Quinoa Black Bean Mango Salad

You're probably doing what I did when I first saw this recipe: drooling. Yes, it's that amazing of a recipe! During New England's harsh winter, this recipe is great for those of you longing for the summer sun. Black beans and quinoa are excellent sources of protein and iron. Adding mango and lime help your body to absorb the iron because of the vitamin C. This vibrant salad will help transport your mind to your own personal paradise. Don't forget the mojitos!

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed ( you can always buy dry beans, soak them and then cook them, too. That's entirely up to you)
1 cup mango diced
1 red bell pepper
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Toast quinoa in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously until it begins to crackle and becomes aromatic (about 5 minutes).
2. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly.
3. Return the quinoa to the pot and add water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat. Cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed (About 15 minutes).
4. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, black beans, mango, red pepper, green onions and cilantro.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk olive oil and fresh lime juice to make salad dressing (may need another 1 or 2 teaspoons depending on you like lime).
6. Drizzle over quinoa salad and toss to distribute evenly.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill and serve.

Important Side Note: Let the quinoa cool before mixing in all the ingredients. It will be sticky and really moist. If you let it sit for a while, it will dry up enough so that it's not all clumped together. Trust me, it tastes better that way.

Stuffed Grape Leaves Casserole

Growing up, I shuttered at the word dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves). I hated the smell, the taste and just looking at them (I think anyone can understand why). My Mother would spend hours upon hours rolling up 2 - 4 pounds of grape leaves so patiently for the holidays or just for dinner. It was one of my least favorite Greek meals. By the way, as a child I HATED Greek food. Instead of having feta, grape leaves or lamb, I would beg for a hotdog and some french fries. GO AMERICUH!

But for a while now, I have been a huge fan of them, and love trying different types.  So for this week, instead of making our traditional dolmathes, I decided to look up a different recipe. I stumbled upon the magazine, Vegetarian Times. They had a recipe for Stuffed Grape Leaves Casserole. It instantly gave me a sigh of relief that I wouldn't have to sit at the table rolling grape leaves for hours on end. This is a quick recipe if you still long for stuffed grape leaves. I would definitely make it again. It has all the flavors of dolmathes, just in casserole form. The smell reminded me of my family's and Yiayia's homes. It's always nice to have a feeling of closeness when you don't live nearby.

Ingredients:
30 jarred or fresh grape leaves (I used about 40 grape leaves, actually)
2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for brushing top of casserole and casserole dish
1 large onion, finely diced (2 cups)
1 cup brown rice
2 cups low-sodium tomato juice or vegetable juice (I used two cups of diced tomatoes and their juice)
1 cup chopped unsalted, hulled pistachios (Pistachios are bit expensive, so I used raw, unsalted sunflowers seeds)
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup of oregano (optional, I did it so it'd taste a bit like my family's recipe)
1 cup raisins or dried currants (I used golden raisins and it turned out great, it's up to you, though)
Juice of one lemon
1 lemon, sliced, for garnish

1. Dip grape leaves in large pot of boiling water 2 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
3.Add onion, and sauté 7 to 10 minutes, or until beginning to brown.
4.Add rice and 2 1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil.
5.Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 30 to 40 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
6.Remove from heat, and stir in tomato juice, pistachios (or sunflower seeds), parsley, mint, raisins, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. (Mixture will be very wet.)
7.Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 2-qt. baking dish with olive oil. Pat grape leaves dry. Line bottom and sides of baking dish with grape leaves, allowing leaves to hang over sides.
8.Spread half of rice mixture over grape leaves. Top rice with more grape leaves, then top with remaining rice mixture.
9.Cover casserole with remaining grape leaves, and seal by folding over grape leaves around edges. Brush top with olive oil.
10.Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until grape leaves on top darken and casserole looks firm and dry.
11. Dip knife in cold water. Cut straight down with tip of knife to make 8 servings, then remove servings with spatula. Garnish with lemon slices. Put back in warm to keep warm and so lemons can cook a little bit. It will enhance the flavor some.

Fakes Soupa - Lentil Soup

Φακή or written in English, faki, means Lentil. Legumes are a huge part of the Greek diet.  It's pretty common to have lentil soup, especially during Lent. This is a really simple recipe, and an excellent choice for the winter months. This is my Yiayia's recipe, but I've tweaked it a bit.

I recommend that if you have anything you'd like to add, go for it. It's simple. If you want to add extra herbs and spices such as more dill and oregano, do it! It will not hurt.

This soup is especially great for students who are looking for cheap, healthy options. It lasted me a week, and I even brought some of it to a friend.

Ingredients

10 cups liquid - 8 chicken stock (or vegetable), plus 2 cups water

6 minced garlic cloves

1 package lentils

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup diced carrots,

1 cup diced celery,

1 bag of baby spinach

8 ounces tomato sauce (this would be 4 more ounces than we put in last weekend)

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: dill, rosemary or oregano. I'd add two tablespoons of oregano, personally. I added two - three tablespoons of fresh dill. Still good, but I love my rigani.

Directions

1. Soak the lentils over night. 8 - 12 hours.

2. Next day, drain lentils into a strainer.

3. In a dry saucepan, pour 1/4 cup olive oil, and place over medium heat. Add minced garlic, carrots and celery. Cook for about 10 minutes.

4. Add 8 cups of vegetable or chicken stock, plus 2 cups water, and drained lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.

5. Once simmering, add tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste. You can also add the oregano, rosemary or dill in at this time.

6. Cover and let simmer for 40 - 50 minutes.

7. Once lentils have cooked, turn off heat, and add bag of spinach.

There you have it, fakes soupa. Kali Orexi!

Quinoa-Black Bean Burgers

Overall, I liked this recipe. It was filling and if you're a vegetarian, you'll definitely like it. It's much better than the veggie burgers you buy at a grocery store, plus you know what's going in them. The only I did that was foolish was I baked them. I should have followed the recipe and fried them in a pan. I was being too health conscious, dammit.

Quinoa-Black Bean Burgers

1 red onion, 1/2 chopped, 1/2 sliced to add on top the burger after cooked
1 clove garlic chopped
1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp barbecue sauce
2 Tsp ground cumin
1/2 Tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp canola oil
4 whole-wheat burger buns, toasted
4 Tbsp low-sodium ketchup or barbecue sauce

Makes 4 servings

In a food processor, put in chopped onion and garlic until finely minced.

Add black beans and pulse until mixture is a chunky puree, then transfer to a bowl.

Add quinoa, bread crumbs, egg yolk, barbecue sauce, cumin and salt to bowl and fold in until combined. Do not overmix! Also - if you have time, chill mixture for about half an hour(or up to a day). The patties will be easier to form.

Using slightly moistened hands, shape bean mixture into 4 patties. Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat.

Add patties and cook, carefully turning once, until browned (about 5 minutes per side).

Spread cut sides of bun tops with ketchup. Place burgers on bun bottoms and top with the sliced onions.

Pumpkin Waffles with Orange & Cinnamon

Sunday morning before heading back to school, my Mother and I decided we wanted to make a "healthier" type of waffle that was still delicious. Luckily we stumbled upon this amazing recipe, which is now a favorite of mine. It was filling and I didn't feel like I had a sugar overload. I just had one waffle and I was full. It goes good with some walnuts or pecans and of course, maple syrup!

By the way, if Leslie Knope tried these, she'd approve.
^ If you didn't understand that, you need to watch Parks & Recreation ASAP.


Here's what you'll need:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 Tsp salt
1 cup low-fat(1%) milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil, plus 2 tsp for the waffle iron
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest

This recipe makes 4 servings.

In a small bowl mix together flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, eggs, 1/4 cup canola oil, vanilla and orange zest.

Add flour mixture and stir just until combined.

Preheat the oven to 200F.

Brush waffle iron lightly with 2 teaspoons canola oil, make sure to wipe off any excess oil with a paper towel.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of waffle batter onto hot waffle iron. Spread it out to the edge, and cook until golden brown (About 3 - 5 minutes...we did ours for 5 - 6 minutes, actually).


Keep waffle warm in the oven and continue to make 3 more waffles.

Gigantes Plaki - Beans in Dill Tomato Sauce

Geia'sas paidia! Today is the day that I post my first recipe on the blog. I hope you like it. I'll give you a bit of a background on the dish.

The dish in Greek is called gigantes plaki (γίγαντες πλακί). Gigantes means giant. Typically you'd use fasolia gigandes (Greek large white beans), however, since I don't have them I'm using large lima beans. This dish is traditionally served as a meze, but if you have some pita bread and some feta cheese it'd make a filling lunch!

I'd have to say this is one of my favorite vegan dishes. When I'm on the North Shore of MA visiting family, we always go to a Greek store in NBPT to get our grape leaves, sweets and soaps. Every time I go, I make sure to buy a can of gigantes plaki. Since I haven't been lately, it's time that I make them on my own! They're cheap, vegan, bursting with antioxidants and a good source of fiber.

Pame! Let's go!

Gigantes Plaki:
1 lb dried large lima beans or gigantes
4 bay leaves
1/2 cup of liquid from cooked lima beans/bay leaves
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion(diced)
2 ribs celery (diced)
1 carrot (diced)
6 cloves garlic (minced or diced)
1(28 ounce) can diced plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
small bunch dill (about 1/3 cup chopped)
medium bunch parsley (about 1/2 cup chopped)
salt & pepper to taste

The night before cooking, put the beans in a large bowl cover them by 2 - 4 inches with cold water. Let soak between 8 - 12 hours.

The next morning, drain the beans and discard the water. Put the beans in a large pot and cover them with two inches of water and add the 4 bay leaves. Bring beans to a simmer and let them cook for 45 mins to an hour. Beans should be tender, but not falling apart.

While the beans are simmering, finely chop the onion, carrot and celery ribs into small dices. Mince the 6 cloves of garlic, too.

In a large sauce pan heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. and add the celery and carrot when the onions appear to be a bit translucent. Cook everything until carrots are tender. ( About ten minutes)

Once carrots are tender, add the can of diced tomatoes. Simmer until the sauce thickens (About 15 - 20 minutes).

While sauce is simmering, preheat oven to 350F.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Then mix in the dill, parsley and oregano.

Once the beans are tender and done simmering, discard the bay leaves and drain the beans, but reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid for the sauce.

Once the sauce is done simmering, pour it over beans and add the 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Mix together.

Use 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to grease the inside of the casserole dish.

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish, and smooth it out with the back of a spoon.

Bake in an oven at 350F until the top is browned and most of the liquid has evaporated (about 50 -60 minutes).

And et voila, there you have it: Gigantes Plaki.

This dish goes really well with pita bread and feta!

My family, heritage, peace of mind: Cooking

Getting the lamb ready for Greek Orthodox Easter 

I didn't always find cooking so fantastic and relaxing. I found it to be rather stressful, tiring and frustrating when something didn't turn out right. In order to somehow redeem my dish, I would (excuse my French) add a shit ton of spices and call it a day. Can you say bon appetite?

However, as I'm getting older, I'm realizing how important it is to know how to cook. I have worked at restaurants and cafes and I'm astonished by how many people do not know how to cook and have no desire in learning the art. Let's be real, it is an art, and an awesome one at that!

Mom's dolmathes

When my sister and I were growing up, we rarely ever went out for dinner. My Father worked full-time as a logger/log-broker, and my Mother worked two full-time jobs as a para during the school year, and cooking, maintaining the household and caring for us. I didn't realize until I worked in the food industry how much of a rarity that is today, and how people are impressed when you cook. However, I do see a trend among friends becoming more interested in cooking and good food in general. Iparxei akoma elpida -- There is still hope!

My Yiayia and I dancing a traditional Greek dance, the zeibekiko

Cooking brings me back in touch with my Hellenic roots and reminds me of the aromas of my Yiayia's house, Easter and summer celebrations where the lamb would be roasting on the spit. The smell of olive oil, garlic, lemon and rigani (oregano) filling the air while relatives would be enjoying a glass of red wine or a shot of metaxa, listening to bouzouki. There are memories ingrained in this cuisine and these recipes. I want them to carry on and be handed down to the next generation. They are a part of my family's legacy and it is an honor to cook these recipes and have learned from the best of the best. 

A lot of babbling right now, but I promise within the next few days I will have my first recipe posted. I will be sharing Greek recipes from my Father's side but also some recipes I have found along the way from friends and of course, the dear Internet. I want to share with people that it really is easy to cook and that you don't have to be afraid.

The family with Pappou around the spit

So without further ado: Καλώς Ορίσατε στη Κουζίνα μου! Welcome to my kitchen!