olga_d_ont
Well-known member
Greek Bulgur Pilaf
The two grains usually cooked into stirs and pilafs are wheat—in the form of pligouri, or bulgur—and rizi, rice. Occasionally pearl barley sits beneath a roast, shows up in a vegetable mix, or becomes part of a pancake. Bulgur pilaf appears most commonly in northern Greece, rice virtually everywhere across the nation.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup medium or coarse ground bulgur
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or meat, or vegetable stock, or a mixture of 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a medium size skillet over medium high heat. Add the bulgur and onion and sauté until both are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the stock, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pan. Simmer until the bulgur is just tender and all the liquid is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Serves 4.
NOTE: If you wish to increase the quantity, just remember that you need 1 1/2 times as much liquid as bulgur. Be sure also to increase the amount of olive oil and onion as you increase the bulgur and stock.
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Greek Rice Pilaf:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup white rice, preferably Arborio or other short grain rice
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups water and 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated (optional)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Heat the oil in a medium size skillet over medium high heat. Add the rice and onion and sauté until both are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer until the rice is just done, 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the nutmeg, if using. Sprinkle with the parsley, if desired. Fluff with a fork and serve.
NOTES: Not caring much for the flavor of plain water, a Greek cook who does not have stock on hand will usually flavor the water with tomato paste: about 1 tablespoon tomato paste to 1 cup water. This can be used for bulgur pilaf as well.
As with bulgur pilaf, the quantity can easily be doubled, tripled, or more: Use 1 1/4 times as much liquid as rice. Be sure to increase the amount of olive oil and onion as you increase the rice and liquid.
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Greek String Beans with Shallots, White Wine, and Fennel Seeds Fasolakia
Slim and tender string beans are found pouthena, “everywhere,” and pandoug, “anywhere,” and eaten avidly all the time in Greece.
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces, juices reserved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and left whole
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large non-reactive pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and fennel seeds and sauté until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices and continue cooking until the tomatoes are soft and stewed down, 5 minutes.
Stir in the parsley, mint, green beans, wine, water, and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the beans are very tender and the liquid is reduced by half and sauce-like, 45 minutes. Serve right away. Serves 6.
The Olive and The Caper
The two grains usually cooked into stirs and pilafs are wheat—in the form of pligouri, or bulgur—and rizi, rice. Occasionally pearl barley sits beneath a roast, shows up in a vegetable mix, or becomes part of a pancake. Bulgur pilaf appears most commonly in northern Greece, rice virtually everywhere across the nation.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup medium or coarse ground bulgur
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or meat, or vegetable stock, or a mixture of 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a medium size skillet over medium high heat. Add the bulgur and onion and sauté until both are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the stock, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pan. Simmer until the bulgur is just tender and all the liquid is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Serves 4.
NOTE: If you wish to increase the quantity, just remember that you need 1 1/2 times as much liquid as bulgur. Be sure also to increase the amount of olive oil and onion as you increase the bulgur and stock.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greek Rice Pilaf:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup white rice, preferably Arborio or other short grain rice
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups water and 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated (optional)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Heat the oil in a medium size skillet over medium high heat. Add the rice and onion and sauté until both are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer until the rice is just done, 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the nutmeg, if using. Sprinkle with the parsley, if desired. Fluff with a fork and serve.
NOTES: Not caring much for the flavor of plain water, a Greek cook who does not have stock on hand will usually flavor the water with tomato paste: about 1 tablespoon tomato paste to 1 cup water. This can be used for bulgur pilaf as well.
As with bulgur pilaf, the quantity can easily be doubled, tripled, or more: Use 1 1/4 times as much liquid as rice. Be sure to increase the amount of olive oil and onion as you increase the rice and liquid.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greek String Beans with Shallots, White Wine, and Fennel Seeds Fasolakia
Slim and tender string beans are found pouthena, “everywhere,” and pandoug, “anywhere,” and eaten avidly all the time in Greece.
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces, juices reserved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and left whole
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large non-reactive pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and fennel seeds and sauté until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices and continue cooking until the tomatoes are soft and stewed down, 5 minutes.
Stir in the parsley, mint, green beans, wine, water, and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the beans are very tender and the liquid is reduced by half and sauce-like, 45 minutes. Serve right away. Serves 6.
The Olive and The Caper