loukaniko (greek sausage)

One of my favorite homemade sausages!

my version:

1 lb. ground pork (or any not-lean meat)
1 lb. ground chicken (or any lean meat)
as much pork fat as you feel comfortable adding (calls for a cup; i add maybe a quarter of this, but it does dry out, so keep this in mind. fatback is the best, if you can source it.)
1.5 T grated orange zest (orange rind only, no white pith underneath – you can buy dehydrated orange zest if you can’t grate)
1.5 T kosher salt, less if fine, more if extra-coarse
1 T sugar
2.5 T minced garlic
0.5 T ground coriander
0.5 T cracked black pepper
1 T fennel seed
0.5 T dried oregano
1 t dried thyme
0.25 cups of red wine (some recipes call for white) with a splash of red wine vinegar
(I will also sometimes add some Chinese garlic chives from my garden; some recipes call for sauteed leeks)

if you’re not me, here you would feed the ingredients through your sausage grinder, stuff them into casings with your sausage machine, and set them to cure.

if you are me, or similarly lazy-yet-broke & without Official Sausage Machine Infrastructure, you will mush all these ingredients together until your hands hurt, then leave in the fridge overnight. keep everything as cold as possible. (you can use a stand mixer if you own $500 kitchen infrastructure.) it will come out crumbly if you use your hands – but if you’re like me, you probably don’t mind that much, haha.

the next day, shape into your preferred shape (i like kofte-style “cigar-shaped” or cylindrical patties formed by squeezing) and pack up to freeze or refrigerate.

recipe by friedsig & based mostly on a recipe by Hank Shaw at Honest Food

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I think I have made this…. three times? It’s a winner every time. Obviously, like all sausages, the possibilities are endless here. Loukaniko can be cooked like any sausage. Form it into a patty and make burgers. Make gravy. Saute a big mess of apples and onions with the sausage, like a cassoulet. Stew it down with white beans. Fry it off and cook some fish in the leftover loukaniko grease. It’s amazing with pasta and a bit of feta. Bake them into savory muffins. Fry them up with eggs and hash browns for breakfast. Bake it into a casserole with veggies, potatoes, or whatever you like. No surprise I love it fried off into a pot of cornmeal mush for an ultimate comfort food. You can grill them, fry them, bake them, even microwave them (although the browned crispy bits are so wonderful that I would advise against it unless you have to.)

Check out the original recipe from Hank Shaw at Honest Food – especially if you want to make real sausages and not my DIY MacGyvered version – and if you like making your own sausages, check out my other favorites, including Lebanese style sausages, chorizo, and maple breakfast sausages!

gigantes plaki sto fourno (vegan Greek white beans in tomato sauce)

One of the most wonderful ways to cook white beans! White wine and potatoes lend a complex flavor and body to such an easy recipe. It’s similar to bubbling butter beans (but vegan!). Ivy’s recipe calls for Kozani gigantes beans, giant Greek white beans, but large white fava beans / butter beans, cannellini beans, or any other mild white bean would work here. You could probably even substitute chickpeas or black-eyed peas. I used dry fava beans.

Really solid recipe. Definitely a keeper. Thanks to Ivy from Kopiaste for this fantastic traditional recipe!

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300 grams Kozani gigantes beans
2 bay leaves
2 medium red onions, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped (optional)
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup of olive oil
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and blended or 1 can of whole tomatoes (500 grams)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup white dry wine (optional)
1 cup of parsley, finely chopped
1 -2 stalks celery ribs, finely chopped
3 big carrots, finely chopped
1 big potato (cubed) optional
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon thyme honey (optional) (add sugar for vegan dish)
½ teaspoon chili pepper (optional)
2 cups water

Instructions

Soak the beans in plenty of water, overnight.
Drain and put them in a pot with fresh water and bring to a boil.
Remove any froth forming on top, with a slotted ladle.
Drain them again and add fresh water as well as the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Add salt, lower heat and simmer until almost cooked (about 1 hour and 30 minutes).
Drain and discard the bay leaves.
Put the beans in a Dutch oven or a Pyrex.
Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F.
Meantime, heat the olive oil in a sautéing pan and sauté onions and garlic until translucent.
Add the chopped celery, carrots, potato, fresh oregano and beans and mix.
Add wine and cook for a few minutes, then add the honey, tomato, salt and pepper and water and mix. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the beans and cover with the lid. If using a Pyrex, cover with aluminium foil.
Bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the beans are soft and the sauce is thick, mixing once, after an hour has passed.
Remove from the oven and mix in the parsley.

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recipe by Ivy from Kopiaste

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Really great use of early season sour tomatoes – the wine and honey adds the perfect balance. I left out the parsley and celery.

I definitely recommend this recipe.

If you love white beans, check out this similar recipe for bubbling butter beans – or my favorite new soup, roasted poblano and white bean soup.

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, this is a great main dish, served with something like Greek rice-spinach, or melitzanosalata (greek eggplant dip) with some crusty bread.

If you love meat in your meal, I could see this as a fantastic side dish for anything from a herb and lemon roast chicken to lemon meatballs with tahini sauce.

chicken salad with spinach, apple, and dill

breast meat of 1 whole roasted chicken (stuffed with half a lemon, fresh oregano, and a few cloves of garlic), shredded with 2 forks
1 small package organic dill
1 sour green apple, like granny smith
1 pinch crumbled feta (optional)
1 spoonful sliced kalamata olives (optional)
minced raw garlic and/or minced scallions or onions, to taste
washed raw spinach leaves, torn into small pieces

salt to taste

combine all.

add a bit of mayo, then slowly add enough plain (unsweetened!) yogurt to lightly coat, and lemon or apple cider vinegar to taste
if dry, add a splash of vegetable stock or chicken broth.

melitzanosalata (greek eggplant dip)

this vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo, and super-healthy dip from lemon and olives sounds very much like a tahini-free baba ghanouj. it doesn’t get much more healthy than this.

2 medium sized eggplants
⅛ cup chopped parsley (optional)
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup olive oil (or desired amount)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pierce eggplants with fork a few times and place in broiler until soft (and turns black) OR on BBQ for 10-15min turning every few minutes.
Remove and let cool.
Remove outer skin (black part) by hand.
Cut the eggplants into pieces.
Place in a large bowl and add parsley and garlic
Slowly add olive oil and lemon and crush with fork.
Mix in salt and pepper.
Serve with bread!

OR

simply roast eggplants til black, strip skin, and throw all ingredients into food processor or blender.

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from lemon and olives

greek rice-spinach

i really liked the greek soup i made a few days ago, which is good because i have leftover dill and lemons for more greek food.

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rice-spinach

1/2 lb spinach, torn and coarsely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
t or so of dried roasted onion powder
a bunch of spring onions, finely cut
1 leek, finely sliced
1 tomato, minced
3/4 cup of rice
1 bunch dill, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
salt
freshly ground pepper

Warm the olive oil. Add the spring onions, and leek and stir fry them gently for 3-4 minutes, until they get translucent. Add the finely chopped tomato, onion powder, and rice. Then pour over 1 1/2c of water, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Add spinach and toss until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and sprinkle with dill and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Give everything another good toss and serve.

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adapted from this recipe

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FANTASTIC! Loved by everyone who tried it. Simple and delicious. Highly recommended!

avgolemono (lemon chicken soup)

avgolemono with carrots and rice, topped with fresh dill

 

this is one of my three favorite soups of all-time. i can’t recommend this soup highly enough.

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STOCK

1 cut-up chicken (free range and local if you can get it; this makes up a good part of the flavor of the soup)
a giant pot filled with water
2 bay leaves
whatever you like in your chicken stock, like fennel bulb, carrot, celery, bundles of whatever herbs you like, or anything you have in the house.

simmer this all together on low until chicken is cooked through. remove chicken meat, keep large bones in. continue simmering and add soup ingredients.

(or – my favorite – roast a whole chicken, use the meat for an awesome chicken salad or any other thing – then add all the bones, along with the giblets and neck, to some veggie scraps, half an onion, a bay leaf, and some apple cider vinegar, and slow-cook on the stove or in a slow cooker for hours! i add this bone broth to everything.)

SOUP

in separate pan, saute onions, garlic, leeks, or whatever combination you like in olive oil. add whatever veggies you like in soup (potatoes, carrots, leeks, whatever) along with the stock, and simmer for an hour.

add a cup of rice (any kind) and continue simmering until done.

add the meat again, and remove any bones.

in a medium bowl, whisk two eggs and a half-cup freshly squeezed lemon juice. pour two cups of hot stock into the bowl and continue whisking. add the mixture to the soup.

season with salt and pepper and serve hot topped with fresh dill.

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inspired by avgolemono (but from what i understand, traditional greek avgolemono has five ingredients! go purist if you prefer.)

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i have made this countless times. you really need to try this!

spanakopita (veg version AND vegan version!)

VEGETARIAN VERSION

1 onion chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup green onion chopped
250 gr chopped dark greens (like spinach, lamb’s quarter, etc.)
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 cup grated feta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 stick butter
1 package phyllo pastry sheets
a few t dried oregano
a few T minced parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Defrost phyllo. Assemble the filling. In a large skillet heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and saute until soft. Add the spinach and salt and pepper and saute until the spinach is limp. Add the lemon juice, and remove off the heat. Let cool.
If there is excess liquid, place the mixture in a colander and squeeze out the excess liquid. So make sure the mixture is completely cooled, otherwise it’s going to make the phyllo dough soggy, and you don’t want soggy spanakopita. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with feta and nutmeg then add this to the spinach mixture and mix until it’s all incorporated well together.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and brush 2 baking sheets with some melted butter. Now for handling the phyllo dough, unroll it and lay one sheet flat on your work surface. For the remaining phyllo dough, cover it with a damp towel, so it won’t dry out. Brush the sheet with melted butter, then sprinkle some oregano. Now here you can repeat with 2 more sheets or 1 more sheet. I have tried with both and find that if I use 3 sheets, it gets to be too much phyllo for me, so I only repeat with one more sheet, so I have two sheets one on top of the other with melted butter and oregano on both.

NOT LAZY WAY:
Using a pizza cutter, cut the sheets lengthwise into 4 long pieces, about 2 inch strips. Place a heaping tsp of the spinach and cheese filling near 1 corner of the phyllo strip. Fold the end at an angle over the filling to form a triangle. Continue to fold the triangle along the strip until you reach the end, like folding a flag. Repeat this with the remaining phyllo and filling. Like I said it’s pretty easy to make, just a bit time consuming.
Place your spanakopita triangles on your baking sheets and brush with butter. Bake them for 20 to 30 minutes until the triangles are golden brown and crisp.

LAZY WAY:
build like a lasagna. follow directions otherwise, alternating between butter-brushed pastry sheets and filling.

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adapted from from jocooks

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VEGAN VERSION

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb fresh spinach, stemmed, washed, and coarsely chopped
a few T fresh parsley, minced
1 pkg silken tofu, firm
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
a few grinds of fresh pepper
pinch of nutmeg
A bunch of fillo dough, thawed
1/2 cup of margarine, melted

Thaw phyllo. Sautee onion over medium heat in olive oil. Add spinach by the handful. When spinach has released its liquid, switch to higher heat and add in parsley. Cook until most of the water is gone.

Mash tofu and flavorings together with a fork until pebbly and mix in spinach.

Unroll fillo. The trick with fillo is don’t panic. It never unrolls right and it’s always stuck together. Trim off about an inch all the way around. Use scissors or something. Cover it up with a dry dishtowel to keep it from drying out. Putting a slightly damp dishtowel over that is even better.

Now here’s the frustrating part: take a sheet of fillo and lay it in a lightly oiled 9×13 pan. Yes, I know it’s like all sticking together and stuff, just slowly peel it apart. Ok, now brush it lightly all over with margarine. Look, it’s gonna tear, ok? You just have to deal with it. Just take a deep breath and put in seven more layers, brushing each. Was that so hard? Now put in the filling, spreading it all the way to the edges. You’re half-way done! Eight more layers, margarine on the top, roll the edges down, you are now a fillo dough pro. Take a sharp knife and cut into squares. Don’t cut all the way through the bottom layer though.

Now you gotta put it in the fridge for like half an hour. Good time to clean up the huge mess you made. 375F.

Bake for about 45 minutes until golden.

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from waste.org

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10/30
made both the veg and vegan version. added two eggs to the vegan version, since my mostly vegan housemates eat eggs. both versions were absolutely incredible. i was surprised how long it took to assemble – and how expensive the dish is to make! $5 for phyllo, $8 for greens out of season, $5 for feta? then you have to wait hours for the phyllo to defrost. then brush each sheet with butter – irritating, time-consuming, and too inviting for the kitten to resist nibbling the ends of the pastry sheets. by the end of the preparation, i had decided never to make it again.

i reversed my decision immediately upon tasting it. crunchy on top, creamy and flavorful inside, hearty and salty, major comfort food. i thought the vegan version was just ok, but my housemates raved about it. i much preferred the vegetarian version – feta and butter make up most of the flavor. if you don’t care for the taste of margarine, stick with real butter.

highly, highly recommended for anyone who likes very buttery, impressive-looking vegetarian food and has the time to spare. i will absolutely definitely make this again – for the holidays or another special occasion.