Ethnic Foods

Gyros (for two) by TaraBallerina


½ cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
½ pounds ground lamb (as lean as you can find it)
½ cup seeded and pared cucumber, diced
½ cup shredded lettuce
1 diced tomato
2 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon each, of dried oregano and ground cumin
¼ cup low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
2 pita breads

COMBINE FOR SAUCE TOPPINGS

Cook the meat in the onion and garlic. Spray a skillet with non-stick spray and add onion and garlic. Cook until soft over low heat, stirring constantly.

Combine in mixing bowl with lamb, lemon juice, oregano and cumin; mix thoroughly and shape into 2 patties.

Broil patties on a rack 3 to 5 minutes each side, turning once, until desired doneness.

Serve in pita bread with half of the lettuce and tomato and half of the sauce on each serving.

LAMB Gyros w/sauce by TaraBallerina


6 servings

2 pounds lean lamb, ground
2 slices bread; toasted, crushed
1 teaspoon allspice; pounded
1 teaspoon coriander seed; crushed
1 garlic clove; crushed
1 onion; grated
1 teaspoon chopped fresh savoury
Salt & freshly ground pepper
3 slices bacon
6 pita bread pockets
2 tomatoes; sliced thin
Vinegar & oil to taste
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup plain yogurt

In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb with the bread, allspice, coriander, garlic, onion, savoury, and salt and pepper, and knead thoroughly. The mixture should be spicy, though not too herby, and hold its shape.

Break into 5 sections, each as large as a navel orange, then break each section into 6 balls.

Knead and flatten slightly to a thickness of about 3/4". Cut the bacon slices into widths equal to these balls, keeping the slices of bacon between them.

Slip a cane skewer through the centres and roll gently with the palms to smooth the edges. (There will be 5 or 6 skewers, depending on their length.)

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, set on a broiler tray or grill and cook under moderate heat, turning every 5 minutes. (The bacon will baste the meat.)

The surface will be crusty and the inside cooked within 25 minutes.


To serve:

Put out the bread, meat, tomatoes seasoned with the vinegar and oil, parsley and yogurt in separate dishes. Guests may open pocket bread and stuff them with meat and seasonings.


Tzatziki sauce for gyros

For 1

2 small cucumbers
Salt
1 ¼ cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
White pepper
3 garlic cloves; or more
¼ cup mint leaves; fresh*


*Use fresh mint leaves, shredded, 2 tablespoons dried mint, crushed or 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Use more or less garlic, minced, to your preference. Peel, seed and dice cucumbers. Sprinkle with salt and set aside to drain.

Combine yogurt, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, pepper and garlic in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Just before serving, beat yogurt sauce with wooden spoon until smooth. Have fresh mint torn into small pieces.

Dry cucumber by gently squeezing between paper towels. Combine cucumbers with mint leaves and yogurt mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Greek fish baked in grapevine leaves by TaraBallerina

5 servings

5 medium Whole fish; cleaned heads left on
2 tablespoon Olive oil (or more)
1 Lemon (juice only) 1 tablespoon
Chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon Chopped fresh fennel
Salt & freshly ground pepper
3 Anchovy fillets; rinsed minced or mashed
2 tablespoon Butter
15 large Grapevine leaves
Lemon slices & fennel leaves

Wash and dry the fish.

In a glass or earthenware bowl, beat the oil, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, fennel, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Dip each fish in the mixture, turning to coat and allow to marinate an hour or two in the refrigerator.

Remove the fish from marinade and drain. Meanwhile, beat the anchovies and butter together and spread on the fish with a knife.

Wrap each fish in grapevine leaves and place, seam side down, in an attractive baking- serving dish. Bake in a moderate oven (350 F) for 30 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with lemon and fennel.

Sea bass Greek style by TaraBallerina

8 servings

8 x 8-oz sea bass fillets
½ cup Flour (or as needed)
2 tablespoon Light olive oil
1 Lemon; juiced
3 tablespoon Vegetable oil
2 large Yellow onions; chopped fine
6 Garlic cloves; crushed
1 bunch Parsley; chopped
1 pinch Pepper
3 ½ cup Canned tomatoes
1 Tomato; chopped
3 Bay leaves
½ teaspoon Rosemary
½ cup Dry white wine
1 Lemon; cut into 8 wedges


Dust the sea bass fillets with the flour. In a large skillet place the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat it on medium high until it is hot.

Quickly sear the fillets on both sides so that they are sealed. Place the fish in a large baking pan and sprinkle on the lemon juice. Set the fish aside.

In a medium skillet place the 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat on medium high until it is hot. Add the onions, garlic, and parsley.

Sauté the ingredients for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the pepper and stir it in.

In a medium large saucepan place the sautéed onion mixture, canned tomatoes, chopped tomato, bay leaves, rosemary, and white wine. Stir the ingredients together and simmer them on low heat for 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Pour the sauce over the fish and bake it for 20 minutes, or until it is just done. Garnish the dish with the lemon wedges.

Baked trout with yoghurt and herbs - 2 by TaraBallerina


6 Servings

6 6-8 oz trouts
7 ½ fluid ounce Greek strained yoghurt
2 ½ fluid ounce Whipping cream
2 tablespoon Fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoon Chopped chives
2 tablespoon Chopped fennel
1 teaspoon Fresh chopped thyme
1 teaspoon Fresh chopped oregano
1 teaspoon Fresh chopped tarragon
Clarified or unsalted butter


Choose a baking dish or other shallow oven-proof dish suitable for bringing to table, which is just large enough to take the trout in a single layer when they are arranged head to tail.

Thoroughly dry the fish with plenty of kitchen paper. Make a frying pan very hot, barely smear it with fat and fry the fish briefly, one or two at a time, just long enough to brown their skins well on both sides.

Transfer the fish to the ovenproof dish, arranging them neatly. Cover and store in a cool place.

Chop the herbs and mix them gently in a small saucepan. Measure the yoghurt and cream and pour them over the herbs. Add plenty of pepper and some salt and stir to mix well. Cover and leave to infuse.

Everything up to this stage can be done in advance, but be sure to bring both the pan of sauce and the dish of trout back to room temperature about 1 hour before they are to be put back into the oven for cooking.

(Foods that are transferred straight from the fridge to cooker take a very long time to heat through properly.)

About 1/2 hour before you plan to serve the trout, bring the yoghurt-and- herb mixture very slowly to simmering point, stirring all the while. Pour the aromatic mixture over the fish, cover the dish and bake at 350 F (180 C) gas mark 4 for 20-25 minutes until the fish are piping hot and cooked through.

(To check a trout for readiness, insert the tip of a knife into its flesh just behind the head.) Serve with steamed new potatoes and other young summer vegetables such as carrots and peas.

Shrimp in tomato and wine by TaraBallerina

4 Servings

4 medium Tomato; fresh, ripe
Or,
1 1/2 ;cups chopped, drained, ;canned tomatoes
1 ½ pounds Shrimp, raw; in shells
(25 ;to 30 medium sized shrimp)
6 tablespoon Olive oil
¼ cup Onion; finely chopped
½ cup Wine, dry white
2 tablespoon Parsley; finely chopped; or if preferred - flat leaf parsley
½ teaspoon Oregano; c
crumbled 1 teaspoon
Salt Black pepper; freshly ground
2 ounce Feta cheese; cut into ¼ inch cubes


Drop the fresh tomatoes into a pan of boiling water and remove them after 15 seconds. Run them under cold water, and with a small, sharp knife, peel them.

Cut out the stems, then slice the tomatoes in half crosswise. Squeeze the halves gently to remove the seeds and juices, and chop the tomatoes coarsely. (Canned tomatoes only need to be drained and chopped.)

Shell the shrimp but leave the last shell segment and tail attached to the body of the shrimp.

With a small, sharp knife, devein the shrimp by making a shallow incision down their backs and lifting out the intestinal vein with the point of the knife. Wash the shrimp under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels. Set aside.

In a heavy 10 to 12 inch skillet or shallow casserole, heat the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the onions and, stirring frequently, cook for 5 minutes, or until they are soft and transparent but not brown.

Stir in the tomatoes, wine, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the oregano, salt and a few grindings of pepper. Bring to a boil and cook briskly, uncovered, until the mixture thickens to a light puree.

Add the shrimp and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes. When the shrimp are pink and firm to the touch, stir in the cheese, taste for seasoning and sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of parsley. Serve directly form the skillet or casserole. Customarily, the shrimp are accompanied by crusty loaves of bread.

Greek shrimp scampi by TaraBallerina


4 Servings

2 knobs of Butter
1 cup Olive oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon black Pepper
1 tablespoon Rosemary
1 teaspoon Oregano
2 tablespoon Paprika
4 each Bay Leaves
4 Cloves of Garlic, finely Chopped
3 pounds (weight) Jumbo Shrimp, peeled & de-veined
1 pound Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 cup Unseasoned Bread Crumbs
3 fluid ounces Sherry


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To make scampi sauce: In sauce over low flame melt butter, adding oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, oregano, paprika, bay leaves, garlic and sherry.
Place cleaned shrimp in large baking dish. Cover shrimp with feta cheese and top with breadcrumbs. Pour scampi sauce over shrimp and bake until shrimp are tender, approximately 25 minutes. Serve over rice or angel hair pasta.