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Fasolakia

The traditional Greek green beans recipe (Fasolakia giaxni) is hearty, healthy and bursting with fresh and vibrant colors and flavors. You can find many variations of this traditional Greek dish, with the most popular being the classic version with green beans only and others with broad beans with potatoes or sweet potatoes and sometimes with zucchini. Feel free to experiment by adding different types of vegetables.

The traditional fasolakia recipe falls under the category of Greek dishes called “Ladera”, meaning Greek dishes prepared only with olive oil, with no addition of other fat. So make sure to use some good quality extra virgin olive oil, which will give its own, unique taste to this dish! Enjoy this delicious fasolakia as a hearty vegetarian meal or as a delicious side dish. 
prep time 10 min     cook time 40 min
ingredients for 4
  • 50-70 ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (400ml) crushed tomatoes
  • 500 g green beans or Romano pole beans or flat beans
  • 1 carrot, cut into rounds
  • 500g potatoes or sweet potatoes, in chunks
  • 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 4-5 tablespoons fresh mint, dill, oregano finely chopped
  • 0,5 l water
  • salt and pepper to season
  • 200 g feta

1. Trim, wash and drain the beans.

2. Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic and cook till soft, about 2-3 min. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 min. The traditional recipe for Greek green beans calls for fresh ripe tomatoes, but you can substitute them with canned chopped tomatoes.

3. Add the potatoes and stir thoroughly to combine. Add some salt and pepper. Add the beans ON TOP of the potatoes but do not stir.

4. Add herbs and enough water to just cover the beans. Allow to cook for 15 min, stir all the ingredients, season with more salt and pepper and lower the heat to a low setting. Cook for further 30 min (45 min total) till the beans are tender.

5. Serve it with a block of feta cheese and good crusty bread. It’s mandatory to use the bread to wipe up all that beautiful sauce.

BUON APPETITO!

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Spicy pork and sausage stew with chickpeas

This is one of those dishes that leaves you begging for more. That’s what happened with my son and godson who both told me beforehand that they do not eat chickpeas. Well, they did and helped themselves to another portion and maybe even to a third one.

prep time 20 min     cook time 3 hrs

ingredients for 8-10
  • 1.2 kg pork neck (or shoulder) cut into 3-4cm chunks
  • 400 g Italian sausage, cut into chunks
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 5 carrots, chopped
  • 6-8  garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 l water (2-3 cans)
  • peperoncino
  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 1-2 teaspoon hot paprika
  • 1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • salt
  • 2 (400g) cans chickpeas
  • 1 bunch loose leaf parsley, chopped

1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the pieces of pork shoulder and the sausages in batches. If there is a fatty side, put that side down on the pan to help render out the fat. Sprinkle some salt over the pork while it cooks. Once cooked, set the pieces aside.

2. Sauté onions and carrots in the pan making sure to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and peperoncino seeds and skin and cook for another minute. The quantity of peperoncino is up to you, start with a few seeds and add more to your taste.  If you prefer, you can use hot Italian sausage and leave out the peperoncino.

3. Add the pork, sausage, crushed tomatoes and water, then stir to combine. Stir in the various paprikas. Add salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook at low for at least 2 hrs or until the pork is melt-in-your-mouth tender.

4. Add the chickpeas and parsley, stir well and adjust the salt. Cook for 5 more minutes. Excellent served with crusty bread and red wine. This dish also freezes well.

BUON APPETITO!

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Creamy pumpkin soup

Creamy pumpkin soup or as they say in Italian vellutata di zucca is sooo good. Creamy, delicate, slightly sweet with the addition of spices this soup is an ultimate comfort food.

prep time 20 min     cook time 35 min
ingredients for 4
  • 1 kg pumpkin
  • 1 large potato
  • 1 l vegetable broth
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra vergin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • dash of cinnamon
  • dash of nutmeg
  • fresh thyme to garnish
  • 50 g pancetta or bacon, strips or cubes
  • a few slices of toasted/grilled rustic bread

1. Clean, deseed and cut the pumpkin into relatively small cubes. Peel and cut into cubes also the potato.

2. Warm the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat and add chopped onion. Let cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes over medium heat. Don’t let it burn. Add pumpkin and potato and as much broth needed to cover the vegetables. Adjust salt and pepper.

3. Let simmer on low for about 25-30 min checking from time to time and adding broth. When the vegetables are cooked, blend the soup with immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg and mix. Ladle the soup into bowls.

4. Fry the pancetta strips and add them with some fresh thyme and grilled bread to your bowl.

FOR VEGETARIAN ALTERNATIVE: leave out the pancetta

FOR GLUTEN FREE ALTERNATIVE: leave out the bread or use appropriate bread

BUON APPETITO!

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Pumpkin, sausage and mushroom risotto

Pumpkin risotto is one of the many variations on the classic Italian slow-cooked rice dish, which is made with a type of rice that releases some of its starch into the cooking liquid, creating its own sauce. In order for this risotto, or any risotto for that matter, to cook, you must use short, roundish and chubby grains of rice with copious amounts of starch.  Carnaroli or  vialone nano are the best options, arborio will do if you can’t find the first two. Stirring is key, so be prepared to stand and stir, looking, smelling, and tasting — you can’t do anything else at the same time.

prep time 15 min     cook time 40 min
ingredients for 4
  • 360 g carnaroli rice
  • 1,5 l vegetable broth
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 400 g pumpkin, cubed
  • 300 g sausage
  • 300 g mushrooms (button or portobello)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 glass of dry white wine
  • 2 knobs butter, cold
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 bayleaf
  • handful of grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring the broth to a boil and reduce the heat to steady simmer.

2. Clean the pumpkin and cut into fairly big cubes. Wipe the mushrooms and slice them. Remove casings from sausages and crumble them. Chop the onion.

3. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat and add onion. After a few minutes add crumbled sausages, stir and keep cooking for 5 minutes. Add pumpkin and mushrooms, stir to coat and keep cooking for another 3-5 minutes. Add the bayleaf.

4. Add the rice and stir until the grains are coated in fat and become translucent. Do not let them brown. Add the wine and stir constantly until it is absorbed and the alcohol has evaporated. The grains must be heated through before you add the wine – “it should sizzle as it hits the pan”.

5. Start ladling broth on top and keep adding 1-2 ladles at a time stirring constantly after each addition and adding the next amount only after the previous one is fully absorbed by the rice.

6. Taste the rice. You are looking for al dente, with the grains just a bit toothsome (a little resistant to the bite) but cooked — not hard or powdery. Check the salt.

7. When the rice is done, which might take up to 30 minutes, turn off the heat. Add the butter and the cheese and cover, let rest for 2 minutes. Uncover and stir quickly. This is called mantecatura.

8. Serve immediately. Risotto is not a make-ahead dish. Even if you finish it 15 minutes before serving and simply allow it to sit, risotto turns into a paste.

BUON APPETITO!

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Chicken strips with broccoli rabe

I love this for a quick and healthy lunch. Broccoli rabe might not be everyone’s choice since it is a little bit bitter but I like it a lot. You can replace it with chicory greens, also somewhat bitter or spinach.

Prep time  5 min + blanching time      Cook time  15-20 min
INGREDIENTS FOR 2
  • 300 g of chicken breast
  • 400-500g of broccoli rabe
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 4-5 tbls extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • peperoncino or crushed red pepper

1. Trim and rinse the broccoli rabe and blanche it max 5 min in boiling salted water. This can be done in advance. Also if the broccoli is very young and tender, there’s no need to blanche it.

2. Cut the chicken breast into strips. Heat 2 tbls of oil in a large skillet and fry the strips on high heat for a few minutes on both sides. Put them on a plate.

3. Heat 2 tbls of olive oil in the same skillet, add the garlic cloves whole or cut in halves, add a few peperoncino seeds and some skin and let cook until the garlic starts to brown.

4. Add the blanched greens in two or three handfuls tossing to coat. Cook for 8-10 minutes, add the strips with their juices from the plate and cook for another 5 minutes. Check that the meat is cooked through.

BUON APPETITO!

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Chicken soup with barley

A flavorful and healthy option for soup lovers. This  chicken soup with barley is very filling and can be served as a hearty main dish.

Prep time 35 min     cook time   1h
ingredients for 5-6
  • 1,2-1,5 kg chicken cut up in pieces
  • 1,5 l water or chicken stock
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 180-200 g barley or a mix of rice and barley
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1. In a large pot cook chicken in water until tender about 35 minutes. I usually add a teaspoon or two of salt at this point. Set chicken aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones using a fork.

2. If you prefer you can skim off some fat from the pot before returning the chicken to it with the remaining ingredients. Check the cooking time for barley.

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and let simmer 1 hour or until the vegetables are tender and barley is cooked. Adjust seasoning.

BUON APPETITO!

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Coconut curry soup

Let’s warm up with this creamy, hearty and healthy soup. The sweetness of the coconut perfectly compliments the curry and other spices.

prep time min 10 min     cook time 30-40 min
ingredients for 4-5
  • 1 can (400ml/14 oz) coconut cream
  • 1 can (400ml/14oz) chickpeas
  • 5 carrots, cut to rounds
  • 2 zucchini, sliced or diced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 1-2 tablespoons green curry paste
  • curry
  • turmeric
  • salt and pepper

to garnish

  • 2 avocados
  • handful of sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds
  • parsley or cilantro

1. Sauté the chopped onion and the garlic cloves for a few minutes in a large pot. Add ginger, spices and green curry paste and turn to coat.

2. Toss in the carrot rounds and zucchini slices, the size doesn’t matter since they will be blended.

3. Add the coconut cream, rinsed chickpeas and a can of water. All the veggies should be covered. Add also 1-2 teaspoons of salt.

4. Let simmer on low for about 30 min until the veggies are done. Blend with an immersion blender. Check the salt.

5. Ladle into large bowls and garnish with avocado slices, parsley (or cilantro) and seeds. I am one of those people who find the taste of cilantro to be soapy so I never use it.

BUON APPETITO!

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Green apple fennel and walnut salad

We had this tasty salad for lunch:  fennel, apple and roasted walnuts on a bed of arugula and valerianella salad also known as songino, lamb’s lettuce or corn salad.

Prep time 15 min
INGREDIENTS FOR 2-3
  • 1 bag of arugula (rucola, rocket)
  • 1 bag of valerianella
  • 1 green apple
  • 1 fennel bulb or two if small
  • big handful of walnuts
  • 3 tbls extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
  • 3 tbls of lemon juice
  • salt and peper
  • whole rose pepper

1. Place the arugula and valerianella on a serving platter.  I used a tray.

2. Peel, halve, core and slice the apple. Trim, halve, core and thinly slice the fennel on a mandolin. Keep the fennel fronds for garnish.

3. Roast the walnuts in a small skillet without oil.

4. Whisk together the oil with the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

5. Toss the dressing with apple and fennel and transfer to the serving platter.

6. Drizzle with olive oil, then top with the walnuts and garnish with the fennel fronds.

Tip: I have tried this also with pomegranate seeds leaving out the rose pepper.

BUON APPETITO!

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Stuffed mushrooms

When I use the term mushrooms, I usually mean white button mushrooms, sometimes portobello mushrooms. This was my lunch but these are really good for appetizers too, just prepare one per person.

Prep time  5 min     Cook time 20 min
INGREDIENTS FOR 3 FAIRLY BIG MUSHROOM
  • 3 button mushrooms
  • 100g Philadelphia or other cream cheese
  • parsley
  • 1 garlic clove
  • grated parmesan
  • olive oil
  • salt, pepper

1. Wipe the mushrooms with a wet paper towel, cut the stem and slice off the very end. Chop the stems.

2. Put the garlic in a pan with oil and add the chopped stems. Add some salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

3. Blend the stems, the cream cheese and the parsley.

4. Stuff the mushrooms with the cream, sprinkle parmesan on top and put in a preaheated oven at 170 °C (340F) for 15 minutes until the parmesan is golden  brown.

BUON APPETITO!

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Pasta e fagioli

Pasta e fagioli aka pasta and beans. One of our faves at the moment. And you don’t have to add pasta, it’s just as good as bean soup. I’ve tried both  borlotti beans and  cannellini beans and they are both good, but I prefer the latter.

Pep time  10 min + the soaking time    Cook time  1,5 – 2 hrs

INGREDIENTS FOR 8
  • 500g  dried beans soaked overnight *
  • 400g fatty pancetta finely chopped
  • 200-300g fresh pig skins
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1  garlic clove
  • can of peeled/diced tomatos
  • 1 potato
  • peperoncino (chili pepper)
  • salt, pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • grated Parmesan
  • fresh maltagliati pasta or any kind of short pasta

1. Flame the pork skins to remove bristles, rub them clean with a cloth, and cut them into strips. Or if you use the skin from pancetta, just cut that into strips. No need to clean.

3. Mince the onion, celery and carrot and combine them. Heat a bit of oil in a large pot and sauté the chopped pancetta until it begins to brown. Add the minced onion mixture, a crushed garlic clove and the spices and continue to sauté, stirring, for about 10 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes, the drained beans, the peeled potato, the skins and water to cover abundantly, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer until the beans are tender. Total cooking time about 1,5 – 2 hrs. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.

5. After an hour, add 1 cup or more of water and salt.

6. When done, take an abundant cup of the soup with the potato (if it’s still in one piece or in chunks) and use a blender to cream it. Add it back to the soup.

7. Cook the pasta directly in the soup checking the water and salt. You can use the amount of soup for your need and refrigerate or freeze the rest.

8. Add a little bit of olive oil and grated parmesan to the plate

FOR THE VEGETARIAN ALTERNATIVE: leave out the pork skins and pancetta

FOR THE GLUTEN FREE ALTERNATIVE: use as soup or use appropriate pasta

Tip: If you want to serve it as soup, add croutons or pieces of grilled bread.

*the soaking time depends on the quality of your beans. Sometimes 8 hrs is enough, sometimes even less.

BUON APPETITO!