Cyprus (Afelia)

Today we will travel to Cyprus to present the afelia.

This is a traditional Cypriot recipe that never fails to deliver.  Coriander seeds give a very fine lemony taste to the pork which is marinated for 24 hours in red wine and then cooked slowly until if becomes meltingly tender.  Coriander seeds are  used extensively in traditional Cypriot and Greek fare. Afelia is often served with bulgar wheat and yoghurt.

Ingredients:

1 kg boned lean pork, diced into small cubes
 200 ml red wine
1-2 tbs  coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
1 stick cinnamon
6 tbs  sunflower or vegetable oil

Procedure:

Marinate the meat in the wine and coriander seeds for at least 24 hours overnight if possible.  Strain the pork from the  marinade and put the marinade aside  for later.

Heat the oil in a heavy based pot and brown the cubes of meat, a few at a time, until all are crisp and brown. Add more oil if necessary.

Take meat cubes out and wipe any excess oil from the pan.

Retum all the meat in pan, pour over the marinade and add enough cold water to just cover the meat.

Cover the pot with a lid and cook gently, either in the oven or on the hob for about 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. Almost all of the liquid should have evaporated to leave a thick sauce.

If necessary cook the afelia uncovered for a further 10 minutes to reduce excess liquid.

source: gourmed.com

Pasta Arabiatta

Today we will prepare an easy and delicious plate !! The traditional Italian food pasta with arabiatta sauce 

Arrabbiata sauce, or sugo all'arrabbiata in Italian, is a spicy sauce for pasta made from garlic, tomatoes, and dried red chili peppers cooked in olive oil. Arrabbiata literally means "angry" in Italian; the name of the sauce refers to the spiciness of the chili peppers.

How to make the best, authentic Arrabiata sauce at home, from scratch! 

Though it might seem as a super simple recipe at first, in order for your sauce to turn out just right you must exercise patience. Cook it on low flame and stir it gently every 10 minutes or so to make sure the sugars from the tomatoes don’t burn. Don’t rush it.

I have to say: the most important thing you can do when making Italian sauce, is to use imported San Marzano Tomatoes and fresh red pepper flakes with attitude!

The reason is simply because they are grown in the volcanic soils in the San Marzano region of Italy, so they will be extra sweet and flavorful, not acidic and watery. Once those cook down and thicken up, you will have an explosion of sweet flavors in every bite.

The dry red pepper flakes is what makes the sauce spicy, so it is extra important to use a fresh good quality variety. To make it less spicy just use less red pepper flakes, pretty self explanatory right ? 

To thicken your sauce gently simmer it away until it reduces to your liking.

What to serve with:

• Shrimp (spaghetti frutti di mare)
• Eggplant Lasagna 
• Ricotta gnocchi
• Eggs in Purgatory
• Penne Pasta 
• Sauteed Peppers and Onions 
• Anchovies, Capers and Olives (Puttanesca Style)
• Grilled Chicken
• Use it as Pizza Sauce
• Ricotta Meatballs

Wanna make a marinara sauce instead ? No problemo!

Simply leave out the red pepper flakes from this recipe and there you have it. Simple as that. One sauce is spicy, the other one is not.

The Classic Arrabiata Sauce or Sugo all'arrabiata, made with sweet San Marzano tomatoes, garlic and lots of red pepper flakes!

Course: Main 

Cuisine: Italian 

Servings: 4

Calories: 159 kcal

Author: Florentina

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion minced
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes + more to your taste buds
• 2 X 28 oz can San Marzano Tomatoes whole
• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• sea salt to taste
• 15 leaves basil torn
• 1 lb penne pasta or spaghetti

Instructions

1. In a large heavy bottom cast iron pan heat up the olive oil and saute the onion with a pinch of sea salt until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and let it cook only for a few seconds until you can smell it and doesn’t get any color on it.
2. In a large bowl crush the tomatoes with your hands but leave a few smaller chunks in there. Transfer them to the pot with the onions and garlic and brig to a simmer. Add the bay leaf and partially cover with a lid. Allow the sauce to simmer away on low flame for about 1 hour until thick and concentrated in flavor. Make sure to stir often, every 10 minutes or so, making sure the sugars in the tomatoes do not burn.
3. Turn off the flame and season to your taste with the sea salt. Stir in the fresh basil leaves and finish it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with pasta or meats or some fresh crusty bread.
4. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season with sea salt, you want this to taste like sea water. Cook the penne pasta or spaghetti until al dente, according to the directions on the package. Toss to coat well in the arrabiata sauce and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and extra red pepper flakes.
   
   
   Sources: Wikipedia, ciaoflorentina.com

Greek traditional tzatziki

We will start with a easy recipe from Greece the famous tzatziki! It takes 10 minutes and the specific recipe is for 4-6 portion!




Tzatziki is a sauce served with grilled meats or as a dip. Tzatziki is made of salted strained yogurt(usually from sheep or goat milk) or diluted yogurt  mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, sometimes with vinegar or lemon juice, and some herbs like dill, mint, parsley, thyme etc. It is generally served cold.

Ingredients

• 300 g Greek yogurt (strained yogurt)
• 1 cucumber
• 1/3 of a garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar for the cucumber
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
• ¼ bunch dill, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper

To serve:

• 2 carrots chopped
• 2 peppers chopped
• 1 cucumber chopped
• Greek pita bread cut in 4 pieces

Method

A very appetizing, savory sauce that is almost always served with kebabs or souvlaki. It can also be served with baked potatoes, any meats and is surprisingly refreshing as a dip for vegetables!!

• Peel the cucumber and grate with a cheese grater, using the large blades.
• Put in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Toss and set aside to release its liquid.
• In the meantime, combine the yogurt, 1/3 of a garlic clove (minced), 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until combined.
• Mix until it is combined and creamy.
• Squeeze the cucumber with your hands to release any remaining liquid. Discard the liquid and add the cucumber to the yogurt mixture.
• Stir into mixture. Add pepper and adjust salt according to taste.
• Add some finely chopped dill and your sauce is ready.
• Refrigerate until needed.

Serve it with some carrots, peppers, cucumber and Greek pita bread

Source: Wikipedia, Akispetretzikis.gr