RECIPES

The Diet of Crete/Recipes

Many of you are familiar with the Mediterranean Diet, which is the basis of some of the healthiest diet choices out there these days.

The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional eating patterns of people living in Crete, Greece and southern Italy. Variations of the diet are also in the countries of Spain, Portugal, southern France, Morocco, Turkey and the Middle East. Traditionally, the diet is closely tied to areas of olive cultivation and olive oil production in the Mediterranean region.

The diet of Crete is considered to be among the healthiest versions of the Mediterranean Diet. The people of Crete have been extensively studied to determine the health secrets of their longivity and lower heart disease. In fact, major studies of the Mediterranean diet over a period of years have consistently documented that the participants from Crete have the lowest percentage of heart attacks, forms of cancer, and the greatest longevity. One of the contributing factors is that its people have the highest consumption of olive oil in the world!

A recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that a Mediterranean diet can improve longevity and may have benefits in reducing the risks of heart disease and cancer.

Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat, high in anti-oxidants and can lower harmful LDL cholesterol.

Below are recipes from Nikos and Maria Psilakis's cookbooks. Each of these recipes demonstrates the healthy cusine of Crete and are easy to prepare even with our busy lifestyles.

From The Secret of Good Health - Olive Oil

GARLIC, CUCUMBER AND YOGHURT DIP ( TZATZIKI)

page 101

    * 1 kg strained yoghurt (1.1lbs)
    * 2 large cucumbers
    * 3 cloves garlic
    * 1/2 teaspoon garlic
    * 4-5 tbsp olive oil
    * 2 tbsp vinegar
    * 1 tbsp finely chopped mint or dill (optional)

Peel and grate cucumbers. Squeeze as hard as possible to remove water completely. Mash garlic with salt in a mortar. In a medium-size bowl, mix yoghurt with cucumber and garlic. Slowly add vinegar and olive oil and combine well. Finally add mint or parsley. Refrigerate until ready to use.

OCTOPUS IN OLIVE OIL AND VINEGAR

page 95

    * 1 kg octopus (2.2lbs)
    * 2-3 bay leaves
    * 5-6 peppercorns
    * 1/2 cup vinegar
    * 1/2 cup olive oil

Wash the octopus or octopuses and place in a pan with the bay leaves and peppercorns. Cook on a low heat in its own juices until tender. If needed, add vinegar. Once the octopus has cooled, cut into small pieces and place in a jar. Add vinegar and then olive oil to cover. Oil that has been scented with garlic is preferred. Close the jar and store in the refrigerator

Recipes from Herbs in Cooking

POTATOES “SAVORE” WITH ROSEMARY

Page 160

    * 1 kilo potatoes (2.2lbs)
    * salt, 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
    * 3-4 tbsp vinegar
    * olive oil for frying

Peel, rives and cut potatoes into round slices, 2 cm thick. Dry them, sprinkle with salt and fry in olive oil until golden brown on both sides. When you have finished with the potatoes, turn off heat, pour vinegar carefully into the pan, add rosemary and pour the sauce over the potatoes. They are delicious either hot or cold.

STEWED POTATOES WITH HERBS

    * 1 kilo potatoes (2.2lbs)
    * 1/2 cup olive oil 2 coarsely chopped onions
    * 1 leek cut into rounds
    * 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
    * 1/2 kilo finely chopped tomatoes (1 lbs)
    * 1 sprig of thyme
    * 2 bay leaves
    * 2 sprigs of parsley
    * 1 tbsp oregano
    * 1 teaspoon grated orange rind salt, pepper

Peel potatoes and cut in cubes. Heat olive oil in a saucepan and sauté` onion, leek, garlic, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, parsley, orange rind and oregano. Stir carefully 2-3 times, pour in tomato, salt, pepper and water to cover everything and simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve potatoes sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.

LENTIL SOUP WITH HERBS

Page 173-174

    * 1/2 kilo lentils (1.1 lb)
    * 1/2 cup olive oil
    * 1 onion, finely chopped
    * 3 finely chopped cloves of garlic
    * 1/2 kilo finely chopped tomatoes (1.1 lb)
    * 2 carrots, diced
    * 3 tbsp finely chopped celery
    * 2 bay leaves
    * 1 tbsp thyme
    * 1 tbsp savory
    * 3 tbsp vinegar
    * salt, pepper

Boil lentils in a large pot with plenty of water for 10-15 minutes and transfer to a colander. Heat the olive oil in the same pot and sauté` onion, garlic, carrot and celery for 5 minutes.

Add bay leaves, thyme, savory, tomatoes, lentils, salt, pepper and 3-4 cups water. Boil until lentils are cooled, about half an hour. Stir in vinegar 5 minutes before the food is ready.

LAMB WITH SPINACH AND DRIED FRUIT

Page 194-196

    * 1 kilo boneless lamb cut into cubes
    * 6 tbsp olive oil
    * 1 finely chopped onion
    * 1/2 kilo spinach, chopped coarsely (1.1 lbs)
    * 1 leek cut into rounds
    * 3 finely chopped spring onions
    * 1/2 cup finely chopped dill
    * the juice of 2 lemons
    * salt, pepper
    * 1 cup dried fruit (prunes, apricots or plums)

Heat half olive oil in a large skillet and sauté` onion and meat until brown on all sides. Cover with water and cook for about one hour. Heat remaining olive oil in another skillet and sauté` leek and fresh onions for 3 minutes. Add spinach and sauté` for another 10 minutes. Mix with the meat, season with salt, pepper and lemon juice and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Add dill and fruit 5 minutes before turning off the heat. Serve with rice pilaf.

LAMB IN MINT SAUCE

    * 1 kilo leg of lamb cut into portions (2.2 lbs)
    * 4 tbsp olive oil 2 crushed cloves of garlic
    * 1/2 cup white wine
    * 1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped coarsely salt and pepper to taste
    * 3 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped finely

Wash and dry lamb. Season with the garlic, salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté` the lamb until browned on all sides. Transfer to a baking pan and bake until soft. Pour the wine into the pan where you sautéed the lamb and let it simmer for a few minutes.

Add 1 cup water and the coarsely chopped mint. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, then strain. Add the finely chopped mint to the sauce, pour it over the lamb and serve.

YOGHURT CAKE WITH LEMON AND CARDAMON

Page 211

    * 1 cup butter or olive oil
    * 1 cup sugar
    * 4 eggs
    * 1 cup yoghurt
    * the juice of 1 lemon
    * 1 tbsp ground cardamom
    * 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
    * 1/2 kilo self-rising flour (1.1 lb)
    * 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Beat olive oil with sugar and continue with yolks, cardamom, and yoghurt, bicarbonate of soda diluted in lemon juice, walnuts and flour. Finally mix carefully with egg whites beaten stiff, transfer the mixture into an oiled baking tin and bake in preheated moderate oven for about 40 minutes.




From the “Cretan Cooking” Book

SMALL OLIVE OIL AND WINE RINGS

Page 194

    * 1 1/2 cups olive oil
    * 1 1/2 cups sugar
    * 1 1/2 cups white wine
    * 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    * 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
    * 1 tbsp clove and cinnamon powder
    * 1/2 cup orange juice
    * 1 1/2 kilos flour (each kilo= 2.2lbs)
    * 2 cups sesame seeds

Beat the sugar with the olive oil and continue with the baking powder dissolved in the wine, the soda dissolved in the orange juice, with the clove and the cinnamon. Gradually add flour to the liquids and knead untilvery soft and malleable dough.

Shape the rings as above, sprinkle them with sesame seeds and bake in moderate oven for 15-20 minutes.

SMALL RAISIN-FILLED PATTIES

Page 195-197

The DOUGH:

    * 2 cups olive oil
    * 1 cup sugar
    * 1 cup orange juice
    * 1/2 cup cognac or raki
    * 1 tbsp grated orange zest
    * 1 tbsp baking powder
    * 1 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1 1/2kilos flour (1 kilo = 2.2lbs)

The FILLING:

    * 1 kilo roughly ground raisins (2.2lbs)
    * 2 cups roughly ground walnuts and almonds
    * 2 tbsps olive oil
    * 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
    * 2 tbsps clove and cinnamon powder

Prepare the DOUGH: Beat together olive oil and sugar and add zest, baking powder dissolved in cognac and baking soda dissolved in orange juice, beating constantly. Gradually add flour to the liquids until you have soft and elastic dough. Mix the ingredients thoroughly for the filling. Take pieces of dough the size of a walnut and in the middle open a well to put in a little filling. Roll the dough in your hands so as to get the filling to spread inside and shape oblong.

SAINT BASIL'S CAKE

Page 184

    * 1 kilo flour (2.2 lbs)
    * 3 cups sugar
    * 1 1/2 cups olive oil
    * 1/2 cup cognac
    * 8 to 10 eggs
    * 2 cups orange juice
    * 2 tbsps grated orange zest
    * 1 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1 tbsp baking powder

Beat the yokes with the sugar and work in the oil and the orange rind. Dissolve the soda in the orange juice and add this. Beat the whites of the eggs; add half the flour, half the cognac with the baking powder diluted in it and half the egg whites. When this has amalgamated, work in the second half of the ingredients. Empty the mixture into an oiled baking tin and bake in a preheated moderate oven for about an hour.