Spanakopita Muffins

Tags

baking, feta, Greek, greens, muffins, spanakopita, spinach, vegetables, vegetarian

This is my 50th post so in order to commemorate the occasion, I thought I would create an index page with all the recipes. I didn’t do one from the beginning because it would look a bit sad with just a few lines under each category. 50 posts in over a year is not really that great, but it’s ok considering it’s just a hobby. Food blogging is very time consuming, it’s not like other types of blogging. You have to find the recipes (either by researching or waiting for inspiration), do the shopping, do the cooking and plan very well so you can take photos before eating everything (this is not easy as artificial light is not a food photographer’s friend – which pretty much rules out dinner time pics). Then you have to try and make the photos look decent (in my case), then write something to go with the recipe, and finally, research other similar recipes from blogs in order to “share the love”. This is not compulsory, but it was suggested to me by an experienced blogger and I agree that it’s a great idea. One thing (of the many) I love about this world is how non-competitive it is. Everyone is encouraging, friendly and helpful, without the “if I help you then you will steal my readers” type attitude. Fellow bloggers, thanks for being lovely people!

So, take a moment to glance at my recipe index. The recipes have been grouped according to blog category; if anyone has any suggestions as to how I can make my categories more user friendly, I am open to ideas. (Update: Oh, and a quick word of advice, don’t leave it till there are 50 posts. My hand aches…)

Of course I couldn’t post an article without something yummy attached, so here are the Spanakopita Muffins I mentioned in my previous post, served at The Mister’s surprise party. They are ridiculously easy to make, and offer with each mouthful a burst of spanakopita wonderfulness – minus the hassle of pastry. Don’t get me wrong, I adore pastry of all kinds. I could live on pastry alone (that’s probably why I’m now on a diet again…) but I don’t adore making it. It’s kind of intimidating… Anyway, moving on… This recipe is based on one by Eleni Psihouli, a well known Greek journalist turned cooking show hostess and food blogger. She made this as a cake, with double the ingredients.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

180g spinach, washed and roughly chopped
125g all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
100g Greek yogurt – I used 2% fat
1/2 cup olive oil
1 spring onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped dill weed
200g feta cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C and place paper muffin cases in a 12 hole tin.
2. Heat a non stick frying pan on medium high, add the spinach and cook for a few minutes till just wilted (without oil).
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg. I find the best way to do this is to use a whisk.
4. In a medium bowl mix the eggs, yogurt and olive oil till incorporated. Add to dry ingredients and fold in.
5. Add the onion, dill and spinach, and crumble in the feta cheese (keeping the pieces fairly big so they don’t melt during cooking). Mix till just incorporated.
6. Scoop into muffin tin (best way is to use an ice cream scoop) and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (double check in case the toothpick went through a piece of feta!).

Notes:
– Instead of all spinach you can mix in other greens such as kale or chard too. Whatever you fancy! The original recipe had parsley in as well, I didn’t have any.
– These muffins come out quite oily! I wondered if it would have been best to use less oil, but in the end I think this helped them keep really well. Plus, proper spanakopita has tons of oil.
– Don’t expect them to rise much.
– The spanakopita muffins freeze fantastically well.

More mini spanakopita treats from other blogs
Spanakopita Strudels by Alexandra’s Kitchen
Broccoli Spanakopita by Steamy Kitchen
Spanakopita Triangles and Then Some by Smitten Kitchen (some gorgeous looking fillings there)
Easy Spanakopita Bites by Iowa Girl Eats (I can’t get over the ready-crumbled feta!)

Red Pepper, Feta and Oat Frittata Cake – A Power Breakfast!

Tags

baking, cake, eggs, feta, frittata, low fat, oats, red pepper, vegetables, vegetarian

The other day I was looking through an old stack of magazine cutouts and pages printed from the internet, all containing recipes of course. I have a few of these stacks, waiting to be “sorted out”. They’ve been waiting a while and, let’s be honest, they will continue to do so for a good long time. There are always more pressing matters to attend to, like watching Law & Order.

This recipe jumped out at me. It has 5 main ingredients and can be thrown together in minutes, literally. That coming from me is something, as I can never complete a recipe within the time mentioned. Written in Greek, the page had no reference to a site, meaning it was from my pre-blogging days when recipes were saved just to cook and eat, not to share online! A quick search remedied that and I found that it’s actually from one of the biggest food related sites in Greece called “Nistiko Arkoudi” which means Hungry Bear.

Its title on the site is Oat Cake, but that just confuses things in English (oatcakes being an entirely different thing), and it’s not really a cake as it doesn’t contain flour of any kind! What it is, is a frittata baked in a loaf pan. So it looks like a loaf cake. Anyway, all that is besides the point. This frittata/cake/loaf is very tasty, and very healthy. It is especially good eaten for breakfast or as a snack, as it has loads of protein (eggs and dairy) and good carbs that release energy slowly throughout the day (oats). With the addition of a veggie (red peppers) you couldn’t make it more balanced if you tried! It will keep you full for ages.

I added a bit of freshly cracked black pepper and a pinch of oregano to the mix, as I thought these flavours would suit it, leaving out the salt as I expected the feta to make it salty enough. Next time however I will add half a teaspoon to give it a boost. This of course largely depends on the type and brand of feta used. I might also experiment with other herbs as well, like rosemary for instance. Come to think of it, sumac might be interesting; I’ve heard it goes really well with eggs. One thing is for sure, I will definitely be making this frittata cake again, whatever the combo. Stored in the fridge it will last for at least 5 days, but it’s nicer served warm (I warmed it up on my toaster rack, worked a treat).

Red Pepper, Feta and Oat Frittata Cake

Ingredients

2 Tbs olive oil
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
4 eggs
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup oats, rolled or quick cooking (I used quick cooking so they would blend better)
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
A pinch of dried oregano

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan). Grease a loaf pan (mine was 23.6×10.3cm – approx. 9”x4”) and sprinkle with a bit of flour. Move the pan around so the flour coats the bottom and sides, then empty it of any excess by tapping the bottom. This is an important step as egg tends to stick to pans.
2. Heat the oil in a small frying pan on medium and add chopped pepper. Gently cook till softened. I added some water when some pieces started to blacken. You could probably soften the pepper in a bowl in the microwave with a tablespoon or two of water.
3. While your peppers are cooking, lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl.
4. Add the feta, oats, seasoning and herbs, and then the peppers (without the liquid from the pan – I used that in a salad). Mix till incorporated and pour into the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes till a toothpick comes out clean and the frittata cake is starting to turn golden on top.

More eggy goodness in other frittata recipes
Beet Greens and Red Pepper Frittata, by me!
Baby Peas and Cheese Frittata, by Family Fresh Cooking
Kale and Goat Cheese Fritatta Cups, by The Kitchn
The Secret to a Perfect Frittata and Chickpea & Rosemary Frittata, by Stonesoup

Beet Greens and Red Pepper Frittata – Brunch for December’s Breakfast Club

Tags

beet, beet greens, brunch, eggs, frittata, red pepper, The Breakfast Club

“Breakfast Club: because breakfast should be more interesting than tea & toast or coffee & cereal.”

I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for a while now, and the perfect opportunity just presented itself. The Breakfast Club is a bloggers’ challenge created by Fuss Free Flavours, and this month it’s being hosted by Bangers & Mash. The theme? Brunch. I love brunch. I would have brunch everyday if I didn’t have that annoying thing called an office to go to.

This eggy frittata is ideal for brunch or even a light lunch with salad. It takes a little longer to make than your usual frittata recipe, because you have to sauté the greens till they soften, but it’s a very easy dish to prepare and the result is tasty and healthy. It could still make a quick breakfast if you sauté the greens the night before and cook the frittata while you get ready for work, school etc. Don’t forget eggs are packed with protein so they’re great for providing sustenance and keeping you full for longer, without the crash that follows a carb-fuelled energy rush. I read recently that when you have eggs for breakfast (or brunch!) you tend to consume less calories during the rest of the day. Now that’s an incentive!

Another reason I love this recipe is that is uses up those lovely beet greens that many people throw away. What a waste! Here in Greece beet greens are usually boiled (to within an inch of their life) and served with vinegar and olive oil. This is the classic way to serve most greens, of which we have loads. There are hundreds of varieties, from those growing high up on mountains to those growing –as if by magic- out of rocks at the side of the sea. Many of these varieties are slightly bitter, so they are brought to a boil in lots of water, drained, and boiled again in fresh water until the stems are soft. All these greens are fantastically good for you, but I have a feeling they could be even more healthy without all that boiling. Sautéing seems a better way to preserve nutrients. Having said that I’m not sure all types are suitable, some might just be too bitter, but my experiment with the beet greens turned out great. I’ll be doing more experiments of this kind!

Recipe inspired by Kalyn’s Kitchen and her Swiss Chard and Mushroom Squares recipe.

Egg Frittata with Beet Greens and Red Pepper

Ingredients

2 Tbs olive oil (divided)
1 small onion, chopped
½ tsp sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups (tightly packed) roughly chopped beet greens, stems removed (just the thicker stems that protrude from the leaves, no need to cut out the leaf “spines”)
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 ¼ cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1 cup cheddar, grated
7 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ tsp salt
4 grinds of pepper
½ tsp Italian herb mix

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C and grease a ceramic pie dish.
2. Sautee onion with sugar in 1 tablespoon oil, over medium heat, till translucent. Add garlic and gently cook for a few minutes longer, till fragrant.
3. Add red pepper and cook for a few minutes till it starts to soften. Transfer onion and pepper mixture to a large bowl.
4. Wipe pan with kitchen paper, return to heat and add another 1 tablespoon of oil. Add beet greens and cook gently till stems start to soften, about 10 minutes. Pinch one of the thicker stems (or the bits left at the base of the leaves) to check for doneness (should “give” a bit between your fingers).
5. Add beet greens to the bowl with the pepper and onion. Mix in the breadcrumbs and cheese.
6. In a separate bowl lightly beat the eggs and add the herbs and seasoning. Add eggs to the greens mixture and stir well.
7. Transfer egg mixture to the greased pie dish and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Other Eggy Breakfasts (Frittatas, Casseroles or Bakes):
Recipe for Kale and Feta Breakfast Casserole by Kalyn’s Kitchen
Bacon, Potato and Egg Breakfast Casserole by The Kitchn
Mini Egg Frittatas with Broccoli, Cheddar Cheese & Chipotle Pepper by Cookin’ Canuck
Mini Greek Frittatas by Healthy Green Kitchen

Choco Porridge with Honey and Banana – Is it Breakfast? Or is it Dessert?

Tags

breakfast, chocolate, oatmeal, oats, porridge

This is a mini post. The reason is that I had a last minute work thing which ruined my plans for a nice quiet blogging evening. I got home just before 10pm, cold and starving hungry. I then spent half an hour picking meat off the chicken legs I’d made in the slow cooker, and prepping the bones for overnight stock. Dinner was a boring plate of plain chicken and curried yogurt sauce, which sounds exotic but is basically yogurt with curry powder and dried coriander leaves! As you by now know, Mondays are protein only days (Dukan Diet rules) so today has left a lot to be desired in the culinary department. You should have seen me dodging the canape trays swirling round earlier!

Right now all I want to do is curl up on the sofa with my fleece blanket, watch Modern Family, and dream about the yummy breakfast I’m going to make myself tomorrow morning. If this was a normal night I’d be having it for dessert. It’s that good. Creamy, chocolaty gooeyness that is actually good for you! Unbelievable. I got the idea from a fellow foodie over at Licking The Plate Again, who commented on my Applesauce with Pears post that her mum used to put cocoa in her porridge when she was little as a treat. Genius, is all I can say…

Choco Porridge with Honey and Banana

Serves 1 (if I’m the one eating it)

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup milk
2 squares (20g) dark chocolate
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp honey
1/2 banana, sliced
extra splash of milk, optional

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan mix the milk and oats. Warm mixture over medium heat and when it starts heating up add the chocolate.
2. When the chocolate is nearly all melted, add the cinammon and continue cooking over low heat, stirring continuously.
3. When the porridge has absorbed the milk and thickened to your liking, and the oats are soft, transfer to a bowl.
4. Top with the sliced banana and honey, and add another splash of milk if the porridge has thickened a lot.

Note: After trying a chocolate and cinammon ice cream this summer, I have decided these two ingredients were meant for each other. Give them a go!

Other porridge or oatmeal breakfast ideas from around the blogosphere:
A Hot Breakfast: 10 Nourishing Oatmeal & Porridge Recipes to Warm Winter Mornings from The Kitchn
Quinoa Coma by With a Side of Sneakers (this I like to combine with regular porridge. It’s really good!)

Simple Salmon Frittata – For Dukan Protein Thursdays or Any Thursdays

Tags

dukan, egg, frittata, salmon, smoked salmon

You may recall that during the summer I went on the Dukan Diet. This diet consists of four stages, the last one of which is “the rest of your life”. Scary sounding or what? It’s not that bad really. Dr. Dukan makes you promise that after you’ve lost the pounds and stabilized your new weight, you’ll stick to three rules. For ever. These are:

• Eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran per day (it’s got magical powers!). Not oats mind you, oat bran. It’s different. Oat bran is the outer layer of the oat grain and contains loads of good stuff. See this and this for more info.
• Walk at least 20 minutes per day and never use lifts or escalators again. Gulp.
• Once a week on a day you’ve set, go back to the Attack phase (1^st stage). That means eating only protein. Lean meats, fish, seafood and fat free dairy. Dr. Dukan calls this Protein Thursday.

Another thing you’re supposed to stick to although not actually mentioned in the rules, is drinking 2 litres of water a day.

To be honest I’ve broken 2 out of the above 4 rules. I can’t keep up with the water and I can’t deal with the metro station stairs at 8:00am. I know I know, water is vital, I’ve read all the same magazine articles as you. But I just don’t get thirsty enough to guzzle that much, plus the loos at work are on a different floor (sorry, too much info). Anyway. I try. As regards the walking, I figure since I ride twice a week I can get away with not walking that often. Or, ahem, not walking at all. Moving on.

Oat bran and Protein Thursdays are a different story. These I have stuck to religiously. My Thursdays are actually Mondays, but you’re allowed to switch. Mondays are crap anyway, so how much worse can they get? To be fair, eating pure protein (even back in the diet days) wasn’t as hard as I had expected. I’m lucky because I like all the allowed foods – and really love cottage cheese, yogurt and eggs, which are stars in this particular show. The only really hard part was, still is, thinking up creative and exciting meals for those times when a plain chicken breast just doesn’t cut it.

Last Monday I decided my dinner was going to be smoked salmon and eggs. Now normally I would scramble the eggs and have them on the side, but I was in the mood for something different. And I’d already had one scrambled egg for lunch! So I went with a frittata, which I think is one of the most versatile dishes you can bake up. The proper way to make it is start it off like an omelet in a skillet, and finish cooking it under the grill. But you can also just bake it (less washing up).

It’s a great “clean out the fridge” dish, as you can throw in a number of veggies or leftover meats. This one is of course pretty basic, as veg is not allowed on Pure Protein (PP) days, but if you’re on the Cruise Phase (or not on a diet at all) some chopped red pepper, or cooked broccoli florets, or spinach would work well. Cooked chicken, bacon, sausage or deli ham and turkey are also great in frittatas. Since PP days allow a little greenery as flavouring, chopped chives and dill were what completed my version. I could have also added some capers but I, um, just thought of that now. Just so you know, I ate the whole thing all on my own which upped my intake to a total of 5 eggs that day. I’m on the side of those who say the egg/cholesterol thing is a myth.

Another cool idea is to put the mixture into silicone muffin cups (don’t use your muffin tin. Egg sticks. Trust me.) and make egg muffins. Perfect to keep on hand for snacking as the protein will keep you going for much longer than a carb-loaded regular muffin, or sandwich, or bag of crisps. Unless it’s one of those days when only crisps will make you feel better!

Simple Salmon Egg Frittata – For Protein Thursdays or Any Thursdays

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 Tbs milk (0% fat for Dukan)
200g smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
2 Tbs chopped fresh dill
2 tsp chopped chives (or some chopped spring onion, according to you taste)
pepper to taste (don’t add salt as the salmon is salty enough)
Sprinkle of chili pepper flakes or paprika
Low fat cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a small baking pan with the cooking spray. Don’t skip this step!
2. In a bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and milk.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir.
4. Pour mixture into the pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until the egg is set and cooked through.

Note: Stabilisation (4^th) phase Protein Thursdays are stricter than Attack and Cruise phase PP days, so by rights I shouldn’t have eaten 200g of smoked salmon – max is 125g for oily fish I think. Just FYI.

Other eggy bakes from around the web Kalyn’s Kitchen (I didn’t need to look further, check out this fab collection of egg recipes)
Breakfast Casserole with Spinach, Leeks, Cottage Cheese and Goat Cheese by Kalyn’s Kitchen (easily adaptable to Dukan Diet Cruise Phase by omitting oil and goat’s cheese. Sautee leeks in a non-stick frying pan with a tiny bit of water and use more low fat cottage instead of goat’s cheese)
Roasted Green Bell Pepper and Roasted Tomato Breakfast Casserole with Feta and Oregano by Kalyn’s Kitchen (easily adaptable to Dukan Diet Cruise Phase by omitting oil and substituting feta with rinsed low fat cottage cheese)
Egg Muffins with Ham, Cheese, and Green Bell Pepper by Kalyn’s Kitchen (easily adaptable by omitting cheese (try rinsed low fat cottage cheese if you want) and using low fat ham. I’ve also made them with leftover cooked chicken chunks and they were great)

Macadamia, Olive Oil & Honey Granola – Clumpy, Crunchy, Crave-Worthy!

Tags

breakfast, granola, honey, macadamia nuts, oats, olive oil

I am a breakfast person. It’s my favourite meal of the day. Maybe it’s because breakfast is the fuel that gets us through the next 15 hours or so. Maybe it’s because breakfast calories “don’t really count” towards our daily intake as we can burn them all off (yes, I will continue to tell myself that, thank you). Or maybe it’s because we can get away with eating anything in the morning! Sweet, savoury, fresh, fried, baked, slow cooked; fruit, veg, sausages, bacon, cookies, porridge, spinach pie, apple pie, cake… literally anything! I draw the line at drinking Coke in the morning, but I know many people do.

Oats are considered one of the best options for breakfast, due to the slow releasing energy they provide, which keeps us going for much longer and helps us avoid snacking. That sounds really cool, slow releasing energy… Makes me feel a bit super-womany! Recently I’ve realized that it’s actually true. Oats and protein rich foods are best in the morning. Carbs are worst. This is my personal opinion and I have no idea if it is backed up by science! My philosophy is that our bodies speak to us and tell us what they need, what they want, what’s wrong. Ok, not always, or we’re not always in a position to understand the language it uses, but if we try I think usually we can get a good idea of what’s best. After being on the Dukan Diet for a couple of months, I came to realize that protein rich breakfasts are what’s best for me. If I have bread, or a pasty (popular in Greece), or fruit or cereal, I’ll be hungry by 10 and will probably get the shakes and a drop in blood pressure (especially if I have coffee as well). Eggs, ham, yogurt, cheese, all keep my energy going for longer, and my mind free of food related thoughts – at least until lunchtime! Oats also do that. I think they are high in carbohydrates so I’m a bit confused as to why, but they are definitely different to any boxed cereals I’ve ever tried.

During winter I love me my porridge. My Grandma used to say if you eat porridge when it’s hot you get itchy (again, no idea what science has to say about that!) so I don’t usually eat it in the summer. Itchiness aside, a hot breakfast in 40 degrees Celsius is not very appealing. A few years ago, I discovered another fabulous way to enjoy oats. Granola! The reason granola came into my life so late is that you can’t get it here in Greece, at least not easily. You definitely couldn’t get it until very recently. So I made my own! And since then I think the only recipe I’ve made twice is this Coconut Cranberry Granola. There are so many variations, so many ways to experiment, so many tasty ingredients to use, I always want to try something different.

Today’s recipe is based on the Coconut Granola by Two Peas & Their Pod. I’ve changed quite a few ingredients but the base is the same, with the same dry to wet ingredient ratio. And it works perfectly. I’ve read many granola recipes and a lot of them mention clumpiness as being a desired but hard to accomplish result. Well, I think the combination of honey with olive oil is great for this. My granola was super clumpy, which is exactly how I love it. It tastes brilliant and it keeps fantastically well in an air tight container or jar. Try it!

Macadamia, Olive Oil & Honey Granola

(adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod Coconut Granola)

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup desiccated (shredded) coconut
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs vanilla extract (that was supposed to be 1 tsp but I messed it up. It turned out great anyway! If you’re using the expensive store bought type stick to a teaspoon. Or sub with coconut extract)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 150C and line a baking sheet with grease proof paper.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients (oats through to salt on ingredient list) in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Combine the honey and olive oil in a small saucepan and heat gently till the honey has completely melted. Whisk till incorporated.
4. Add the vanilla extract to the wet ingredients and stir.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the oats and stir well with a wooden spoon till the dry ingredients are well coated with the honey mixture.
6. Turn mixture out on to the baking sheet and spread it out so it’s in a single layer. Try to press it down firmly (a rubber spatula is good for that) as this helps make it clumpy.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes or until granola is golden. Don’t let it brown as it will turn bitter.
8. Enjoy with Greek yogurt, milk or –my favourite- buttermilk. It’s also great as a topping over porridge (oatmeal).

More granola goodness:

Morning Time Breakfast Granola Cups by Mommie Cooks
Cookbook: The Homemade Pantry and The Nutty Granola Bar by Food In Jars
Low Fat Granola Bars with Mango, Hazelnut & Ginger Recipe by Cookin’ Canuck
Small Batch Honey-Pistachio Granola by Mountain Mama Cooks

Picnic On The Beach Part 2 – Granola Goodness

Tags

coconut, cranberries, granola, nuts, oats, seeds

Next up from my picnic menu favourites is a granola bar recipe. I had been looking for a good granola bar recipe for a while, but most of them seem to have a page long list of ingredients which makes them kind of expensive and kind of a pain. Then, while I was looking for something else among my bookmarked items on my iphone, I came across one I had saved ages ago and then forgotten about (I tend to do that). It’s a really easy recipe by Nigella Lawson, with few but good ingredients that suit each other beautifully. These bars are great to nibble on as a snack, or take with you if you’re running out the door with no time for a proper breakfast. I doubt they’re particularly diet-friendly, but they are definitely healthy (or healthier than my usual snacks!).

When I made these for the picnic I also made a batch of my favourite granola to have over the duration of my cousin’s stay. This is by far the best of all the granolas I have tried to make, with just the right consistency for my taste (sort of clumpy but not very). Again, it’s one of the healthier versions, with olive oil and honey rather than butter, sugar etc. The original recipe by The Cilantropist (inspired by Healthy Green Kitchen and Saveur) involves cooking it at low heat over a long period of time. It’s getting hotter by the day here in Athens, so having the oven on all day doesn’t appeal to me, not to mention the fear of my electricity bill – so I just cook it for about half an hour, or until it looks golden but not brown! The way I like to eat it is with buttermilk. A friend from work whom I will call The Granola Addict once mentioned that this is how she likes hers and I was quite surprised. I’d never even considered it. I knew some people drink buttermilk but for me it was something I put in cakes and nothing more. Well… good job I tried it. It’s delicious. I highly recommend you try it. Here are both recipes.

Granola Bars (recipe by Nigella)
What you’ll need
1 can (400g) sweet condensed milk
250g rolled oats (not quick cooking)
75g shredded coconut
100g dried cranberries
125g mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax – all or any combo)
125g peanuts (original recipe calls for natural unsalted; we can’t get those easily here so I used regular roasted salted peanuts which I rinsed with water and let dry to get rid of the excess salt. I’ll leave them with the salt on next time, I think it will make it taste even more interesting)

What you do

1. Preheat oven to 130C and grease a small baking tin (mine is 18×24.5cm).
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
3. In a small saucepan heat the condensed milk till it’s quite hot but not boiling.
4. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well till everything is coated with the milk. It’s best if you use a rubber spatula as this won’t stick to the mixture.
5. Transfer the mixture to the tin and spread it out evenly (with the spatula). Press it down well.
6. Bake for about an hour.
7. Remove and let cool for about 10-15 minutes. Then cut into pieces according to your preference. It’s very important that you remember to cut it when it’s still warm, otherwise it gets a bit difficult!
8. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

It keeps fantastically well!

Coconut and Cranberry Granola (original recipe by The Cilantropist)
What you’ll need
3 ½ cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sesame seeds, flax seeds and sunflower seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp all-spice
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1 cup dried cranberries
¼ cup pumpkin seeds

What you do

1. Line two baking trays with grease proof (parchment) paper. Preheat oven to 150C.
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients except the cranberries and pumpkin seeds. I always add these at the end so they don’t go hard or burn while cooking.
3. Warm the oil and honey together in a small saucepan or the microwave. If using the microwave heat in blasts of 30 seconds mixing well in between. You want the mixture to become very runny.
4. Pour the oil and honey over the dry ingredients and mix well so that they are all well coated.
5. Spread the mixture out on the baking trays and distribute evenly. I press it down a bit so it sticks together slightly. This way I can break it up into lovely clumps afterwards.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or as long as it takes to turn a golden colour. Do not let it brown. Once golden it takes only a few seconds to burn, so pay attention!
7. Remove from the oven and let cool. Break it up, add the cranberries and pumpkin seeds, and transfer to an airtight container.

This also keeps very well, although it’ll probably be gone before you need to worry about it!

Picnic On The Beach, Part 1 – Sweet Zucchini Bread

Tags

cake, courgettes, sweet bread, zucchini

Antique butter knife on kind loan by The Collector

Last week my cousin came over from the UK to visit with her two gorgeous boys, aged 4 and 6. The day they arrived was also my name day, which is a big celebration in Greece, even bigger than a birthday since everyone knows when it is! To celebrate, I decided to whisk them off to the beach for a picnic straight from the airport. My mum and one of my auntie’s came along and one of my best friends brought her own little ones and some of their friends. We made quite a group, and as you can imagine (if you know me) the food preparation began well in advance. I planned a menu and embarked on a baking extravaganza followed by a sandwich making marathon! Sweet muffins, savory egg muffins, cookies, sweet bread, granola bars, and triangle sandwiches with the crusts cut off as a special treat! Mum supplied the fruit and together with my friend’s additions we had a huge spread. I’m sharing my favourites in a series of posts.

First off, and since I promised this one in my last post, one of the most gorgeous cakes I’ve ever made. Actually it’s not cake but it’s gorgeous nonetheless. Sweet Zucchini Bread. Amazing. I made this for the first time in an effort to use up some leftover zucchini flesh after I stuffed 2 beautiful round ones and cooked them in the slow cooker (see previous post). After a quick search I came up with this recipe which was easy and used ingredients I had on hand. I couldn’t believe how tasty and moist and perfect it turned out – healthy too! So I decided to make it again for the picnic. And by the way, it keeps beautifully for at least a week! (Confession: I actually ate the last piece ten days later and it was still yummy)

Sweet Zucchini Bread (based on a recipe by Paula Dean on Food Network)
Yields one loaf

You’ll need:
1 ½ cups + 2 Tbs all purpose flour (plus some extra for sprinkling the pan)
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups sugar (mixture of white and dark brown – or you can use all white if preferable)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tbs (scant) water (40 ml)
1 cup grated zucchini (leave skin on to create lovely green specks in the bread)
½ tsp lemon juice
½ cup mix of dried cranberries and flax & sunflower seeds (original recipe calls for walnuts or pecans)

What you do:

1. Preheat your oven to 180C (350F).
2. Grease a loaf tin or pan. Next time I make this I will sprinkle some flour in the pan, move it about so the flour coats the base and sides, and then tap out the excess. The reason is that the second time I made it I had a hard time getting it out of the tin, so I think this might help. If you prefer to follow Paula’s instructions, just grease it.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon, sugar).
4. Whisk all the wet ingredients together in another bowl (oil, eggs, water, zucke, lemon juice).
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry.
6. Fold in the cranberries and seeds and mix to incorporate (don’t over mix).
7. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour (until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean).

It doesn’t get much easier than that!
Stay tuned for Part 2!