Wednesday, February 26, 2014

11:27 PM
....It was a relatively cold evening at Piraeus' Karaiskakis Stadium, yesterday 25th of February. The clock was showing 23.40.

And next to it on the matrix, Olympiacos P - Manchester United 2-0 !

Most people couldn't believe what they witnessed the last two hours. The blogger though, having followed the game from the warmth of home remained cool during the whole game and had a mischievous smile after the final whistle. He had expected that result and his satisfaction grew up a lot when the first reactions from the British tabloids started to appear. The most ironic came where else, from the SUN.

A moussaka for David Moyes ! Soon after, I started preparing the posting I share with you and hope you enjoy...

It concerns ( mainly ) Britts , but can amuse practically all visitors of this awsome country. By the way 2014 is expected to be a record year for Greece's tourism industry partly thanks to the efforts of the Greek minister of tourism, Olga Kefalogiani, offering the struggling Greek economy a so much needed help. I give you below two a 100% Greek recipes, ...directly related to what the SUN wrote soon after the end of the game..

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GREEK MOUSSAKA ! INGREDIENTS

500g lamb mince, 500g beef mince, 2 onions sliced, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1tsp corriander
seed - ground in a pestle and mortar, 1/2 cup of red wine, 1/2 cup beef stock, 410g tin tomatoes, 2 carrots scraped and grated, salt and black pepper
to taste, 5 medium brinjals ( eggplant/aubergine ) sliced 1/4 inch thick length ways, 1 & 1/2 cups cheddar cheese grated.

THICK BECHAMEL SAUCE

100g butter, 100g flour, 4 cups milk, salt and white pepper to taste, 1 egg.

METHOD

  • Fry both the lamb and the beef mince until browned
  • Add the onions and fry until softened 
  • Add the thyme, coriander, wine, stock and tomatoes and allow to simmer for 5 minutes
  • Add the carrots and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half and thickened slightly
  • Fry the brinjal in batches in a little grape-seed oil until tender, drain on paper towel and set aside
  • In the meanwhile melt the butter and stir in the flour
  • Whisk in the milk and continue stirring until thickened and boiling
  • Season with salt and pepper and stir in the egg
  • Assemble the Moussaka by layering the mince and brinjals finishing with a layer of bechamel
  • Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake at 180 degrees for 45 minutes....

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I give you now a recipe for another very popular Greek plate : STRAPATSADA - SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH TOMATOES. (Serves 2 ).

INGREDIENTS

2 large, ripe, firm tomatoes, 2 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil, 1 garlic clove, finelly chopped ( optional ), 1 tablespoon fresh or dried mint or oregano, 4 large eggs,slightly beaten, 1/2 cup grated FETA cheese or KEFALOTYRI cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

METHOD

  • Lop off a dime-size piece of the base of the tomato using a sharp knife. Grate the tomato from the base along the coarse side of an upright hand grater
  • In a 10 inch frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and add the garlic. Cook for a minute or so, careful not to burn. Add the tomatoes. Cook them until all their water has cooked off, and all that is left is thick pulp, about 10 minutes
  • Pour in the eggs and herb. Season with salt and pepper. Stir all together with a wooden spoon. Remove when the eggs are cooked to desired doneness, anywhere between 5 and 8 minutes
  • Transfer to serving plates and sprinkle with grated FETA or KEFALOTYRI cheese........