Halva Moraitikos -Greek style Semolina Halva

If you thought halva/halwa is an Indian dish then you are wrong.As per wii,Halva has spread throughout Asia and Europe and is a part of several delectable cuisine.The rava kesari of South India has got relatives not just in Northern India(Sooji ka halva) but even in Greece or Azerbaijan etc.Each of these cuisine have own version but basically a halva is a halva and is a delightful hearty dessert mostly rich in fats.

Even in Greece there are several regional versions or versions based on the method of cooking like stove top or oven baked etc.Once such version have tried is the Halva Moraitikos from this site.I am not sure how the name came upon though a google search reveled that Moraitika is a resort in Corfu,Greece.Well,forget how the name came about, the halva was delightful.

Ingredients:
Semolina (Rava/Sooji/Farina): 1/3 cup


Water: 1 cup
Butter: 2 tbsp
Sugar: 7 tbsp+/-


Blanched Almonds: 2 tbsp + chopped

Topping:
Whole Almonds


Cinnamon Powder
Sugar (optional)


Preparation:

In a thick bottomed pan,mix well water,butter and sugar.Stir till the sugar dissolves and bring to boil.Reduce to a simmer and add in semolina to the boiling water stirring well to prevent the formation of lumps.Add little cinnamon powder and chopped blanched almonds and let it simmer till the mix thickens and when the mix pulls away from the sides of the pan remove from the heat. Pour the entire mix into a greased pan and spread it evenly.Let it cool and then mark into squares or choice of shapes.Put a whole almond on each square/shape.

Bake the halva in a preheated oven at 350F for 15 more minutes.You can see the butter bubbling and I suppose this thickens the halva more.

Take out and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar.I actually added little cinnamon while making the halva and so I sprinkled more cinnamon at the end and since The sugar I added was enough for me,I avoided garnishing the halva with sugar.

The halva was sweet,rich and perfect dessert or snack whatever way you chose to serve it and halva is my fifth and final entry to AWED:Greece, an event by DK and hosted by yours truly.

Today is the last day of AWED:Greece officially,but I will be accepting Greek Vegetarian/Vegan entries till 4th April 2010 as I will be publishing the Round up on Monday,5th April 2010.

Lagana - Greek Flatbread for Lent

Lagana is a flatbread traditionally made during the lenten season or especially during Clean Monday or Kathera Defthera in Greek, the first day of Lent. The dough is similar to Focaccia and is topped with sesame seeds.I adapted the lagana recipe from Kalofagas to make my own lagana.I divided the original recipe by four and still divided the dough to obtain two laganas.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour: 1.5 cups +2 tbsp
Instant Yeast: 1.5 tsp
Coarse Sea Salt: 1 and 1/8 tsp
Sugar: 1/4 tsp

Room temperature Water: 3/4 cup +

Sesame seeds

Preparation:

In a big bowl,mix the dry ingredients of flour,yeast,salt and sugar.Add in water and with a ladle stir together the dry items to form a sticky mass.If dough the looks dry then add water one table spoon at a time. Cover the bowl with a lid leaving it little ajar for the gases to escape.Let it rest in a warm spot for 3-4 hours minimum.

Here you can see that there is no kneading of the dough.The original recipe uses the Artisan Bread in 5 minutes idea to make the laganes.The mixing of flour and other dry items with water and forming a sticky mass takes maximum of 5 minutes only.

Once the dough is doubled or risen ,flour hands and gently deflate the dough and put it in a parchement lined baking sheet.Shape it into a lagane - rounded rectangle - by pulling and stretching and adding flour as needed.Here again I went for a medium size lagane.I divided the dough into two and froze one part for later use and the other I shaped into a lagane.

Let it rise again for 45-60 minutes.About 15 minutes prior to baking,poke down the lagane with your finger tips to make indents and sprinkle sesame seeds.Preheat the oven at 375F.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes till the top is lightly browned and then let it cool in a cooling rack.

I do not know how the original lagane tastes like though I got a crusty chewy bread perfect for stews and soups..It is said that lagana is the finest of Greek Breads.Ofcourse the picture does not look like that.The bread look a bit dry and I suppose I should have added more water -atleast 2-3 tbsp.Well,considering my skills I would say my lagana came out perfect and goes straight to AWED:Greece hosted by yourstruly,an event by DK.

Coriander Buns from the Singing Chef

The Singing Chef or Raaga as she is known,sings her way through dishes especially through baking.Once you see the variety of dishes then I am sure you will be as surprised as me on what not to make.This time I am posting Raaga's hearty (and I mean EXTREMELY TASTY) Coriander Buns with almost negligible changes .These are tasty buns with coriander leaves in the dough and hearty veg filling stuffed inside.

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil: 1/2 tbsp
Sugar: 1.5 tbsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp

Water: boiling : 1/4 cup
Milk: 1/4 cup room temp

All Purpose Flour: 1 cup
Whole Wheat Flour: 1/2 cup
Instant Yeast: 2 tsp

Coriander Leaves /Cilantro : 1/4 cup chopped
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp

Filling:
Vegetable Oil: 1-2 tbsp for saute


Asafoetida:1/4 tsp
Jeera/Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp

Onion: 1 finely chopped

Potato: 1 thinly chopped
Carrot,Peas,Beans,crumbled paneer/cottage cheese etc: 2 tbsp each finely chopped
OR
Your choice of veggies: 1/4-1/2 cup

Chilli Powder:1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Cumin -Coriander Powder: 1 tsp

Salt

Preparation:
Filling:

Heat little oil in a pan,add in jeera,hing and let it sizzle.Add chopped onions,salt and saute till transparent.Add the rest of the veggies,and the spice powders and salt and cook adding little water till done adjusting the salt.The filling should be dry.

Buns:
In a big bowl,add oil,salt and sugar.Pour boiling water on this and stir till sugar dissolves.Add milk to this which will bring this to room temp.

To this wet mix add together yeast,flours,turmeric and chilli powders and chopped coriander leaves.Mix well and knead to form a smooth pliable dough. Place the dough in a greased vessel and let it rise covered for about 45-60 minutes.Mine took about 45 minutes.

Gently deflate the dough and divide it into buns preferable of equal size.Take a portion,pat it into a disc,put a tablespoon of filling and bring the edges to close.Place in a greased/lined baking sheet optionally sprinkling with sesame seeds.Do so with all bun pieces.

Let the stuffed buns rise again for another 45-60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.Bake the buns in the oven for 12-15 minutes till the tops are brown.

The buns turned out excellent.They surely looked and tasted professional.I just tucked in and I am sure you will be doing the same once you try these.

The only changes I made are reducing the yeast from 1.5 tbsp to 1/2 tbsp (barely 2 tsp I used -that too instant yeast).Also the spices for the filling are those in the original recipe though you can change as per taste.

The buns are travelling to T& T: The Singing Chef,an event by Zlamushka and hosted at Dil Se.. and also to BBD#28:Buns ,an event by Zorra and currently hosted at Tangerine's Kitchen

Whole Wheat Currant Scones - Microwave Version

These are simple scones which I had bookmarked from Diverse & Daring Baker Blogger Aparna and they turned out quite well.

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour: 2 cups

Baking Powder: 4 tsp

Salt : a pinch (only if using unsalted butter)

Butter Cold : 3/4 cup cubed

Milk: 5 tbsp

Brown Sugar: 4 tbsp +

Currants/Raisins: 3/4 cup (I used currants though the original recipe had raisins)

Preparation:

In a big bowl,mix together wheat flour,baking powder and salt if using unsalted butter.Add in chopped cubed butter and pinch and fluff and mix everything till it resembles breadcrumbs.Fold in sugar and currants/raisins.Add milk and gently combine to form a dough.

Do not overknead the dough as it may toughen the scones.Gently pat the dough into a square and cut into 8-9 pieces.

Place the pieces on a paper towel in the microwave turntable and microwave on full power for 3 minutes or more till a toothpick comes out clean.Let it rest for atleast 2 minutes in the microwave.

Serve warm with clotted cream,jam or as such.

I found that the currants are less sweeter and would like to increase the sugar next time I make them.Also I felt they were a bit crumbly than the normal convection oven scone but that could be because I was overcautious while forming the dough.The scones were ready under 15 minutes and I am still surprised that scones can be made in the microwave!.

Anyway,the scones are onway to MEC:CelebratingBloggers by Srivalli and currently hosted at LuvGoodFood.

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Update on 25.03.2010- These scones are perfect for Breakfast or as anytime snack.These are definitely going to grace JFI:Breakfast,an event by Indira of Mahanandi and currently hosted at VeggiePlatter.

Chilled Chickpea & Everything Salad

This is a simple salad made with chickpeas along with tomatoes,cucumber,green pepper with a basil-mint dressing.The salad is perfect for summer and you can actually add more and more ingredients to this salad like cooked pasta,lightly steamed sprouts or veggies, nuts, granola, crumbled cottage cheese(paneer,tofu) etc.Hence the term "everything" in the title.Just mix together the ingredients, and the dressing and serve.

Ingredients:
Chickpeas: 1/2 cup
Onion: 1 small chopped
Green Bell Pepper: 1 small or chopped 1/4 cup
Tomatoes: 1/4 cup chopped or halved cherry tomatoes
Cucumber: optionally peeled,deseeded and chopped: 1/4 cup

Dressing:
Basil: 2 tbsp
Mint: 2 tbsp
Lemon Juice: 2 tbsp

Salt
Pepper

Preparation:
Dressing:

Puree in a blender the mint and basil leaves adding lemon juice.The dressing is ready.The proportion of the herbs can be changed as per choice .I prefer basil than mint so I added basil more than mint though in the guestimates I have gone for equal portions.

Salad:

Presoak chickpeas in water and cook till done.You can also use canned chickpeas.Drain the chickpeas and add to a big bowl.Add in to it the chopped tomatoes,chopped pepper,chopped cucumber and little salt and pepper.Pour in the dressing.Toss everything well and adjust the salt and pepper.

Chill in the fridge and serve optionally garnished with more herbs.

The salad can also be served at room temperature though it is advisable to chill and serve especially in summer.It is beter if the salad is prepared atleast 2 hours before serving time so that the flavours can blend in.The salad is hearty and can be served as a side salad or with the addition of pasta,brownrice or bulgur can be turned into a one pot meal as well.

The salad is going to NCR:Chickpeas at Lisa's and also to MLLA-21 at Mirch Masala,an event originally by the Well Seasoned Susan.
UPDATE on 22.03.10 - The salad also pariticipates in Usha's Healthy Inspiration - Salads.

Arakas me Anitho - Dilled Peas with Pepper

This is an easiest side dish that I have ever made.On hearing the name if you feel its Greek then sure its Greek but very simple and tasty.The dish belongs to the general category of 'Laderos' which means cooked with olive oil or plainly vegetables in olive oil. I adapted the dish from here and improvised with available ingredients.

Ingredients:
Olive Oil: 2 tsp +

Peas: Fresh/Frozen: 1 cup
Onion: 1 small chopped finely
Red Bell Pepper: 1 small chopped or 1/4-1/2 cup

Dill Leaves: Fresh chopped or dried dill weed: as per taste.
Salt :as per taste

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a pan and saute chopped onions till transparent.Add chopper pepper and peas and dill leaves and salt and mix well.Add little water as needed to cook the vegetables and bring it to boil.Reduce the heat,cover the dish and cook for 15 minutes or more till done.Adjust the salt. and serve warm with your choice of main dish.Garnish with mint/parsley/dill as per choice.

I served this warm with bulgur.The dish is excellent with just the dill being the herb and not even pepper being added.Though I reduced the amount of oil than specified in the recipe,the tanginess of the oil still was there and the combo of peas with dill is perfect.I do not relish dill that much as I find it sharp to my taste,but it is excellent here in combo with peas.

If you do not like dill at all then you can replace it with chopped parsley or a combo of dill and mint as well.Other excellent versions of 'Arakas Laderos' or 'Peas in Olive oil ' are

Arakas Laderos at Kopiaste
Arakas Latheros at Kalofagas

Obviously this a third entry to AWED:Greek,an event by DK and hosted by Yours Truly.Am Expecting your yummy Greek creations by 31st March. Hope you will join my Greek Table.

Spanakorizo - Greek Spinach Rice

This is a simple Greek style spinach rice.Apart from the obvious spinach the dish makes use of other herbs like parsley and dill and there are several versions as usual some with tomatoes or tomatopuree which adds tangy flavour to the already hearty dish.I have used a non tomatoey and easy to make version which I prepared from Kevin's Spanakorizo.

Ingredients:
Long grain white rice /brown rice: 1 cup

Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1 small finely chopped
Garlic: 1-2 small cloves chopped/minced
Spinach: 1 medium bunch

Water:2 +cups
Parsley: chopped 2-4 tbsp
Dill: chopped 2-4 tbsp

Salt & Pepper: to taste

Lemon Juice: 2-4 tbsp
Feta:crumbled

Preparation:
Heat oil in a pan.Add chopped onion and saute till it turns transluscent.Add garlic chopped and saute for another minute.Add roughly chopped spinached and saute till it wilts and releases water.Add stock/water ,rice ,dill,parsley,salt and pepper and mix well and bring to a boil.Reduce and let it simmer on low fire till rice is done.Adjust salt and pepper and serve in bowls,garnished with lemon juice and optionally topped with crumbled feta.

Brown rice takes about 50 minutes or more than white rice.I used long grain basmati rice and found it perfect for this preparation.The rice is very hearty and comforting .I enjoyed it as such and also with little feta.My clicks are not that great but do check Kevins recipe for excellent clicks.

This is my second entry to AWED:GREEK an event by DK of ChefInYou and currently hosted by YoursTruly. Do send vegetarian/vegan Greek dishes to AWED:GREEK till 31st March 2010.

The dish also visits Healing Foods:Spinach an event by Siri and hosted at present by Divya

Other versions that I have come acrosss are:

Spanakorizo at Kalofagas
Spanakoryzo at Kopiaste
Spanakorizo at SouvlakifortheSoul

Thandai-Spiced and Nutty Milk

Thandai is a speciality drink made during Holi or the Spring Festival.It is made of milk,spices like cardamom,cinnamon,peppercorns,fennel,melon seeds and also mixed nuts like almonds,pistachios and cashews.There are several versions and even alcoholic ones as well.I found a delectable recipe at SanjeeevKapoors here and have adapted it.I did not have dried rosepetals as used in the original recipe,so instead added gulkand (rosepetals preserves with sugar) at the end instead of rosepetal powder.

Ingredients:
Milk: 1and 1/4 cup
Sugar: 3 tbsp+/-
Saffron: a few strands

To be ground into a paste
Almonds: 6 blanched and peeled
Cashew:5-6
Pistachios: 5-6 shelled
Poppyseeds: 3/4 tsp
Melon Seeds: 3/4 -1 tsp
Milk: little for soaking and grinding.

To be powdered:
Green Cardamom: 2+ peeled
Cinnamon: a small piece or as per taste
PepperCorns: few as per taste
Dried Rose petals: few

Preparation:

Soak the cashews,pistas,melon seeds and poppy seeds in little milk for atleast 15 minutes. Then ground to a fine paste along with blanched and peeled almonds. Keep aside.

Finely powder the cinnamon,peppercorns,and cardamom along with dried rosepetals. I did not have dried rose petals so I powdered the rest and added the rosepetal preserves at the end.

Bring milk to a boil in a pan.Add the sugar and saffron and stir well till sugar dissolves.Add the paste of nuts,mix well and let it simmer for a few minutes.Add the powdered spices and take off heat.Let it cool down and then chill and serve garnished with flaked almonds,rosepetals or saffron or as itself.

If you are adding gulkand then add it when the milk attains room temp.You can add around 1/2 tsp of gulkand or more as per taste.also in case you are adding this,reduce the sugar added while boiling as this has sugar in this.

This is my last minute entry to Holi Event at Asankhana.

Sugar Cookies?Nah.. Baked ShakkarPara

Shakkarpara/Shakarpara/Shakkerpare/ ShankarPali as it is also known are deep fried sugary flour crisps.The basic ingredients are wheat flour,semolina,milk and ghee.In some versions,I have seen all purpose flour or a mix of both flours as well.There are several versions,some which add 1/2 to 1 cup of ghee or some which use milk and ghee to make the dough.Normally the dough is rolled out into diskettes and cut into diamond shapes and then deep fried in hot oil.The sweet is popular during Diwali and Navrathri and Holi too.

I found a recipe here which had less ghee and also referenced /adapted Sanjeev Kapoors Recipe (which was as excellent except for 1/2 cup ghee for 1 cup of flour!) here to make my baked shakarpara.

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Flour: 10 tbsp
Baking Powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt: a pinch

WetMix:
Milk: 2 tbsp
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Sugar: 2 tbsp+ (I used 2.5)

Preparation:

In a big bowl,mix together the dry items of flour,salt and baking powder.Optionally to add in cardamom powder,crushed fennel or whatever you like.I did not add anything not even cardamom.

In a small saucepan,heat together,ghee,milk and sugar.Stir well and bring to a boil till the sugar dissolves and then take off heat and let it cool completely.

Add the cooled wet mix to the dry mix and knead well to form a firm dough.I got a soft,pliable,smooth dough.If you feel the dough is sticky add more flour and then knead again.It looks like..

Rest the dough for atleast 15 minutes and then roll it out into a thin disk/circle.The thinness of the circle decides the crispness of the shakarpara.If you like you can divide the dough into two and roll out each portion into a thin disk.

Transfer the disk to a greased/lined baking sheet.Cut the disk into diamond shaped pieces as is traditional or use any choice of cookie cutter.I did not cut through the dough just made markings.It looks like...

Bake in a preheated oven at 200C/400F for 15-20 minutes or till the edges start brown.You can bake it an additional 1-2 minutes for making it extra crisp but make sure it does not burn. Else let it rest for a few minutes on the baking sheet itself where it can get more crispy.

Fresh out of the oven it looks like......

Carefully separate the diamonds er mine without breaking them.Serve hot or let it cool and then store in an airtight container.

The shakarpara tasted much much much better than expected,almost an equivalent to the original one.The baking powder made it rise and it was very crispy and crunchy and healthier than the deep fried version.

The shakarpara is my entry to Holi Event at Asankhana

If you like the savoury version of this or the Namakpara grab it at Aparna's.

Basil Mint Sorbet er Herbal Juice

'Under The Tuscan Sun' by Frances Mayes was the February Book for the BookClub.I had heard neither of that book nor the author.I had almost given up the search when leading bookshops said they had stopped publishing the book in 2004!.A regular routine visit to the library and while leaving I simply enquired whether they had heard of that book and voila! there it was .

On reading it I was transported to the magical world of Tuscany in Italy -a perfect land as per the author.She sings praises and praises about the land and the book is like a dairy by the author who purchases a villa 'Bramasole' there.Some parts of the book to be honest are a bit dragging but on the whole I would say its Perfect. I loved the book and have bookmarked several recipes from the summer kitchen notes as well as the winter ones and I hope to make atleast some of them. One prominent recipe is the Basil and the Mint Sorbet which I had bookmarked.

But I found that my basil leaves were.. well, gone and ready for the disposal. And I was left with just 1 tbsp basil and I sort of adapted the recipe accordingly.

Ingredients:
Basil Leaves: 1 tbsp
Mint Leaves: 1 tbsp

Sugar: 3 tbsp +
Water: 4 tbsp + 1 tbsp + 1-2 tsp

Lemon Juice: just a squeeze

Preparation:
Puree the basil and mint with 1-2 tsp of water.

Make a simple syrup by bringing to boil 4 tbsp of water and 3-4 tbsp of sugar. Stir till the sugar is dissolved and then take off heat.Add the herbs pureed and 1 additional tbsp of water.Let it attain room temp.Add a squeeze of lemon and then strain to a steel/anyother container and freeze for atleast 6-8 hours.

Take out and let it thaw for a few minutes and then blend it in a mixer to make it creamy like this..

Freeze for another 45 minutes atleast or till serving time.Serve in scoops.

The sorbet was surely 'tantalizingly refresh' if you quote the book.This is going to be another regular in my house.Very appetising indeed.

While I was trying to take pics the sorbet started melting.So finally I had a herbal juice.Lets see what other members cooked up from Tuscany?

One last thought,while reading the book I was thinking,how much do we appreciate the land or the place we live in.I for myself have more complaints about Bangalore but do I appreciate it ? At present ,I am a bit irritated living in Bangalore and no,its not just the power or net problems or 'returning from USA' syndrome, but so many small small and BIG BIG things. May be its just my expectations,Bangalore I had heard of was cooler and a much better and civilised and developed place.Not the one with traffic and road woes,full of flats etc.Only time can tell,whether I will sing praises of Bangalore like its the heaven on earth or something like that.Well,what about you? Do let me know,whether you appreciate the place/land you live in.

Meanwhile enjoy the sorbet.

Cinnamony Pumpkin Smoothie

I have found that my drinks section is languishing.So I have decided to post some drinks be it smoothies,shakes or whatever in between.The pumpkin smoothie is a simple recipe that I put together in a jiffy.I had roasted pumpkin and was waiting for a good day or a unusually strong working mood which will shake me to make a pumpkin pie.Unfortunately or fortunately, a small trip came in between and I was sre after coming back the pumpkin will surely go bad despite my freezing (well due to the 'current' situation) and I simply made a breakfast smoothie with the roasted pumpkin and other may go bad items like flaxmeal and dairy.

Ingredients:
Roasted Pumpkin puree: 3/4 cup
Low fat Yogurt/curd: 1/2 cup
Milk: 1/4 cup
Flax meal/ powdered flax seeds: 1 tbsp
Cinnamon Powder
Vanilla Extract: 1/2 tsp (optional)
Sugar/Honey/Sweetner of choice: as per taste

Preparation:
Blend all the ingredients in a blender/process and serve.You can optionally top this with more cinnamon or choco chips. The estimate gives on tall glass or 2-3 small glasses.

I have added the healthy flax meal which I had made for some other purpose and have used my favourite spice cinnamon in this.You can add even pumpkin pie spice to this and can add more milk or yoghurt as per taste.The drink was hearty and thick and tasty for me.

Update on 22.03.10 - The salad also goes to the Serve Me some Juices,shakes and Smoothies at CookCurryNook

Protein Rich Flax seed Balls

These are simple flax seed snack balls that I chanced upon from here.They make excellent snacks and are heathy too.I was googling for flax recipes and these seemed so simple and easy that I made these right away.

Ingredients:
Peanut butter : 1/2 cup
Skimmed/nonfat milk powder :3/4 cup
Flaxseed Powder: 1/2 cup
Honey :1/2 cup
Cereal, such as Honey Bunches of Oats or any oats/wheat/cornflakes: 1/2 cup
Craisins :1/3 cup
Sunflower seeds:1/3 cup

Preparation:

Combine peanut butter, milk powder, flaxseed powder, honey in a bowl and mix well. Stir in sunflower seeds and craisins.I simply grounf flax seeds in a coffee grinder/chutney bowl to a fine powder and measured half cup.Flax seeds are also known as alsi seeds in Hindi. The dough looks like

Pinch small pieces and roll in crushed cereal. Place on waxed paper in a plate.

Optionally chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.I simply served as such.

A perfect anytime snack.You feel ony the taste of peanut butter and the craisins and never for a moment feel that this contain flax.The flax seeds are very good source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids and must be inlcuded in daily diet even if not used for baking.You have to consume atleast 1 tbsp of flax powder/meal everyday either directly or adding it to porridge, oatmeal, fruits, gravies,smoothies etc.

I think the dish is perfect for Srivalli's Kids Delight: Wholesome Snacks and these flax balls also visit HealthNut Challenge 4: Bitter Better Foods where I was very happy to discover flax in the list.I have got a big batch of flax seeds waiting to be used up.

If you do not like/have peanut butter which are equally healthy they you can use dates instead.Checkout these health balls from AnuDivya. Also instead of milk powder soy milk powder should work as well.

UPDATE on 15 March 2010: These are also going to visit Sunday Snacks: Healthy Snacks at Dilse

Kopiaste to AWED: GREEK & Bourou Bourou

Greek Cuisine is the forerunner of European Cuisine and has a long tradition.It is said that the first cookbook recorded was created by Greeks.The cuisine makes excellent use of seasonal ingredients and it is said that tomatoes and other veggies taste best when in Greece.Greece the 'Hellenic Republic ' as it is known is well developed right from early times what with its ancient civilizations and its contribution to various fields like Administration,Art,literature and even food. The culinary tradition has inspired even neighbouring Italy,Southern France and even the Middle East as well.If the triad of 'wheat,wine and olive oil' formed the basis of ancient Greek Cuisine then the current culinary tradition brings into mind the kalamata olives,the thick yoghurt,the salty feta and Baklava.

AWED - A Worldly Epicurean's Delight an event originally by epicurean DK of Chef In You,takes you through a wonderful journey through world cuisines.The current stop is Greece and lets celebrate Greek cuisine all this month with its delicious vegetarian menu.

Kopiaste to AWED:GREEK

Kopiaste is a Greek Term that generally means welcome. it is said that you are lucky if invited by a Greek for a meal at his house.The table is supposed to be full of culinary delights that you will be at a loss as to what to eat.So I seriously expect you to fill the AWED:Greece Table with your culinary wonders that must follow the rules given below:

• Make any Greek dish -vegetarian (eggs are allowed in AWED) /vegan and post the same in your blog.Feel free to use the logo. The logo is based on the National Emblem or the Greek Coat of Arms.


• The entry should be linked to this post and also to DK's event announcement post.


• Multiple entries are welcome,since more the entries,more the choices available.


• Send me your 'name','recipe','recipe url' and '300 px wide pic' to 'tastycurryleaf@gmail.com'


• All the entries between March 1st 2010 and March 31st 2010 are eligible for the event.


• Non bloggers can send the above details to the same mail address

The cuisine needs no introduction and the links of almost all the dishes are available on the WorldWide Web.But still. some important Greek Blogs are:

1. Kalofagas
2. Kopiaste
3. Mama'sTaverna
4. ClosetCooking
5. MedCooking in Alaska
6. Greek Gourmand

and several other droolworthy blogs/sites some giving even the detailed history behind the Greek Food.

Bourou Bourou

This is a simple vegetable and pasta soup from the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea. The dish which I adapted from here makes excellent use of veggies and can be made with whatever veggies you have in hand along with pasta to obtain a hearty comforting meal.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti: 1/2 cup + broken into small pieces.

Potato: 1 peeled and cubed
Tomato: 1 chopped
Carrots: 2 cut into long pieces
Bell Pepper: 1 chopped
Celery: 1 stem chopped


Tomato Paste: 1 tbsp
Chilli Flakes or Hot Pepper : 1/2 tsp +/-
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil: 1 tbsp

Preparation:
Put all the chopped vegetables in water and cook till tender.Add in tomato paste,little salt,pepper,olive oil ,chili flakes and boil for five more minutes.Add in the broken pasta (I just halved the spaghetti),and cook till aldente or done.

The soup was a chunky broth of pasta and veggies.Simple yet hearty and a nice starter soup if served in small bowls.There goes my first entry to AWED:Greece.

Kali Orexi (Bon Appetite in Greek!)