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[sabrinapashtan]

Stuffed Zucchini with Avgolemono Sauce  Κολοκυθάκια γεμιστά

I had the recent fortune of staying in a beautiful village in the mountains of Crete. A paradise in its own right, the island boasts a cuisine all its own. Every meal was a delicious exploration of Greek and Cretan cooking, and this dish was one of the highlights. I came home determined to try my hand at it, and share it with all of you. It’s a summer comfort food: fat, juicy zucchinis stuffed with fragrant beef, smothered in a bright lemon sauce.

I recommend making this dish with either big zucchinis that you can cut into pieces and then core, or finding these beautiful little limelight zucchinis. The biggest challenge is coring the zucchini. The rest is fairly straightforward and results in a very soft, filled zucchini that you could cut with a fork. It’s meant to be saucy and you can add some other vegetables to the cooking liquid such as carrots as I did here or commonly, potatoes

.

Ingredients:

Limelight zucchini or other short, fat summer squash, 3 lbs or about 6-8 Ground beef, 1/2 lb 1 onion, finely diced or grated Short-grain rice, 3 tbsp Parsley, 1/2 cup chopped Mint (preferably spearmint if available), 1/2 cup finely chopped Parsley, 1/2 cup finely chopped 1 tomato, grated Olive oil, Nutmeg, to taste Red chili pepper flakes, a pinch Cracked black pepper, to taste Salt, to taste

Avgolemono sauce: 2 eggs Juice of 2 lemons Cooking liquid from stuffed zucchini Salt, to taste Start by coring the zucchini. First, slice off each end with a sharp knife. Then, using a long, skinny sharp knife, make a circular incision on one end, going as deep as you can without puncturing the sides. There should be about a 1/4 inch perimeter for the shell of the zucchini, enough to provide structure and hold the filing without falling apart. Make these circular incisions on each side of the zucchini. Other recipes suggesting using a melon baller or grapefruit spoon, the former I wouldn’t expect to find in any kitchen less than 70 years old, but if you have one and it’s small enough to fit inside without rupturing the walls, you can definitely give it a try. I found that a sharp boning knife works best for me.

Once you’ve removed the middle of the zucchini, chop it up finely and put into a large bowl, combined with the onion, ground beef, rice, parsley and mint, tomato, salt and spices. Once these ingredients are combined, I recommend taking a spoonful and microwaving it for about 20 seconds to cook it thoroughly, and then tasting it for salt and seasoning. Add more salt in necessary and remember that the filling needs to flavor the zucchini shells as well, so don’t be shy.

Carefully stuff the zucchini with the filling, letting any excess liquid drain out and spaces fill in. If there’s leftover stuffing, you can make meatballs and add them to the pan once the zucchini have gone in.

 In a large saucepan,place a little bit of olive oil and the stuffed zucchini. If you have meatballs, place them in the spaces in between, as well as the carrots. Fill the pan with hot water about 3/4 up the height of the zucchini or a little less if you have a very spacious pan.

Cook on low heat for about 50 minutes or until the zucchini are very soft. 

To make the avgolemono sauce, whisk together the lemon juice and eggs in a large bowl. Using a strainer, carefully pour a little (about 1/2 cup) of the cooking liquid left from the saute pan through the strainer into the bowl with the lemon juice and egg. Whisk and then add more liquid, slowly and again, a small amount, in order to temper the eggs to prevent them from cooking in the sauce.  Pour the rest of the cooking liquid and whisk. Taste for salt and season. Add the sauce back to the saute pan over the zucchini and cook on medium heat for a few minutes. Let cool slightly and the sauce should thicken slightly. 

Enjoy!

[sabrinapashtan]

Check out my new recipe on Organic Authority: Wheat Berry Tabbouleh. It's tabbouleh for the fall, with crunchy apples and al dente wheat berries.

[sabrinapashtan]

Butternut Squash Soup

This butternut squash soup recipe is a favorite. It's vegan and Sargent Choice approved. Despite containing butternut squash and apples, two sweet ingredients, for its base, I would proclaim it one of the most savory squash soups I've had. The spices, onion and garlic add depth and character to this fall classic. 

 Ingredients:

1 large winter squash (can use sweet dumpking, butternut, etc)- peeled and cubed into a 1” dice 3 apples such as Macintosh or Cortland, peeled, cored and cut into about 8 pieces (don't use a sweet apple like red delicious, gala) 1 onion, cut into about 8 pieces Garlic, 5 cloves, peeled Cumin, 1 tbsp Cracked black pepper, 1 tsp Mustard seed, 1 tsp Coriander seed, 1 tsp Turmeric, 1 tbsp Coconut milk, 1 can Cilantro, 1 bunch Olive oil, 3 tbsp Salt, to taste

Peel, clean and dice the squash, apples and onion and toss with garlic, spices and olive oil in a large bowl until evenly coated.  Arrange on an oven sheet or in a glass pan and roast in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or until vegetables are roasted golden, but not dried out. 

Place roasted vegetables into a large pot and combine with coconut milk and 4 cups of water to start with. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes. Then, use an immersion blender and blend for about 5 minutes, or pour into a blender and blend until smooth. Be careful using the blender if the soup is boiling hot. The mixture will jump up in the blender! Once you've pureed the mixture, pass through a mesh sieve, chinois or strainer to remove the coriander and mustard seed shells and any chunks leftover. Transfer directly to a pot and on medium heat, add any more water until you’ve reached your desired consistency. This soup is best as a semi-thin soup rather than a thick puree. Season the soup with salt and if needed and more spice. Garnish with cilantro. If you love cilantro like I do, you can chop a bunch finely and add it to the finished soup, while still hot. Enjoy!

[sabrinapashtan]

Φασολάκια γιαχνί Runner Beans in Tomato Sauce Recipe

Runner beans in tomato sauce is another simple but great, traditional Greek recipe. This dish is considered ladera (λαδερά), which is a dish cooked on the stovetop with olive oil.

 The beans are tenderized by the acidic tomato, and the piquant garlic and zesty lemon compliment the subtle flavors of the dish. Feta is a great accompaniment, and it is often served with peeled, whole potatoes.

This fresh green bean recipe is a strong side dish to many meals, especially a hearty meat dish. That being said, it could definitely stand on its own for a light lunch, especially when including potatoes, feta, etc.

Ingredients:

Runner beans, 1 lb
 Tomatoes, 1lb, grated or pureed
 Garlic, 4 cloves sliced in filets
 Olive oil, 1/4 cup
 Salt, to taste
 Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes, a pinch

Snip the woody end of the beans and then slice in half, on the diagonal.

Slice the garlic into filets and sauté with the olive oil in a deep sauté pan on medium heat. Once translucent, add the beans. Then, add the tomato and cover with a lid. Cook on low heat until the beans are soft, about 15-30 minutes.

Season with salt and the chili. Serve with lemon and feta cheese. 

[sabrinapashtan]

Pasta Bolognese

Bolognese sauce, or in Italian, ragù alla bolognese, is one of the most well-known sauces for pasta in Italy. As I learned from a very picky Italian from Bologna, there is a very specific way to make a proper bolognese. One of the things I really appreciate about the bolognese is the vegetable to meat ratio, in favor of the vegetables. The bolognese should always have onions, celery, carrots, wine, beef and some tomato. Some optional ingredients include pancetta and milk or cream, but this recipe does not include those. I think the biggest difference between the Italian bolognese is that it has much less tomato than in the US. That being said, it's still a great way to use those imperfect, bruised and super ripe tomatoes from the garden or market.

To serve the bolognese, it's best paired with a thick pasta such as tagliatelle, pappardelle or fettucini. Also acceptable are tube pastas such as rigatoni or penne. Stay away from spaghetti. 

Ingredients:

Ground beef, 1 lb 2 medium yellow onions, finely diced 4 celery stalks, finely diced 2 carrots, finely diced Ripe tomatoes, 3/4 lb, pureed Dry white wine, 1 cup Olive oil, 3 tbsp Salt, to taste Cracked black pepper, to taste Nutmeg, a dash (optional)

In order to dice the onions, celery, carrots and puree the tomatoes, I recommend using a food processor, if you have one. The vegetables should be diced as finely as possible. I've seen an Italian use a hand blender to puree them. Of course, feel free to do this with a knife as well. I do not peel the tomatoes (gasp!).

Saute the onion in olive oil on medium heat until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery and sauté for another 10 minutes and then add carrot, sauté another 10 minutes. Then add the ground beef and turn the heat on high, mixing constantly with a wood spoon, until you can barely see any pink. Lower the heat to medium and add the white wine and let cook for a few minutes. Then, add the tomato, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cover and turn the heat on low. Cook for 3-4 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so. By using fresh tomatoes, you'll probably have enough liquid without having to add any during the cooking process. If the sauce gets dry, add a little water or another splash of wine.

Once the sauce is about ready, boil the pasta in heavily salted water for the time determined on the bag/box (use a timer; this needs to be precise!) Transfer the cooked pasta to the sauté pan with the hot sauce and coat well. Serve with grated parmigiana.

[sabrinapashtan]

Φασολια Μαυροματικα Σαλατα Greek black-eyed pea salad recipe

I first had this salad in the restaurant of an ecotourism village in Crete. The cook, Stavroula, made some of the best food I've ever had. As a little appetizer before each meal, they gave us a small plate of salad with black-eyed peas. It was drenched with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and it was absolutely delicious. The crunchy vegetables, which can vary, paired with the acidity of the balsamic vinegar are unexpectedly harmonious companions to the al dente black-eyed peas. This Greek salad recipe is a must for the summer, when colorful peppers and other veggies are in their peak.

This salad was served with peppers and a little parsley and it was fabulous. You can add red onions and dill and it will be great. I used carrot and cherry tomato because that's what I had in the fridge. Be careful not to overcook the peas; they should be al dente. Soaking dried peas overnight is not necessary, but it will speed up the cooking time. I don't recommend using canned beans for this; they are too soft.

Ingredients:

Dried black-eyed peas, 1 cup 2 bell peppers (or any other sweet pepper), diced 1 red onion, diced Parsley, 1/2 cup chopped Balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup Salt, to taste

Put the peas in a pot with generously salted boiling water and cook until al dente, probably around 40 minutes, depending on whether you soaked them or not.

In the meantime,  dice the peppers and onions. I soak any onion that I use for salad in cold water for at least 15 minutes in order to mellow the pungent bite of a raw onion. It eliminates the lingering aftertaste of the raw onion, as well.

Strain the peas and run some cold water over them. Mix with the vegetables, olive oil and vinegar and season with salt to taste.

This Greek salad recipe is perfect for a light lunch, or served as an appetizer or side salad.

[sabrinapashtan]

Gazpacho español

Gazpacho is a quintessential dish found on menus and in homes all over Spain during the hot summer months. It's cool and refreshing, easy and quick to make, deliciously healthy and a wonderful way to use all those perfectly juicy tomatoes, crispy peppers and cucumbers coming out of the garden. It's also a good opportunity to use up super ripe, possibly bruised and imperfect tomatoes (see photo above). They may not be pretty, but they often have the most intense tomato flavor.

Gazpacho is one of several cold summer soups coming from the south of Spain, and the most well-known. Hailing from Cordoba, there's salmorejo, which is quite similar to gazpacho, but features only tomatoes from the vegetable department, with a bit of garlic, vinegar and lots of olive oil and bread. Perhaps most exotic and least known is Malaga's ajo blanco, a blend of garlic, almonds, olive oil, bread and sometimes vinegar. It's commonly garnished with grapes.

While all these soups have their virtues, gazpacho uses the most vegetables, and from that perspective, could be considered a bit healthier and lighter, not to mention a solution to the mid to late summer garden explosion. The gazpacho soup recipe is versatile, so feel free to add an extra tomato or pepper, etc. Don't overdo it on the cucumbers. Red peppers are the nicest because of their color, but you can use any color pepper. It's hard to screw up, as long as you blend it to a smooth texture and flavor it well with salt and vinegar (it requires more than you might want to add. Taste and add more until the flavors are vibrant and pronounced).

Ingredients:

Ripe tomatoes, 2-3lbs 2 peppers 1 large cucumber Garlic, 1/4 clove Olive oil, 3 tablespoons Red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar, 1/4 cup plus more to taste Stale bread, about 3-4oz or a few slices Salt, to taste

Roughly chop the tomatoes and peppers, peel and slice the cucumbers and break up the bread. If you only have fresh bread, toast it slightly. Add the vinegar, garlic, olive oil and a little salt. Mix with a blender on high speed until completely smooth. The color should lighten to a bright red or orange. I don't have a large blender, so first I used a hand blender, which isn't strong enough to get a smooth consistency so then smoothed it out using a smoothie blender. Don't use a food processor. Use a blender!

Taste for salt and vinegar and add more if needed. Olive oil will add more creaminess.

The most traditional garnish is chopped, hard-boiled egg and little slices of jamon serrano. 

[sabrinapashtan]

lemon garlic green beans

This dish is by far the most delicious way I have found to cook green beans. If you like lemon and garlic, you are bound to love this. The green beans soak up all the garlic and lemon and with a light slick of olive oil and a dusting of salt, they're fantastic. I usually don't say this, but, the more garlic, the better.  

Ingredients: serves 3-4

Green beans, about 1.5 lbs Garlic, 4 cloves, chopped 3 lemons Olive oil, 3 tbsp Salt, to taste

Remove the woody stem end of the green bean and discard. Boil a large pot of generously salted water and blanch the beans until bright green, for about 3-5 minutes.

In the meantime, saute the chopped garlic in olive oil in a large saute pan until translucent. Transfer the blanched green beans to the saute pan and stir. Add the lemon juice and season quite generously with salt. Cook for another few minutes, until beans are coated with the sauce and just barely soft. If they are a bit dry, add more lemon juice or a little water. They should be tangy and a little salty.