A summer zucchini pie

The summer is the perfect season for ripe tasty vegetables like zucchinis. Besides being fried or stuffed (as are traditionally cooked in Greece), you can use them in a tasty pie! It's an easy, light and nutritious recipe. You can have it both hot or cold as a first dish, snack or breakfast!

Ingredients: 

- 1 package phyllo (also know as fyllo or fillo) Greek dough

- 1kg zucchini, grated

- 2-3 finely chopped spring onions (100gr/3.5oz), in slices

- 1/2 bunch (70-80gr/2.5-2.8oz) of dill chopped

- 5-6 mint leaves (about 10gr/0.35oz), finally chopped

- 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil

- 500gr/17.5oz or 1.1lb feta cheese, crumbled

- 300gr/10.6oz of Greek yogurt

- 2 eggs

- olive oil to brush the pan and the phyllo sheets

- salt and pepper

Place the zucchinis in a frying pan and saute for 12-14 minutes on medium to high heat, until most of the their water evaporates. Pour the olive oil and add the onions. Saute for 4-5 minutes more, stirring often. Remove from heat, add a bit of salt and pepper and leave the pan aside to cool down.

Continue by mixing the eggs and the yogurt in a large bowl; add salt and pepper, the mint, the dill, the mixture of the zucchinis and the onions in the bowl. Stir well and add the feta cheese.

Brush lightly a baking pan with olive oil and lay half of the dough sheets. Make sure to brush each sheet with olive oil as well. Put the mixture from the bowl. Spread it. Place the rest of the sheets on top, also having brushed each one with olive oil. Put a bit more olive oil on the last sheet on top. Gently carve the pie with a knife into pieces, and put the pie in preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) in the middle rack. Enjoy!

 Source:http://www.littlecookingtips.com

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A devine Spaghetti with Ground Beef

It's a favourite dish that we all have cooked and loved. The spaghetti is combined with the ground beef in one of the most popular recipes for pasta.

In this Bolognese style version, it's very important to follow the correct order in adding the ingredients. If you do, and take the time needed in each stage, the result will be devine!

Ingredients: 

- 500gr/17oz of ground beef or pork or mixed

- 500gr/17oz spaghetti

- 1 onion (medium-large, around 150gr/5oz), finely chopped

- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

- 1 glass of white wine

-  1/3 bunch of parsley (about a handful), finely chopped

- 400gr/14oz concentrated tomato juice or 600gr/21oz fresh grated tomatos together with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste

- 1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

- 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil

- 150gr/5oz Dubliner cheese, grated or 50-60gr/1.7-2oz grated Parmesan

- 2-3 tablespoons of butter or margerine

Preparation: 

Boil the pasta in a large pot with salted water, as much as you prefer. Once ready, remove the pot from the heat, drain the pasta, add the butter to the pot and throw the pasta back in, stirring in order to get the butter on all the pasta.

In a deep frying pan put the olive oil on medium to high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until it gets a bit transparent. Add the ground beef/pork and with a fork cut it into small bits and mix it with the onion. Cook until all the meat gets brown. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, the cinnamon, the salt and the pepper.

Continue cooking, stirring often, for about 6-8 minutes. Then pour the wine and continue to stir. When the wine evaporates, add the parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes, to get it soft. Then add the tomato juice (or the fresh tomatoes and the paste). Reduce the heat to medium-low. After about 5 minutes remove the cinnamon stick, and continue cooking until the sauce gets a bit thick.

Remove and serve with the pasta along with the grated cheese. Enjoy!

Tips: 

1. We suggest serving this sauce with spaghetti Νr 6 or even better with spaghetti con carotti (with carrot) and add some grated cheese on top.

2. If you don't prefer Dubliner cheese, you can add parmesan or a even a sweet Gruyere; each one provides a different taste. Also try some Greek graviera if you can find it.

Source :http://www.littlecookingtips.com

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Magdalenas Recipe - Spanish Cupcakes

”Magdalenas” are like cupcakes - sweet and lemony, rich, but fluffy. The Spanish traditionally eat them at breakfast with "café con leche," and they are said to have originated in Aragón. "Magdalenas" are not often prepared in homes today, but are sold in supermarkets and bakeries everywhere. These little cakes would be a great addition to any breakfast or a Sunday champagne brunch.

See Also

How to Make Cafe con Leche - Coffee with Milk

FAQ: What are Spanish Breakfast Foods?

Meals and the Culture of Spain

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 4 oz. stick unsalted butter

1 2/3 cups unbleached white flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

zest from 1 lemon

1 Tbsp milk

PREPARATION:

Preheat the oven to 375F (200C) degrees. Measure 1/4 cup sugar into small bowl and set aside.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat the eggs with 3/4 cup sugar. Beat until the mixture is light.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter on medium on the stove top. Or, melt it in the microwave. Make sure that the butter cools slightly and is not bubbling. As you continue to beat the egg mixture, slowly pour in the melted butter, making sure to mix thoroughly.

Stir in the lemon zest and milk.

Measure out the flour into a separate bowl. Add the baking powder to the flour and mix thoroughly.

While stirring the egg mixture, add in the flour mixture. Continue to stir until all ingredients are mixed well. The batter will be very thick.

Place paper liners in to cupcake pan. Use a large serving spoon to spoon batter into pan, filling each one half full. Batter will more than double in size when baked. Use a teaspoon to sprinkle each magdalena with a bit of the reserved sugar.

Place pans on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until magdalenas have turned a golden color. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before taking out of the pan to cool further.

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