Author: Christos

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

3 ripe but firm peaches, halved and stoned

250g Halloumi cheese

2 tbsp olive oil

3 red chicory, root intact, quartered lengthways

1 bunch spring onions, trimmed, cut into 2cm lengths

For the dressing

1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

½ large bunch fresh coriander, leaves and stalks roughly chopped

5 tbsp white wine vinegar

3 tbsp clear honey

Preparation:

Make the dressing by mixing everything together in a small bowl. Cover and set aside.

Cut each peach half into wedges.

Cut Halloumi into 1cm thick slices.

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the cheese for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and almost crusty. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Add the chicory and onions to the hot pan, stir-fry until slightly wilted and coloured. Transfer onto absorbent kitchen towel.

Heat the remaining oil. Add the peach wedges and fry for a minute or two, until softened, lightly coloured but still retaining their shape.

Combine all the ingredients together then pour on the dressing.

Spoon onto individual plates.

Ingredients:

Lettuce

Coriander leaves

Rocket leaves

Celery, chopped

Green peppers, chopped

Tomatoes, chopped

Cucumbers, sliced

Capers

Olives

Onions, sliced into rings

Olive oil

Vinegar

Salt

Feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

Preparation:

Wash and dry all the vegetables.

Cut into pieces and mix in a bowl. Add salt, vinegar and olive oil.

Serve garnished with olives, capers, onion rings and Feta cheese.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

4 tbsp tahini paste

2 cloves garlic, crushed with salt

Juice of 2 lemons

4 tbsp olive oil

Cold water to thin

Chopped parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Combine all the ingredients, beating hard – best achieved with a food processor. Add enough cold water to give the consistency of a thick liquid.

Serve tahini with fresh bread, warm pita or as a dressing for salads, grills, fish or even in sandwiches.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

1 block Halloumi cheese

Rocket leaves

Tomato

Pita bread

Preparation:

Cut the Halloumi into slices and grill on both sides.

Garnish with rocket leaves and tomato.

Serve in warm pita bread.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

Vegetable of your choice (i.e. wild asparagus, wild greens, spinach or chopped spring onion)

4-6 eggs

1 cup olive oil

Salt & pepper to season

Lemon juice

Preparation:

Wash the vegetables in cold running water.

Sauté the vegetables in a little olive oil until just tender or wilted.

Add the eggs, salt and pepper. Stir until cooked.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice to serve.

Ingredients:

1 small piece of pork loin

2 tbsp crushed coriander seeds

1 tbsp crushed cumin seeds

1 bottle dry red wine

Salt & pepper to season

Preparation:

Season the pork loin with salt and half the spices. Place in a deep bowl and cover with wine.

Leave to marinate for eight days, turning daily and adding more wine as necessary.

Drain and season well with the remaining spices. Hang to dry in the sun or a well ventilated place.

Cut into slices and serve raw, grilled or fried.

Ingredients:

(Serves 6-8)

100ml olive oil

1½ kg lean beef, cubed

1½ kg shallots, peeled

4 cloves garlic, chopped

5 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

1 tsp whole cloves

1½ tsp aniseed or fennel seeds

2 whole star anise

3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

Salt & pepper

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based pan and brown the meat in batches.

Add the shallots, cooking gently to turn them golden and caramelised.

Add the garlic, vinegar, spices and tomatoes. Season well.

Stir in a 200ml glass of water. Cover tightly and simmer for 1½ -2 hours or until the meat is tender and the sauce richly thickened.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

800g minced pork

⅓ tsp Cinnamon

1 onion, finely chopped

Half bunch parsley, finely chopped

2-3 tbsp breadcrumbs (optional)

1 pork or lamb ‘panna’ (caul fat)

Vinegar

Salt & pepper to season

Preparation:

Wash the caul fat well with water and vinegar.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix the minced meat, salt, pepper, cinnamon, breadcrumbs, onions and parsley and mould into small egg-size shapes.

Place the mixture over the caul fat and wrap each separately into tight packages.

Cook over charcoal barbeque or on the grill, turning regularly until cooked evenly on all sides.

Serve in pita bread accompanied with kebab, or just by itself. One portion is about five pieces of sheftalies

Note: Sheftalies can also be made with chicken mince.

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

½ kg boneless pork (loin and belly pork), cut into cubes

Salt & pepper to season

Preparation:

Thread the meat cubes onto the skewers and season with salt and pepper. Cook over hot charcoal, turning regularly, until cooked evenly on all sides.

Serve with finely chopped parsley and onion.
 

Note: You can marinate the meat with oil, lemon and oregano. When threading the meat cubes on the skewers, you can also put cubes of onion, green pepper and tomato in-between the pieces of meat.

Ingredients for the Afelia:

(Serves 4)

1kg (shoulder) pork cut in small cubes (3x3cm) (marinate in 500ml of red dry wine with 2 tbsp of crushed coriander seeds and a tsp of ground cumin for at least 2 days in the refrigerator and stir twice a day)Salt & pepper to season

4 tbsp olive oil

½ bottle or 350ml Cypriot red wine and a shot of Commandaria if you have some

3 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed

1 tsp of ground cumin

Ingredients for the Pourgouri:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 nest dried vermicelli or angel hair pasta

200g pourgouri (bulgur wheat)

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

In a large pan, heat the oil then fry the pork in batches until brown all over. Add the wine, let it bubble for a minute, add the coriander seeds, the cumin, salt and pepper to your liking.

Partly-cover the pan and gently simmer for 30 minutes or until the meat is nice and tender. Do not over-cook or allow it to dry out, add an extra splash of wine, if necessary. As the sauce reduces the flavour intensifies.

For the pourgouri, heat the olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion until softened. Crush the vermicelli and add it to the pan with the onion, add some seasoning then add the bulgur wheat.

Add 400ml of hot water and the canned tomatoes, stirring over a low heat for 2-3 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a clean tea towel and let it stand for 10 minutes to allow the pourgouri to absorb all the flavours.

Drain the Afelia and pour over a bed of steaming pourgouri. Add a dollop of thick Greek yogurt on the side and top the yogurt with some dried spearmint for extra aroma.