Traditional Greek Christmas cookies

Christmas is round the corner and I am already enjoying the festive spirit, drinking mulled wine and devouring the greek sweets I mostly miss this time of the year.  My great-grandmother  made them from flour and called them 'finikia', distingouishing them from melomakarona, the semolina based ones. Whatever the name and the main ingredient, melomakarona, as they are widely called, is a delicious  sweet and a popular offering during the Chrismas period, alongside 'kourampiedes', a sugar-dusted-butter cookie.

 There are many different ways to cook them; I chose the following recipe from my mother's friend, Magda, who always amazes us with her cooking.

Ingredients

 2 cups of olive oil
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brandy ( I added black spicy rum, and it turned out fine)
1/2 cup of orange juice
zest of one orange
1 tsp of cinnamon
1200 g flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the syrup

2 cups of honey (good quality)
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of water
1 orange cut in half
2 cinnamon sticks


First I make the syrup; it has to be ready and chilled and then add it to the hot from the oven baked cookies. I put the water and sugar in a medium sauce pan and wait until the mix comes to a boil; I then add the honey, the cinnamon sticks and orange and put the heat down.

In a big bowl I mix the olive oil, orange juice, zest and rum and start adding the flour, baking powder and soda, bit by bit, until it becomes one big ball. I start to knead it with soft movements until everything becomes one and it is easy to take small pieces and turn them into balls. To achieve the exact shape I used the cheese grader; I took each ball and pressed it against the grader and then rolled them into a curved shape. I will then put each one next to another on a baking paper, on a flat tray and into the oven to bake for 30 to 40 minutes on 200. They will be ready when they are cooked through but remain kind of soft in the centre. Hot from the oven I place them in the syrup and leave them in for 2 to 4 minutes depending on how much syrup I want them to absorb. I place them on a tray and sprinkle crushed walnuts on top.

Because they can get dry and hard after some days I kept some baked cookies  in order to reheat them and put them in the syrup another time.

Slow-cooked chicken in gingery and chilly flavoured tomato sauce with prunes, served with a sweet potato puree

The above dish is inspired by a Skye Gyngell's recipe. I've been reading her cook book and I am pretty amazed by the complexity of her flavours and textures. I tried to encapsulate the essence of her style in this dish, which turned out as I expected, a feast of tastes. From the fist mouthful I could taste the earthy flavour of the spice mix balancing with the bitterness of the lime, the saltiness of the tamari sauce and the sweetness of the honey. All this combined great with the sweet and hot, velvety taste of the puree and a refreshing green salad.

Ingredients

4 organic free range chicken thighs cut into pieces
sea salt and freshly grounded pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 big red onion, finely chopped
3 cm piece of fresh root ginger
a piece of tamarind resting into 2 tbsp of warm water for 20 min
1-2 garlic gloves
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds
1 tsp five spice mix
1 tsp of ground coriander ( fresh is better, root and stems finely chopped)
500 ml chicken stock
1x400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp Tamari sauce (or according to taste)
1 tbsp of honey (or maple syrup)
100 gr prunes
juice of 1 limes (or according to taste)

First I will add the olive oil in a thick-based saucepan in medium heat. When it is hot enough I start browning the chicken pieces, turning them often to colour on all sides. When they are ready I remove them from the pan and keep them aside warm.

After I clean the pan from fat and chicken pieces I put it back in the heat and add the seeds, cooking them until they pop ( I could have already heated and crushed them from before). I then add the onions, cooking and stirring them until they began to soften. Following, I will throw in the ginger, tamarind water, garlic, chilli and the spice mix, continue stirring for another five minutes and then add the chicken stock, increasing the heat and bringing it to a boil. I will add the tomatoes, bay leaf and cinnamon and wait until it starts to boil to put the chicken back in the pan and reduce the heat to a simmering point. I will let it cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. To balance the flavours I will add the tamari sauce, the lime juice and then the prunes to add a bit of texture. I will give it a good stir, turn the heat slightly up and cook for another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile I have boiled water in a small saucepan and added two sweet potatoes chopped into chunks and a deseeded, finely-chopped chilly. After 20 minutes , when the potatoes are soft enough I put them in a bowl with some organic unsalted butter and work them into a puree, adding towards the end 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of honey and a tsp of tamari sauce. I will adjust the seasoning by tasting it and add some freshly grounded black pepper.
 

Making a salad into a meal

In order to maintain a healthy diet I try to add vegetables in each of my meals. I will always serve a salad with the main dish and to make it more exciting I will experiment with different colours and textures and enhance the taste with playful dressings. Sometimes the salad is the main dish, having a balanced fat/carb/protein ratio.

 A prawn salad with runner beans and mixed sprouts with a traditional vineigrette dressing and some cayenne pepper on top

Quinoa with lettuce and spring onions, red, yellow peppers, courgette and cherry tomatoes cut in cubes and scrabbled with feta cheese
 


A tuna, crab and green salad with a mustard, honey, chilly, garlic, lemon and extra virgin oil dressing.
 

Beef minced pie

I will be usually baking spinach pies but this time I made a beef minced pie,  a quite succesfull one I must admit. At first I thought of cooking the minced meat the way I do the bolognese sauce ( I have been trying a nice Carluccio's recipe) but then I decided to omit the tomato and cook the meat in its own juices with vegetables and potato pieces. And by the way, next time I will dare make my own pastry.

Ingredients
philo pastry ready made
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 kilo of beef minced meat
2 potatoes chopped into squares
2 carrots chopped into squares
1 leek finely chopped
1 parsnip chopped into cubes
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp of red wine
1 maggi cube with prawn ( just experimenting)
1 Tbsp  jerk seasoning
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 egg


First I heated the oil in a shallow, thick-based frying pan. I added the onion and cooked it until it became transparent. I threw in the minced meat, cooking it for a good 20 minutes and stirring constantly. I had already added the seasoning. Then it was time for the vegetables, cooking them until soft and for a little bit of flavour adding the wine at the end and letting the alcohol evaporate. Meanwhile I had made small square-sized pastry pieces, flattened with a rolling pin. When the filling was cooked I positioned two to three spoons of the mix in the centre of the pastry pieces, folding them in half and joining the edges, gluing together with a beaten egg. I, then put them in a baking tray and in the preheated oven to lay for the next half ( or more) hour.

Pasta in sauce with sun dried tomatoes, celery and fish leftovers

Coming back tired and hungry after a long walk to Crystal Palace park in zero temperature, I decided to make a quick pasta with a tomato sauce and add anything available at this time, including the fish leftovers from the delicious trout fillet with leeks and mushrooms, which I had recently cooked in the oven.

I experimented by adding the sun-dried tomatoes I have brought back from my recent trip to Athens; the trout is an oily fish with a buttery, rich taste and the sweet and tangy sun-dried tomatoes with some dried basil and a bay leaf to add some sharpness could elevate the dish flavour. The tomato sauce was cooked in a basic and traditional greek way, simple seasoning, celery and carrot. I thought about using my organic wholegrain spelt fusilli but chose to go for the wheat-made Napolina spaghetti, which proved ideal for this sauce, although I broke up my no-wheat regime. Just loved it (and ate a double portion)!

Ingredients (4 portions)

150 gr cooked trout ( i removed the skin)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 big white onion
1 garlic clove sliced
3 Tbsp of white wine
5 sun-dried tomatoes chopped into cubes
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 red chilly pepper thinly sliced
1 stalk of celery
1 carrot chopped into cubes
and some dried basil and parsley, from Ios island

The sauce will take about 20 minutes so I start by heating the olive oil in a medium pan, and then adding the onion and garlic (I always add both onion and garlic but some good cooks have told me they  will never add both of them in a dish). After 2 minutes I throw in the celery and carrot, cook them for 3 minutes, add the sun-dried tomatoes and pour in the wine, stirring everything together and waiting for the alcohol to evaporate. I then add the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, the bay leaf and half a can of water and bring it to a boil. I will put down the heat, add basil,  chilly and some freshly grounded pepper. Meanwhile the sauce is cooking, I prepare the pasta according to the packet instructions in a pan of salted boiling water, then drain and place it back into the pan with a Tbsp of olive oil, stirring to coat all of the pasta. When the sauce is cooked and after I have added the pre-cooked fish to it, I will put everything together, add some fresh chopped parsley and serve hot. 

spelt wholegrain pasta with chicken thighs cooked in tomato sauce

Chicken thighs, cooked slowly in the pan with tomato sauce, is one of my favourite dishes. I will add fresh or dry fruit and carrots or other roots, depending on my mood. I usually serve it with rice but this time I cooked some spelt wholegrain spaghetti to accompany it.

Ingredients

2 organic chicken thighs, no skin , no bone
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 glass of wine
1/2 chopped tomato can
1 tsp of sugar
250 ml vegetable broth
2 carrots cut into sticks
2 plums cut into cubes (or dry prunes)
4 black peppers
1 star anice

After I have washed the chicken thighs and dried them up on kitchen paper, I heat a Tbsp of olive oil in a thick-based pan and saute the garlic to let its flavour and aroma come out. I will turn the heat to medium and cook the chicken thighs, turning them on each side till they get brown. I pour in the wine and let it simmer, stirring everything together once ( i dont want the meat to break). While the sauce is reducing i add the chopped tomatoes, the tomato paste, the broth, the star anice and the teaspoon of sugar to prevent the bitterness. After it comes to a boil, I give it a good stir , turn the heat down and let it simmer , checking now and then the sauce and stirring it carefully. After 30 minutes, I will add the carrots and prunes ( or the plums) and let the food cook for another half an hour.

 

White and red fish stew

Ingredients

200gr Salmon fillet, no skin, cut into chunks
200gr Cod fillet, no skin, cut into  chunks
250ml chopped tomatoes can
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 onion chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
1 stalk of celery, thinly sliced
1 tbsp tomato paste
100 ml red wine
150 ml fish sauce
half a green pepper
1 red pepper

Recipe

I will start by heating the coriander seeds in a dry thick-based pan and then pour in the olive oil, heat it up and add the chopped onion and garli, stirring all the time. When the onion softens I will throw in the vegetables, first the celery, then the peppers and cook them for 10 minutes. To accent the aroma I will pour in the wine and let it simmer till the alcohol evaporates and the sauce and flavour is concentrated. Then I will add the tomato paste, fish sauce and chopped tomatoes and stir everything together. I will add the fish and let it cook for another 20 minutes or until it is thoroughly cooked, stirring the food by shaking the pan so that the fish does not break.

Eggs with beef pastourma

Pasturma  is a wind-dried cured meet usually served uncooked and cut in thin slices, as a mezze. Its strong taste and smell (which can stay with you for days!) make it a perfect alcoholic pairing but it is also a nice combination when cooked with eggs or as a pizza topping. I saved some of the Kayseri variety that I found in the turkish supermarket and made me a glorious breakfast. 

Salmon cooked with leeks and brown mushrooms and served with roasted lemon potatoes

Although I rarely crave potatoes, when I do cook them I end up eating the whole lot of them. This is because I follow my paternal grandmother's recipe, and one of my dearest culinary memories, of lemony potatoes cooked in the oven with large springs of fresh rosemary, which she would carefully remove before serving us the food.

Roasted potatoes

1kilo of potatoes, washed and cut into wedges
Juice of two lemons
Zest of half a lemon
2 tbsp of Dijon Mustard
pepper
two springs of fresh rosemary
150 ml olive oil
200 ml water

In a deep oven tray I mix the lemon juice, zest of lemon, mustard, olive oil and water (sometimes I add half a glass of beer instead of water). I add the potatoes and toss them in the marinade until they get a good coating. In the open space I place the rosemary and roast them in a preheated oven for 40 minutes.



While the potatoes are cooking in the oven,  I prepare the salmon. The ingredients are random; I will use any vegetable in my fridge which I will previously saute in a spoon of olive oil with cumin and coriander seeds to get some extra aroma. Then I will place the ingredients in layers on a parchment paper; first the saute vegetables and above them the salmon. I will then pour on top some olive oil and a spoon of white wine. I will wrap them loosely with the paper and place in the oven for half an hour or more (I want my fish cooked but not dry).

Spicy coconut fish stew with lentils

Ios island meatballs in tomato sauce

Between reading the elements of typographic style and designing the layout of my new printed portfolio, I take a quick brake and post a recipe of my greek- island style meatballs. Although I cooked them a week ago the taste is still fresh in my memory and since a dear friend  requested the recipe, I decided to write about it.

It is a quite simple dish which takes minimum time to prepare and cook if you decide to fry the meatballs. My version is a little bit different than Irene's one, the cook from Valmas taverna from which I took the recipe. I will point out the differences and you decide which road you choose.

Meatballs in tomato sauce

1/2 kilo of minced organic minced beef and 1/2 kilo of organic minced lamb (1 kilo of minced beef according to Irene)
1 big red onion grated
1 ripe beef tomato grated ( or 100g of chopped tomato can)
1 sprig of fresh mint (or i tbsp of dry mint)
one bunch of fresh dill
salt, fresh grounded pepper
1/2 kilo of a two day old moistened bread
2 eggs
1 tbsp of vinegar ( to make the minced meat angry as Irene told me)

Tomato sauce
1 clove of garlic chopped
1 onion chopped
300g of a chopped tomato can
1 tbsp of tomato paste
1 tbsp of sugar

First, I will mix al the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl and put the mixture in the fridge for an hour, at least. In a thick-based pan I heat a tbsp of olive oil. Gradually I add the onion and the garlic and stir until they have softened and turned gold. Meanwhile I have rolled the minced meat into balls ( I made 20 meatballs) and fry them in bunches in a frying pan, just to get some colour on both sides. I put them in the pan on top of the onion and garlic and add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. I lower the heat and let them cook for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all through.

In Irene's version we omit the tomato sauce and  heat the meatballs in a thick-based shallow frying pan with the addition of nut or vegetable oil which covers one half of them.

Spaghetti al pesto by Stefano

This is a dish that Stefano cooked the last time we met. It's been a while but he has just sent me his precious recipe and some interesting information about the dish and tips on how to enjoy an italian dining experience in London.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes (al dente)

Ingredients

40 basil leaves

1 tablespoon of pine kernels

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or crushed

½ teaspoons coarse sea salt

50 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

50 g freshly grates Pecorino Romano

150 ml extravergin olive oil

Spaghetti al pesto (spaghetti with basil sauce)

This is a traditional sauce from Liguria, a coastal Italian region that stretches from France to Tuscany. I am from Lunigiana, a Tuscan valley that borders this region and gets culinary contamination from all the neighbours.

What I'm proposing to you is the Lunigiana version of pesto, with a London twist. At home the sauce is prepared by pounding with a pestle all the ingredients in a mortar but you can more practically use a food processor.

First of all, remove the leaves from a basil plant, you can easily get one either at Sainsbury's or Waitrose.

Place the pine kernels, garlic and sea salt in the food processor and start the blending. Add a few basil leaves, some olive oil and a bit of the two grated cheeses and whiz. Keep adding those ingredients until you get a smooth consistence and green colour.

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti, bring back to boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and serve immediately with the pesto sauce.

Advice: leave 1/3 of the cheese to be added once the pasta is dished

London twist 1: as the basil is not strong here as it is in the Mediterranean, adding a few rocket leaves or a bit of parsley gives the pesto a special kick

London twist 2: instead of the Italian cheeses you may buy some Twineham Grange at Rippon Cheese in Pimlico. Let it mature for a week (outside the fridge) and then grate. Fantastic!

 

To drink: Vermentino di Gallura, a fruity white wine that you can find in any Italian deli

To play: Youtube “Che cosse' l'amor” by Vinicio Capossela and keep playing the song during the whole preparation

Trout en papillote

Trout has a nutty-fatty taste and in order to balance the flavour I usually blend it with anything acidic, such as the taste of lemon and wine. When cooked in a parchment paper the flavour is enhanced and the fish remains soft and juicy. Actually this dish turned out really nice.

Ingredients

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp olive oil

half red onion, finely chopped

5 mushrooms

3 tbsp white wine

8 cherry tomatoes
chopped dill

juice of half a lemon

2 trout fillets ( 250gr)
fresh ground pepper
a pinch of chilly powder

In a frying pan I heat the cumin and coriander seeds in olive oil. After a minute I add the onion and stir everything together. Then I will add the mushrooms, season with fresh ground pepper and chilly powder and fry everything together for 2-3 minutes, until softened.

Meanwhile I have warmed the oven and prepared the trout fillets. In a piece of baking paper I place the onions and mushrooms and the halved cherry tomatoes and on top of all I put the trout fillets. I drizzle over some olive oil, pour in the wine, the chopped dill and the lemon juice. I will then fold the paper on top of the fish and double fold the edges to form a sealed parcel. I place the parcel in a baking tray and  bake it in the oven for 20 minutes until the fish is cooked through.

Quinoa with scrabbled eggs, zucchini, carrot in strips and mushrooms with prosciutto on top

It has been a long time since I have visited my fav health store, Baldwins & co. As a result, I have run out of my precious seeds, legumes and organic toothpaste. Therefore, I had to rush to Walworth road on Saturday, before work, to refeel. I left carrying two bags full of goodies, such as the fabulous organic quinoa they have, of which I bought a kilo. Quinoa is a good solution when I want to accompany my dinner with something that tastes like couscous and rice but it is not carbs (it is actually a protein) and is nicely combined with vegetables.

Ingredients for 3 portions

2 tbsp olive oil
200 gr quinoa organic
500 ml vegetable stock
1 garlic glove
1 leek chopped finely
1 zucchini peeled into strips with a potato peeler
1 carrot peeled into strips
10 white mushrooms, wiped with wet paper, cut off stems and halved
1/2 tbsp chilly powder
1 tbsp garam masala spice mix
3 eggs
100gr of prosciutto
juice of one lemon

The recipe is easy to make. First I cooked the quinoa in the vegetable stock for 20 minutes. While cooking the quinoa I heated one spoon of olive oil in the frying pan and threw in the eggs stirring till cooked. I set the scrambled eggs aside, cleaned the frying pan and heated the rest of the olive oil. When the oil started to bubble I added the garlic and leek. After a minute I added the mushrooms and then the carrots and the zucchini stripes. I seasoned it with the chilly powder and the garam masala and poured some of the lemon juice to avoid them getting burnt. When everything was softened I switched off the heat and threw the stir fried vegetables in the cooked quinoa, stirring everything together. When served  I placed some prosciutto strips on top.

Dining out

I was happy to see my friend Beatrice yesterday. We had a fun time despite the unexpectedly cold weather. First we visited the Wagamama restaurant in Southbank and tried to have a chat while eating our delicious japanese dishes but found out that this was impossible since the noise levels in the place were similar to a trance party. Although I enjoyed my yaki udon a lot, we had to leave the place immediately to avoid having the worst headache ever. After this experience the BFI interior bar seemed like an oasis.

http://www.wagamama.com/our-menu/yaki-udon

sweet potato and goat's cheese snack

The sweet potato and goat's cheese combination is one of my best in-between-meals snack; I usually spread it on top of rye bread and oatcakes or eat it as a dip with raw vegetables. The recipe is from the food doctor's ultimate diet book.

Ingredients

1 sweet potato ( about 200 gr)
2 garlic gloves
1 tbsp olive oil
75 gr soft goat's cheese
drops of lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves chopped
fresh ground black pepper

In a preheated oven I bake one sweet potato, which I have previously peeled, chopped in wedges and tossed in olive oil. I will let them bake for half an hour in a baking dish coated with olive oil with the addition of two garlic gloves in their skins with their tips cut off. When the potato pieces are soft I will take the dish out of the oven and allow it to cool.. I will then squeeze the soft garlic gloves out of their skins and mash it together with the sweet potato and the goat's cheese until well blended. To finish I will add some lemon juice, coriander leaves and season it with fresh ground black pepper.

 

Buckwheat noodles with vegetables and prawns stir fried in sweet chilly sauce

Sometimes i just  want to eat something nice and do it quickly,  a noodle stir fry for example. The taste is always rewarding and I can improvise with the ingredients, using whatever vegetable is left in the fridge and choosing from a variety of stir fry sauces. This time I tried a chilly sauce and used some autumn vegetables.

Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil
1 leek finely chopped
2spring onions finely chopped
1 carrot peeled into strips or ribbons
120 gr king prawns
70gr buckwheat noodles

Ingredients for the chilly sauce (which can transform into a sweet chilly one of you add 1 tbsp of sugar)

1 garlic glove chopped
1 cm piece of root ginger, peeled and grated
2 tbsp of cider vinegar
2 tbsp of thai fish sauce
4 tbsp vegetable stock
1/2 tbsp chilly powder
(Taken from the food doctor's everyday diet recipes)

First I make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients well together in a bowl. I will add the prawns and leave to stand while I prepare the vegetables. In a frying pan I will heat the olive oil, add the spring onions and stir fry for a minute. Then I will add the leek and the carrot strips and leave to cook until they are softened and hot. I will then pour in the prawns with the sauce and simmer together for a further 3-4 minutes to heat through. Meanwhile I have already cooked the noodles in boiling water, drained them through a colander and tip them into the frying pan to mix them with the sauce.

Brussels sprouts, haloumi cheese and red beans

Yesterday I was experimenting with brussels sprouts, beans and haloumi cheese and made this delicious salad. Actually the brussels sprouts and haloumi cheese combination made my taste buds very happy and with the onion and the red kidney beans addition the flavour was even more enhanced. Some fresh grounded pepper , an olive oil with balsamic vinegar vinaigrette and I was ready to eat.

My meet dinner (no photos, i was too hungry)

Yesterday I cooked pork loin chops with potatoes in the oven for the first time. Not a big success regarding the meat but the potatoes were delicious. I suppose I should have marinated the meat a little bit longer so it wouldn't become so dry; anyway next time I will know better.

My recipe was a simple one ( I made it up basically, but there was nothing challenging about it). In a bowl I mixed some olive oil, the juice of one lemon, 3 tbsp of wholegrain mustard and the pork chops and spiced it up with boukovo (dried chilli flakes), salt and thyme.  In a ceramic tray I placed the potatoes cut in wedges on top of the meat and purred over t the juice of 2 lemons mixed with some mustard. I left it cook for one hour in the oven, in 180 degrees; half an hour before completion I changed the position of the food, chops on top, potatoes underneath, as Eirini from Valmas has instructed me in order to get the juices from the meat spread all over the potatoes.

Risotto with red rice, leek and plump pumpkin

What a dull day. The sky is grey and so is my mood. I am listening to a jazz-soul album by Stevie Wonder, that slowly lifts up my spirit, while I am experimenting with my vegetable risotto. I have already roasted the plump pumpkin ( half an hour in the oven) and left it to cool. In the meantime I am preparing my vegetables.

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
120 gr red rice
1 onion medium
1 garlic slice
1 leek finely chopped , both the white and green part
1 plump pumpkin, cut in wedges, deseeded and with skin on
1/2 glass of wine
300 ml vegetable stock
peper

As I mentioned before, I will start with roasting the pumpkin in a shallow tray, coated with a tbsp of olive oil. I soften the onion and garlic on medium heat in the rest of the olive oil. I will add the leek and after one -two minutes the red rice ( which I have washed under running water and have left to dry). When the rice is well coated with oil I will cool the mixture down with the wine, stirring all the time until most alcohol has evaporated. Then I will pour in half the vegetable stock and will add some amount of the rest of the stock whenever it gets absorbed. A quarter before the rice is cooked I will add the pumpkin and stir it gently with the rest of the ingredients. This time I served it with some feta cheese  and fresh coriander on top.

Curry with aubergine, sweet potato and chick peas

What do you cook when you are hungry and  you haven't planned anything? My solution was to take a thorough look in my cupboards and fridge and see what I can use. This time I found a over-ripened aubergine, a sweet potato and some legumes cans. If you take in account the coconut milk and red curry paste that are always available and the intriguing spices I bought recently from the Persepolis shop in Peckham then i am about to make a very delicious vegetable curry.

Sweet potato with feta and orange sauce

One of my favourite autumn treats is the sweet potato which can add richness, texture and flavor in any dish. My great grandmother was serving them boiled with some butter and a tbsp of quince spoon sweet on top as a desert. In my recipes I would add it to a chick pea soup or mash it with some smoked fish, since I find this sweet and savoury combination very stimulating to my taste buds.

This time I made a quick and easy recipe; one sweet potato baked in the oven (and speared several times with a skewer in order to speed up the cooking time) for half an hour and when cooked, halved and topped with feta cheese marinated in orange juice, toasted fennel and cumin seeds, spring onions and olive oil.

Red Curry with aubergine, butternut squash and prawns

It was a long weekend; I took part in the Hackathon, a graphic design marathon organised by Cancer research and I was, kind of, locked in a Level 39's sand room with other 50 designer, developers and whatever managers doing our best to bring to life three fundraising projects. Loved every second of it but I am now left drained off my energy.

And the reason is that apart from working under pressure, there was a do-not-bring-your-own-food rule that made the whole experience a tricky one. For 48 hours I was eating chocolates and chips, served in abundance in a table next to us and drinking coffee, red bull and all kinds of juices; I had a hamburger and meat sandwiches for lunch and lasagne with minced meet for dinner and that was it. No salad, no fruits, nothing actually, healthy.

I survived and now I am trying slowly to  go back to my normal eating habits, starting with a hot red curry with vegetables and prawns for dinner.

Ingredients

3 tbsp of red curry paste
3 tbsp of olive oil
2tbsp of garam mashala spice
half a can of chopped tomatoes
1 coconut milk
1 potato diced
1 aubergine diced
1 butternut squach diced
3 shallots chopped
1 red bell pepper
1 garlic clove chopped
150gr pre-cooked prawns
half a lime juice
coriander

After I dice all the vegetables I coat them with a mix of 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of red curry paste and put them in the oven to bake for half an hour. Meanwhile I make the sauce. In a medium heat I heat a tbsp of olive oil and cook the onion for 2  minutes. I add the chopped garlic and some water to avoid burning. When they have soften I will add one or two tbsp of curry paste and some of the coconut milk, the thick part from the top of the can and stir everything together. By this time the vegetables in the oven might be ready. If so, I throw them in the pan with the slices of the red pepper and stir to coat them with the sauce. I will spice them with the garam mashala, add the chopped tomatoes and after a minute the coconut milk. After it comes to a boil, I stir every now and then and leave them simmer for 15 minutes. I will add the prawns and let them cook with the rest for another 5 minutes. In the end i pour in the lime juice and the fresh coriander.

Paella with chicken,red kidney beans, brown rice and long sweet peppers

This is my version of a paella, a traditional Valenciana dish, which you can find all over Spain (and in the Borough market). Some say that the name derives from the arabic word “baqiyah” meaning left-overs and that it was introduced to Spain by the moorish population.  However, linguists say that it comes from the latin word palleta which means pan, giving importance to where it is cooked in.

I suppose there is a similar dish in every mediterranean country and not only. Cooking the rice with the chicken gives the dish a distinct meaty flavour while everything is kept simple. I am trying to think of a similar greek dish and gamopilafo comes to my mind; a cretan dish with pilau rice and rooster meat, served at the weddings, which is in turn a variation of the italian rissoto. But then again there are many greek recipes that combine rice and beans, few of them with the addition of meat or seafood.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 fennel root diced
1 onion diced
1 garlic sliced
2 italian sweet red peppers
1 shot of ouzo
1/2 can tomatoes chopped
1/2 can red kidney beans
1 tbsp harissa paste
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp Garam Masala
black pepper
300 gr chicken thighs
1/2 cup brown rissoto rice
3 cups of chicken broth
two threads of safron
1 tbsp sugar

In my version of the chicken paella, I will do the cooking in a deep heavy-based pan instead of the traditional shallow one and I will be using an organic brown rice for risotto, extending the cooking time and giving the dish a different texture ( in the original recipe you use short or medium-grain rice which absorbs the water easier). My seasoning is different as well.I suppose you can add whatever vegetable or meat and seafood you want, I made mine with my fridge left overs.

First I cook the peppers in the oven for 10 minutes and leave them in a plastic bag to cool for 20 more minutes, in order to peel them. In the meantime I heat the olive oil in the pan. I add the fennel and onion and fry over a gentle heat for 3- 4 minutes. Then I add the chopped garlic, some black pepper and a tablespoon of garam masala powder and stir everything together. Now it is time to fry the chicken thighs. I push the onion-fennel-garlic aside and brown the chicken in both sides. Some ouzo to cool it down and when the alcohol evaporates I will add the chopped tomatoes, the chopped peppers, the bay leaves, the sugar and further on the harissa paste, stirring all the time.  I stir the rice and coat it with the remaining oil. After I pour the broth in and when it is brought to a simmer,  I put the heat down and let it cook gently. Every now and then I stir the food and about every 20 minutes I add a cup of hot water, until my rice is cooked. A quarter before the food is cooked I add the red kidney beans. In the end I will cover the pan with a towel to absorb the remaining liquid.

This time it was cooking for an hour ( I am in the kitchen since 10 o'clock and now it is 12, it took ages!)

 

Salmon cakes- Ψαροκεφτέδες

The weather is miserable and it is so dark when I come back from work, that I,  only, care to eat chocolates and melt into my sofa, doing nothing, until I fall asleep. Apparently, I have no appetite to cook either but today I forced my self to make me something healthy to eat. It has been weeks that I've been eating out and have neglected my diet, drinking whatever and devouring all kinds of sweets; well the yesternight creme brulee was exceptional but I think I've had enough of sugar.

 I decided to go back to my healthy regime starting with some fish cakes for tonight. Although I am dead tired and could easily do the usual salmon-with herbs-in the oven meal, I decided to cook the fish in a different way. The recipe is from the food doctor's book and it is quick and delicious.

Ingredients

two salmon fillets, skin removed

1 medium shallot

1 slice rye bread 

1 egg white

a squeeze of lemon and lime juice

Zest of half a lemon and lime

1 teaspoon of Harissa paste

a bunch of fresh dill

1 teaspoon olive oil

black pepper

a selection of vegetables to steam

I put all the ingredients ( except from the olive oil and the vegetables) in the blender and zap to a paste. With my hands I form burger shapes from the mix. They can be cooked quickly in a nonstick frying pan on heated olive oil or steamed for 15 min on top of boiling water ( I tried both ways, the steamed ones are a lighter version). I also steamed the vegetables; I chose runner beans and a yellow pepper.

Ο καιρός είναι μίζερος και είναι νύχτα πλέον όταν γυρίζω απο τη δουλειά, πάει χειμώνιασε εδώ. Έχω εξωκείλει και τρώω και πίνω και σταματημό δεν εχω, οπότε αποφάσισα να μπω πάλι σε ένα πρόγραμμα πριν να είναι πολύ αργά. Αρχίζω, λοιπόν, απο σήμερα με τα σολωμό-μπιφτέκια, απο το βιβλίο με τις συνταγές του Food doctor. 

Συστατικά

2 φιλέτα σολωμού χωρίς πέτσα

1 μεσαίο κρεμμύδι

μια φετα κριθαρένιο ψωμι

ενα ασπράδι αυγού

χυμό απο μισο λεμόνι ( ή μοσχολέμονο)

ξύσμα απο μισό λεμόνι

ένα ματσάκι φρέσκο άνηθο

1 κ.γ. Χαρίσα

1 κ, λάδι ελιάς

μαύρο πιπέρι

επιλογή λαχανικών

Βάζω όλα τα υλικά ( εκτός απο τα λαχανικά και το λάδι) στο μπλέντερ και μόλις γίνει παχύρευστη μάζα, βρέχω λίγο τα χέρια μου και φτιάχνω κεφτέδες. Μπορώ να τους τηγανίσω ή να τους κάνω στον ατμό (εγώ δοκίμασα και τα δύο). Στο τηγάνι μεσα σε μια κουταλιά καυτό λάδι τους μισούς και τους άλλους μισούς τους έβαλα μαζί με τα λαχανικά μου πάνω απο τους ατμούς και τους άφησα για 15 λεπτά περίπου.

Two ways with turkey

Turkey meat might have a blunt taste when cooked on its own but you can take advantage of its versatility and marinate it as it can acquire a different taste. This time I tried two different recipes.

First I made a marinade with sesame oil, lime, ginger, garlic and spices and added the turkey.
I had already cut it into chunks and when marinated long enough I threaded the turkey pieces onto the skewers, alternating with yellow pepper and zucchini slides. I cooked it in the oven for 20 minutes on medium heat and served it with a watercress salad, cherry tomato and an olive oil and balsamico dressing.

For the marinade I used:

2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice
1 garlic glove
the juice and zest of one lime
a small piece of french ginger root
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tnsp sesame oil
freshly ground pepper

The next day I cut the remaining turkey breast into thin stripes. I left them aside and heated a spoon of olive oil on a frying pan. I cooked the turkey until brown in both sides and added 3 tablespoons of grainy mustard and 200 ml of organic yoghurt and seasoned it with half a spoon of smoked paprika (in the recipe sage was used instead). When it started to boil I turned down the heat and let it shimmer for 15 minutes, covered and stirring it often. It combines nicely with red or brown rice and also with steamed spinach.

Chicken with okra

Since the day was very warm and sunny I had finally the chance to let the okras dry slowly in the sun,  sprayed with vinegar and salt . You know that the whole thing is going on well when the okras get some parts discoloured. First I had cut round the stems, just above the pods, so as they resemble a sharpened pencil's edge. I left them standing there for 2 hours and then I put them in the water to wash away the salt and vinegar.

Ingredients

250 gr Okra

4 organic chicken thighs

1 onion

1 garlic

1/2 glass of wine

1 can of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp of harissa paste

I started by cooking the chicken thighs in a tbsp of olive oil in strong heat, both sides, till they get brown. I took them out and kept them warm on a plate. In a big heavy-based pan I heated a tbsp of olive oil and added the onion and then the garlic.When they were golden and soft I threw in the chicken thighs and poured in the glass of wine. I waited until the alcohol evaporated and threw in  the harissa paste and the chopped tomatoes. I let them cook for 20 minutes in a low heat and then I added the okra and cooked everything for another 20 minutes. Often I would have to shake the pan so the food did not stick on the bottom. When everything is soft and cooked through the food is ready. To serve you can put some feta cheese on the top of the plate  to bring some more flavour to it.

An addition to this dish could be the use of spices. In my 2014 version I cooked the same dish but when softening the onions and garlic , I added a table spoon of my spice mix, including a mix of chilly, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and cardamon, which i had previously heated in a frying pan untill the seeds started popping and pulverised the whole spices by hand in a mortar and pestle. The flavours were amazing!

Figs and Sandhya's raw food snacks

Summer has officially ended but I refuse to stop a) wearing my flip flops and b) cook summer dishes. Luckily, the weather is, so far, warm and thus I can continue living my fantasy. Today, I thought of paying a tribute to this delicious, end-of-the-summer-season fruit, the fig, and made a salad with baby spinach leaves, mozzarella cheese, fig sauce and walnuts. Unfortunately, the figs I bought from the Co-operative had nothing to do with the full-flavored, red-fleshed greek ones I have been eating every  summer, under the fig tree in my parents house; nevertheless, the combination with the spinach and the mozzarella was very successful. The fig sauce was made with 2 figs cut in small pieces and cooked for a few minutes with 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and water.



A few days ago I met Sandhya and we had a very interesting conversation about raw food. Sandhya is about to launch her new website on raw food and when I met her she was preparing the menu for a dinner party. She came the other day and brought me some samples of the snacks she prepared and I was taken aback by their flavours. In the photo you can see the coconut chips and the carry-spiced pumpkin seed sprouts she made (both were amazing and this is the reason why you can see a small sample in the photo; I just couldn't stop eating them).  You can see some of Sandhya's work in her old blog, fooddots.

Tomatoes, aubergine, zucchini and bell peppers stuffed with red rice

My grandmother used to make this summer dish but i never got hold of the recipe. Later ,when I  tried to cook it myself,  I had to experiment; once I've made the stuffing with minced meat, following a mainland greek recipe and another time with pine nuts and raisins, according to the greek Asia-Minor tradition.

Today I have cooked the stuffed vegetables under the instructions of grandma Irene from Valmas tavern in Ios island, where I've spent most of my holiday this year. Irene's cooking style is simple, traditional and full of flavour.  I had the chance to taste many of Irene's dishes, the stuffed vegetables being one of my favourites; a light and refreshing meal, which makes use of a variety of summer products. The two things I have changed in the recipe are the rice, from rice pilau to red rice and I made a mustard and lemon juice marinade for the potatoes.

Ingredients

200ml olive oil
2 medium onions or 1 big one, grated
a bunch of parsley
2 Tbsp dried peppermint or some fresh one
1 aubergine
1 zucchini
2 bell peppers ( different colours)
2 beef tomatoes
2 potatoes
1 tbsp mustard dijon
1/2 lemon juice
1 tbsp of red rice for each vegetable ( in this case 6 tbsp)
salt and pepper

First I clean, peel and cut the potatoes into wedges. I put them in a bowl to rest with a tbsp of mustard and the juice of half a lemon. Then I will clean the tomatoes, aubergine, peppers and zucchini,  cut their tops and scoop out the pulp into a blender with the parsley and the peppermint. I will add the grated onion and half of the olive oil. After I have positioned the vegetables into the baking tray, i will start filling them with the mixture and a spoon of red rice to each. Whatever space is left empty in the tray, it will be covered with the potatoes. On top I will pour the rest of the olive oil. I put the tray in a preheated oven and leave it to cook for 1 hour and a half.

Yellow curry with mixed vegetables and king prawns- Κίτρινο κάρυ με λαχανικά και γαρίδες

I decided to make my own curry paste, for my yellow curry with vegetables. While searching the web for a recipe, I found the Escapades food blog and tried the author's version.
Small differences: In my curry paste I have added harissa paste instead of ketchup. As for the vegetables, I used broccoli, carrot, mangetout, zucchini, yellow and red bell pepper. Also, in order to have some protein, I added 100 gr of cooked king prawns at the last 4 minutes.

Αποφάσισα να φτιάξω χειροποίητη πάστα κάρυ για το κίρινο κάρυ που ετοιμάζω. Βασίστικα στη συνταγή που παρουσιάζει το food blog Escapades και αυτοσχεδίασα με τα λαχανικά. Δεν έβαλα καθόλου αλάτι, όπως κάνω πάντα, αλλά αυτή τη φορά το χρειαζόταν η συνταγή. Επίσης, για να προσθέσω πρωτεϊνη στο πιάτο έριξα 4 λεπτά πριν το τέλος του μαγειρέματος προμαγειρεμένες γαρίδες.

Υλικά για την πάστα κάρυ

1 λέμονγκρας
1 κ. τσίλι πιπέρι
1/2 κρεμμύδι
1 κομμάτι φρέσκια ρίζα τζίντζερ ( 4 εκ)
3 σκελίδες σκόρδο
1 κ.γ. κόλιανδρος σκόνη
1 κ.γ. κύμινο σκόνη
1/2 κ.γ. σπόροι κύμινου
1/4 κ.γ. κανέλα
1 κ.σ. όιστερ σώς (oyster mushroom sauce για την ακρίβεια)
1/2 κ.γ. τουρμέρικ
1/3 κ.γ. άσπρο πιπέρι
2 κ.σ. ζάχαρη
1 κ.σ. χυμός απο μοσχολέμονο ( λάιμ)
1 κ.σ. χαρίσα σως
100 μλ γάλα καρύδας

Ανακατευώ όλα τα υλικά στο μπλέντερ με λίγο νερό ( 2 κ.σ.) μέχρι να γίνει ένα ομοιόμορφο μείγμα.


Υλικά για το κίτρινο κάρυ λαχανικών

1 κούπα κίτρινη πάστα κάρυ
3-4 κούπες λαχανικών ( εγώ χρησιμοποίησα μπρόκολο, φρέσκα φασολάκια mange-tout, καρότο, πιπεριά κόκκινη και κολοκυθάκια)
10 φύλλα βασιλικού
3-4 φύλλα λάιμ αποξηραμένα ( φρέσκα ακόμα καλύτερα)
200 μλ γάλα καρύδας
2 κούπες βραστό νερό

Αρχικά βράζω για λίγο τα πιο σκληρά λαχανικά, δηλαδή το μπρόκολο και το καρότο, μέχρι να μισομαγειρευτούν. Σε μια κατσαρόλα ρίχνω την πάστα κάρυ και την ζεσταίνω μέχρι να αρχίσει να κάνει φουσκάλες. Προσθέτω το καυτό νερό και τα λαχανικά, σταδιακά, αναλόγως πόσο χρόνο θέλουν να μαγειρευτού. Επειδή εχω ήδη μισοβράσει το μπρόκολο και το καρότο , τα βάζω μετά. Έτσι μαγειρεύω αρχικά τα κολοκυθάκια με τα φασολάκια,για 5 λεπτά, μετά ρίχνω το μπρόκολο και τα καρότα, και έπειτα απο 5 λεπτά προσθέτω την κόκκινη και κίτρινη  πιπεριά και μισό απο το γάλα καρύδας Τα μαγειρεύω για άλλα 4-5 λεπτά και ρίχνω το βασιλικό, το κινέζικο λάχανο, τα φύλλα λάιμ και το υπόλοιπο γάλα καρύδας. Τα ανακατεύω όλα μαζί  για 2 λεπτά και τα βγάζω απο τη φωτιά.

Strapatsada

Today, I woke up craving eggs and decided to make me a glorious breakfast; that would be my version of Strapatsada, which is, basically, scrabbled eggs, cooked in tomato sauce with feta cheese and green pepper. I served it with organic rye bread with seeds and some feta cheese on top. This is a typical summer-in-greece breakfast or lunch; this year I had a delicious strapatsada in Amorgos,  a mashed-up version topped with crunchy bacon (ideal for meat lovers).

Depending on the region there are many variations of the dish and different names for it. The pontic greek version which is kayianas with smoked cheese, koskosela from the Cyclades islands with some mint on top and on we go. The origins of the dish go back to the ancient persian khagineh.

Ingredients
8 cherry tomatoes (you can add 2 beef tomatoes, peeled and deseeded, to make more tomato sauce)
half a green bell pepper
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil
3 eggs
30g feta cheese
a pinch of salt
some freshly ground black and cayenne pepper or pul biber

I halve the tomatoes and cut the pepper into small pieces, I add the tomato paste, salt and pepper and olive oil to the mix and put everything in a large frying pan on a medium heat. It will need about 5 minutes to make the tomato sauce. I will then add half of the feta cheese and when it is melted and dissolved into the tomato sauce I will put on top the two eggs, leaving some space between them and increase the heat. In order to get the flavour and texture from both the tomatoes and the eggs i will wait until the eggs' white form to start gently stirring them with the rest of the ingredients. When it is ready I will serve it with the rest of the feta cheese on top and on the bread.

Κολοκυθόσουπα

Επειδή θα είχε σήμερα καλό καιρό έσπευσα να μαγειρεύσω απο χτες το βράδυ ώστε να έχω χρόνο να πάω στο πάρκο πριν τη δουλειά. Έφτιαξα λοιπόν μια κολοκυθόσουπα, την οποία τελικά δοκίμασα τώρα αργά το βράδυ (στο πάρκο πήρα τελικά μαζί μου μια σαλάτα). Είναι λίγο πικάντικη γιατί έχει τσίλι αλλά γενικά πολύ νόστιμη.

 Υλικά

3 κ.σ λάδι ελιάς
1 κόκκινο κρεμμύδι
1 μεγάλη σκελίδα σκόρδου
600 μλ ζωμό λαχανικών
750 γρ κολοκύθα κίτρινη, καθαρισμένη και κομμένη σε κομματάκια
1 μεγάλο καρότο
1 κόκκινη πιπεριά τσίλι ξεσποριασμένη και ψιλοκομμένη
1/2 κ.σ.ξύσμα φρέσκιας ρίζας τζίντζερ
1 κ. χυμο λεμονιού

Ζεσταίνω το λάδι σε μια κατσαρόλα και τσιγαρίζω μέχρι να μαλακώσουν το κρεμμύδι και το σκόρδο. Μετά προσθέτω 5 κ. σ. απο το ζωμό και αφήνω να απορροφηθεί απο το κρεμμύδι. Προσθέτω την κολοκύθα και το καρότο και τα αφήνω να ζεσταίνονται σε μέτρια φωτιά. Όταν μαλακώσουν, ρίχνω το υπόλοιπο ζωμό και αφήνω να βράσουν για 15 λεπτά. Στο σημείο αυτό βάζω μέσα την τσίλι πιπεριά, το τζίντζερ και το χυμό λεμονιού και τα αφήνω για άλλα 15 λεπτά. Μόλις μαγειρευτεί  σούπα την πενάω απο το μπλέντερ και τη σερβίρω ζεστή με λίγο λάδι απο πάνω.

Μελιτζάνες στο φούρνο με σως απο ταχίνι και σουμάκ και ριζότο με κόκκινο ρύζι και παντζάρια

Η αποτοξίνωση τελείωσε και μετά υποτίθεται ότι θα ακολουθούσε το στάδιο της επανένταξης, το οποίο έληξε άδοξα όταν πήγα να δώ την πανσέληνο της Τετάρτης με φίλους απο τη δουλειά, στο Frank's, στο Pekham. Δεν ξέρω τι είχα στο μυαλό μου αλλά σίγουρα όχι να πιω 2 pints of ale και να φάω hot wings απο το τελευταίο, ανοιχτό ακόμη, κοτοπουλάδικο. Παρόλαυτα το μεσημεριανό μου ήταν καθόλα σωστό, αλκαλικό πεχά να υπερέχει, σωστές αναλογίες ομάδων τροφών και μερίδας (μπλα μπλα μπλα) και βγήκε και πολύ νόστιμο.

Μελιτζάνες στο φούρνο με ταχίνι και σουμάκ σως με φέτα



Απλά πράγματα, βάζουμε τις μελιτζάνες (και κανένα κολοκυθάκι στη ζούλα),  στο ταψί, αφού τις αλείψουμε με λάδι και τις πασπαλίσουμε με μαύρο πιπέρι . Αμέσως μέσα στο φούρνο για ψήσιμο στους 150 ( αργά και σταθερά) για 30 λεπτά ή και παραπάνω, μέχρι να μαλακώσουν. Όταν τις βγάλω τις στολίζω με φύλλα βασιλικού φρεσκοκομμένα απο τη γλάστρα μου και ρίχνω και τα σπόρια απο μισο ρόδι. Τα περιχύνω με τη σάλτσα που έχω φτιάξει με το ταχίνι, σουμάκ και σκόρδο.

Υλικα για σώς
40 γρ ταχίνι
3 κ. ζεστό νερό
3 κ.  λάδι ελιάς
3 κ.  χυμός λεμονιού
4 κ.  ζεστ'ο νερό
μια πρέζα σουμάκ
1/2 σκελίδα σκόρδο ( εγώ έβαλα μία και παραήταν)

Ανακατεύω το ταχίνι με το ζεστό νερό, επιμένω και ας το βλέπω να σπάει, θα γίνει ομοιόμορφο το μείγμα στο τέλος. Προσθέτω και τα υπόλοιπα υλικά και έτοιμη η σως.



Ριζότο με κόκκινο ρύζι, παντζάρια, μανιτάρια και μαϊντανό

Κανονικά στην συνταγή δεν αναφέρεται πουθενά το μανιτάρι αλλά εμένα μου αρέσει και έτσι το έβαλα. 

Υλικά ( 2 μερίδες)

2 κ. λάδι ελιάς

1 κόκκινο κρεμμύδι

1 σκελίδες σκόρδου

100 γρ κόκκινο ρύζι

300 μλ ζωμό μανιταριού

5 μανιτάρια καστανά

100 γρ παντζάρια ( εγώ έβαλα 2 μέτρια παντζάρια)

μαϊντανό ψιλοκομμένο

100γ φέτα

Σοτάρω στο λάδι το κρεμμύδι και το σκόρδο. Μετά ρίχνω τα μανιτάρια και τα ζεσταίνω μέχρι να μικρύνουν. Ρίχνω το ρύζι , το περνάω απο το λάδι, χαμηλώνω τη φωτιά και ρίχνω 2 κ. σούπας ζεστό ζωμο. Αφήνω το ρύζι να απορροφήσει το νερό και ανακατεύω σε χαμηλή φωτιά. Ξαναρίχνω λίγο ζωμό, ανακατεύω και περιμένω να απορροφηθεί για να επαναλάβω την ίδια διαδικασία. Μετά απο 10 λεπτά μαγειρέματος, προσθέτω τα παντζάρια κομμένα σε κυβάκια. Τα μαγειρεύω για 25 λεπτά, οπότε προσθέτω τον μαϊντανό. Συνεχίζω να προσθέτω το ζωμό σιγά σιγά μέχρι να μαγειρευτεί το ρύζι. Στο τέλος ρίχνω την φέτα, ανακατεύω και το φαγητό είναι έτοιμο για σερβίρισμα. 

Αποτοξίνωση: τελευταία μέρα

Τελευαία μέρα αποτοξίνωσης σήμερα και την άρχισα με ένα διαφορετικό πρωϊνό, αυγό ποσέ, 1/3 αβοκάντο και 2 μπισκότα απο βρώμη πασπαλισμένα με πιπέρι καγιέν. Για συνοδεία έφτιαξα ένα χυμό με μισό μάνγκο, 1 μπακ τσόι ( κινέζικο λάχανο), δαμάσκηνο και γάλα σόγιας, ο οποίος έκανε την έκπληξη και βγήκε πιο γευστικός απο τη χτεσινή λασπούρα.
Στη δουλειά πήρα μαζί μου το φαγητό που έφτιαξα χτές, δηλαδή κάτι σαν νταλ, με μανιτάρι πορτομπέλο, απο το οργανικό μάρκετ παρακαλώ, σπανάκι και ντοματίνια. Το συνόδευσα με σαλάτα από ντομάτα, μαιντανό και σπόρους σουσαμιού.



Για βραδυνό έφτιαξα με δροσιστική σαλάτα με σπανάκι, μάνγκο, αβοκάντο, κάσιους και άνηθο με ντρέσινγκ λαδόξυδο. Ήδη νιώθω πολύ καλά, το στομάχι μου έχει ηρεμήσει και το δέρμα μου φαίνεται πιο φρέσκο. Κρίμα που σήμερα έσπασα το ωραίο μου πρόγραμμα με τη σοκολάτα και τις καραμελες toffee που έφαγα στο γραφείο.