2. Moussaka Ingredients The Aubergine 3 medium aubergines, cut lengthwise -1 cm thick slices salt olive oil The Sauce 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 kilo lean mince beef 2 medium red onions, finely chopped 4-5 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped herbs 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 tablespoon tomato puree 1 large glass of red wine Salt & pepper to taste Water
3. How to Make The Aubergine 1. Begin by laying the aubergine slices on paper towels and sprinkling them lightly with salt. Set them aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. The Sauce 2. In the meantime start to prepare the meat sauce. Heat the oil in a medium sized pan on a medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook these until they become transparent. 3. Now add the minced beef and stir occasionally to make sure that the beef and onions do not burn. Once the beef is browned, (pour off any excess fat from the meat - if there is any) add the rest of the ingredients. The meat and onion mixture should now be covered by the red wine, if you need more liquid just add some water. Stir the mixture, cover and leave to simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes. Béchamel Sauce 100g plain flour 100g butter 1.5 litre hot milk 1 egg yolk 150 g Kefalotyri (Greek type of cheese) or grated Parmesan cheese Pinch of nutmeg cayenne pepper Salt and Pepper 4tbsp of grated parmesan/kefalotyri
4. The Aubergine 4. Whilst the sauce is cooking, check on the aubergine slices. They should be wet from the salt action - if not leave a bit longer. Give them a quick wash and sprinkle with ground black pepper. 5. Heat a frying pan with enough oil to cover the aubergine slices. Place as many slices as you can in the pan and leave them to become brown, turning over after 1-2 minutes. Remove them from the pan and leave them to drain on kitchen paper. Béchamel Sauce 6. Finally, prepare the béchamel sauce. Heat the butter in a pan just before it starts to turn golden in colour, add the flour stirring constantly so that it does not turn lumpy. 7. Slowly add the hot milk stirring constantly with a whisk to make sure that no lumps form. 8. Take the pan off the heat and add the egg yolk, the pinch of nutmeg, the cheese, the salt and pepper stirring constantly. Once you have a smooth sauce, set the pan aside ready for the last stage. The Final Stage Lightly oil 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half the aubergine slices in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. Spoon half of the mince beef sauce evenly over the aubergine. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons the cheese. Repeat with another lay of aubergine, sauce 2 tablespoons cheese. Finally pour the béchamel sauce over the top and sprinkle with a little nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bake Moussaka at 180 degrees until heated through and sauce is golden brown on top, about 45 minutes (or about 55 minutes for refrigerated Moussaka). Cool 15 for minutes
5. Pastitsio Ingredients 1 kilo thick macaroni ½ kilo minced meat 2 medium-sized chopped onions 3-4 cloves of garlic 1 bay leaf 2-3 ripe diced tomatoes 1 tbsp tomato puree 1/4 litre olive oil 150 g Kefalotyri (Greek type of cheese) or Parmesan cheese Salt and Pepper Béchamel sauce 1.5 litre hot milk, 1 egg yolk, 100g plain flour, 100g butter 150 g Kefalotyri (Greek type of cheese) or grated Parmesan cheese Pinch of nutmeg cayenne pepper Salt and Pepper
6. How to Make 1. Sauté the onions in a teacup of oil, until golden. Add the minced meat and sauté with the onions stirring constantly until browned. 2. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, bay leaf, salt, pepper and some water. Let everything cook gently for 30 minutes. 3. Half cook the macaroni in plenty of salted water, cool and drain and pour over enough oil to coat the pasta (not too much that it makes it really greasy). 4. In the meantime, prepare the béchamel sauce. Heat the butter in a pan just before it starts to turn golden in colour, add the flour stirring constantly so that it does not turn lumpy. Slowly add the hot milk stirring constantly with a whisk to make sure that no lumps form. 5. Take the pan off the heat and add the egg yolk, the pinch of nutmeg, the cheese, the salt and pepper stirring constantly. Set aside once ready. 6. In a ovenware dish lay out the layer of macaroni and sprinkle with cheese and cover with the minced meat mix, you have already prepared. Mix up the pasta, mincemeat and cheese so that they are evenly spread. 7. Spread the remaining minced meat over the pasta mix, sprinkle again with cheese and cover with the béchamel sauce. 8. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and add a little nutmeg, cayenne pepper and ground black pepper. 9. Bake in at 180 c oven for c. 20 minutes until golden brown on-top. Remove from the oven and let it cool down. Cut into square pieces.
7. Kleftiko Ingredients Leg of lamb cut into approx 1 inch thick slices 2-3 tbsp of olive oil 1-2 medium onions finely chopped 4-5 cloves of garlic crushed 1.5 teaspoons of oregano salt & pepper to taste How to Make 1.Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan (enough oil to amply cover the bottom of the pan). 2.Add the onion and garlic and gently fry until transparent. 3.Remove the onion and garlic from the pan add the pieces of lamb, one by one, frying until each side is coloured - you may need to add more olive oil at this stage so that the meat doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. 4.Once the meat is browned off, return the onion and garlic to the pan add the oregano. 5.Season with salt and pepper
8. 6.Add just enough water to cover the top of the lamb, cover the pan with a lid and bring to the boil. 7.Turn down the heat so that the casserole is just simmering and leave to cook for 1.5 - 2 hours - or until the sauce has reduced and the lamb is tender. 8.Taste and season if required and set aside to cool a little. 9.I always try to remove any excess bones and fat from the casserole before serving, this leaves just the meat, a few bones and the delicious sauce.
9. Tzatziki Ingredients 2 large cucumbers, peeled 1 large tub of Greek yogurt 5 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Salt & pepper to season How to Make 1. Grate the cucumbers using a coarse grater into a colander. 2. Place the colander over a bowl and leave overnight to drain (this is VERY important - all the water must drain from the cucumber). 3. Add the grated cucumber to a mixing bowl and stir in the yogurt, crushed garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper until all the ingredients are really well blended. 4. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill for a few hours so that the flavours develop.
10. Taramosalata Ingredients 2 medium potatoes 2 tbsp of Taramosalata paste Juice of 1 Lemon 1 small cup of olive oil 5 cloves of garlic, crushed How to Make 1. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the fish roe (Taramosalata) and potatoes until smooth. 2. Gradually add the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic to make a fluffy, creamy mixture.3. Either use immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to use. 3. Either use immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to use.
