Like many, we also usually take vacations every summer and a long vacation, and this year we chose to spend time with the family in Greece.
After a very intense year in which I opened both the Hiba restaurant and the DNA, and filmed two TV shows ("The Next Restaurant" and the soon-to-be aired "Chef Games"), I needed a real vacation.
A relaxed vacation, which allows you to reset and gather strength, and if possible - also use the time to digest once and for all everything we have been through in the last two years.
Anyone who has had the chance to visit Greece, surely knows that the all-inclusive country provides tourists with many options for content consumption and many attractions, but as I said - we came to relax, if possible, also with good Greek food, on the beautiful beaches and in the happy taverns.
So that you too can join us for a short and delicious vacation, get four great recipes, relatively easy to prepare, that will put you right into the peaceful Mediterranean atmosphere of Greece.
enjoy your meal!
Stuffed vine leaves, photo: Asaf Karla
stuffed grape leaves
√ Vine leaves, vinegar to soak the leaves
√ 2-3 tomatoes, cut into slices
√ 4 garlic cloves, peeled
For the sauce:
√ 1 cup boiling water
√ ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
√ ¼ cup oil
√ 1 teaspoon salt
√ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the filling:
√ ½ cups well-washed round rice
√ 1 tomato, grated
√ Freshly squeezed juice from 1 small lemon
√ 1 garlic clove, crushed
√ 2 teaspoons salt
√ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Stuffed vine leaves, photo: Asaf Karla
Preparation:
Filling:
fry the rice for about a minute with a little olive oil, add all the ingredients and 3 cups of hot water and mix well.
Cook for 15 minutes.
Leaves:
Open the leaves gently and place in a bowl.
Wash them well in a stream of lukewarm water and filter.
Soak in vinegar for 10-15 minutes and rinse with water.
Preparation of the fillings:
place 1 tablespoon of filling on each leaf and roll as thin and tight as possible.
Line the bottom of a pot with a layer of tomato slices and densely arrange the rolled leaves on top of it.
Arrange the remaining tomato slices on top and sprinkle the garlic cloves.
Sauce:
mix all the sauce ingredients and pour over to fully cover (hot water can be added).
Place an upside-down plate on top, so that the fillings do not float.
Cook on high heat and bring to a boil, cover the pot and lower the heat.
Cook for about an hour, until no liquid remains.
Fried fish, photo: Assaf Karla
fried fish
√ ½ kg of anchovies or sardines
√ Hummus flour
√ Oil for frying
√ Lemons cut into quarters
Preparation:
The size of the fish varies from season to season.
I usually prefer them bigger, but even tiny fish will do the trick.
Flour the fish in chickpea flour and fry in a deep fryer in boiling oil.
Remove from the pan, blot with a paper towel and serve with lemon quarters.
Don't forget lemon!
Fried fish, photo: Assaf Karla
Skordalia, photo: Assaf Karla
Skordalia
√ 200 g (2 small) tomatoes, boiled and peeled
√ 200 g roasted pine nuts
√ 8 cloves of garlic, peeled
√ 100 ml cold water
√ 70 ml olive oil
√ 25 g vinegar (white)
√ 10 g salt
Preparation:
Grind everything well into a smooth puree, taste and adjust seasoning.
Tzatziki, photo: Assaf Karla
Tzatziki
√ 500 grams of yogurt with relatively high fat percentages (you can add cream for a thicker texture)
√ 1 cucumber, finely grated in a blender
√ 1 clove of garlic, grated
√ 2 tablespoons of olive oil
√ 1 tablespoon of vinegar
√ 1 teaspoon of salt
Method of preparation:
mix everything well together.
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