PASTA, POTATO AND ONION SOUP

This is a hearty winter soup. Thick, tasty and creamy, but without dairy. Rosemary and parsley add green flavours and give the soup a light green colour. Vegetable broth adds another dimension of flavour, making the soup irresistible. You just want another and yet another bowl. You want to enjoy those potatoes and pasta mixed in the delicious thick broth. Carb heaven! Comfort food!

It's an inexpensive meal, made with ingredients everyone almost always has on hand and it has a long history in my family. This was one of my maternal grandfather’s favourite soups. We don’t know where he came across the recipe, but he taught my grandmother how to cook it. Unusual, because pappou, as we, his grandchildren called him, was never known to go near a stove. He farmed, he made prize-winning wine, he was a beekeeper, but he never cooked. Pappou often asked my grandmother to make this soup for him, and she did, but eventually, she started adding more ingredients to enhance its flavour. 

World War II was a time when most Greeks were close to starvation.  Grandmother often prepared a version of this soup by using water, a few potatoes and a bit of pasta. The soup helped ease her family’s hunger during the Axis occupation.

I learned to cook pasta and potato soup by watching my mother, and now I make my own version, especially when, like today, it’s very cold outside. Eating it nourishes me, but it also connects me to my past.  This soup is really quick and easy to make, but it’s a life-giving soup because a long time ago it sustained folk during unfortunate times. So thumbs up for this pasta potato (and onion) soup, and please pass me another bowl.

Ingredients:

4-5 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped

3 stalks of celery, diced

2 cloves of garlic chopped well

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 nice size Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut in half - it will be used as a garnish

salt and pepper to taste

leaves from one sprig of rosemary, chopped
1/4 bunch of parsley

4 cups vegetable broth or water
1/2 pound vermicelli pasta, broken up - for best results you will need a thin pasta! 

Directions:

• In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and add the diced potatoes, the onion, the rosemary leaves, the celery and the garlic.  
• Cook over medium heat for a few minutes, mixing well to incorporate the ingredients with the olive oil.
• Add the liquid and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and add the salt, the pepper, the Yukon gold potato and the parsley. Cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
• Drop the pasta into a pot of boiling water and cook according to directions.
• Remove the Yukon gold potato from the soup and reserve it.  When it's cool enough to handle cut it into small cubes. 
• With an immersion blender puree the rest of the soup.
• Add the cooked pasta and the reserved diced Yukon gold potato. 
• Garnish with some rosemary and olive oil.

HORTA SALAD WITH SAUTÉED BEET GREENS

Greens are called "horta" in Greek. This is a horta salad of boiled and sauteed greens, that I love to serve while still warm. It's very tasty! 

The leaves of the beet plant have a welcome and unique flavour and can be used on their own to make a wonderful salad. They are green with red stems and they resemble chard, which by the way is a relative of the common beet. 

   Bright beet greens. They make a wonderful horta salad!

Most people prefer to eat the sweet root of the beet plant, therefore they cut off and discard the leaves. Next time, save the leaves, give them a good rinsing with cold water, and turn them into this healthy, quick to make, Lent appropriate, low-calorie salad. 

The leaves are blanched for a few minutes and then are sautéed in olive oil. It's a simple salad which makes an excellent lunch.

Ingredients:

about 2 bunches of beets
2 cloves of garlic, chopped well
1 shallot, chopped very well
salt and pepper to taste

a pinch of oregano
lemon juice to taste
olive oil

Directions:

• Cut the leaves from the beets, and reserve the beets for another purpose. The beetroots have a long life if stored in the refrigerator, but the leaves need to be cooked soon after the beets are bought.
• Slice the leaves into pieces about one inch in length and rinse them well.
• Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil and add the greens. Cook for 5 minutes, until they begin to get tender.  
• Using a slotted spoon transfer the leaves into a bowl filled with ice and cold water. Blanch them for about 2 minutes so that they can retain their bright green colour. 
• Drain the greens and dry them on paper towels so that they don't spatter while being sauteed.  
• In a large skillet, heat some olive oil and saute the shallot until it starts to soften.  
• Add the pinch of oregano and the garlic, stir, then add the greens. Cook while stirring for about 3 minutes. Stir well so that all the flavours blend together. 
• Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
• Place the greens on a serving platter and sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Drizzle some olive oil on and around the greens and serve along with extra lemon wedges.

CORN, HERB AND VEGETABLE SOUP, SMOOTH AND CREAMY

Hurry up and get yourself some fresh corn. Make soup with it, grill it, freeze it to have some for fall. Before long, fresh corn will be gone from the market. I've bought lots of it, and one of my favourite ways to cook with it is to make soup. I make this corn soup at the end of every summer, and I love it. You could say it's my farewell to summer dish.  

The soup features sweetcorn in a creamy broth with lots and lots of vegetables. Fresh herbs take it over the top, making it extra delicious. The bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, and parsley came from my herb garden. It's giving us a prodigious crop this year. We have more than enough for ourselves, for a neighbour and for co-workers. A great little garden, proving that even small growing spaces can give big results. 

Fresh corn is high in vitamin C, very high in potassium, and it's responsible for significant antioxidant activity. So hurry up and enjoy some sweetcorn and some corn soup: it's one of the summer's fleeting pleasures.  

This year I bought extra corn and froze the kernels to have for cooking during autumn.

Ingredients:

5 ears of corn

3  cups 2% milk

5 cups low sodium vegetable broth

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped (don't peel)

3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

the leaves from 1(or even 2 if you like the stuff) nice size stick of rosemary

2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

3 scallions, chopped, use white and light green parts only

Directions:

Prepare the corn:  Ready, set, go!

• Remove the husks and the silk strings from the corn.  Break the cobs in half. Stand the flat end of each half on a cutting board. Grab your knife in one hand and with the other hand hold the top of the corn cob firmly in order to steady it. Use the knife to scrape off the kernels, and keep rotating the cob until all the kernels are scraped off.  With the flat end of the knife scrape off any bits of corn remaining on the cob. Alternately, you can use a vegetable peeler to scrape off the bits. Reserve the kernels and do not discards the corn cobs because they'll be put to use!
• Place the milk in a saucepan. Add the corn cobs. Bring the milk to a boil, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat,  set the saucepan aside, but let the corn cobs steep in the milk.
• In a large Dutch oven heat the olive oil.  Add the chopped onion, the red peppers, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes.
• Add the potatoes, zucchini, carrot, and corn kernels. Cook, stirring for 10 minutes. 
• Add the broth, the milk, the corn cobs and all the herbs. 
• Cook for about 30 to 40 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.  
• Season with salt and pepper. 
• Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves and corn cobs and discard them.  
• Using an immersion blender puree the soup. 
• Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with scallions if desired, and serve. 

BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP WITH BEANS

It's been close to 2 months since my last post.  I hadn't given up on this little blog of mine, that wasn't the reason for not posting. It's just that here at home we were in the middle of a renovation project. One that took way too long to complete - actually, there are still some odds and ends that need finishing. Consequently, there has been very little cooking going on in our kitchen. Along the way, we made do with lots of canned soup, sandwiches, salads, some takeout (Chinese, of course), lots of eating standing up, and lots of paper plates. Yes, I'll admit it: a few times I ate soup straight out of a can. At other times I poured my soup into a paper bowl. Then I'd remember that the microwave was packed away in the garage and I would have to eat my soup cold. Appetizing? You bet! I sampled a few cans of beef and barley. I asked myself: can I create a beef and barley version that's better than what I am eating out of this can? The answer was quick to come: You bet! So I waited. For the new floor. For the new counter. For the dust to go away. For the spackling paste to dry. Then I went shopping:  brisket, barley, vegetables. And then, I COOKED! For the first time in two months. Yes, I still remembered how to slice onions. I even remembered which box my chopping knife was packed in. I took it out and got started. I made a huge pot of beef and barley soup. Never mind that it was 85 degrees outside. There never was a more satisfying and enjoyable soup. Savoury, steamy broth, beef so perfectly cooked it melted in one's mouth, and beans and barley, warm and filling.  This is the kind of soup you ladle into your best china if you can remember which box it's packed in. 

Ingredients:
Use these first 10 ingredients to make a nice broth:

3 pounds beef chuck or brisket, fat removed, the beef cut into 1-inch cubes
about 3 tablespoons olive oil
beef bones for soup
1 onion cut into large pieces
3 bay leaves
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic cut in half
salt and pepper
10-12 cups of liquid

 Now use the following ingredients to finish the soup:

1 (8-ounce) can of tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1¼ cups pearl barley, rinsed
2 cups soaked cranberry beans
4 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

one sprig of rosemary
salt and pepper

Directions:

Making this beef and barley soup is a little time-consuming, but the end result is truly worth it! Unless you are feeding a large crowd, there will be leftovers- but don't worry. The soup will taste just as good if not better the next day. I made a large batch on purpose so we could have leftovers.

• Rinse the cranberry beans and soak them overnight.  About  1¼ cups should yield 2 cups of soaked beans.
• In a large heavy Dutch oven heat the olive oil and sauté the beef in two or three batches, removing each batch to a plate as it finishes sautéing.  
• When all the beef is done, place it back into the Dutch oven and add the liquid, the bones, the onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves, garlic and salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Cover and cook on low for about 1½ hours. Let cool and carefully remove the meat from the broth. Strain the broth and discard the cooked vegetables and bones.
• Pour the strained broth back into the Dutch oven and add the tomato sauce and tomato paste; if you'd like, sauté the tomato paste before adding the broth and tomato sauce to the pot.  
• Add the meat, the barley, the beans, the fresh onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer on low for an hour, stirring occasionally.
• Add the thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste and then simmer for about another half hour. Add the parsley.

That should do it.  Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.  The long cooking time will have made the meat very soft. Enjoy your beef and barley soup!!! 

GREEK LENTIL SOUP (Fakés Soupa, Φακές Σούπα)

I have been trying to get around to making Greek lentil soup for a month now. Today was the day. I added lots of soup vegetables to compliment the lentils. I used parsnip and leeks which are not found in traditional versions of Greek lentil soup, but why not amplify its flavour a bit? The amount of tomato used depends on the cook. If you like a really strong lentil flavour, cut down on some of the tomatoes and tomato paste. The important lesson is that anyway it's cooked, lentil soup is always fragrant and tastes oh so good. 

Lentils are very high in protein, dietary fibre, thiamine and iron: they are a very healthy food. Before cooking them, be sure to soak lentils for about an hour. Soaking not only makes them softer for cooking, but also increases their nutritional potency. 

Ingredients:

2 cups green lentils

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, divided, chopped

2 leeks, washed very well, white and light green parts, chopped

4 or 5 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, chopped…I love smashing garlic!

6 stalks celery, chopped

4 carrots chopped
2 medium size tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

optional - 1 parsnip, chopped very thinly, or better yet, grated 

4 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1 or 2 tablespoons tomato paste, depending on how "red" you want the soup to be

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (well, I may have used a little more) 

1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried Greek oregano  

6 cups of vegetable stock or filtered water, plus additional liquid  as needed

optional - vinegar to be served on the side 
optional - some grated Pecorino Romano cheese to top the soup if you're like me and do not like vinegar 

Lots of vegetables in this soup...  More than can be seen in the photograph! 

Directions:

• Pick over the lentils to make sure there are no small rocks or other debris mixed in.  Rinse them and place them in a large bowl.  Cover them with water.  Let them sit in the water for about one hour.  Drain and reserve. You'll notice that as the lentils soak and absorb water they will start to turn greener than they were in their dry state.
• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy Dutch oven and sauté one of the onions, the leeks, and the garlic for 10 minutes.  (You may think we are using a lot of leeks and onions, but you'll see that they will decrease in volume as they are being  sautéed). Turn off the heat. 
• Add the other onion, the celery, parsnip, tomatoes, carrots, thyme, and 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Mix well
• Add the drained lentils and mix well.  
• Add the liquid, the tomato paste, and the bay leaf.  Season with salt and pepper, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. 
• Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour. If the heat is on low and you are using a heavy Dutch oven, you don't even need to lift the lid and stir the soup. Just let it simmer.
• After an hour check on the soup, give it a good stir and add the oregano. Taste it and season with more salt and pepper if needed. It will probably need to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.
• At the end of the cooking time add the rest of the parsley.  You may need to add more liquid to bring the soup to the consistency you prefer.

I served it with toasted olive fougasse bread.  It was bakery bought and  excellent!

• Serve the lentil soup hot.  Offer some vinegar at the table because it's a tradition to top the soup with vinegar. 
• This was a great Sunday dinner!  

EGG and AVOCADO SALAD SANDWICH

Do you like green eggs and ham? If you do, I have the perfect green egg salad for you. It turns green when avocado is mixed in the recipe. The other day I mixed half an avocado with an egg and a little mayonnaise. It tasted pretty good, so I got the idea of combining the ingredients to make a salad. Below you'll find the recipe I came up with. Now you might say that the salad looks like guacamole, but it doesn't taste like it. It has its own unique taste. Mild. There is no garlic, there are no spices. Also, because of the eggs, the salad is high in protein. my green egg and avocado salad is tasty, mild, and can be had as a sandwich or it can be scooped on a bed of lettuce leaves and enjoyed that way. There's enough to make 4 sandwiches.

Green Nutrition: Avocados are very high in potassium, vitamin E and fibre. Studies show they can lower blood cholesterol in both LDL and triglyceride levels. Currently, avocados are under research for potential anti-cancer activity. 

Ingredients: 
3 or 4 hard-boiled eggs 
about 2 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise 
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 
2 tablespoons lemon juice 
1 stalk celery, chopped 
2 scallions, chopped, white and light green parts only
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed and chopped 
1 ripe avocado, chopped 
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dill, chopped
salt and pepper to taste 
Romaine lettuce and tomato slices 
Whole wheat bread slices, which are my favourite, or use your own favourite, toasted if you like 

Directions:

• In a large bowl mash the eggs and fold in the avocado, celery, scallion, dill and parsley. 
• Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Toast the bread slices and then top half of them with egg/avocado salad. 
• Add the lettuce and tomato and top with the rest of the bread.  
• Enjoy it!!!

MEDITERRANEAN INSPIRED SANDWICH WRAP WITH HUMMUS & AVOCADO & OLIVES & FETA & . . .

What's in the packets?  I got some parchment paper and wrapped my lunch in them.  Looking, cute, my delicious wrap sandwich, all wrapped up! Here's a picture of what's inside:

 I made these for lunch twice.  The first time without feta cheese, and the second time with feta cheese. With is the way to go!

Get your favourite sandwich wrap and lay it flat on a cutting board. Spread the surface with hummus, then sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Meanwhile toast some sunflower seeds, a few pumpkin seeds and some pine nuts. When they become fragrant take them out of the oven and scatter them on the surface of your wrap.

Top with olives that have been pitted and cut in half.  I used Kalamata, olive cured, and green olives from Mount Athos. 

  

Peel and slice half an avocado.  Spread that on one side of the wrap.

Top the avocado with half of a sliced tomato. Season the whole surface with oregano, and some freshly ground black pepper.

Get some feta cheese, crumble it, and spread it on top of the tomatoes. Try not to buy pre-crumbled feta. It is made up from whatever pieces have been leftover or sank to the bottom of the cheese barrel and it's usually dry and very, very salty. Instead, buy feta that is sold in blocks (do you know that you can desalinate feta by soaking it in water for about fifteen minutes to half an hour? If you find that feta is too salty for you, soak it in some water and then rinse it well. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, so that it stays fresh and doesn't dry out). 

Top the feta with salad greens.

Now comes the time to wrap.  Start with the end that has all the vegetables on it, and wrap the sandwich firmly.  Remember: you're the boss!

Trim off the edges and cut in half.

Get some parchment paper and some kitchen twine and make two nice parcels out of the sandwiches.

Take them with you for lunch. Eat one for lunch and give the other to a friend. Or, save the second piece for the end of the workday, to eat before your drive home. That way you won't be too ravenous when dinner time comes. And ...

BON APPETIT!

CHICKPEA SOUP or GREEK REVITHOSOUPA (Ρεβιθόσουπα)

Revithia is the Greek word for chickpeas or garbanzo beans. I made revithosoupa for dinner today, and it was about time! We hadn't had it in a while; it was good to eat a simple, meatless, warm bowl of soup. Revithosoupa is a filling Greek soup that is a standard in the Greek cooking repertoire. Some versions are kind of plain, others like mine are well flavoured because I like to mix in spices and vegetables. Plain or spiced up this soup is good. It's the chickpeas that give it a lot of favour. Ideally, it should be made with dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight in water and a little bit of salt. However, cooking it that way requires prior planning ... To make a quick revithosoupa, go ahead and use canned chickpeas. 


Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cans of 15-ounce canned chickpeas rinsed and drained.
• 1 large onion chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 leek, white and light green part only, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mint or 1 teaspoon fresh
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 2 cups water

Directions:

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion, leek, garlic, celery and carrots. Sauté until the onions are soft.
• Add the chickpeas, and stir them around for about two minutes or so and then season them with salt and pepper.
• Add the liquid, oregano, rosemary and mint. Bring to a boil and cover, then lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
• Add the parsley and lemon juice during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Serve while hot and enjoy!