World Recipes

Greek Chicken with Artichokes (Kottopoulo me Anginares)

4 large chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup water
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon
1 (14 ounce) can small artichoke hearts, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 eggs

Remove bones and skin from chicken breast halves. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet until hot. Cook chicken over medium heat until brown on both sides, about 15 minutes; drain fat. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and garlic. Add water and bouillon. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add artichoke hearts. Cover and simmer until chicken is done and artichoke hearts are hot, about 5 minutes.

Remove chicken and artichoke hearts to warm platter with slotted spoon; keep warm. Beat lemon juice, cornstarch and egg in small bowl until smooth, using fork. Add enough water to pan juices to measure 1 cup. Beat into egg mixture, using fork. Return mixture to skillet. Heat to boiling over medium heat; boil and stir 1 minute. Pour sauce over chicken and artichokes. Sprinkle with minced parsley if desired.

Yields 4 servings.

Greek Chicken Phyllo Pie

1 broiler-fryer, cut up
5 cups water
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (17 ounce) package commercial frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
1 cup melted butter or margarine
Celery leaves (for garnish)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until tender. Remove chicken, and cool slightly. Bone chicken, cutting meat into bite-size pieces; set aside. Remove and discard celery and bay leaf, reserving 3 cups broth and onion mixture; set aside.

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add reserved broth mixture; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot mixture into eggs; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Add cheese and next 4 ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes or until thickened. Add chick and set aside.

Unfold phyllo, and cut the stack of sheets in half crosswise. Trim each half to a 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Cover with a slightly damp towel to prevent pastry from drying out.

Coat bottom and sides of a 13 x 9-inch pan with melted butter or margarine. Layer 15 trimmed phyllo sheets in pan, brushing each with melted butter or margarine. Spread half of chicken mixture evenly over phyllo. Top with 12 additional trimmed phyllo sheets, brushing each with melted butter or margarine. Spread remaining chicken mixture over phyllo; top mixture with remaining trimmed phyllo sheets, brushing each with melted butter or margarine.

With a sharp knife, cut through only the top layer of phyllo to make 12 servings. Bake, uncovered, on lowest rack in oven at 375 degrees F for 1 hour.

Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with celery leaves, if desired.

Yields 12 servings.

Greek Beef over Zucchini

1 1/2 pounds stew meat
1 large onion, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 small cans tomato sauce
10 to 12 medium zucchini

Slice zucchini lengthwise. Brown in oil and drain. Put onto a large platter. Brown onion until clear. Add meat, then brown. Add tomato sauce and spices and simmer until done. Add water if needed. Pour this over zucchini and serve. Sprinkle on just a bit of cinnamon and grate Romano cheese over the top.

This may be served over spaghetti instead of zucchini.

Garides me Feta (Shrimp with Feta Cheese)

1/2 cup minced onion
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 ripe medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon oregano
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 pound raw large shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a heavy skillet, saute onion in butter and oil until soft. Add wine, tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano. Bring to boil, lower heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in cheese and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings.

Just before serving, add shrimp to hot sauce and cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp are just tender. Do not overcook. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately in large bowls with crusty French bread. Pass the rice!

Galaktoboureko

Syrup
3/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 edge of orange rind
1 cinnamon stick

Boil for 10 minutes. Cool. Prepare this before making pastry.

Pastry
2 quarts milk
1 cup farina
6 eggs
3/4 pound unsalted sweet butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
20 phyllo sheets

Heat milk to scalding. Beat eggs until thick. Add farina and mix. Add mixture to milk with 1/4 pound butter. Heat, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat. Add vanilla extract.

Melt remaining butter and butter bottom and sides of a 10 x 14 x 2-inch pan. Place 10 buttered phyllo leaves in pan. Pour farina mixture in and cover with remaining phyllo, buttering each leaf as it is laid. Butter the top sheet very well and score into diamond-shaped pieces. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes. Pour the COOLED syrup over HOT pastry.

Faki Soupa (Greek Lentil Soup)

3/4 cup brown lentils
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (3 ounce) can tomato puree
8 ounces fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded
Good pinch of oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 3/4 cups water
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Cover lentils with cold water and bring to boil. Drain lentils and return to the pan with 1 1/2 pints water, garlic, onion, tomato puree, fresh tomatoes, oregano and olive oil. Bring to a boil and simmer until the lentils are soft. Remove from heat and blend, but stop blending before the mixture gets too smooth. Season to taste.

Apricot Baklava

4 cups Turkish dried apricots
1 cup water
1 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated
1 tablespoon butter
8 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 cup ground almonds
2 tablespoons bread crumbs, toasted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey, warmed

Simmer the apricots with the water, orange juice, honey, cinnamon, lemon rind and butter. When they are tender, remove from the heat and cool slightly before chopping into small pieces. Set aside while you prepare the phyllo.

Lay the phyllo flat and cover with a piece of plastic wrap.

Mix together the nuts, bread crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Cut the phyllo the size of an 11 x 7-inch dish and spray the bottom of the pan with nonstick spray. Lay one sheet of phyllo, spray, lay another sheet and sprinkle with 1/2 the nut mixture. Lay another sheet of phyllo, spray and lay a final sheet of phyllo.

Gently spread the apricot mixture evenly across the top, being careful to not tear the layer below. Top with a sheet of phyllo, spray, lay another sheet, sprinkle with the remaining nut mixture, lay a sheet of phyllo, spray and lay another sheet of phyllo.

Cut three long strips and then cut four strips across. Cut these rectangles in half on the diagonal to form triangles. Spray the top with nonstick spray and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Drizzle the warmed honey on top and bake another 5-10 minutes.

Apple Rum Baklava

3 cups chopped apples
2 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons rum
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 pound phyllo dough
1 pound butter, clarified, melted
1 cup honey

Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl; mix well.

Trim 8 sheets phyllo dough to fit 10 x 15-inch baking pan. Keep unused phyllo covered with damp cloth. Arrange in baking pan, brushing each sheet generously with melted butter. Spread half the apple mixture over phyllo dough. Arrange 6 buttered sheets phyllo dough over apple mixture. Spread with remaining apple mixture. Top with 8 buttered sheets phyllo dough. Cut into squares. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Heat honey in small saucepan. Drizzle over hot baklava.

May substitute 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons lemon rind for rum.

Yields 12 servings.

Approx Per Serving: Cal 606; Prot 4.3 g; Carbo 49.6 g; T Fat 46.2 g; Chol 82.8 mg; Potas 277.0 mg; Sod 294.0 mg. Nutritional information does not include phyllo dough.