Sunday 4 August 2013

STRAPATSADA FLAVORED WITH PEPPERS


A plate of strapatsada is one of my favourite Greek meals. It tastes like summer! It's because of the tomatoes, I think. When they ripen and turn bright red they bring that special taste to this dish. The salty feta cools things off, and the eggs bind all the ingredients together. 

There are about as many variations of strapatsada as there are regions in Greece. In the north, peppers are added. In some islands, feta cheese doesn't even make an appearance. The most popular version is the one with eggs, feta and tomatoes, and that's the one I prefer. I don't grow peppers, but once in a while friends bring me peppers from their garden. That's when I like to throw this version of strapatsada together. Just a couple of peppers, one mildly hot and tangy, the other sweet and tender, just two peppers will add an appealingly piquant note to strapatsada. Try it. Use the freshest ingredients you can get, and you'll have delicious, nutritious and economical dish! 




INGREDIENTS:

6 large fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 long green hot pepper, seeded and sliced into thin rings
1 sweet Italian frying pepper, seeded, sliced in half lengthwise and chopped
4 or 5 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
dried oregano
feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons milk 
2 tablespoons olive oil


DIRECTIONS: 

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and add five of the tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper, add the garlic, oregano and peppers, stir to combine and cook over medium heat until the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated. Add the reserved tomato and mix.
 

Add the milk to the beaten eggs then pour the egg mixture onto the tomatoes.  Cook while constantly stirring the mixture in a folding motion. The eggs should become incorporated with the tomatoes but they should not get overcooked or burned. 

 Freshness here is key: get the best organic eggs!




 Just as the eggs are about to finish cooking, add the feta cheese and continue cooking and folding for about another minute or so.  



Plate the strapatsada and serve it hot with toasted bread as an accompaniment.