Greek Style Zucchini Boats
This is one of our favorite dishes. The stuffing also works great for eggplants and capsicums.
When I cook greek food, I love to make this ones. We usually serve it with greek raisinis,
but potatoes do a good job as well. Served with a greek salad and some Tzatzicci,...
this is really a fantastic dish.
I served this a couple of times to my non vegan friends and family,...
and all of them loved it as well.
So when you look for a good vegan options,... you found it!
When you have leftover stuffing,... it is great to use for rissols.
Just mix the stuffing with some besan flour, potato or tapioca starch and a splash of water if needed,
fry it in a frying pan,... and thats it. I love to take these on trips or have it on my sandwich,
because it tastes also great when cold. So don't worry when you have leftover stuffing,
I actually always have leftovers,...
make some burgers or rissols. Its great.
For the stuffing you need:
100g carrot - grated
70g onion - chopped
120g walnut - chopped
2g (2 bigger cloves) garlic - grated
1,5 tsp dry Oregano
1 tsp dry Thyme
1/4 tsp Dutch Cinnamon
1 tbsp coconut armino acids bbq style
1/2 tsp pink salt
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp filtered water
1 tsp lemon juice
The flesh of 1 zucchini - chopped up
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for frying
2 good sized zucchinis - halfed and insides removed
Also approx. 1/2 cup of passata tomato mixed with approx 1/4 cup of water.
Seasoned with just some salt and oregano
Directions:
1. Prepare zucchins - cut in half and carefully remove the inside with a tea spoon.
Keep the pulp of one zucchini and chopp it up.
2. Preheat oven to 180C.
3. Prepare all ingredients. Process the walnuts in a food processor.
It should be more fine grated. But not to fine like almond meal.
Heat a frying pan with the olive oil and start with the onion. Fry until slighly golden. Add the carrot.
Fry for a couple of minutes and add the walnuts. Mix all well. Add herbs and spices. Make some room in the middle of the frying pan and add the tomato paste. Add the armino and mix it,... and mix into the nuts etc.
Last one add the zucchini and stir to combine.
Deglaze with the lemon juice and water. Give it a couple of minutes on low heat and turn off the heat. Set aside.
4. Stuff the zucchinis.
5. Use a baking dish. Add some passata tomato on the bottom with a little bit of water, salt and oregano.
Place zucchini boats on top and bake for 15 minutes. When it should turns to dark on top, please cover and give it 10-15 more minutes. Baking time depends on the size of the zucchinis.
I always use a dish with a lid. I cover it half time. You also can cover with baking paper. What ever works best for you. The roasting should be finish when the zucchinis turn --- you actually see when they are ready.
The stuffing already is ready to eat, so don't worry about the stuffing.
6. Serve with potatoes and greek salad. Tzatzicci if you like --- and ENJOY :-)
Moussaka Inspiration with bbq Potatoes
I have beautiful eggplants/aubergines growning in my garden.
And I have no idea why, but I am totally into greek falvours at the time.
But I guess thats easy to answer, because as mentioned on my Facebook page,
Greek is one of my absolut favorite cuisines.
We had a great bbq last weekend, also greek,... and when it gets warm outside,
I always crave greek flavours.
I didn't want to cook a Moussaka because I want to stay a bit longer without lentils,
but I really was so in the mood for it. So I got a bit inventive, haha.
This really was very nice. Usually there is no zucchini in Moussaka, but I added some anyway.
Also Olives. This really was just inspired by Moussaka, I only wanted the flavour of it.
Served with bbq potatoes and a salad on the side, with some tzatzicci,... we loved it.
To cook 2 serves I used:
1 big sized eggplant - cut into small cubes
1 normal sized zuccini - cut into small cubes
a couple of olives***
1 small onion - chopped
1 BIG clove of garlic - grated
1 cup passata tomato
1/2 cup filtered water
1 tbsp extra virgin cold pressed olive oil (organic) - for frying
1/2-3/4 tsp pink salt
1/2 tbsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cm slice of an organic lemon
As many potatoes as you like
Cooked jacket potatoes!
*** make sure the olives do not contain canola oil, vinegar and acids.
I am lucky I have a good products from my organic store.
Just marinated in lemon juice, olive oil and herbs.
Direction:
1. Prepare all you ingredients. And cook potatoes ahead. They should be cooled down.
2. Heat a non stick frying pan and add the oil. Start to fry the eggplant on high heat.
When it turns golden, add the onion. Shake the pan regular and stir.
Add the zuccini, olives and grated garlic as well.
Fry for about 2 more minutes and deglaze with the passata and water.
Turn down the heat to middle heat.
3. Season.
4. Mix all well, place lemon lice in the middle of it and turn down the heat to a simmer and shut the lid.
Simmer for about 15minutes.
Stir. Turn off the heat and give it a rest.
5. In the meantime cut potatoes in half, spread with a tiny little bit of olive oil and bbq.
Also make the side salad.
6. Plate up and "kalh orexh" :-)
Greek Quiche Pie
I actually thought I lost this recipe, because after I got a new desk in my office,
I could not find the recipe I wrote down. Day's later I found it in my music room, right next to the phone.
I wrote an appointment down on it, haha. I am so happy I haven't lost this recipe, because it really was good.
The only thing I will change the next time is, to serve this with Skordalia, a greek garlic dip.
Also an european coles slaw would fit perfectly. But to make it, it takes a bit of time.
And it is not really MM approved, because it contains vinegar.
But maybe I can work something out the next time.
Because I really love european coles slaw!
I think this will give the dish the perfect finnish.
When I cook this dish again, I will also make the Skordalia and will add the recipe to this section!
Let's get started with the recipe!
I made 2 small sized quiche dishes. Not a big one. I was unsure about a big normal size,
because working with besan flour often makes things pretty dry.
So I wanted to make sure to receive a good result.
I actually like to use this one serve dishes. It also is a nice size for a lunch box.
To make 2 of the quiche pies I used:
200g Eggplant - small cubed
120g Zucchini - small cubed
55g onion - chopped
10g (2 cloves) garlic - 1 chopped, 1 grated
40g in olive oil and garlic+herbs marinated green olives - chopped up
8 tbsp besan flour
1 tsp potato starch
1/4 tsp pink salt
1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
1/2 tsp cinnamon
200ml filtered water
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + a bit to spread the pies
Direction:
1. prepare eggplant (aubergine).
Slice in 2 cm slices. Sprinkle with pink salt and leave to rest for about 15 minutes.
The eggplant will start to water/tear. That is what we want.
When water appeared, wipe off with a paper towel.
Cut into small cubes. Also prepare zucchini, olives, onion and garlic (1 chopped, 1 grated).
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the onion.
Fry until slighly brown and add the chopped garlic and the eggplant.
Fry for a couple of minutes and stir regular.
Add zucchini and olives. Stir to combine.
Fry on low heat for about 5 more minutes and turn off the heat.
3. Mix the besan flour, cinnamon, dill, 1 grated garlic, salt and filtered water.
Mix to a smooth batter.
4. Add the fried mix to the batter and mix well.
5. spread quiche dishes with a little bit of olive oil to make the quiche not stick when baked.
6. Add the batter and also spread the top with a bit of olive oil. This will make it nice and shiny.
Put into the 180C preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes.
Serve the quiche pie with a mixed garden salad and some Skordalia dip (which recipe I will provide the next time.)
ENJOY :-)
Fakes Soup - Greek Lentil Soup
Everyone who knows me knows, Greek cuisine is one of my favorite to cook.
I love Greek food. And back in Germany, we often visited our favorite Greek restaurant.
In Germany, Greek cooking is a bit different. We were a bit dissapointed the first years, when we realised,
Aussie Greek food is not the same. The menus often not even show the great things German Greek restaurants offer.
Like Bifteki for example. Anyway.
I spend 2 holidays on the beautiful island of Crete! I love it.
Fakes Soup was served to me on my holiday visit in Sissi. It was a small hotel with home cooking.
Yes, home cooking. The owners of the Pension/Hotel were pretty passionate about their food.
And there was not one dish I could not enjoy. Oh, wait a minute,... there actually was! Snales!
We had to choose our entry between this lentil soup and snales this one day. My parents choose the soup,
I choose the snales. I never had snales before. So I thought,... you can eat lentil soup all day at home (because German lentil soup also is very popular and often cooked at my home),... so lets go for the snales.
Well, bad decision. I already was full when the snails arrived at the table. The whole thing in its house.
I tried one,... really had to get myself together to not spit it out,... and left the rest on the plate.
Nope, this is pretty disgusting was my opinion.
I was pretty angry at myself, that I haven't choosen the soup, haha.
My parents shared their lentil soups with me,... and I was stunned,
that this soup tasted different to our German version.
It was easy to see how this soup was cooked.
So we also cooked it at home, and it was as good as the one we ate in Sissi.
So, now you know the story how I came to this soup :-)
For this recipe, I also added my own touch. I also replace the vinegar part and made it MM friendly.
You can cook this soup ahead. It even tastes better the next day. But is also fine to eat straight away.
But please give it some resting time before you eat it. 1 hour should be fine.
The soup develops all flavours with time!
I cooked a big pot of the soup. I guess this is around 4 - 6 serves. Depends on your plating.
When you are a small plate eater, this will last all week for you, haha.
The soup is also great to freeze of course.
Preparation time is around 30 minutes
Cooking time around 45 mintutes without the frying time.
Frying time approx. 10min.
To give it the best nutrience etc you can, without nasties, try to get as many ingredients as possible, organic!
Ingredients:
600g brown (european) lentils - soaked in water for 2 hours
400g potatoes - quartered (leave skin on if you like, I do)
150g carrot - quartered
300g Zuccini - quartered
150g Celery with the greens - halfed and sliced, greens chopped
100g red capsicum - quartered
150g cherry tomatoes
100g onion - chopped
10g ( 3 cloves) garlic - finely chopped
2 stalks spring onion - sliced
1-2 tbsp organic cold pressed extra virgin olive oil for frying
Herbs and Spices:
1,5 tsp pink salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2,5 tsp dry Oregano
1/2 tsp organic cinnamon
1 tsp smoked paprika powder
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 middle sized bayleafe (fresh if possible)
1/2 tbsp maple syrup
5 tbsp organic passata tomato
1,5l filtered water
Direction:
1. Soak lentils in water at least 2 hours.
2. Prepare all veggies. Wash, cut, chop,...
3. Heat the olive oil in a big pot and fry the onions until slighly golden. Add potatoes and corrots.
Fry for 5 minutes and stir constantly to not burn it. Add the other veggies as well and mix well.
4. Deglaze with the water and add the lentils.
5. Bring to the boil for a minute and turn down to a simmer. Add all herbs and spices.
6. Reseason if neccessary. Simmer for about 45 minutes (until veggies are done) and turn off the heat.
Leave soup for one hour rest on the stove before you serve.
7. When you plate up, finish with some fresh Dill or Parsley sprinkles.
7. ENJOY and καλή όρεξη :-)
Tip: if you like it even more warming,... add some chili to the soup!