Is there anyone that doesn’t like them?

The mere sighting of this word on a menu can bring instant ”comfort” to an individual’s ear.

Where would ”bangers” be without their mash? (a bit like Cagney without Lacey!).

You wouldn’t dream of serving up a hearty meatloaf and NOT enjoying it with a side of mashed potatoes.

Today though, I wanted to veer off the traditional path and showcase some alternatives.

Don’t get me wrong. I like my regular mash but it’s nice to know there are other veggies out there that can compete with the humble spud.

I touched on this briefly a few years ago when I made a carrot and dill mash.

Let’s explore the possibilities.

Preparing Sweet Potato Mash

This has become a new favourite for me.  I’m not sure if I’m late to the party with this but my kumara purchases have skyrocketed!

Simply peel a sweet potato, chop it up into even sized chunks and boil it for fifteen minutes.

Finish it off with a good knob of butter, a little cream, salt and pepper and voila! Next time you make a shepherds pie try using this as your topping.

Preparing Pea Mash

If you have a bag of frozen peas on hand this one is a no brainer.

Microwave or blanch two cups of peas, place them in a food processor and add jazz them up with whatever you like.

Some suggestions:

• Greek yoghurt and garlic
• Sour cream and dill
• A little cream, butter and fresh mint.

Once you’ve whizzed the peas up serve them with a good steak or a piece of grilled salmon.

Preparing Cauliflower Mash

I always get the impression that cauliflower is seen as more of a ”supporting” vegetable than an actual ”star”.

I prefer to steam my cauliflower rather than boil it. I find it keeps its shape and does not get too limp or soggy.

Prepare one head of cauliflower by chopping it into even pieces. I use a steamer insert for this on a pot and check it at ten minutes. (It’s usually ready between the ten to fifteen minute mark).

To ”mash” it I use a food processor and add two cloves of garlic, a good ”splash” of olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Sometimes I add a good dash of nutmeg too.

Which brings me to the fish pie.

This is my first time making a fish pie and I have to say I loved it. I read like a million recipes online and all talked about using potatoes as a topping and making a white sauce for the filling.

Whilst all that sounded delicious, I was after comfort food without the heaviness. Yes, the dish has a little pouring cream stirred through the filling but it actually keeps it light.

There’s also a little Dijon, dill and lemon juice.

The fish pie is topped with the cauliflower mash and for a little ”naughtiness” topped with some good grated Cheddar cheese (not the fake yellow, plastic stuff thanks!).

If you’re starting to feel the cold, this fish pie will definitely warm up the insides. It won’t win any awards for prettiness and presentation but it will win in the comfort stakes.

]]> http://souvlakiforthesoul.com/fish-pie/feed 8 http://souvlakiforthesoul.com/the-best-getaway-ever http://souvlakiforthesoul.com/the-best-getaway-ever#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 10:00:49 +0000 Peter G http://souvlakiforthesoul.com/?p=5868 The rolling hills of the South Coast here in NSW have seductive powers.

Couldn’t you just stare at that view forever?

Lush, green pastures.

Stunning, sunlit valleys.

Mother Nature at her finest.

Perfect for a getaway don’t you think?

And get away is exactly what I did recently.

A group of us were back at ”Redleaf”-that gorgeous property I managed to stay at a few years ago.

And if the property has a twenty metre pool you know it’s going to be better than good!

We were here to celebrate the milestone birthday of a good friend.

And we did it the best way we know.

With food (and copious amounts of Australian Shiraz!).

We enjoyed lunches on the deck, bathing in the warm, autumn sun.

In the evening we lit log fires and warmed our insides with hearty soups and stews.

Some of the dishes that we made included:

• Lamb Koftas with tzatziki 
• Mushroom, zucchini and green kale lasagna
• Barbecued ”picanha”. If you’ve ever been to a Brazilian steakhouse this piece of rump is considered gold. It was marinated in a simple medley of olive oil, salt and pepper. I have to say I was quite nervous about cooking this on the barbecue and was happy when it turned out.
• A Potato and chorizo soup finished off with cavolo nero.
• Beef stewed in red wine with cauliflower mash.
• My lime, yoghurt and olive oil cake. With limes picked off the nearby trees on the property.
• A double chocolate, caramel and coconut cake. Decadent!

It was quite a varied menu but everyone chipped and enjoyed the fruits of their labour.

I love cooking holidays!

We also managed to sneak in a few other activities too.

We went on a small hike in the surrounding area and came across some llamas (of all things!) goats and cows.

I think hiking is fun-to a point. I just wish there were more coffee shops in the bush! Those espresso withdrawals come at the most unfortunate of times!

And finally we had a fun afternoon swimming. Such is the beauty and geography of this region that the beach is only half an hour away.

I just love this contrast. One minute you’re battling baby red belly snakes in the mountain (a long story…) and the next you’re walking on pristine white sand.

I hope you enjoy my little picture essay.

Oh! And if you’re interested in getting a few friends together and staying at that gorgeous property known as ”Redleaf” -click on this link to get all the details. (no one paid me to say that either!).

Cheers!

P.S. All photos you see here have been taken with my beloved Fuji X100

April 25th marks ANZAC Day here in Australia and New Zealand.

If you’re reading this from overseas and you’re not familiar with the term, the word is an acronym. It stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

It’s Australia’s day of commemoration.

Traditionally, it honours the lives of soldiers who fought in the First World War.

But in recent times, it has also taken on to remember the men and women who served in the various conflicts Australia has participated in.

The Importance of The Anzac Biscuit

You’re probably wondering “what on earth do these biscuits have to do with all of this?”.

These biscuits are a tradition stemming from the First World War. They were made and sent to the soldiers because of their shelf life.

As you can imagine, any food that was sent via ship in those days spoilt very quickly. The wives and mothers of the soldiers (who were in Australia) came up with a recipe that would not spoil. There are no eggs used in Anzac biscuits.

It’s the golden syrup that gives them their binding power. The Anzac biscuits were stored in metal tins and remained crisp for their long journey over the seas.

Brilliant right?

Apart from being a clever recipe they are DELICIOUS. And completely addictive. And for the cliched part of the post-”Try stopping at one!”.

As a youngster I indulged in making these simple yet tasty biscuits. They really are very easy to put together. And I’m sure most of you have these ingredients in your pantry.

My favourite part is biting into these and tasting the shredded coconut and the dark caramel flavours of the golden syrup.

Over the years I’ve seen people tweak the original recipe by adding nuts and other goodies but they don’t really need it, in my opinion.

And it doesn’t have to be Anzac Day to make these. Make them any time of the year. However, I think it’s important to remember what they stand for.

Lest We Forget

I’m sure you’ve had a ”perfect” idea only to find out later that perhaps some things should never be attempted.

Let’s back track.

I like living in my ”small-ish” inner city pad.  But hate the fact that the balcony is enclosed.

Just before the recent blog dramas, I decided to make barbecued ribs.

I had gotten one of those tiny barbecues that suit the inner city apartment dweller.

The cravings for smoky, chargrilled barbecued ribs were driving my taste buds insane. Call it umami withdrawals.

Even with the windows wide open the smoke made its way inside. Ok. It wasn’t thick, black ”burning down the house” kind of smoke. 

But it was “intense”. 

And then the fire alarm went off. And I’m sure you can figure out the rest. 

My face was redder than the marinade!

Part two of my barbecued rib experiment relied on using the oven. I know my oven. I love my oven. I trust my oven.

It’s what I should have done in the first place.

So how do you go about making “barbecued” style ribs in the oven?

The ribs you need to use for this are pork baby back ribs. They are sometimes referred to as ”American style” ribs. 

Boil the ribs for about five minutes before marinating them. It removes any impurities and makes the cooking time quicker too.

For the ever important marinade, I used my favourite ingredient in this. Petimezi. A nice Greek touch don’t you think?

Petimezi is absolutely the perfect partner for this dish. It’s naturally sweet and plays well with other ingredients too.

The longer the you marinate the ribs the more intense the flavour will be. Overnight achieves the best results.

And make sure your oven is smokin’ hot (ok bad choice of words). A hot oven will allow the ribs to caramelise and cook quickly.

No smoke.. No dramas. And no firemen…

*A note about the recipe.  I used 2 smaller racks of ribs.  Perfect for a couple. Any larger ribs will require the marinade to be adjusted and baked for a little longer*

One of my recipes had been ”pinned” (I honestly cannot keep up with the amount of social networks these days!) over five thousand times!

And to top it all off, Souvlaki For The Soul was featured in the Australian Masterchef magazine. (we’ll get to that later on).

This little extra bump in traffic apparently caused havoc with their servers and they couldn’t cope.

Obviously my $4.95 per month didn’t go very far…

Next began a series of emails, where I virtually had to beg to be let in to my own blog! I was finally allowed in and then out of nowhere was banned again!

Changing WordPress Hosts-Be Prepared

So I bit the bullet and went with a dedicated WordPress host, who can handle the traffic and do all the managing for me.

Ugh! As much as I love blogging, these little incidents leave a bad taste in my mouth.

It took about eight days to move the files and images over and then reset the domain name servers. That brought its own series of headaches.  I’m still in the process of tidying things up as we speak.

I’m not going to bore you with all the technical details but I implore anyone who uses WordPress for their blogging to get a good host. Wpengine have been fantastic and they come highly recommended (no-one paid me to say that either!).

Freelance Work-Antoniou Fillo Pastry

In other food news, I recently collaborated with Antoniou Fillo to produce a series of recipes for their business. It was fun to develop, cook, style and shoot these series of images.

I love fillo pastry and kataifi and they allowed me the freedom to play around with their beautiful products.

I’ve always loved san choy bau in Chinese restaurants but on this occasion, I wanted to take the filling and wrap it up in fillo pastry and then wrap that around cos lettuce. It’s my double crunch recipe!  The recipe was renamed pork spring rolls served in cos lettuce.

I also did a variation on Beef Wellington by making a ”Lamb Wellington”. Antoniou Fillo have a fantastic thicker style fillo pastry which was perfect for this recipe.

And for all you ”sweet tooths”, I made  a kataifi banana tarte tartin and used kataifi as the base (instead of the traditional puff pastry).

Yes, this was a paid gig but I can honestly say the quality of this fillo pastry is top notch. I’ve bought many pre packaged fillo products over the years and have had an ”o.k.” experience with these. I hope you like the images.

Masterchef Magazine

And finally, Masterchef. The Australian version of Masterchef magazine featured my blog in an article this month. I was quite honoured to be showcased along with a few other food bloggers.

Let’s just say I found the experience ”bittersweet”. When I downloaded the iPad version of the magazine I was all very excited by it.

Then I had a look at the printed version and noticed they spelt the blog’s name wrong! LOL! It’s ”souvlaki” not ”slouvaki”. Oh well you gotta laugh! I also provided them with a recipe and I went with a favourite-my cinnamon braised lamb shanks.

I hate writing apology posts. It feels like I’m sucking up in a funny sort of way.

Now back to the business of food blogging…

Cheers!

It’s been a busy weeks folks.  I apologise for only getting out one recipe.  I promise there’ll be more next week.

The last few days I’ve been photographing a special project which I’ll let you know about soon.  It involves an ingredient very dear to my Greek heart!

As the last dishes were packed away this evening, all I could dream about was this gorgeous red wine!  I like to call it my “saviour”.

And in case you didn’t know, red wine is my preferred choice when it comes to wine.  A glass or two with a nice hearty meal and I’m in “the perfect place”.  Especially now that the cooler season is approaching.

Take care everyone and enjoy your weekend.

Cheers

Peter

Another big Greek word and another Greek dish.

Don’t let the unpronounceable name of this dish put you off. If you have excess zucchini laying around make them immediately!

”keftedes” are the Greek word for meatballs however there is no meat in today’s recipe. For simplicity’s sake let’s just call them zucchini fritters.

I’ll be completely honest here and say that I have never made these zucchini fritters before. I enjoyed them a few times growing up and mostly ordered them at restaurants when I was visiting Greece.

I’m happy to say I’ve made these twice now and I’m delighted at how they turned out.

When I was researching kolokithokeftedes I came across Peter from Kalofagas’s recipe on Google. I was specifically drawn to his recipe because he baked these in the oven rather than lightly fry them on the stovetop.

I must admit, initially I was skeptical that these would hold their shape. However, these turned out fantastic! Thank you Peter!

Making Zucchini Fritters Gluten Free

I’ve modified the recipe a little in that I did not use any breadcrumbs in the mixture. I wanted to make these zucchini fritters gluten free (for my friend-remember these almond pancakes?) and substituted almond meal or almond flour. Again, they held their shape beautifully.  (the dough was slighlty “wetter” but still good).

If you plan on making these zucchini fritters, don’t skimp on the herbs. Going by the recipe I used fresh parsley, dill and mint. I added a little extra dill because I love dill. I encourage you to play around with the ratios and find the right combination that suits your palate.

The feta gives them that wonderful cheesy, salty goodness. Use the good stuff If you you can!

I accompanied our little soirée with a tomato and feta salad, dressed in olive oil and dried Greek oregano and served the zucchini fritters with a ”herby” Greek yoghurt mixture.

Brunch, lunch or dinner-you’ve got to make these!

Baked Zucchini Fritters Kolokithokeftedes

Recipe Type: Appetiser
Serves: 16

A baked version of the traditional Greek zucchini fritter

Ingredients

• 3 medium to large zucchini, grated and squeezed of excess water
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped dill
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped mint
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 3/4-1 cup of almond meal
• 100 grams of feta cheese, crumbled
• 50 grams of grated Pecorino
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pre heat your oven to 200 deg C.
2. In a small pan, saute the finely diced onion and garlic in a little olive oil until it becomes translucent. Set aside to cool.
3. Once the onion/garlic mixture has cooled add it with ALL THE INGREDIENTS in a large bowl.
4. Using your hands combine the fritters mixture thoroughly. If you find that it’s still a little wet add 1/4 cup extra almond meal. (Don’t be tempted to add too much)
5. Form the mixture into small patties (grab a little in your hand and then flatten them out slightly) and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
6. Brush the tops of the fritters with a little olive oil and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Take them out and using a spatula, carefully flip them over, brush the tops again with olive oil and finish cooking them for another 10 minutes.
7. Once cooked allow them to cool slightly and serve them with a salad and some Greek yoghurt or tzatziki.

Notes
it’s important to squeeze the excess water out of the grated zucchini-once grated you can sprinkle it with sea salt and leave it for a few hours. If you’re short on time- just grate it and squeeze as much as you can

What is it with taste buds?

Do they suddenly decide at a certain age to change their tactics and alter your preferences for different foods?

My taste bud ”changes” happened around the age of fifteen. It was the humble pickle that would set my taste buds on this new ”sour and salty” romance.

I don’t know what possessed me to actually try one (really try one-not just a little bite!) but the moment I did, I was in love.

I loved the fresh crunch of the crisp cucumber.
I loved the saltiness of the whole pickle.
I loved the dill aroma.
I tell you I was in love!

Up until now, it’s been quite say to walk into a supermarket or specialised delicatessen and pick up a jar of pickled cucumbers. My preference is for the miniature, whole pickles first and the slices second.

It’s been a hit and miss affair finding a commercial pickle I like. There’s just too much added sugar in some of the varieties I’ve tried.  And I don’t know why I’ve never made them at home. I just think the whole preserving thing can seem a little scary.

So when I saw these tiny cucumbers on sale at the local fruit and veg shop, I just had to give the whole home made pickles thing a go!

These are very similar to the technique I use to make my quick jams. I make them up and consume them in a very short period (usually 5-7 days).

You can flavour your pickles with anything you like but I decided to go with the traditional dill. I’ve also added a little garlic, salt and pepper. White vinegar makes up the rest of the solution.

It’s quite simple really. I fill the sterilized jars with the small cucumbers, add the spices and then fill up the remaining space with white vinegar. Pop it in the fridge and in four hours you’ll be biting into home made dill pickles.

For best results try them the next day but please eat them within a five day period.

]]> http://souvlakiforthesoul.com/home-made-pickles-recipe/feed 22 http://souvlakiforthesoul.com/london-again http://souvlakiforthesoul.com/london-again#comments Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:08:28 +0000 Peter G http://souvlakiforthesoul.com/?p=5657 I know it’s another post about London but I just can’t help myself.

Me and my Fuji X100 braved the slightly chilly weather (thank goodness there was no snow!) and made a day of exploring this magical city.

Like last time, I started in Westminster and made my way over the bridge. I whisked past the ”Abbey” and explored the local parks surrounding this historical area.

Up next, Trafalgar Square. It was full of visitors everywhere! People were scrambling to get shots on the lion statues and posing in front of the fountains.

Hunger pangs set in and I found myself at ”Jamie’s Italian” restaurant in Covent Garden. Dining for one certainly has its advantages as I managed to get a table immediately.

One antipasto board with cured meats, a spaghetti with rabbit ragu (recommended by my lovely waitress), two glasses of Sicilian Shiraz and one espresso later I was one happy camper! (the total came to £25 which is roughly around 35 Aussie bucks…not bad considering that’s the price of a main in some Sydney restaurants!).

After my mini Italian feast and trying to fight off the effects of jet lag (body clock thought it was 1 a.m. When it was actually 2 pm…aargh!) Covent Garden was looking a little manic for my liking. I snapped some shots of the street performers and hastily made my way back toward Waterloo Bridge.

Once I was over the bridge, I could smell food being cooked and I notice quite a bit of activity. Oh! It’s a market! This is the real food market (as my research later informs me). Artisan breads, cheeses, real home made cider all are vying for my attention. You name it it’s here. However, it’s the gigantic piece of mortadella that’s calling my name!

Look at the size of it! A kind gentleman offers me a taste and is baking mini pizzas in a small makeshift oven.

”Would you like a pizza with mortadella?”

”Um…is the queen English?” I respond!

After greedily enjoying my snack, I notice that day is quickly becoming night…but it feels so early.

The air is cool and crisp. I think a red wine might be in order to warm me up.

Thank you London. You’ve made me a happy visitor once again.

For all you photography buffs some of these shots were processed in black and white because I like the mood they convey. It was a ”bright grey” sort of day on my little stroll and I thought these tones were more reflective of that.

Take care and enjoy your weekend everyone.

That’s how this blog post begins.

As you’re aware I’ve shopped up big on lemons and limes.

The apartment is beginning to smell like a citrus orchard (not that that’s a bad thing).

I was bored earlier today and thought it would be a good exercise to shoot some still life images of the abundant produce.

After that was done I was still faced with the dilemma of what to do with it all.

I thought about whipping up a lime, yoghurt and olive oil cake but I just wasn’t in a baking mood-yet.

The only other abundant product that I ALWAYS have in the house is olive oil. It’s been with me “like forever”. LOL!

I am very lucky that I have it sent from Greece. I get a shipment every few years and enjoy it quite a bit in many of the Greek and Greek inspired recipes I make.

I’d actually been thinking for quite a while now to make some sort of infused olive oil concoction as the commercial ones are very expensive and frankly not worth it.

In the end I decided to make a batch of lemon infused olive oil.

The process was quite simple actually. The oil needs to be gently simmered with a little lemon peel for about ten to fifteen minutes. Once it cools, strain it and seal your bottle, before storing it in a cool, dark place.

I’ll let you know how the flavours develop over time. It will definitely need a few weeks to do this.

LEMON INFUSED OLIVE OIL RECIPE

• 1 cup, extra virgin olive oil
• Peel from 1 or 2 lemons

1. Scrub your lemons quite thoroughly before peeling them.
2. Peel your lemons avoiding any of the white pith.
3. Place the lemon peel with the olive oil in a sauce pan and cook over a very low heat for 10-15 mins. (make sure the mixture does not boil. We want to the flavours to infuse nice and slowly)
4. Remove from the heat and allow the olive oil to cool down completely.
5. Remove the peel and pour the oil in a glass bottle or jar.
6. Store in a cool, dark place to allow the flavours to develop.