SHRIMP SANTORINI

Makes: 4 servings

3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp unsalted butter
1/8 tsp Crushed red pepper
1-1/4 lbs jumbo prawns
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
1½ tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1½ tbsp fresh dill, minced
2 oz crumbled feta
3 tbsp dry bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven at 375 F.
2. Heat half the oil in an oven proof or cast iron skillet.
3. Add the butter and red pepper.
4. Saute the shrimp, turning occasionally until the shrimp is pink.
5. Stir in the wine and garlic and boil 4 minutes.
6. When the liquid begins to thicken, stir in the chopped tomatoes and remove from heat.
7. Sprinkle with dill and cheese and cover with breadcrumbs.
8. Pour remaining olive oil over the top, place in oven and broil until bubbly.

LAMB FRICASSE

Makes: 5 servings

2 lbs Lamb leg
3 lbs green onions, chopped
2-3 heads lettuce, chopped
½ cup butter
2 eggs
juice from 1 lemon
a little flour
salt
pepper

Avgolemono Sauce:
1-2 cups soup or food broth
2 eggs
juice of 1 lemon
some flour

1. Mix a little flour with the lemon juice then add the eggs and beat well.
2. Place in pan over medium heat.
3. Slowly add the soup (or food broth) while continuing to beat.
4. Remove from heat before sauce thickens.

Lamb:
1. Cut the lamb in portions. Brown in a pot using the butter.
2. Strain excess fat.
3. Add salt, pepper, lettuce, onions, very little water, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
4. Pour the avgolemono in the pot, simmer lightly and serve hot.

FASOLAKIA

Makes: 6 Servings

2 lbs fresh green beans
1 large onion, chopped
4 potatoes
4 ripe tomatoes
3 onions, sliced
garlic, chopped
pinch of sugar
salt
pepper

1. Clean and wash the beans.
2. Warm the oil in a pot and simmer the onions and throw in the rest of the ingredients, except for the potatoes, with a little bit of water and leave the beans to slowly cook for 20 minutes.
3. Cut the potatoes in quarter wedges and put them in the pot last.
4. If needed put in more water and let the food boil for a while.
5. Serve hot.

HALVA

1 cup olive oil
2 cups semolina flour
3 cups sugar
4 cups water
2 wedges lemon
cinnamon stick
chopped almonds

1. Heat the oil and cook the semolina in the oil until golden.
2. Place the almonds to brown with the semolina.
3. In the meantime, warm the water, but do not boil, and dissolve the sugar in it and throw in the lemon and the cinnamon stick.
4. Pour the water into the semolina mix and stir well while pouring.
5. Keep heating until the mixture becomes thick.
6. Pour the mix into a Bundt pan and garnish with sesame seeds and cinnamon.
7. Let stand and serve at room temperature.

THEEPLESS

1½ cups plain flour
2 large eggs
pinch of salt
1½ tbsp water
oil for deep-frying, extra
4 tbsp honey
cinnamon

1. Sift flour, beat eggs until thick and creamy, gradually beat in sifted flour and salt.
2. When mixture is too stiff to beat, work in by hand enough of the remaining flour to give a firm dough.
3. Knead dough until smooth.
4. Make a dent in the dough, add oil then work in with hands.
5. Roll dough out, it should be paper thin.
6. Cut into 3 rectangles.
7. Drop one pastry into hot oil. As soon as it turns white and bubbles up, remove and place on absorbent paper.
8. Roll up pastry quickly with two forks.
9. Return to oil, make sure it doesn’t unroll.
10. Turn once, to brown, then drain.
11. To serve, heat together water and honey, then dribble over theepless.
12. Sprinkle cinnamon over top.

BAKLAVA

1 lb phyllo pastry
7/8 lb fine ground almonds
2 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch of clove
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup honey
lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla

1. Mix the almonds, cinnamon and clove. Butter a pan and place 4 buttered sheets of phyllo.
2. Spread thin layer of the mix and then 2 more sheets of phyllo.
3. Repeat until you have 4 sheets left, which you will use for the top layer.
4. Cut the baklava in squares, all the way to the bottom of the pan.
5. Top with the remaining butter and bake in medium oven for 45 minutes.
6. Mix the sugar, honey, vanilla, lemon juice and 1½ cup of water in a pot and boil for 5 minutes.
7. Remove any froth off the top and pour over the baklava.
8. Serve cold.

KEFTEDES

1 lb minced meat (hamburger meat)
1 onion, chopped
1 egg
olive oil
mint leaves, chopped
flour for coating
salt
pepper
oregano

1. Mix the meat with the mint, the egg and the onion.
2. Season with oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Form into egg size balls.
4. Heat the oil.
5. Roll the meatballs in flour and place in hot oil.
6. When turning brown, turn, cook other side and serve hot.

FRIED EGGPLANTS

4 eggplants
2 eggs, beaten
cooking oil

1. Clean the eggplants and slice them in a 1/16 inch slices.
2. Put the oil in a skillet and heat.
3. Take an eggplant slice at a time and cover with the egg mixture.
4. Place onto a skillet and cook for a minute or so.
5. Turn and cook other side.
6. Repeat until all of the slices are done.
7. Serve with tzatziki.

CHICKEN WITH TOMATO

1 medium size chicken (1kg)
1 onion sliced
1 litre tomato paste
½ cup of olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tsp sugar
1 can cooked okra beans

1. Heat the oil in a big pot (medium-high setting).
2. Place the cleaned chicken in the pot and turn, to brown all the sides evenly.
3. Add the tomato juice and add the same amount of water, plus the sugar.
4. Let it boil for an hour, until the chicken is starting to come apart.
5. The water would have evaporated by now, leaving a thick red sauce.
6. Add okra if desired. Serve with french fries, potato coins, etc.

GIOUVETSI (LAMB STEW)

3 onions, diced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 kg of lamb
1 litre of tomato paste
1 litre of water
1 kg rice pasta - Kritharaki
salt
pepper
oregano

1. In a heavy pot put the oil and heat in an oven on high.
2. Add the onions and brown.
3. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper and place in the pot to brown the sides.
4. When the lamb starts cooking, pour tomato paste over it, then the water.
5. Let it heat for about 1 hour until the lamb feels soft and much of the water has evaporated. You can add water if needed.
6. Remove from the oven, add rice pasta, return to oven for 10 minutes.