Month: September 2016

greek salad on pitas

Oven Baked Greek Salad on Pita Bread

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Pita bread topped with cheese and some vegetables and then grilled must have been one of the most ancient snacks. It is so tasty and obvious, that one wonders why food preparation evolved beyond it! We love this variant, with greek salad on top. The tension of the ingredients is kept, it is super light and very easy to prepare. The reward is disproportional to the effort or calories though! The only constraint is that you must serve it immediately, hot from the oven! Serves 2-3 6 small sized and thin pitas 6 -8 cherry tomatoes, sliced 1 medium onion (120g), finely sliced 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 red bell pepper, finely sliced 2 Tbsp capers 150g feta cheese, crumbled 1 Tbsp Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced 1 pinch dried oregano freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan). Place the pitas on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. In a bowl combine the onions with the olive oil and the salt. Let the onions in the marinade for 15 minutes, then …

beef and pistachio kebab

Beef Kebabs, a Pistachio Sauce and a Salad

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End of summer is pistachio harvesting time in and around Attica. Pistachio trees are  ideally suited to the dry climate of the area and, although introduced relatively recently  – since the late 19th century-  thrive. There are not a lot of savoury dishes you can do with pistachios, but this kebab worked very well. Serves 4 For the Kebabs 800g ground beef 30g rusk crumbs 120g shelled unsalted pistachios, coarsely ground 130g onion, very finely chopped 1 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 2 tsp ground cumin 1/2tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional) 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp sea salt 1 Tbsp olive oil (plus some more for brushing the kebabs) For the Pistachio sauce 100g shelled unsalted pistachios 30g  white bread, crusts removed, soaked in water and squeezed (1 or 2 days old sourdough bread works better for this recipe) 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil sea salt freshly ground black pepper 6 Tbsp tap water To serve 2 tomatoes, cut in half and finely sliced 1 …

Jurassic affinities : Chicken drumsticks, spicy and fragrant

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Even growing up in the pre-Jurassic Park era I was fascinated by dinosaurs. The relevant sections in illustrated books were my favourite. I recall the species, and even now get annoyed whenever one gets re-classified and receives a new name. I regretted the fact that I would never encounter a magnificent t-rex or diplodocus. And then, discoveries in China proved that birds are the decedents of dinos! Not only that, but for a period birds evolved to fearsome predators, on the top of the food chain! It somehow was soothing that I could look at ostriches and even humble chickens and think of a more glorious ancestry. And, at least, we know how they tasted. Like chicken! Serves 4 4 Tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp honey 4 Tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped 1 Tbsp ground cumin 2 Tbsp dijon mustard 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional,depending on your spice tolerance) 4 Tbsp dry white wine 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1kg chicken drumsticks (about 10) coarse sea salt For …