Clean Monday marks the end of the previous
three weeks of festivities, known as Apokries, and the commencement of
Lent (Saracosti). On this day Greeks wish each other ‘Good Lent’ (Kali
Saracosti).
It
is called "clean" because it marks the start of the lenten period
during which each person’s body and soul are "cleansed" to prepare
for accepting the Resurrection.
Dishes served are all Lenten according the fasting requirements for
Great Lent. However, please note these recipes contain oil.
Here is a list of traditional foods prepared on this day including their
recipes, although all of these foods (exclude Lagana) can be made throughout the year:
Lagana – Clean Monday Bread
Baked only on Clean Monday, Lagana serves as a great compliment with
foods eaten on this special day.
Ingredients:
- 3 envelopes active dry yeast
- ¼ cup sugar
- 7 to 8 cups bread flour
- 2 ¼ cups warm water
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 5 tbsp. vegetable oil
- Sesame seeds for sprinkling
Preparation:
1. In a medium work bowl, dissolve
the yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup of the flour in the warm water. Let stand covered
for 15 minutes or until the mixture starts to foam and bubble.
2. In a large work bowl, combine 7
cups flour with the salt. Make a well in the centre with your hand and pour in
the oil and the yeast mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon until all the
ingredients are combined.
3. Turn dough out on to a counter or
table dusted with flour and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough feels
smooth to the touch but not sticky.
4. Shape the dough into a ball – make the sign of the Cross with hand to
ensure a good rising – brush it with oil and allow it to rise in a covered
bowl for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
5. Punch the dough down and knead it
for another 6 or 7 minutes. Shape it into 2 equal loaves. Using a rolling pin,
roll the dough out on to two lightly oiled baking sheets into flat ovals about 15 inches long and about 6 inches wide.
6. Brush with oil, sprinkle with
sesame seeds, and allow to proof (rise) again until a finger poked in the bread
leaves an indentation without springing back. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
during the final rise.
7. Using your index finger, poke
holes across the surface of the bread (about every 2 inches). Bake for 15 -
20 minutes or until a deep golden colour.
Taramosalata
Ingredients
·
200g
tarama/fish roe
·
2 cloves
garlic, chopped
·
1 loaf white
bread
·
extra virgin
oil
·
juice from
1-2 lemons (to taste)
Preparation
1. Cut up bread into small pieces into a large bowl.
1. Cut up bread into small pieces into a large bowl.
2. Mix up tarama, lemon,
garlic, oil and juice in blender until dissolved.
3. Pour over bread, stir
in until bread is soaked. Return to blender and puree. Add extra juice or oil
to taste.
4. Put in fridge to chill
a little before serving.
Traditional Greek
Pickles (Toursi)
Prepare 1 day in advance.
Ingredients
1 medium size cauliflower
2 medium size turnips
6 carrots
6 small cucumbers
6 long sweet red peppers
6 long spicy green peppers
1 celery stem
1 litre wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons thick salt
5-6 well sealed ½ litre jars
2 medium size turnips
6 carrots
6 small cucumbers
6 long sweet red peppers
6 long spicy green peppers
1 celery stem
1 litre wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons thick salt
5-6 well sealed ½ litre jars
Preparation
1. Rinse the vegetables well.
2. Peel the carrots. Cut the cauliflower
up into small florets. Cut the turnips into approx. 1cm x 2cm cubes. Chop the
rest of the vegetables, apart from the green peppers, diagonally into 1cm
slices.
3. Place all of the vegetables in a
basin with the salt and leave overnight.
4. Next day, sterilise the jars by
placing them for a few seconds in a pan of boiling water.
5. Fill all the jars with the
vegetables only and not any remaining liquid.
6. At the top of each jar place the
long spicy green peppers.
7. Fill the jars with ¼ water and ¾
vinegar and then cover the vegetables with olive oil at the top. Seal the jars.
8. Fill a large pan just over half
full with water and bring to the boil.
9. Place a cloth at the bottom of
the pan and place the well-sealed jars upside down on top of this. Simmer for
20 minutes.
10. Remove the jars and leave them to
cool. Once they have cooled, you can store them for later use or eat
immediately.
Butterbeans Plaki
(Gigantes)
Ingredients
½ kg Butterbeans, soaked
overnight
2 medium onions finely chopped
1 can tomatoes finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli pepper
½ fresh red sweet pepper finely chopped
1 cup celery leaves and stem roughly chopped
1 cup carrots in thin slices
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoonful oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
2 medium onions finely chopped
1 can tomatoes finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli pepper
½ fresh red sweet pepper finely chopped
1 cup celery leaves and stem roughly chopped
1 cup carrots in thin slices
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoonful oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Boil the butterbeans in a large
pan for 15 minutes, removing the foam that rises to the top of the water with a
wooden spoon before the beans come to boiling point.
2. Transfer the beans to another
large pan and add enough boiled water to cover them.
3. Add the finely chopped onions and
cook slowly until they are soft but not over boiled.
4. Transfer the beans and onions to
a shallow oven dish and add all the other ingredients apart from the olive oil.
Add just enough of the water from the pan to cover them.
5. Add the olive oil and seasoning
to taste.
6. Bake in a pre-heated moderate oven
for 40 minutes or until they colour nicely and the sauce has thickened.
7. Serve with plain pilaf rice or as
a side dish.
Greek Stuffed Squid
(Kalamarakia Gemista)
Ingredients
1 ½ kg squid (kalamari)
1 bunch spring onions
120g risotto rice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
60 ml olive oil
50 ml white wine
Salt and pepper
For the sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste diluted
in 2 tablespoons water
1 onion grated
2 cloves garlic chopped
400 ml chopped tomatoes
60 ml olive oil
50 ml white wine
Juice from half a lemon
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper
Sauce
1. In a pan, fry the onion in the
olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for another 1 minute.
2. Add the wine, allowing it to
evaporate and then add the lemon juice, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, salt,
pepper and sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Squid
1. Remove the head with the
tentacles from the body and with a sharp knife remove the ink, eye and mouth
and discard them. Empty the body completely and discard the contents. Rub the
tentacles and empty tubes with salt in order to remove the outer membrane completely.
2. Rinse very well in water.
3. Chop the tentacles and the spring
onions.
4. In a pan, gently fry the onions
in the olive oil for 2 minutes.
5. Add the tentacles and fry them
until all the juices have evaporated.
6. Add the rice, parsley, salt and
pepper and cook for 1 minute.
7. Add the wine and stir until it
has evaporated. Add 100 ml of the previously prepared sauce (see above) to this
mixture. Let it slow cook for 5 minutes.
8. Stuff the kalamari with this
mixture and secure the tube with a toothpick.
9. Put the stuffed kalamari in an
oven dish and spread the sauce over them.
10. Cover the oven dish with a lid or
tin foil. Bake in a preheated moderate oven at 160 degrees Celsius for approx.
1 hour.
Source: http://realgreekrecipes.blogspot.com.au/2009/11/greek-stuffed-squid-kalamarakia-gemista.html
Cuttlefish with Spinach
(Soupyes and Spanaki)
Ingredients
1 kg cuttlefish
1 kg spinach
1 onion grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic
100 ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 kg spinach
1 onion grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic
100 ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preparation
1.
Clean
the cuttlefish, removing the ink, the eye and the hard white bone inside the
stomach. Keep just the white fillet and tentacles.
2.
Cut
the fillet into approx. 4cm pieces.
3.
Put
the oil in a shallow pan, add the onion and fry for 3 minutes.
4.
Add
the chopped garlic and continue frying for another 1 minute.
5.
Add
the cuttlefish and continue frying for another 5 minutes.
6.
Dilute
the tomato paste in a glass of water, add to the mixture and simmer for 40
minutes.
7.
Add
the spinach, along with salt and pepper and stir.
8.
With
the pan uncovered, allow the mixture to simmer until nearly all the water is
absorbed.
Octopus with Pasta
Ingredients
1 medium size
octopus
½ kg pasta for minestrone
1 teacup slightly concentrated tomato juice
½ teacup olive oil
1 medium size onion
Salt and pepper
½ kg pasta for minestrone
1 teacup slightly concentrated tomato juice
½ teacup olive oil
1 medium size onion
Salt and pepper
Preparation
1) Clean the octopus under cold water. Discard the head and ink and keep the tentacles.
1) Clean the octopus under cold water. Discard the head and ink and keep the tentacles.
2) Cut the tentacles into small pieces.
3) Heat the oil and gently fry the
onion. Add the pieces of octopus and stir for another 5 minutes.
4) Add 1 litre of water and bring to the
boil. Add the tomato juice and simmer for 1 hour.
5) Transfer the octopus and the liquid to an oven dish - the liquid should be reduced to about 3/4 litre - and bring to the boil. Add seasoning. Add the pasta and stir.
5) Transfer the octopus and the liquid to an oven dish - the liquid should be reduced to about 3/4 litre - and bring to the boil. Add seasoning. Add the pasta and stir.
6) Bake in a moderate oven for 15
minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the pasta is tender.
Garithes
Vrastes: Boiled Shrimp with Oil and Lemon Sauce
Preparation
1. Remove the shell and devein
shrimp, and add to lightly boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove, and take off
heads and tails if desired.
2. (To use the cooked shrimp in
another recipe, stop here.)
To serve cold:
Place the shrimp on a platter or in a bowl and toss
with oil and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste, cover, and refrigerate
until well-chilled.
To serve warm:
Make the latholemono sauce using the oil and lemon
juice (blend to thicken) and pour over the shrimp or serve on the side.
Serve with a garnish of parsley leaves.
Maroulosalata:
Cos (Romaine) Lettuce Salad
Ingredients
2 heads of Cos (Romaine) lettuce
8-10 spring onions, cleaned and
finely chopped (bulb and stalk)
1/3 cup of fresh dill, finely
chopped (or 2 tablespoons of dried)
¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup of high quality red wine
vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons of crushed Greek
oregano (rigani)
pinch of freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon of sea salt
Preparation
1. Clean the lettuce, removing the
stem and discarding damaged leaves. Separate and rinse leaves individually to
remove any soil and debris. Pat dry with paper towels. Shred the lettuce using
a food processor or by hand (cutting as thinly as possible). Refrigerate until
ready to serve.
2. Whisk together the oil and
vinegar, add oregano, salt, and pepper (if using dried dill, add it now to the
dressing).
3. In a salad bowl, combine lettuce,
fresh dill, and spring onions. Toss with dressing and serve cold or at room
temperature.
Halva
A dense confectionery
based sweet which can either be made with either semolina (Greek-style) or harder,
crumbly version. Here is the Greek version:
Ingredients
2 cups of coarse semolina
(substitute Farina or Cream of Wheat)
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup walnuts, chopped coarsely
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup raisins
For the syrup:
4 ½ cups water
2 ½ cups sugar
½ cup honey
3 small pieces cinnamon stick
3-4 whole cloves
2-inch piece of orange peel
Ground cinnamon for dusting
Preparation
Prepare the syrup: To a medium saucepan, add the
water, sugar, honey, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange peel. Boil for 5
minutes then lower the heat and simmer gently. Remove the cinnamon, clove and
orange peel before pouring.
1. In another larger saucepan, over
medium high heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the coarse
semolina and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Cook the semolina
in the oil until the grains begin to toast and turn a deep golden colour.
2. Remove the pot from the heat and
carefully add the hot syrup to the semolina mixture. The semolina is going to
sizzle, bubble, and spatter so be careful not to burn yourself. Stir in the
walnuts, raisins, and pine nuts and continue to cook until the semolina absorbs
all the liquid.
3. Cover the pot tightly and set
aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pudding mould
or into individual ramekins. Allow the pudding to cool to room temperature
before serving.
5. To serve, sprinkle with cinnamon
and some more chopped nuts (if desired).
Other foods to serve
Olives
Fresh fruit
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