick slices of fresh ginger, sliced like a thick coin                      
    3 cloves of garlic sliced                                                            
    2 whole star anise                                                                  
    12 cups / 3 litres water
    1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
    1/2 cup olive oil
    2 brown onions, medium dice
    1 leek chopped
    1/2 fennel bulb, medium dice
    1 red chilli

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.

Oil and salt the pumpkin and roast cut side down (in a rimmed baking pan) with the 3/4 cup of water poured into the pan. 

Roast until tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. 

When cool enough, scoop out cooked pumpkin and set aside.

In the meantime combine the lentils, ginger, star anise, chilli and water in a large pot.

Bring to a boil and then gently simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove ginger and star anise and then add 1 teaspoon of salt.

Add olive oil, onion, leeks, fennel, garlic to pot

Bring to a simmer and cook covered over low heat until vegetables soften, about 20 minutes.

Add mashed pumpkin to the pot and stir well and simmer gently for another 10 minutes or so, allowing the flavors to blend. 

Taste and adjust the seasoning here with more salt if needed.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serves 4 - 6.

ROAST PUMPKIN SALAD WITH WILD RICE

LCD Friendly

What you need:

1 medium butternut pumpkin, skin on and cut into 1-inch cubes
extra-virgin olive oil
salt

12 tiny red onions peeled OR 4 medium red onions peeled, quartered
2 cups cooked wild rice*
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup basil, finely chopped

 
What to do:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.

Toss the pumpkin and onions in a generous splash of olive oil along with salt

Roast both seperately for about 45 minutes, or until brown and caramelized. 

In the meantime, make the dressing:

With a hand blender or food processor puree the sunflower seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and honey until creamy. 

You may need to add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin the dressing a bit. 

Stir in the basil, saving just a bit to garnish the final plate later. 

Taste and adjust for salt and pepper

In a large bowl, toss the wild rice with a large dollop of the dressing. 

Add the onions, gently toss just once or twice. 

Turn the rice and onions out onto a platter and top with the roasted pumpkin

Finish with another drizzle of dressing and any remaining chopped basil.

Serves 4.

* To cook wild rice: 

Rinse 1.5 cups wild rice. 

In a medium sauce pan bring the rice and 4.5 cups salted water to a boil

Reduce to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes or until rice is tender and splitting open, stirring occasionally. 

You'll have enough for this recipe and some leftover. 

You can freeze any left over rice for next time.

MELITZANOSALATA

Eggplant Dip   what you need:

1 med-large eggplant (400grams aprox)

1/2 brown onion

handful of walnuts

handful of flat leaf parsley

4 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil

1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

what to do:

pre heat oven to 200 degrees celsius

using a fork prick the eggplant to make holes - around 4 or 5 times at random

roast eggplant till very soft - around 45 minutes

cut in half and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes

scoop out eggplant pulp and place in a food processor

add remaining ingredients and whiz on high till smooth

will keep fresh for 5 days in fridge but best served that day

FASOLADA

Greek Bean Soup

what you need

500 grams dried borlotti beans or canellini beans

2 brown onions finely chopped 
2 carrots, chopped into 1/2cm pieces

2 sticks of celery, chopped into 1/2cm pieces  (include celery leaves)

2 soft tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 dried red chillies (optional)

(these are macedonian dried chillies found in your continental deli - they are not hot)

2 bay leaves

1 cup of extra virgin olive oil

8-10 cups of warm water (or enough to cover the beans)

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

ground black pepper to taste

what to do

Soak the beans in water for at least 8 hours (overnight is preferable).

Rinse beans then place into a large heavy based pot.

Add all ingredients except salt and add water to cover (around 10 cups).

Cover pot, bring to the boil then stir well.

Lower the heat to medium, cover with lid and simmer for 1hr and 30 minutes till beans are tender and soft.

Add salt, stir well and simmer for a further 15 minutes with the lid half off, to thicken soup.

allow to cool slightly then serve warm.

best served the next day with crusty bread

D A L

Indian Lentil Stew  
LCD Friendly

what you need

2 cups red lentils (rinsed and washed under water)
2 teaspoons tumeric powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon corriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
6 curry leaves (optional)
2 onions finely chopped
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 teaspoons ginger finely chopped
1 tin tomatoes chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoons salt

around 8 cup of warm water

what to do

1) gently fry onion in olive oil on medium heat till soft - around 5 minutes
2) add garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for 5 min
3) add spices and cook for 2 minutes till combined
4) add chopped tomatoes and salt;  heat through
5) add washed lentils and cover with warm water (add enough water just to cover the lentils by 1cm - around 8 cups)
6) bring to a boil and then simmer on med for 20 minutes with lid on, stiring every 5 minutes to ensure lentils don't stick to the bottom. If they dry out before they are cooked, add a little boiling water to continue the cooking process
7) once lentils become creamy, sprinkle with garam masala and stir through

Serve with fresh chopped coriander on top.

Optional - you can add fresh vegetables such as carrots, brocolli, spinach or zucchini once the dal is cooked. Just chop vegetables, add to cooked dal and heat through for 5-10 minutes.
NOTE:
- If you prefer your dal runny, add extra water at beginning of cooking - cover with 2 cm water instead of 1cm
- keeps in fridge for 5 days or can freeze for up to 3 months

SPANAKORIZO

Greek Spinach Rice


what you need:

500 grams English spinach washed well (around 2-3 bunches)
¼ cup medium grain rice or brown rice pre boiled for 30 min
5 green shallots/scallions finely chopped
1 red onion finely chopped
2 soft tomatoes roughly chopped
¼ cup continental parsley finely chopped
¼ cup fresh dill finely chopped
¼ cup Greek olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

what to do:

1. place all ingredients in a non‐stick pot on high heat
2. bring to a simmer, stirring gently till mixed
3. place the lid on the pot and cook over medium‐low heat for 12 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes to avoid sticking on the bottom
4. once cooked, take off the heat, remove the lid, stir the spinach rice thoroughly then place a clean tea towel over the pot and let stand for 10 minutes. This will allow the steam to fluff the rice and continue the cooking process.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice, crusty bread and a Greek salad or as side dish to BBQ meat. Can also be eaten at room temperature in the summer months with feta cheese on the side.

Serves: 4 people as a main, 6 people as a side
Preparation time: 30 min

Variation: you can also add 1 cup of sliced button mushrooms at the beginning of this dish to make it a really hearty meal.