Recipes of the World

[Nick]

If quarantine has proven anything is my love for food. The last few weeks have been pretty much a repetition of emptying the fridge and expanding my waist. I dread the day I'll wear anything other than sweatpants, but I'm not here to rant.

As someone who loves dining in restaurants and trying every possible combination making my taste buds happy, one of the things I miss most about travelling is eating and experiencing new flavours and local delicacies. I know I'm not alone in this. So let me take you on a - culinary - journey. Next stop, Greece.

There is a common peas recipe, healthy, easy and ideal for everyone, vegans included. We are not making that recipe. Instead, we'll do my very own personal twist with smoked bacon and feta cheese. Vegetarians and vegans can easily avoid these, ending up with the traditional version, still full of flavour. 

Smoky peas stew with feta and bacon

Ingredients

1 kg of frozen or fresh peas, peeled  

2 carrots into cubes

4 thick slices of bacon 1cm thick, into cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

3 spring onions, chopped 

500gr. fresh, peeled, chopped tomatoes

1 spoon tomato puree 

1/2 cup of white wine 

60ml extra virgin olive oil

3-4 drops of Tabasco or 1 chopped chilli pepper

200gr. feta cheese, cut in cubes

A bunch of parsley, finely chopped

salt, freshly ground pepper

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the bacon and sauté for 4-5 minutes until it turns brown and smells good. Take out the bacon with a slotted spoon and keep it in a bowl.

Put the onions (dry and fresh) in the fragrant olive oil and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and peas and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes.

Return the bacon to the pot and add the wine. Once the alcohol has evaporated, add the chopped tomatoes, the tomato puree, Tabasco or pepper and a cup of vegetable stock. Season with pepper, cover the pot and let it simmer for about 45 minutes until the peas are cooked. 

Uncover the pot, add the feta and let it boil for another 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently until the feta melts and a nice, creamy sauce is created. 

Remove the pan from the heat, add the chopped parsley and serve. Season with salt according to taste as feta (and bacon) can be a bit salty anyway.  Bon appetit!

Tip 1: If you want to go for the traditional all vegetable recipe, have the feta on the side (with a splash of olive oil and oregano on it), along with olives and bread.  

Tip 2: You can replace bacon with chicken thighs but doing so will also mean having the feta on the side. 

Try it out and share your results! But don't stop there. How amazing it would be for all of us to have a shared journey around the world through cooking and food? I kept the recipe nice and simple so that anyone can try it, and I would recommend we don't make it too hard. I'm looking forward to seeing your recipes too!

 

[Yannis37]

@Nick This looks absolutely yummy... 

[Nick]

Thank you! (it was) @Yannis37 

[Melodie-And-John0]

You guys are all so talented, Melodie is an excellent cook to be sure, if she wasn't, this is what I would eat on a daily basis....  JR

[Nick]

@Melodie-And-John0 hahaha that cheating! I actually choose a very easy recipe so I'm sure you can handle it - you are building whole rooms from scratch for crying out loud, I'm not worried for you! 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Melodie-And-John0 

We are lucky to have met partners who are great cooks :-))) 

I'd probably live off instant ramyeon noodles (pour hot water) or fried chicken & pizza (delivery) if it weren't for Henry. Lol~~~

[Βασίλης-and-Ann0]

Yes, @Nick @Helen427 @Yannis37 @Jessica-and-Henry0  & everyone,you're right. Greece is hoping to slowly prepare for a kind of different summer this year with social distancing etc.. Some places may open by the end of the month ( think Rhodes, Crete ) Syros maybe later.

You know it's really strange , here and many islands have been following all restrictions carefully but we have no, and never had any virus cases ( we're beginning to feel a bit left out !! ) Only joking, of course.   😉  😉

So, a virtual ouzo to all         Stini Yiamas  !!

Oh , forgot to include an ouzo with my recipe, and yes, Yannis, by the sea with feet in the water...

[Laura2484]

Great topic @Nick , I love food & I love nutritious, easy recipes too!

At the moment we are harvesting Jerusalem artichokes from our garden. These tasty tubers are our family favourite , while distinct in flavour they are rich in iron, potassium and vitamin B12.

Here are two recipes that are quick & easy. Enjoy!

Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes 

1 kg. Jerusalem artichokes - scrubbed, washed , tips trimmed, cut into even size chunks

Olive oil

Fresh herbs eg. Rosemary, oregano

Salt , Cracked pepper and a sprinkle of paprika

Toss the artichokes in enough olive oil , with the other ingredients until evenly coated.

Place on an oven tray and roast - 180 degrees Celsius approx. 20-25minutes

Turn over when browned and continue to check until cooked. (Like potatoes or yams.)

‘Delicious served with sour cream.’

Garden fresh & roasted Jerusalem artichokes

 

Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

1 kg. Jerusalem artichokes-roasted as above

1 Red onion - medium 

2-3 Potatoes- medium 

1 Kumara (Sweet potatoe) - medium

1 Carrot - medium 

2 Stalks of celery

1 - 2 Garlic cloves - crushed

Olive oil - to sauté 

Vegetable stock

Salt & pepper 

Cumin - grounded ( optional 1/2 tspn)

Prepare all the vegetables, wash, peel and cut into chunks, Sauté onions & garlic until soft, add the vegetables and more olive oil to lightly heat together. The roasted artichokes can also be added at this stage. 

Cover the all vegetables with the stock and cook on medium heat. Cooking time may vary 25-30 minutes til the vegetables are done.

Blend together , adding either more stock, hot water and cream until you get the ideal soup consistency. Salt , pepper & cumin to your taste.

Garnish with freshly chopped herbs of parsley/coriander & serve with toasted pita or crusty baguette.

Thanks for sharing your recipes @Yannis37 @Ria16 @Helen427 and everyone else, they sound incredibly scrumptious!!!👍🏾

[Nick]

Those seem amazing @Laura2484 

The timing was perfect as well as it's almost lunch time here 🙂 

Can't wait to try them out! 

[Ria16]

@Laura2484 WoW !  I have never attempted to grow an artichoke and have only eaten one from a jar 🙂 , do they need much care ? I live on sand btw and it’s hard to keep the nutrients in the ground at times although Ohope is pretty sandy huh:) Love the area 🙂 it’s paradise! 

[Laura2484]

@Nickit is a curiosity to try new fruit and vegetables, ‘ What has been your newest ‘edible discovery or the most exotic ? ’ Oh that would be a fun topic too, in line with Recipes of the World.

Jerusalem artichokes are pretty easy to grow in most soils @Ria16 ,  compost, well rotted manure, blood &bone are great organic soil boosters to add. We are lucky we have great soil, although some living closer to the beach have to add top soil to grow any type of vegetation. Guess you know this already?

Fun fact# Jerusalem artichokes are related to the sunflower family and often mistaken for a species of the globe artichokes. ( sold in a jar). The plant grows tall with multiple miniature sunflowers, it is the tuber in the ground that are the delectables. 

Stay well and thanks for the mention.👍🏾

[Nick]

Hey Laura, that is actually a pretty good idea. Will do, thank you 🙂 

[Sergi]

Here my contribution @Nick , @Laura2484 , @Ria16 , @Yannis37 , @Mike-And-Jane0  and rest of the people who is participating in this thread.: A Spanish- Italian fusion . My own  "Pasta chup-chup". 

• The ingredients for the sauce: 

- 4 Cumberland sausages

- 1 Onion
- 1 small carrot
- A small piece of chorizo (2 finger piece)
- Tomato sauce (500g passata)
- A glass of milk
- salt
- Nutmeg
- Half a glass of red wine
- Grated cheese (150 g)
- 1 scamorza (special Italian cheese)
- Half a teaspoon of sugar
_______

• Of course you will need the pasta: Penne (500 g)

_______

• How to cook it:

1- In a pot we boil the pasta, once the pasta is boiled to taste, we strain it and let it rest.
2. Turn on the oven to heat it up and cook it au gratin.

Sauce:
1- In a big pot, we fry a little bit of onion and carrot cut very thinly with some olive oil.
2- Add the crumbled sausages (take out the skin and cut them up)
3- We add the chorizo cut very fine.
4 - We wait for the sausage to cook.
5 - Add the tomato sauce, add half a teaspoon of sugar, and salt as you like.
6- Add red wine, stir and wait 6 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate.
7- Add a glass of milk and half a spoon of nutmeg.
8- Cover with a lid and let it all go for, at least, 10 minutes. (the longer you let it simmer, the better)
9- Add the pasta, 150 grams of cheese and stir.
10 - Put everything on an oven tray and put the scamorza chopped on top to cover all the pasta.
11- Put it in the oven, previously heated, for 5 minutes so that the scamorza is gratin.
12 - Eat it 

And this is the result: 

I recommend you to cook it and enjoy it: it's delicious... although that day you will have to exercise to burn the calories!

🤤

[Nick]

Is it dinner time yet? @Sergi 

🤤

[Βασίλης-and-Ann0]

Wow, @Sergi  That sounds and looks delicious !

  I'm cooking something similar - ish. Just a few differences.

A sauce like yours, though my recipe contains red hot chillies,  the hotter the better, grannies homemade goats cheese, chicken not sausage ( we love Cumberland sausage but Greece doesn't stock it, as far as I know ) then red kidney beans before the end result. Sometimes add other veg like cougettes or asparagus.

[Sergi]

Wow, that sounds delicious @Βασίλης-and-Ann0 !!! 

Normally at home we eat very healthy, try to be good for three weeks, but on the third weekend we always give ourselves a gift: a guilty pleasure like this pasta. So I take note of your version and I'll try to cook it next time. Thank you!