Cold Soup on a Hot Day

 

Today, it was 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Since we do not turn on our air conditioning until night, we eat our dinner in the heat. It is not so bad. We have been getting creative of what to eat on the hottest days. One satisfying cool meal we have found is soup. Cold soup. Half the fun was finding the recipe on the internet and the other half was making the soup.

Both soups we have tried so far are based entirely on vegetable ingredients. After a week or two of eating the two veggie soups everyday, our skin is glowing and, well, we both feel pretty darn good.

The first soup we tried was Gazpacho. This soup is from Spain and there are many recipes for it on the web. We took both of our tastes into consideration and used the following recipe from Allrecipes.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chef-johns-gazpacho/detail.aspx

I like that this recipe had a video with it. I followed the recipe exactly. However, I made the soup the night before to be sure it was very cold for dinner the next day. This soup lasted 3 days for the two of us. The best part was using peppers and basil from our garden.

 

The cold soup we had next was very different from Gazpacho. It was a cold beet soup. There were so many variations of this recipe and so many arguments on what it should be called that I went with the recipe that looked what my husband and I would like to eat. My husband loved this soup better than the Gazpacho, whereas I adored the Gazpacho. (Our unborn son, Alki, liked the Gazpacho better too.) Either way, both were very good and healthy.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes also. I did make a few changes to the recipe. I added chopped dill and cucumber to the soup. Also, instead of sour cream, I used Greek yogurt. Also, I did not grate the beets, but chopped them and then blended half the soup in the blender. My husband suggested that next time I do not blend it. He would prefer it chunky. This recipes lasted us for 2 days+.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cold-russian-borscht/detail.aspx

Of course, we had to have a salad, bread, and I sliced some homemade tortillas filled with cold mashed chickpeas, cheese, tomato, and herbs. Plus, another filled with a cold omelet. Might as well live it up while you can, right?

Wonderful Okra!

 

Two weeks ago, my husband brought home 12 pounds of fresh Okra from the open market. I like Okra, but I thought this was a bit excessive. He had a plan though. I cleaned, cut, and packed the Okra into 2 pound bags for freezing. Now we had all the Okra we could possibly want for a couple months.

Since we had plenty of Okra, it was time to try a new recipe that my husband found on the internet. It was written in Greek, so my husband just told me what I had to do to make it.

Here goes the recipe…

Greek Style Okra and Potatoes 

Ingredients:

• 5 potatoes peeled  and chopped(medium)
• 2 chopped green peppers
• 2 pounds of Okra
• 1 large chopped onion
• 1 cup of olive oil
• 3/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley
• 3/4 cup of fresh chopped dill
• 1/2 cup of fresh chopped mint
• 1/4 cup of tomato sauce
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• salt and pepper
• ground red pepper
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• a dash of cinnamon

 

Instructions:

Put all the ingredients into a large ceramic baking dish with a lid and cook in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Take off the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

 

We really loved this recipe. A nice crusty bread goes well with this dish to soak up all of the sauce. Don’t forget the Feta!

Our table…

Oh, there WILL be leftovers.

Combining Flavors

Sometimes it seems that two things do not belong together, but things are not always as they seems. Right? This applies to cooking also.

My husband, Ilias, is great at combining flavors. I have become better, however I am still cautious.

Below three examples of combining unlikely flavors. 

Hot Chocolate with Cayenne Pepper

This is great in winter. The key is to make real hot chocolate with pure cocoa, sugar, and whole milk. Follow whatever high quality hot chocolate recipe you like that will make 2 large mugs. Before pouring into mugs, add a teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper. The heat of the hot chocolate and the heat from the pepper will warm you up instantly. The whole milk or cream takes the edge off the cayenne. You will be surprised how much the cayenne brings out the flavor of the cayenne. Very delicious!

Bananas covered with Chocolate Paprika Sauce and Pistachios

This is a simple dessert that we always serve after a dinner party. It really surprises our guests.
Melt chocolate chips/drops with a little milk and vanilla. Add 2 teaspoons of hot paprika. Stir well. Pour the hot chocolate sauce over large slices of banana. Finally, sprinkle chopped pistachios over the chocolate and bananas. An easy and unusual dessert to liven up any party or just have it  while at home alone. It does not matter.

Sautee Peppers and Bacon with Vanilla Cream Sauce

I must admit, I was scared to try this when Ilias first made it for me. I am glad I overcame the fear because I loved it at first bite. The recipe can be changed around quite a bit. First, you must sauté one of the following combination in a skillet. I have tried them all and cannot pick my favorite.
(Sautee in a large amount of olive oil)
- Onions, red pepper, green pepper, smoked salami, mushrooms
-Onions, mushrooms, bacon, shrimp
-onions, mushrooms
-Ham, mushrooms
After cooking one of the combinations, add 1 cup of water, 8 ounces of heavy cream, salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Simmer mixture until it is at a saucy consistency.
We have this sauce over rice or pasta with a large amount of bread and a huge salad. 

In fact, we had it the other day!

Our table…

 



Try combing unusual flavors. You may have a creation that is uniquely you.

Pizza Dough and Tomato Sauce with Roasted Eggplant

Every two weeks or so, my husband and I have homemade pizza or pizza turnovers. Take-out pizza is expensive and who knows from what the ingredients are made. We have a policy in our house never to have frozen pre-made food (TV dinners, pot pies, fried chicken, burritos, etc.) for meals. So, frozen pizza is out. However, we both like to have pizza every once and awhile. I came up with this pizza dough recipe to make our own pizza or pizza turnovers. Once the dough is made, the topping or filling is pretty much up to the individual.

Today we had sliced leftover pizza turnovers from 2 days ago that were served cold that could be dipped in (or topped) with my Tomato with Roasted Eggplant Sauce. My husband LOVES this sauce and I LOVE to make it! 

To make the Pizza Dough…

• 1 package dry active yeast
• 1 teaspoon honey  or brown sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of dried granulated garlic
• A pinch of basil
• toppings of your choice

Preparation:

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup of the warm water. Combine the flour and the salt in a big separate bowl. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water to the flour and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon and then knead by hand. Careful not to add too much extra flour while kneading. The dough should be smooth and firm. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.
Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500º F. Use the entire dough for one large thicker crust pizza or divide the dough into two balls for two 12 inch thin crust pizzas. Work the ball (or balls)by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. At this point, the balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
If you use the dough right away, roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Add your sauce and toppings. Finally, cook for no more than 12 minutes (one large pizza). This time varies for the size of pizza and whether your making a turnover or not.
 


To make the Tomato with Roasted Eggplant Sauce…
I don’t have an ingredient list for this. I have the recipe in my head. Here are the brief instructions to make the sauce.

This sauce takes 4 hours total to make. Start early! First dice two small eggplants or one large eggplant into small pieces. Heat oven to 175 Celsius. Coat a baking pan with olive oil. Spread eggplant on baking pan and sprinkle with sea salt and lemon juice. Put eggplant in oven until golden brown.
While the eggplant is roasting…
Blanche 5 large tomatoes until the skins easily pull away. Set aside. Blanche 2 medium green peppers, one sweet red pepper, and one long yellow chili pepper until skins pull away easily. In a large saucepot, add about a 1/4 inch or more of olive to coat bottom of pot. Sauté a large clove of garlic and a finely diced onion in the heated oil. Take the skins off the tomatoes and peppers and chop into small pieces. Add the tomatoes and peppers to the onion and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add one beef stock cube, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, tablespoon basil, tablespoon oregano, tablespoon thyme, one teaspoon black pepper, red pepper flakes to taste, 2 bay leaves, and a sprig of fresh rosemary. Stir all of this together. Now add a little box of tomato paste and two cups of water. Stir. The eggplant should be done by now. Add the roasted eggplant with it’s oil to the sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover with a lid for one hour while stirring occasionally. Remove lid and continue to simmer for 2 hours. The liquid should reduce to a nice level. If it reduces too much, just add more water. Not enough reduction, simmer longer.
That’s it!

This is really good on a hot summer day.
When I became pregnant, we banished our cats to the outdoors for obvious reasons. They have adjusted well. Even though they are outside, our little momma cat still comes everyday at dinner time to watch me set the table and have a chat. I thought I would share this picture with everyone. It has brightness problems, but you can still see her little head. Meow!

Tuesdays Tabboulah and Cheese Pies

Lately, it has been so hot that the idea of having a hot meal makes me cringe. Because of this, today we are having cool dishes for dinner. I will make Tabboulah salad, small cheese pies, and hummus. The salad and hummus will be chilled. the cheese pies will be served at room temperature. I may put down hard-boiled eggs with vinegar and dill too, but we will see how hungry I am by dinnertime.

I have posted the recipes for the Tabboulah and the hummus. I will save the cheese pies for a later day in fear of making this too long a post.  At the end of this post, I have made a few comments of what I would change concerning the recipes.

Making the Tabboulah…
This recipe will make a lot of Tabboulah, which is great! It can be eaten for two days! I start my Tabboulah early in the morning around 10:30 am (early for me considering what time I wake up) . By 3pm, it will be nice and cold. In this recipe, I will be using mint from our garden and cayenne that I dried from last year.

• 2 cups bulgur (To me, it does not matter if it is fine ground or not)
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 green onions, sliced finely
• 1 fistful of parsley, stems removed, chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped finely (I may use less)
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (our oil comes from our neighbors olive trees)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I will add one tablespoon of balsamic too)
• 1 lemons…juice of the lemon that is…
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• salt and pepper
• 1 dried cayenne crumbled

Directions:

1. Place bulgur in a large mixing bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand 5 to 10 minutes, then fluff grains with a wooden spoon or fork.
   
2. Add onions, parsley, mint, cucumber, and tomatoes and mix well.
   
3. Finally, add the rest of the ingredients one at a time. Mix thoroughly. Chill in the refrigerator and toss once again before serving.

That is it! Pretty easy.
 
A few days ago, I made chickpeas and spinach which turned out very well. A new favorite summer dish for sure! However, I soaked and boiled too many chickpeas. An easy solution to a bounty of chickpeas is to make hummus. There are so many recipes for hummus. I think I have read them all. This is what I have come up with by combining a few of the good ones and following a few tips.
 
Making the Hummus… 
 

• 1 2/3 cup or 2 cups of chickpeas
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (or just squeeze half a lemon)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• one crushed cayenne
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. Place the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt, olive oil, crushed cayenne, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. (I chill before serving)
2. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

There you go. Two summer-ish recipes.

Here is our dinner table.

From left to right: Tabboulah, Greek yogurt, Hummus, Olive bread, and Cheese pies.


What I would change:
The Tabboulah was good. We learned through experience that less parsley is better, at least for our taste. Maybe I would add more vinegar, but my husband thought it was fine. I will boil the bulgur in a light chicken stock next time.
The Hummus tasted as hummus should taste. Personally, I would have liked like more lemon .
Oh, the cheese pies! The filling was great, but this is the LAST time I buy store-bought frozen phyllo dough. I will make my own pastry dough for cheese pies and share the recipe.

A Happy Wife…A Happy Life

What makes you happy? Is it your job, your kids, or your hobbies? My husband seems to think that it is his job to keep me happy. I never looked at it this way, but he does keep me very happy. No, he does not buy me expensive jewelry, take me on adventure trips, or shower me with constant adoration.

I find that the little things are what keep me coming back for more.

What could these little things be?

He makes my coffee in the morning and adds just the right amount of cream. He listens to me rattle on about every book that I read. He encourages me to paint, draw, and create even though I think that I am not very good. He holds my hand while we watch T.V. and that makes every night feel like the first date. He dances to Michael Jackson songs with me. If he is going to the store, he always calls and asks if I want or need something.

These are all nice things, but the most heart-warming to me is his cooking. When he cooks he says he puts all of his love for me in the food. You may not believe it, but I can taste it.

His food is always full of vegetables such as: eggplant, carrots, mushrooms, and peppers. (Be glad he is dressed in this picture. He is known to cook naked.)

 

Last night, he made a wonderful meal with pork. It was covered in a rosemary and cranberry sauce. It is amazing that he makes such great creations from our little kitchen.

Tonight, as I write this, he is making fresh basil pesto. I love his basil pesto. It is a masterpiece. However, I think he made too much this time because the motor of the blender is smoking .

Nothing stops a man and his basil.

We may have to buy a new blender and eat pest for a month, but I am happy. Our life together is happy too.

 

 

The Weather was Unpredictable

Depending on the weather…

That is what Ilias said last night. If the weather looked sunny and fair, we would go downtown, take a walk, have a coffee, and eat fish at a fish taverna. This morning was hot to say the least. Sunny was an understatement. It was blazing. So we set forth to downtown Chania and it proved that mother nature never intends for things to stay the same.

 

The day started out hot and we were sweating standing still. That fact did not stop us from walking to the taxi station where we met our friend Panos who was on his way to the University. We had a nice conversation that consisted of jokes about Ilias’s deodorant that smelled like car air freshener and the daily happenings in each others lives. It was nice, but we had to leave our friend and head downtown.

 

We had the taxi drop us several blocks from the fish tavern. We walked through the tourist shop area that sold leathers, t-shirts, and jewelry. It seems that tourists season has not quite ended because there were Norwegians, Finnish, and Germans everywhere.

 

After walking a few blocks to the old harbor, we arrived at one of the coffee shops that many Greeks frequent. The coffee shop is near an old Turkish bath and one of my favorite pottery shops. I hope to purchase something from this shop one day, if only I could make up my mind what I liked the best.

 

 

After the coffee and a long chat, which was excellent, we went to the fish tavern. However, the sun did not come with us. Clouds gathered and the raindrops had a party on our heads. Luckily, Apostolis Fish Taverna has awnings that cover the outdoor seating. We enjoyed our wonderful meal with the pitter-patter sound above us. The best part was when two men in a boat arrived. As we ate, we watched as they emptied their catch into a bucket. Did they take it home? Well one man did, but the other bought his fish to the taverna. I heard that people can sell their fish the the fish tavernas, but I never witnessed it first hand. I am glad for this experience. Heck, I am glad for all of the experiences here.

Anyway…

Back to the story!

After too much wine, raki, and far too much fish, we decided to take a short walk around old town before we went home. I love the old harbor. Some of the boats look like they are out of an old movie. I guess all of Old Town has that feeling. Did I mention that as fast as the storm came the storm went? (It would rear it’s fiery again when we would arrive home.)

We passed Ilias’s (okay, mine too.) favorite place for food after a late night of drinking. Hot dogs! Greek style! (ΧΟΤ ΝΤΟΓΚ is Greek for Hot Dog.)

We had a good conversation about the buildings that are left for ruin in Old Town. It would be so nice if somebody could care for them. Most are hundreds and hundreds of years old. Well, I guess they give the pigeons a good home.

      

We searched for a restaurant that we both are dying to try out. It is a Turkish Restaurant called “The Well of the Turk”. the spice shop that we buy our spices from recommended the restaurant for those who like spicy food. After wandering down many narrow corridors, we came across the restaurant. We plan to go soon and experience spicy Turkish food. Maybe you will join us? Think about it…

We are going to go home and relax for the evening. I hope you find happiness and relaxation on your sunny, but suddenly stormy Sunday.

Meet Jackson

Jackson is our dog. Actually, he is more than just a dog. He makes us laugh, provides companionship, and reminds us what being good and loyal is all about. Despite all of his good qualities, he still gets dirty and needs a bath.

Yesterday was bath day for Jackson. Before his bath, I decided to take him to the harbor/port near our home to run on the beach and to get more dirty. Perhaps, you would like to come along with Jackson and I. It is a short walk and has nice scenery.

 

At the end of this road, is the port. Jackson will lead the way.

 

I have to remind Jackson that we are going to the port and not to scary old run down buildings. (I think he is in the Halloween spirit,  but unfortunately Greeks do not celebrate Halloween.)

 

 

First we pass the Fish Taverna that is near the port. During the summer, tables are set up under the trees and the smell of fish drives Jackson crazy.

 

 

We always stop to look at the view of our neighborhood and Chania town in the distance. I should rephrase that, I look at the view and Jackson sniffs around oblivious to the stunning view.

 

The port is full of smells for Jackson, but the fun has not started yet. The port is not very busy today, so Jackson does not have anybody to bother.

 

 

A duck and a couple of geese live in the harbor all year. Jackson tries to catch them, but they are much faster than him. Especially, when it comes to swimming they have him beat. I think they laugh from a safe distance.

 

 

After the excitement of chasing birds, Jackson has fun at the small beach running, swimming, and playing with anything he can find.

 

All of this is tiring, so we go take a break by the church.

  

 

Yep, I think Jackson is ready to go home and take a bath. I hope you enjoyed the walk. I did and I know Jackson did too.

Darkness is Creeping up on Us

I appreciate all of the fine leather goods that the country of Greece produces. I really do. I feel lucky that they come at a good bargain too. However, there is a problem that I have with the leather makers. I often wonder what can be done about this or if anything should be done about it. Take a look for yourself and you will see the issue that is at hand.

I live near a leather factory. They do not make much noise, the people working there are kind, and I am glad that somebody out there does this trade. Take a look at this picture. It does not seem too bad, does it?

 

Sometimes, maybe once or twice a week, something occurs that itches my mind. I just don’t like it. Of course, I do not have enough information about the situation and I never was a whistle blower. It still bothers me.

A black-brownish dye or by product of some sort is released into the sea by the leather factory. It trickles out and is like a cancer invading the marine blue and emerald green of this beautiful environment. I would hate to be in the water when this is being released. It has a foul smell and cannot be good. But I am assuming things and do not know of what the substance is actually made. I can only guess.

 

(I put an yellow arrow pointing out the substance and a orange circle around a man searching for mussels who is unaware of the sludge creeping up on him.)

What is this stuff made of? What are the effects? I know there is a neighborhood beach right around the corner from here. I wonder if they are aware of this and if they would let their children swim in the sea if they knew what I know.

The blackness invades and soon most of the blue is gone. Do the fish and other marine life leave too?

 

Humans are not perfect. This a hard fact, but should innocents suffer from our imperfections? Who are the innocents? Sea life, our children, or maybe it is our future. The future is innocent of what we do today or what we plan to do tomorrow.

As the darkness covers the bay and most likely reaches further into the Aegean, I still sit here and wonder what will come of this. What would you do?

 

 

The Little Garden that Grew

One thing that amazes me is that our garden, even though it is on our balcony, is STILL producing peppers and tomatoes. The weather in Crete is ideal for having a garden all year. A dream come true for me.

 

I brought seeds with me from the United States to, hopefully, grow some of my favorite vegetables in Crete. There were successes and failures. Ilias and I worked very hard to make each plant grow but, some seemed not to enjoy the sun, sea air, and the dry climate. On the other hand, some of the seeds took off and grew bigger than I have ever seen in the States. Oops! I hope it does not start an invasion….

 

Here are some of our successes.

 

Marigolds, oh Marigolds!

These are two plants. One packets of seeds filled many pots, made flowers for months, and they grew to monster sizes. I collected and saved a HALF GALLON of marigold seeds for next year. They seems to love the Cretan sun.

(Taken October 2nd)

 

The Cherry tomatoes were beyond my expectations. They grew over 7ft tall and produced not once, but twice! It is October now and I believe we will have tomatoes well into November.  I am very happy with my American seeds because the plant seemed to resist a serious bug problem that destroyed most other tomato plants in Crete.

This is a potted tomato that hangs off our balcony. (Taken October 2nd)

 

Brandywine tomatoes and Basil ready to give us it’s seeds.

 

Most surprising were the peppers. Some of the plants grew nearly five feet tall. We have Serrano, cayenne, cubanelle, red, chili… The list goes on and on. The peppers seem to love the climate. The Cretans do not eat spicy food, so we have the peppers all to ourselves. Hee Hee!

 

 

We originally bought the mint to make mojitos, but it is more of a decorative plant now. We make new plants from the runners by placing them in a pot of dirt and then setting a rock on top of it. It is always nice to give a little mint plant as a gift to those who visit us.

 

The garden keeps me entertained and Ilias finds amazing ways to prepare all of our produce. I hope you enjoyed it.