Category: Food & Drink

Ingredients:

100 fresh walnuts

Juice of 2 lemons

2 cups cooking lime (calcium hydroxide)

4 kg sugar

3 ltrs water

2 cinnamon sticks

6 cloves

Preparation:

Peel walnuts very thinly. Remove a small triangular piece from the top and bottom. Soak in water for eight days, changing water daily.

On the eighth day, soak in water with the cooking lime for 12 hours.

Rinse well under running water and pierce the walnuts vertically and horizontally with a skewer.

Boil in fresh water and rinse twice.

Boil in a saucepan until cooked.

Drain and soak in water and lemon juice for six hours.

Drain and return to the pan with the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves.

Bring to boil on low heat. The following day boil again on high heat. On the third day boil until the syrup thickens.

Store in sterilised jars when cold.

Ingredients:

(25 servings)

1 kg watermelon rind (enough for 25 pieces)

Juice of 1 lemon

½ cup cooking lime (calcium hydroxide)

1½ kg sugar

1 litre water

½ tsp vanilla essence

Preparation:

Peel the rind on both sides leaving only the white part. Cut into 25 square pieces.

Place the watermelon pieces into a bowl, cover with water and cooking lime and leave for two hours.

Rinse very well under running water.

Transfer the watermelon into a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until cooked.

Strain well and return to the saucepan with 1 litre of water, the sugar and lemon juice. Simmer until the syrup is thickened and lightly caramelised (about 30 minutes).

Add the vanilla.

Store in sterilised jars when cold.

Ingredients:

(Serves 2-3)

1 kg village flour

130g fresh yeast dough (prozymi) or 1 tbsp dried yeast

¼ tsp Salt

Lukewarm water (enough to make a soft dough)

Pinch cinnamon powder

Pinch mastic

Sesame seeds mixed with a little aniseed

¼ tsp sugar (if using dried yeast)

Preparation:

If not using dried yeast, knead the ready dough (prozymi) with the water and flour until soft. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 4-5 hours.

Knead the dough again, together with the salt, cinnamon and mastic. Cover and leave to rest again.

Cut it into pieces and form them either into the shape of a ball or baguette.

Roll the bread shapes into wet sesame mixed with aniseed and allow to rest.

Reshape the breads and bake in hot oven 200ºC.

Ingredients:

(Serves 20 portions)

1 kg plain flour

20g dried yeast

250g mashed potato

2½ – 3 cups lukewarm water

Oil for frying

Syrup:

½ kg sugar

300ml water

A few drops of lemon juice

1 stick of cinnamon

Preparation:

Prepare the syrup by boiling all the syrup ingredients together. Leave to cool.

Mix the flour, yeast, and water to make a batter.

Allow batter to stand for a while until it rises.

Mix in the mashed potato and beat well.

Drop dessertspoons of the mixture into hot oil and fry until golden brown.

Drain and dip into cold syrup for a few seconds.

Using a slotted spoon, remove from the syrup and transfer to a bowl.

Eat when hot.

Ingredients:

(Serves 10)
 

Dough:

1 kg strong plain flour

¾ cup oil

Pinch of salt

A few drops of lemon juice

2 cups water

Filling:

300g crushed almonds

50g sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp rosewater

Syrup:

1 kg sugar

¾ litre water

Juice of half a lemon

1 cinnamon stick

2-3 cloves

Oil for frying

Preparation:

Sift the flour and rub in the salt and oil. Add water and lemon and knead to make a firm dough. Cover and leave to stand.

Prepare the filling by mixing together all the ingredients.

Roll out the dough into a thin sheet (1-2mm thick) and cut into 8x10cm rectangles.

Put a teaspoon of filling at the wider edge of the rectangle and roll. Press the two ends together with a fork to seal.

Fry in hot oil until golden brown and then drain.

Dip in cold syrup for a few seconds; drain and transfer to a plate.

Ingredients:

(serves 10)

½ kg unsalted Anari cheese

1 tsp cinnamon powder

¾ cup sugar

2 tbsp rosewater

½ kg filo pastry sheets

100g butter, melted

100g fresh cream

½ cup honey or ½ litre syrup

Preparation:

Beat the Anari cheese with the fresh cream.

Add the cinnamon, sugar, and rosewater and mix thoroughly.

Cut the filo pastry into 7cm squares. Use 2 or 3 sheets of pastry per pie. Place a piece of pastry on a clean surface and brush with a little melted butter. Add another sheet of pasty and brush lightly with butter, then cover with another sheet. Add one tablespoon of cheese mixture in the centre and fold over the pastry to make a triangle. Brush the tops of the pies with melted butter and bake or deep fry until golden brown, then cover with honey or syrup.

Note: You can make traditional ‘bourekia’ with dough pastry. Fry and serve dusted with icing sugar.

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

3 ripe but firm peaches, halved and stoned

250g Halloumi cheese

2 tbsp olive oil

3 red chicory, root intact, quartered lengthways

1 bunch spring onions, trimmed, cut into 2cm lengths

For the dressing

1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

½ large bunch fresh coriander, leaves and stalks roughly chopped

5 tbsp white wine vinegar

3 tbsp clear honey

Preparation:

Make the dressing by mixing everything together in a small bowl. Cover and set aside.

Cut each peach half into wedges.

Cut Halloumi into 1cm thick slices.

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the cheese for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and almost crusty. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Add the chicory and onions to the hot pan, stir-fry until slightly wilted and coloured. Transfer onto absorbent kitchen towel.

Heat the remaining oil. Add the peach wedges and fry for a minute or two, until softened, lightly coloured but still retaining their shape.

Combine all the ingredients together then pour on the dressing.

Spoon onto individual plates.

Ingredients:

Lettuce

Coriander leaves

Rocket leaves

Celery, chopped

Green peppers, chopped

Tomatoes, chopped

Cucumbers, sliced

Capers

Olives

Onions, sliced into rings

Olive oil

Vinegar

Salt

Feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

Preparation:

Wash and dry all the vegetables.

Cut into pieces and mix in a bowl. Add salt, vinegar and olive oil.

Serve garnished with olives, capers, onion rings and Feta cheese.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

4 tbsp tahini paste

2 cloves garlic, crushed with salt

Juice of 2 lemons

4 tbsp olive oil

Cold water to thin

Chopped parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Combine all the ingredients, beating hard – best achieved with a food processor. Add enough cold water to give the consistency of a thick liquid.

Serve tahini with fresh bread, warm pita or as a dressing for salads, grills, fish or even in sandwiches.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

1 block Halloumi cheese

Rocket leaves

Tomato

Pita bread

Preparation:

Cut the Halloumi into slices and grill on both sides.

Garnish with rocket leaves and tomato.

Serve in warm pita bread.