gastronomy

Gorgeous Greek Gemista

Stuffed vegetables are very common in various cuisines of the world. They appear in different shapes and forms, depending on what is available in different geographical locations. There is a tremendous amount of recipe for stuffed vegetables and all seem to use one basic principle: you can stuff any vegetable that is solid enough to hold the filling, which can be a mixture of almost anything at hand in your kitchen. Afterwards, bake or potentially fry the dish. That’s quite flexible, isn’t it?

It is very common to use peppers, tomatoes, aubergines and courgettes to stuff, which can be filled with rice, minced meat or even grains. The filling tends to be mixed with onion, garlic, herbs and spices but nuts, pulses and raisins can also be added for a change of flavours.

In Spain, stuffed peppers – called “Pimientos Rellenos” – constitute a traditional dish, especially in the Basque Country. They use “Manchegocheese, beef and cod in béchamel sauce. In India, “Bharvan Mirch” or “Bharva Hari Mirch” is a type of stuffed pepper that is filled with cooked meat, potatoes and onions. For seasoning, turmeric, cumin, chilli, coriander, salt and lemon juice are used. “Mirchi Bajji” is a type of stuffed pepper that is fried and served with sauces and chutneys. In Mexico, the fried “Chile Relleno” consists of cheese and minced meat and served with various sauces. Sometime rice and taco are served together with this stuffed pepper dish. Also, Mexicans use jalapenos to stuff in their “Jalapeno Poppers” that is also fried. In Guatemala, a similar, fried stuffed vegetable dish calledPimiento” is common, which is filled with shredded pork and seasonal vegetables. And these are just a few examples!

The dish – in various forms – is also part of the traditional cuisines of Central and Eastern Europe, Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Scandinavia, the Baltics, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

In my opinion, one of the most delicious and easy to make stuffed pepper dishes is from Greece. It’s called “Gemista” (or “Yemista”), which simply means “to stuff” in Greek. Baked peppers or tomatoes are stuffed with rice, minced meat and summer vegetables. Most Greek “tavernas” would use seasonal vegetables that they source from the local markets. It is easy to omit meat from the dish and create a wholesome but light vegetarian version of the “Gemista”. They are not only very delicious, but they please the eyes as the pretty and colourful peppers are lined up next to each other, baked to perfection.

I found the below vegan recipe on the website of Forks over Knives. The recipe was designed by Veronica Grace, a vegan chef, who is specialised on low fat vegan recipes. I made a few slight changes to the original recipe to suit my personal taste, but the changes are minor. The dish serves 3 to 4 people.

Ingredients:

  • 6 large or 8 small bell peppers (of varying colours)
  • 1 large onion (finely diced)
  • 3 small courgettes (peeled and finely diced)
  • 3 medium carrots (peeled and finely diced)
  • 250 ml low-sodium vegetable broth (preferably home-made or if packaged, use organic)
  • 500 gram brown rice (cooked to packet instructions)
  • 5 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 20 grams of fresh parsley (finely chopped; if not available use 10 grams of dried parsley)
  • 20 grams of fresh dill (chopped, if not available use 10 grams of dried dill)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Pepper (according to taste)
  • Salt (according to taste)

Preparation method:

  • Preheat oven to 180 Celsius.
  • Cut off the top of the peppers and deseed them. Retain the top with stem. Wash the peppers and tops thoroughly.
  • Place the peppers in an ovenproof dish, arrange them upright and put tops back on. Bake them at 180 Celsius for 30 minutes.
  • While the peppers are baking, sauté onions, courgettes and carrots in a vegetable broth for 5 minutes.
  • Cook rice according to package instructions in a separate pot.
  • Once the rice is ready, stir it into the onion, courgettes and carrot mixture. Add the tomato paste and mix well so that the tomato paste coats the vegetables.
  • Add parsley, dill, lemon juice, pepper and salt and stir well to combine them thoroughly. The filling is ready.
  • By now the peppers should be baked. Remove them from the oven and stuff the peppers with the filling.
  • Place the pepper tops on the peppers and bake them for 30 minutes at 180 Celsius. (If the peppers start to brown, lower the temperature in the oven and keep an eye on them. They may require that you remove them from the oven earlier.)

 

This dish is very healthy and very nutritious. If you crave for strong Greek flavours, add a dash of cinnamon and oregano to the filling. I normally serve them with steamed or stir-fried French beans, okra or broccoli. Alternatively, fresh garden salad or baby spinach leaves are suitable side dishes too.

Bon appetite!

Mexican Quesadillas with Black Beans & Sweet Potatoes

Quesadillas are very popular in Latin America. They originally come from colonial Mexico, but the dish evolved over time and today it exists in many different forms. Most of the time, quesadillas are served in flour or corn tortillas (a type of thin flatbread) that are made from finely ground wheat flour. They are filled with a savoury mixture, which may contain cheese, vegetables or meat. Once the tortillas are filled, they are folded into half.

Mexicans traditionally make their tortillas in a “comal”, which is a flat griddle. It is a very old kitchenware, which was originally used by the Aztecs. The word “comal” comes from the Nahuatl language, from the word “comalli”. “Comals” are generally round or oval-shaped and made from heavy cast iron. It is an important kitchenware, which is traditionally handed down from generation to generation because it is believed that the “comal” will cook better tortillas if it is tempered over many years of usage. “Comals” are also popular in the modern kitchens of Mexico.

Mexican quesadillas are typically made with partially cooked tortillas that are warmed up in the “comal” and filled with “oaxacacheese, a white, semi-hard cheese. Originally, the tortillas with the cheese on top are fried gently in the “comal” until the cheese melts. Cooked vegetables and / or cooked meat are then added, as well as fresh avocado or guacamole, chopped onions, chilli peppers, coriander and tomatoes. Salsas may be added as topping, too.

Tortillas are normally cooked without using oil. However, some recipes suggest that they should be fried in oil to make “quesadillas fritas”. In this version, the quesadillas are immersed into hot oil. They are deep-fried until their exterior is crispy.

The dish is extremely versatile and you can create your own version based on your personal taste. Serve the quesadillas with fresh salad, chopped onions, green or red salsa, fresh cream, and guacamole. These sides and dips give complexity to the dish.

The below quesadillas with black beans & sweet potatoes are very nutritious and healthy. The original recipe is designed by Rip Esselstyn but I made slight changes to it to suit my personal taste. I am happy to recommend either the below version or the original that can be found on the website on Forks over Knives. Try it today and enjoy a Mexican-style lunch or dinner!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 200 gram brown rice (cooked)
  • 225 gram vegetarian re-fried beans
  • 235 millilitre tomato sauce or pre-made salsa
  • 225 gram fresh spinach
  • 225 gram black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • ¼ teaspoon of onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon of chilli powder
  • ¼ teaspoon of cumin
  • Jalapeño peppers (diced)
  • 8 whole-wheat tortillas

Preparation method:

  • Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius.
  • Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into quarters. Bake them on a baking tray for 45 minutes to one hour, until soft.
  • In a separate pan, cook the rice according to packet instructions.
  • Once the sweet potatoes are soft, remove them from the oven and place them in a mixing bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes and mix them with the tomato sauce / salsa, rice and fresh spinach.
  • Place the sweet potato mash in a saucepan and mix in the black beans and the refried beans. Season with onion powder, chilli powder and cumin. Mix well and heat the mixture over medium heat.
  • Fry both sides of the tortillas gently in a frying pan.
  • Fill tortillas with the mixture and fold them in half to form a half-moon shape.
  • Serve immediately with side dishes including salads, onions and dips.

Bon appetite!

Magical Minestrone from Italy

Minestrone” is a generic Italian word, which used to describe a very substantial, large bowl of soup or stew. However, this word no longer refers to a general soup. It describes a specific and particularly delicious Italian soup, which is respected and loved all over the world.

Minestrone is made with vegetables including onions, beans, celery and carrots. Normally pasta or rice is added to the soup, too. There is no exact recipe for the “right” minestrone, which makes it a very exiting dish. It offers plenty of room for creativity. Every region has its own minestrone that contains signature ingredients and probably every cook makes it in a slightly different way. Some cooks prefer thick, almost stew-like versions; others prefer lightly cooked vegetables in a broth-type soup. While the soup’s texture can vary widely, Angelo Pellegrini, a famous food writer and academic argues that the “genuine” minestrone has to be a bean-based broth and borlotti beans (aka Roman beans) must be used in it.

minestrone www.allyou.com
www.allyou.com
Minestrone is also a dish with history. At around the 2nd Century BC, thanks to commerce an abundance of food passed through Rome. As a consequence, meat, bread and soups were introduced to the diet of Romans. Thick vegetable soups and stews became staple foods. The ancient cookbook of Marcus Apicius described a soup called “polus” as a common dish at that time. Polus contained faro (a food product made of grains), chickpeas, fava beans, onions, garlic, lard and green vegetables. Later, other ingredients appeared in this soup, including meat and wine. When potatoes and tomatoes were introduced in Europe in the mid 16th century, these were added to polus as well. The additions of ingredients contributed to the evolution of the dish and ultimately changed the character of the soup. Although it changed over time, it always remained part of “cucina povera”, aka the “poor kitchen”, which was often cooked from leftovers and it was normally consumed as a side dish. Later, between the 17th and 18th centuries the soup’s recipe was more or less formalized. From that era onwards, it only contained fresh vegetables and was offered as a meal for its own sake. The name “minestrone” formally appeared in 1871.

My favourite minestrone recipe was developed by Carolyn Scott-Hamilton and appeared on the website of Forks Over Knives. I slightly fine-tuned it to my own taste and to the ingredients available in my area. It’s a vegan and super healthy and it is an absolutely awesome soup that everyone must try!

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium-sized onion (cut into pieces)
  • 2 stalks celery (sliced into narrow pieces)
  • ½ bulb fennel (cut into small pieces)
  • 2 medium gold potatoes (diced)
  • 2-3 cloves garlic (finely chopped or crushed)
  • 400 gram can of tomatoes (either plum or diced tomatoes are suitable)
  • 2 litres of low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 400 gram canned or dry beans (borlotti, fava or cannellini beans; if you use dry beans, soak them overnight)
  • Salt (according to taste)
  • Pepper (according to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons of red-wine vinegar
  • 1 zucchini (quartered and sliced)
  • 1 or 2 bunches of Swiss chard or spinach leaves
  • 300 gram fusilli or penne pasta (preferably durum or rice pasta)

Preparation method:

  • Boil the water in a large pot. Add onion, celery, fennel, potatoes and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the can of tomatoes, stock, beans and season the mixture with salt and pepper, according to taste. Bring the soup to a boil. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer it for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook on a low heat for further 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
  • Stir the vinegar and the green leaves into the soup. Season with salt and pepper, according to taste.
  • In the meantime, boil the pasta in a separate pot, according to packet instructions.
  • Once the pasta is ready, serve it in soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the pasta and serve it immediately.

Minestrone www.forthefeast.com Pinterest
www.forthefeast.com
If you prefer a vegan version, you may serve it with ground pumpkin seeds or cheese substitutes. Otherwise, you may sprinkle some Parmesan on the soup, which enhances the wonderful flavours of this minestrone.

Bon appetite!

Vegetarian Waldorf Salad from New York City

I love delicious food that also has history. The Waldorf Salad is a prime example of such a dish. It is associated with the famous Waldorf Hotel (the precursor of the luxurious Waldorf-Astoria Hotel) in New York City, where it was first created sometime between 1893 and 1897.

The Waldorf Salad is known to be first made by Oscar Tschirky, who was the head waiter of the Waldorf Hotel at that time. Mr Tschirky was known about his culinary creativity. He never worked as a chef, but he developed many of the hotel’s signature dishes. His cook book entitled “The Cook Book” contains the original recipe, which was fine tuned later, when it appeared in “The Rector Cook Book” in 1928.

The traditional Waldorf Salad contains fresh apples, celery and walnuts and it is served on a bed of lettuce. It is often served with mayonnaise. Sometimes chicken, turkey, grapes and dried fruit appear in the salad’s contemporary versions. Healthier interpretations tend to use a yoghurt-based sauce instead of the mayo.

The vegetarian version that I like to prepare is based on the traditional recipe, but it contains chickpeas for a bit of protein boost. I tend to use a yoghurt-based sauce and I normally serve it with baby spinach leaves instead of lettuce.

Waldorf Salad from www.vegetariantimes.com
www.vegetariantimes.com
Ingredients:

  • 120 ml plain full-fat yogurt, preferably Greek-style
  • 1 teaspoon of mustard, preferably Dijon type
  • 1 teaspoon of honey or agave nectar
  • Salt according to taste (approximately 1/2 teaspoon)
  • Freshly ground black pepper according to taste (approximately 1/4 teaspoon)
  • 400 gram can of chickpeas (drained)
  • 2 ribs of celery (finely chopped)
  • 1 apple (chopped into small pieces)
  • 1 medium-sized bunch of red grapes (cut the grapes into halves)
  • 1 medium-sized red onion (diced into small pieces)
  • 1 bunch of parsley (finely chopped)
  • 100 grams of walnuts (roughly chopped)
  • 1 bunch of fresh baby spinach leaves

Preparation method: 

  • Chop up the celery, apple, red onion, grapes, parsley and walnuts and combine them with the chickpeas in a large salad bowl.
  • Add the spinach leaves and combine with the salad mixture.
  • Prepare the dressing by combining the yoghurt, mustard, honey, salt and pepper and mix the ingredients well.
  • Stir in the dressing gently but thoroughly.
  • Refrigerate the salad for half an hour before serving.

Waldorf Salad from www.relish.com
www.relish.com
The salad is perfect as a light meal. Alternatively, it can be offered as a side dish with more substantial oven-baked meals, pastas or risottos.

Bon appetite!