Great Lent with commence next Monday with Clean Monday and those observing will abstain from eating meat or any animal by-products. In the meantime, let’s get cheezy and enjoy the week with an array of cheese dishes. Greece’s tough times have continued into 2012 but a Greek’s spirit will never be snuffed out. Greeks love a good party, good company and enjoyed with good food.

This recipe is not your ordinary macaroni & cheese as it’s all cooked on your stove-top and the novel part of this dish is that the pasta is NOT boiled in water but simmered in milk. Here’s how it works: Low fat milk (skim or 2 %) is warmed-up and then the pasta is added and simmered with your constant care and stirring.

The starches from the pasta thicken the milk and give the grated cheeses something to hang on to when added into the pot. There are many recipes using this technique but I encourage you to look at White On Rice Couple’s popular post and Elise’s post (Simply Recipes) where she even adds that this dish was cooked from the time of the American Civil War!

This frugal approach to cooking-up a macaroni & cheese (sans boiling the pasta) is ideal for cheesefare week – especially this year. Many Greeks are struggling and saving on utility bills is certainly a priority. Many Greeks make their Greek coffee on a gas burner or a “gazaki” and some even use gazakia for quick dishes. This is where I  got the idea for the title of this dish.

My Greek take on this dish is adding some grated onion for a more savory undertone, dry mustard, fresh ground nutmeg and the cheeses are all Greek: an aged piquante Kasseri cheese from Samothrace and a crumbled, tart Feta cheese made of goat milk.

Makaronia Sto Gazaki (Μακαρονια στο γκαζακι)

(serves 4)

3 1/2 to 4 cups of milk (skim or 2 %)

2 1/2 cups of elbow macaroni

1 tsp. salt

1 small onion, passed through a box grater

1 tsp. dry mustard (powder)

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

fresh grated nutmeg to taste

1 cup grated Kasseri cheese

1 cup coarse crumbled Feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 – 1/3 lightly toasted breadcrumbs

1. Pour your milk into a large pot and add the milk, grated onion and bring to just scalding over medium-high heat. Now add the salt, dry mustard, pasta and stir and once the milk has returned to a boil you may reduce to medium and continue to stir (do not leave unattended as milk may broth-up and spill over). Simmer while stirring for 30-40 minutes.
2. Check to see if pasta is cooked to your liking. If not add a 1/4 cup milk and continue to stir (add more if needed). Add grated nutmeg, fresh ground pepper and add the grated/crumbled cheese in batches.
3. Take off the heat, stir-in chopped fresh parsley and serve. Top with some toasted breadcrumbs.

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

Today I’m taking this delicate but delicious combo of cheese and seafood to calamari aka squid. For this recipe I like using small calamari, about the length of  your index finger and I’ve stuffed them with one of my favourite cheeses…Kapnisto Metsovone ( a smoked cheese from Metsovone). Much like Feta, smoked Metsovone is a pasteurized semi-hard cheese made of cow and goat’s milk, is produced in Metsovo (Epirus) and its a PDO European product since 1996.

After the tentacles have been pulled from the tubes of the squid, I clean the insides, trip the head and beak off the tentacles and off I go to make the stuffing. I sweat some scallions, diced anise-flavoured fennel and add some paprika and once cooled add them into a food processor with some raw shrimp and blitz into a course paste. After, I simply toss the mixture in a bowl with the smoked Metsovone and carefully fill the calamari tubes.

These stuffed calamari with shrimp and smoked Metsovone could be served on their own as a meze or appetizer…with rice pilaf or finish off a baked dish of kritharaki. On the day I cooked up these wonderous morsels, I was in the mood for serving them with pasta. I will make this dish over and over and over again.

Calamari Stuffed With Shrimp and Smoked Metsovone Cheese

(serves 4)

approx. 1 1/2  lb. of small squid (about 16), tubes and tentacles cleaned

extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 diced fennel

1/3 cup sliced scallions

1/3 cup diced (small cubes) smoked Metsovone cheese (or smoked Gouda)

6-8 medium-sized shrimp, peeled & deveined

1/2 tsp. sweet paprika

2 Tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Pasta Sauce

500 gr. pkge of dried linguine

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 shot of Ouzo

1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas (thawed & rinsed)

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp. dried Greek oregano

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

chilli flakes (Boukovo) to taste

1. Add a turn or two of olive oil into a small over medium heat and add the scallions, diced fennel and sweat for about 2-3 minutes and take off the heat. Season with some salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Once cooled, add the fennel/scallion mixture into a food processor with the shrimp and pulse into a into a chunky paste. Remove from the processor and add into a bowl with the diced cheese, paprika, salt and fresh ground pepper and toss with a spoon.
3. Stuff each calamari tube to about 3/4 full with the filling and secure the ends with a toothpick and reserve. Place a large pot of water on your stovetop and once aboil, add salt and cook your pasta for about 6 minutes (add the peas at the 5 minute mark)
4. In the meantime, place a large skillet on your stove-top and add the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season your squid with salt, pepper and some sweet paprika and add the tubes and tentacles and sauté until just browned. Remove the tentacles with a slotted spoon (they will cook first) then the tubes and reserve (the tubes should be cooked for about 2 minutes/side, ensuring filling is cooked).
5. In the same skillet, add the diced onions, garlic and sweat over medium heat for 5 minutes then add the wine, Ouzo and reduce for 4-6 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Once the pasta and peas are cooked, drain and place in the skillet along with the reserved calamari tubes and tentacles, lemon zest and juice, dried oregano and gently toss for a couple of minutes.
6. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, add the chopped fresh parsley and chilli flakes, extra-virgin olive oil, divide and serve.

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

Early 20th century postcard from Thessaloniki, Exohon Avenue (Vassilissis Olgas today)

• “Smyrna. The destruction of a Cosmopolitan city” photo exhibit at the Benaki Museum in Athens
• A feature on the Kotsarelos family, making artisan cheese (Feta) for three generations
• Six ways the Greek economy can bounce back
• Greeks have created an alternative informal bartering system to cope with the crisis
• Two women go hiking through Greece’s Pindus mountains

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

Many Greeks also go out to tavernas specializing in grilled meats but that may not be the case this year. This blog has lots of meat recipes to choose from like souvlaki, homemade Gyro to lamb chops. Today I’m sharing a simple, affordable and delicious alternative for those that may not have a grill but would like a recipe that’s easily prepared at home. Try this pan-fried pork chops recipe that’s smothered in onions and a mustard beer sauce that dances between savory and sweet with a dash of honey.

Pork Chops With Mustard Sauce (Χοιρινεσ Μπριζολεσ με Σαλτσα Μουσταρδας και Μελι)

(serves 4)

4 bone-in center-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick

all-purpose flour for dredging

fine salt & fresh ground pepper

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion,  sliced

1 tsp of all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. of Dijon style mustard

1/2 cup of amber/lager beer

1 cup of vegetable or chicken stock

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1-2 Tbsp. grainy mustard

honey to taste

salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse and pat-dry your pork chops, season with salt and flour then lightly dredge in flour. Add some olive oil over medium-high heat into a large skillet and brown both sides of your pork chops, reserve.
2. In the same pan, add the onions and sweat for 3-4 minutes over medium heat then add the flour and Dijon mustard and stir for a minute or so. Now add the beer, stock, fresh thyme and bring up to a boil.
3. Add the pork back into the skillet and slightly cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and adjust seasoning for salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes or until desired thickness is attained, add some honey and grainy mustard to taste.
4. Serve with a side of roast potatoes “domino style” and some tourlou with beans. A lovely Kir Yianni Rose would go wonderfully with this dish.

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

Here in Toronto, I’ve been told about 40 % of the Greeks are from northern Greece and the rest mostly from Crete, Peloponnese and from the islands. You can see this diversity in our churches, at Greek festivals, the Greek parade and in the announcements of “syllogi” (Greek associations) and their annual dances.

Our family has made friends from all over Greece and through church, we’ve become close friends with these Greeks from all corners including those from the South, Laconia in particular. A new friendship was made last year through this blog when I was contacted by an avid reader of this blog, John Danakas who’s family emigrated to Winnipeg (parents from Laconia).

We met, enjoyed dinner at Malena then watched the hockey playoffs in the patio of a pub that had set-up an outdoor TV screen. We talked about food, prior visits to Greece, the current situation in the homeland, life in Winnipeg, how Toronto has changed and conversation came full-circle and we talked more about food!

I vividly recall John relating his memories of his mom making Tsaitia when he was young (well she still makes them for the extended family) and I was intrigued by this food memory. Mama Danakas would knead some dough and roll it out into a type of phyllo and make this pockets of goodness filled with spinach and Feta cheese and fried on the stove-top and served. Having shared some photos of Tsaitia evoked fond memories for other friends with roots in Laconia.

With the swell of emotions and positive feedback I received, I knew I nailed the recipe and I’m delighted to share this Spartan recipe for my Laconian friends and to the rest who adore Greek cookery and all her regional dishes. Enjoy!

(makes 6)

Phyllo Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp white vinegar

approx. one cup tepid water

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Filling

1  cup blanched spinach, chopped (thawed from frozen is perfectly fine)

1 cup crumbled Feta cheese

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 chopped fresh dill

1 tsp. chopped fresh mint ( 1/2 if dried)

1 large egg

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt and mix with a fork then make a whole in the middle of the flour and add the water, vinegar and oil and begin bringing the flour into the middle and begin kneading the dough untilall the flour has been absorbed. Add flour and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and no longer tacky (not sticky). Roll into a ball and sprinkle some flour on the bowl and place inside and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for an hour.
2. In the meantime, add a Tbsp, of olive oil into a small pan and sweat your scallions for 2-3 minutes and remove from the heat and allow to cool. Take your thawed from frozen spinach and use your hands to squeeze the excess water and then chop the spinach and place in another bowl with the scallions, crumbled Feta, dill, mint and egg. Mix with a spoon then have a little taste, add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep cool.
3. Take your ball of dough out of the fridge and sprinkle some flour on your work surface then flatten the dough with a rolling pin and roll it out into a flat that resembles a pita bread. Brush both sides with olive oil and place on a plate and allow to rest for another 30 minutes.
4. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and place the flat of dough on your work surface and from the middle – roll out the dough until you have a large (preferably rectangular) thin sheet of dough.
5. Cut into approx. 6 squares, divide and spoon the spinach filling into the middle of each square and fold-up the corners like an envelope and gently press with your fingers to seal.
6. Add some olive oil into a large non-stick pan over medium heat and place as many Tsaitia in the pan and fry each side until crisp and golden-brown (about 3 minutes a side) and reserve on a paper-lined platter.
7. Serve the Tsaitia immediately as a lunch with a salad, a snack or offering as part of a meze table.

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.