Lentil Soup

Use the lentils of your choice. This soup can be made with or without tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound of small lentils, rinsed

1 pound of ripe tomatoes, puréed

4 1/4 cups of water

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup of olive oil

2 bay leaves

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

ON THE SIDE

red wine vinegar

PREPARATION:

In a heavy bottomed pot, add the water, tomatoes, bay leaves, onion, and garlic. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat and add the lentils and oil. Reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until lentils are done.

Remove from the heat, take out the bay leaves, stir in salt and pepper.

Serve with vinegar on the side, added to taste.

To prepare without tomatoes: Leave out tomatoes, and increase the water to 5 1/2 cups.

More herbs: Friends suggest adding a pinch of Greek oregano or rosemary to the soup (along with the bay leaves). If making without tomatoes, leave these out.

Boiled Shrimp with Oil and Lemon Sauce

Shrimp are an appropriate lenten dish as well. The latholemono sauce (whipped oil and lemon juice) is a classic Greek seafood topping.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds of shrimp

juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

flat-leaf parsley to garnish

PREPARATION:

Remove the shell and devein shrimp, and add to lightly boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove, and take off heads and tails if desired.

(To use the cooked shrimp in another recipe, stop here.)

To serve cold: Place the shrimp on a platter or in a bowl and toss with oil and lemon juice.

Salt and pepper to taste, cover, and refrigerate until well-chilled.

To serve warm:

Make the latholemono sauce using the oil and lemon juice (blend to thicken) and pour over the shrimp or serve on the side.

Serve with a garnish of parsley leaves.

Vegetable Stew

A great dish for vegetarians and vegans, this vegetable stew also meets Greek Orthodox Lenten requirements. It calls for peas, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and herbs.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of chopped roma tomatoes

1/2 cup of water

1 pound of fresh or frozen peas

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks

1 large carrot, cut in chunks

1/2 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1/2 bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION:

In a stew pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions and garlic until softened. Stir in tomatoes and water.

If using fresh peas: Add all remaining ingredients except potatoes.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook at a slow boil for 40 minutes. Add potatoes and when boil resumes, cook for 20 minutes more, until potatoes are done.

If using frozen peas: Add all remaining ingredients including potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook at a slow boil for 40 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole with Tomato

This Theban version of a classic Greek recipe is deceptively simple to fix, combining fresh green beans with onions, tomatoes, garlic, and parsley, and delivers a sophisticated taste. It can be served as a main dish, or as a side.

Note: This dish works well with all kinds of "string" beans, depending on which type is freshly available.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds of fresh green beans or other long "string" bean

2 cups of tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

2 onions, finely chopped

1 cup of olive oil

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup of water

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

PREPARATION:

Wash the beans, cut off the tips and remove the stringy piece of fiber along the seam. Rinse the beans.

In a soup pot, sauté the onions in olive oil with a wooden spoon until they turn translucent.

Stir in the garlic and sauté a few minutes more. Add all the remaining ingredients and the water. Stir well, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 50 minutes or until the beans are tender. (Add more water if needed during cooking - boiling water.)

Serve warm. On the side, consider tzatziki or feta cheese, and certainly some great country bread.

Yield: 4 servings as a main dish, 6-8 as a side

Note: For a more substantial dish, add 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks.

Greek Bean Soup

According to food historians,  fassolatha has been around since ancient Greek times. It is the national dish of Greece, representing the best of the Greek way of cooking: legumes, vegetables, herbs, and olive oil. Whether you make it with tomato or lemon, culinary tradition dictates that fassolatha be served with crusty bread, feta cheese (except during lent and periods of fasting) and black olives.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups of white beans (Great Northern or cannellini) rinsed, soaked 24 hours and drained

2 bay leaves

2 carrots, sliced or cut in chunks

1 large mild onion, grated

4-8 stems of wild celery or cutting celery (or 5-6 stalks of celery), leaves and stalks, chopped

1 14.5 oz. can seeded, peeled, chopped plum tomatoes (or 1 1/2 tablespoons of tomato paste)

2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon of pepper (or to taste)

flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

8-10 cups of water

PREPARATION:

Place drained beans and bay leaves in a large soup pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves.

Add carrots, onion, celery, and simmer for 30 minutes longer.

Add tomatoes or tomato paste, salt, pepper, and olive oil, and cook for 30 minutes. The beans should be soft and creamy, but not to the point of disintegrating.

Remove from heat, season to taste, and serve in bowls, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Fassolatha bean soup is served warm or at room temperature.

Yield: Serves 4-6

Alternate Preparation:

To make "white" fassolada (without tomatoes), leave out the tomatoes, cook as above, and just before serving, stir in the juice of 1 lemon.

Preparation tip:

During the simmering time, you may need to add more water. Make sure to add boiling water, and not more than a half of a cup at a time. Fassolatha is not a puree type of thick soup, but should not be watery.

Serving suggestions:

Serve fassolatha with a side of feat cheese sprinkled with pepper and oregano and soused in olive oil, crusty bread, black olives, and salty dishes like anchovies, smoked herring, or others of your choice.

Romaine Lettuce Salad

Romaine, Roman, and Manchester lettuce is the only kind used for this favorite,
easy salad with a glorious taste.

INGREDIENTS:

2 heads of Romaine lettuce

8-10 spring onions, cleaned and finely chopped (bulb and stalk)

1/3 cup of fresh dill, finely chopped (or 2 tablespoons of dried)

3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup of high quality red wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons of crushed Greek oregano (rigani)

pinch of freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon of sea salt

PREPARATION:

Clean the lettuce, removing the stem and discarding damaged leaves. Separate and rinse leaves individually to remove any soil and debris. Pat dry with paper towels. Shred the lettuce using a food processor or by hand (cutting as thinly as possible).

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Whisk together the oil and vinegar, add oregano, salt, and pepper (if using dried dill, add it now to the dressing).

In a salad bowl, combine lettuce, fresh dill, and spring onions. Toss with dressing and serve cold or at room temperature.

Yield: serves 8

Preparation tip:

This salad should be light and crunchy. The amount of dressing needed will depend on the size of the heads of lettuce, so don't add it all at once. Add half or three-quarters, toss, and keep adding until the dressing coats the salad ingredients but doesn't swamp them.

Semolina Pudding with Honey, Nuts & Raisins

Halvas made with semolina, nuts, raisins, and cinnamon is a delightful, grainy textured dessert, and one of the more famous Greek sweets. This version is cooked on the stove, placed in a mold to shape, and served at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of semolina, coarse grind (or cream of wheat or farina)

1 cup of oil

2 to 2 1/2 cups of sugar

1/2 cup of honey

5 cups of water

1/4 cup of walnuts, crushed

1/4 cup of pine nuts

1/4 cup of raisins (golden, seedless)

3 sticks of cinnamon

2-3 cloves, whole

slice of lemon peel

sugar for sprinkling

ground cinnamon for sprinkling

PREPARATION:

In a saucepan, add water, sugar, honey, lemon peel, cinnamon, and cloves and boil gently for 1-2 minutes. Remove the lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, and cloves, reduce heat to lowest possible.

While the syrup mixture is coming to a boil, start cooking the semolina: Heat oil in a pot or high-sided frying pan over medium heat.

Add the semolina slowly, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the semolina absorbs all the oil. Add crushed walnuts, pine nuts, and raisins, and continue to stir. When the semolina turns a dark gold color, remove the pot from the heat.

Pour the hot syrup over the semolina mixture, taking care not to get burned (it will spatter and boil up). Return to low heat and stir until the mixture become creamy and thick and doesn't stick to the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat, cover with a clean dry towel, and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Spoon the mixture into one or more molds (pudding, jello or cake type) or large glass bowl and pat down with the back of a large spoon to fill the mold completely and create a level surface. Allow the halvas to cool and turn out onto a platter. Sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon, and serve. Yield: about 10 cups

Note: The traditional recipe using 2 1/2 cups of sugar in the pudding may be sweeter than what you are accustomed to, and it can be adjusted down. Less than two cups may produce too bland a dessert.
 

  The following recipe comes from the kitchen of Dan Kapcoe. It was the fish he made for our Theophany eve dinner. I liked it because all you need to add with it is a vegetable or salad and some bread and you have a complete meal. Dan tells me he got this recipe from a Greek lady who lives in Pittsburgh. First of all, Baccala is the Italian word for saltfish, which is simply fish that is salted and dried. Before using, the fish must be soaked in water 12 to 24 hours, changing the water every 4 to 5 hours. The soaking softens the flesh and the water change reduces the salt.

^{Cover the bottom of a roaster or deep baking dish with olive oil. Peel and slice potatoes and arrange on top of the oil for the first layer. Season with pepper and garlic powder or fresh crushed garlic. The next layer is the pieces of dried cod, which was soaked and finally rinsed. You can also use frozen cod, whiting or any favorite fish of your choice. Cover with one 11 - 15 oz. Can of diced tomatoes. Try using Italian style that adds more flavors. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours. ENJOY!!!}

 The following is my recipe for Lenten bread. I got this recipe from a parishioner from my hometown parish of Sts. Peter and Paul in Johnstown , PA. I make it every year for Holy Night supper and freeze one or two to have for Lent, especially during Holy Week.

^{2 packages Rapid Rise dry yeast
4 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
10 cups flour}

^{Dissolve yeast in warm water, then add sugar, salt, and oil. Gradually add flour and turn onto floured board and knead.
Place in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise for one hour.
Cut dough  into four pieces.
Shape each piece into a flat round loaf and place on a cookie sheet that has a parchment liner or has been sprayed with Pam.
Brush the top with a mixture of honey and water and sprinkle with whole poppy seeds.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes depending on the size.
Remove from pan and cool on rack.}

April 2004
Pani's Corner