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Italian Braised Lamb Shanks with Orzo Recipe

December 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Braised lamb shanks with orzo – to me embraces the true meaning of Italian slow food.  Lamb shanks provide a cucina rustica, or Italian home style cooking, look; but more importantly, the shanks provide a deep mouth-watering flavor.

This is one of my favorite “go to” group dinner party dishes as it presents quite well on a large serving platter. I’ve been making this dish for over 20 years (probably around the first time I went to Italy with my mom and sister), so I’m not entirely sure where I inherited (and the later adapted into a low-sodium version) this recipe from.  I always just thank the Italians for such wonderful inspiration, grazie!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

4 lbs lamb shanks (~4 lamb shanks; or 2 lamb shanks + 2 lbs leg of lamb cut into 1 ½ – 2” cubes.  Allow for 1 lamb shank per person)
1/8 cup grapeseed oil (for searing)

¼ cup olive oil (use half of this if you’re using the Ninja 3-in-1)
1 tablespoon pureed garlic (or less)
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into ½” pieces
½ cup onion, finely chopped
3 cups tomatoes, chopped into ½” pieces (or 1 – 28 oz can no salt added Italian plum tomatoes)
1 cup dry white wine (i.e., Pinot Grigio)*
3/8 cup lightly packed fresh basil, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dry)
3/8 cup lightly packed fresh oregano, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dry)
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dry)
3 to 4 cups low sodium chicken stock   (Note: set aside some additional stock in case your orzo isn’t cooked through and you need to add more).
1 lb orzo pasta (or roughly, just over 2 cups)

Freshly grated low-sodium Parmesan cheese; and if your low sodium diet allows it – sprinkle a few pitted kalamata olives into the dish.

(* if you choose to cook alcohol free – then use low sodium chicken stock. If you’re curious and want to know more about cooking with alcohol, read our blog post here . We recognize that alcohol isn’t meant for everyone’s diet)

Directions

  1. Clean the shanks by removing the skin/fat. Pat dry (with paper towels).
  2. Heat the dutch oven on high.  Add the grape seed oil and sear the lamb on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  3. Turn the heat down to medium high.  Add the olive oil, garlic, carrots, onion and sauté until softened (translucent). Return the lamb to the dutch oven.
  4. Add tomatoes, herbs, wine, and just enough stock to cover. Bake uncovered for 80-100 minutes in a 350 oven (*Ninja users – the cooking time may be reduced, because you’ll be cooking this covered).
  5. Remove from oven.  Measure the amount of cooking liquid remaining (unless you’re really good with eyeballing it. The easiest way is to remove the lamb and then pour the liquid into a large, heat resistant, glass-measuring cup. Be careful because the dutch oven and its contents will be extremely hot). I think it’s important to know what your liquid to dry orzo ratio is before you start cooking orzo. The downside of not knowing what the ratio is: (a) not enough liquid (not horrible, because you can add more stock) or (b) having too much liquid = soggy dish. This one is difficult to recover from. The liquid to orzo ratio is noted on the orzo manufacturer’s directions and can vary a little (generally, we follow a 3:2 ratio).
  6. Reassemble the lamb and original liquid back into the dutch oven. Add the orzo and top off with the incremental amount of chicken stock. Place on the (or set to) stove top and bring to a boil.
  7. Place back in the oven (or switch to Ninja oven setting at 350F) and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the orzo is tender. If all of the liquid has been absorbed and the orzo isn’t tender, add more stock.
  8. Remove from heat and serve. Finish with freshly grated low-sodium Parmesan cheese (and/or olives if your low sodium diet will allow it).
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Zabaglione – Make A Decadent Dessert Using Three Ingredients!

December 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Simply sublime when eaten fresh, Zabaglione is decadence made with only three ingredients!

Try a spoonful, or four. Warm Zabaglione magically melts in your mouth and becomes sheer happiness.  Its taste far surpasses whipped cream.  Light and airy, its texture lies somewhere between a whipped sauce and a frothy custard.  Served atop berries, or simply placed in a cup garnished with crushed amoretti biscuits and a sprig of mint, it is unpretentious and classic. Many find themselves going the traditional route – dipping Italian cookies or biscotti into a cupful of Zabaglione, bite after bite, the happiness becomes addicting.

One of the first things we learned after switching to a low sodium diet is that ordering low sodium desserts can be a challenge when dining out.  It’s a good thing for low-sodium, gluten or dairy free eaters* that most restaurants keep these three staple ingredients on hand: eggs, sugar, and wine!  (Although, you might have to plead your low sodium case with the owner to order Zabaglione off-menu.)

Depending upon the origin of the restaurant, chef, owners, or where your taste buds happen to land in Western Europe – you might need to become multi-lingual to order up a cup of happiness; it’s been known to travel incognito using the following names: Zabaglione, Zabaione (Italy) or Sabayon (France).

Wine – yes, the wine you use will affect the end taste. 

My cardinal wine cooking rule is to always cook with wine that is good enough to drink with a good meal; cooking with unpleasant tasting wine will definitely ruin the flavor of your zabaglione.

Marsala and moscato wine are popular choices.  Personally, we like using an Italian vin santo wine.  The tradeoff is that vin santo’s availability and cost relative to marsala wine may not present a compelling set of circumstances enough to buy a bottle simply to make zabaglione; the upside is that vin santo (much like marsala) is a sweet wine which keeps relatively well under refrigeration. So fear not, you don’t have to rush and feel you have to drink the whole bottle of vin santo in one evening.  Sparkling wines can also add a flare to your Zabaglione: Moscato D’Asti, and prosecco tend to be the most frequently used.

Zabaglione Food Pairing Suggestions

*Note: Yes, Zabaglione is one of our “special occasion” desserts because the recipe uses wine.  If you’re curious and want to know more about cooking with alcohol, read our blog post here .  We recognize that alcohol isn’t meant for everyone’s diet – so we’re sorry if alcohol is on your prohibited foods list and we’ve inadvertently taunted you. Also, this dairy-free Zabaglione recipe is also a good dessert consideration for gluten or lactose free eaters – our zabaglione recipe doesn’t use dairy; heavy cream can often help prolong the shelf life of zabaglione, but also affects the flavor and texture. You’ll want to be extra careful when choosing the wine (allergens).

Zabaglione Recipe

Zabaglione Ingredients

4 egg yolks (**we use raw, pasteurized eggs for this recipe)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vin santo or marsala wine ** (see above for other options)

Directions

Use a double boiler / bain-marie; bring the water to a boil. (To construct a makeshift double boiler – fill a pot with 1 – 2 inches of water; bring to a boil.  Select another rounded pot or [copper or heat tolerant glass] bowl that can sit comfortably on top of the pot, the rounded bowl becomes important because otherwise the ingredients will stick to the edges, overcook or burn.  Do not select a bowl that sits low enough to touch the boiling water – you’ll scald the zabaglione this way.  Essentially, you’re using steam from the bottom pot to heat the liquid in the top pot).

Combine and whisk all ingredients together (i.e., top part of the double boiler/a> or rounded copper or heat tolerant glass bowl).  Once you combine all of the ingredients, it is essential that you continue to whisk (to ensure that the zabaglione stays uniform); sugar and egg yolks don’t play well when left alone.

Keep whisking; literally your arm might feel like it’s going to fall off if you’re not using an electric mixer.  I actually stand on a kitchen stool, because I find that it makes whisking a little easier over a bain-marie (plus, I’m old school – I like to use a traditional whisk instead of our electric mixer for spontaneous desserts).

As the heat increases the overall temperature of the zabaglione, the texture will change. Bring it up to 145-150F and keep whisking.  The heating process may seem like a long time because you’re busy whisking away, but it actually doesn’t take too long (usually less than 5 minutes).  The completion test is the ribbon – the point when you can lift the whisk away from the zabaglione, and for a few scant seconds, it makes a ribbon-like pattern before becoming uniform again. Be sure to watch the temperature, because there’s a fine line where the zabaglione might get too hot, start to curdle and scorch.  Quickly bring the temperature down, continue to whisk for about a minute, and remove from heat.

Serve warm.

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Golden Biscotti Recipe

December 12, 2012 By 2 Comments
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Holiday baking season is upon us!  To celebrate Italy (the region that we’re blogging about right now), Italian foods, and the holiday season, we’ve converted Rose Levy Bernabaum’s Golden Biscotti recipe (with her permission) into a low sodium recipe version.

Baked twice, these delicious little morels can theoretically be stored for lengthy periods of time… the main problem is that our biscotti seem to mysteriously disappear (into our stomachs) and typically don’t last in our house for more than a couple of days!  Great for eating at home (or for giving as a gift) – and particularly delightful when dipped in coffee or zabaglione, or paired with vin santo wine (if you happen to drink alcohol).

Biscotti baking tip: we recommend using an electric knife (serrated blade) to cut the biscotti after the “first bake”.  It made the process a whole lot easier.

Biscotti Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached

1 ¼ teaspoons sodium-free baking powder
2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange zest (or zest from one large orange)

2 large eggs

½ cup olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 2/3 cups unblanched, sliced almonds

1/3 cup unblanched whole almonds

 

Topping Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large egg white

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, sift together all but ¼ cup of the flour with the baking soda. Set aside

In a food processor with the metal blade, process the sugar and orange zest until the zest is finely minced.  Add the eggs and process for about 30 seconds or until thoroughly blended.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.  With the motor running, add the oil, extracts, and process until blended.

Add the sliced almonds and process until finely chopped.  Add the flour mixture and process for about 7 seconds or until the flour is almost incorporated.  (There will be some flour clinging to the sides of the work bowl.  Do not over process, as the dough will be too stiff to incorporate the flour completely in the processor.)

Scrape the dough (including any flour from the work bowl) onto a lightly floured counter and knead the dough, adding the remaining ¼ cup of flour to form a soft, non-sticky dough.

Shape the dough into two 2-inch-wide cylinders.  Each will be about 7 ½ inches long.  Line up the whole almonds lengthwise in rows along the dough and press them well into the dough.  With the palms of your hands, roll the cylinders on the counter, enclosing the almonds and maintaining the 2-inch diameters of the cylinders.  Place the cylinders 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.  Beat the egg white.  Brush the cylinders lightly with the beaten egg white and sprinkle them with the cinnamon topping.

Bake on the upper rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and firm.

Cool the cylinders on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until just warm.  Slip them off the sheet and onto a counter.  With a serrated knife, cut diagonal ½-inch slices.  Place the slices closely together on the cookie sheets.

Toast the slices for about 8 minutes.  Using a small metal spatula, turn them and bake for another 8 minutes or until golden brown.  For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking period.  Use a small, angled metal spatula or pancake turner to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Store: In an airtight container at room temperature

Keeps:  Several months.

 

* The giveaway is a sponsored message for Safest Choice Eggs.  The sponsored message will be deleted from this post once the contest has been completed (this is not a sponsored post).

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Gluten Free Pizzelle / Faratelle (Olive Oil) Recipe

December 4, 2012 By 2 Comments
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Benvenuto in Italia!

Let’s toast to bella Italia – and all of her majestic sunrises, rustic flavors, and delicious desserts! Our Italian adventure starts with some tasty cookies from the Abruzzo (south) region, called Pizzelle. If you’re west of Abruzzo, in the Lazio region (i.e., Rome) Pizzelle travel incognito as ferratelle. Whatever name you want to call them, they’re delicious, thin circular wafers.
Our pizzelle recipe uses olive oil instead of butter – because we felt that the use of olive oil (and less so, butter) was authentic to the region.

Pizzelle’s consistency can vary depending upon the ingredients used. For example, if you use the recipe listed below – but substitute out all of the flours we’ve listed for an all-purpose flour (this would make the recipe non-gluten free), use regular refined white sugar (or brown) instead of powdered sugar, and add slightly more olive oil (so that the batter is more runny) – the recipe modifications will yield a slightly softer cookie. We’ve tried making them both crispy (below) and softer and they’re equally tasty!

Our recipe below (crispier pizzelle) uses anise, but we suggest that you get creative. Make a flavor splash! Try using lemon zest, vanilla, orange zest, anise, or chocolate. Really, the flavor variations are endless.
Farratelle batter consistency for crispy wafers To make the pizzelle, you’ll need a pizzelle iron (maker).  I bought one ages ago as a random purchase – definitely, I’ve had no regrets. The recipe is a snap to make, and the cookies turn out beautifully. You’ll have everyone at the cookie exchange fooled into thinking it took forever to master the craft (when in reality, the pizzelle iron did all of the hard work!).

…keep posted. We’re about to dive into a fun Italian adventure throughout the month!

Pizzelle Ingredients
1 cup potato flour
2/3 cup [brown] rice flour
1/2 cup powdered (confectioners’/10X) sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 – 1/2 teaspoon anise extract (or similarly, if you prefer to have lemon or vanilla flavored ones, use lemon zest or vanilla extract)

Pizzelle Directions
1. Pre-heat the pizzelle iron per the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift and combine the potato, rice flours and powdered sugar. Set aside.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine and whisk the eggs, olive oil and anise extract. Combine the wet and dry mixtures. Stir until the batter becomes consistent (see picture).
4. Lightly grease the pizzelle iron with cooking oil and place a small dollop (teaspoon sized) amount of dough. Close the iron (our iron has clamps, which helps to keep the cooking even). The pizzelle should cook until you hear the sizzling sound subside. Open the iron and remove. You may need to allow the pizzelle iron to heat up again before starting the next batch (our pizzelle iron is non-stick so we don’t have to re-grease in between batches – refer to your manufacturer’s directions.)

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Potato and Green Bean Salad with Arugula Pesto* Recipe

November 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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*Adapted from Micahel Natkin’s Herbivoracious. Read our review here

We promised Michael that we would share some of our low-sodium secrets (and indicate exactly where we had made modifications to his original recipe) – essentially, show step-by-step how we converted his recipe into a low sodium one.

As such, we’ve listed Michael’s original ingredients and steps below. Strikethrough font indicates the ingredients/steps we’ve omitted; ingredients/steps we’ve added or changed are noted by an asterisk (*), in some cases we’ve included additional notes (below).

Thanks Michael for graciously allowing us to re-print and modify your delicious recipe.

Happy Meatless Monday everyone!

“This potato salad will really grab attention on a buffet table.  The arugula pesto is a bright emerald green that holds its color much better than basil-based pesto.  You should still make the sauce as close to serving time as possible because the fresh flavors begin to dissipate, emphasizing the bitter aspect of the arugula. The mint adds a subtle bright note that makes all the difference.”  – Michael Natkin

Low Sodium Potato and Green Bean Salad with Arugula Pesto Recipe

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE VEGETABLES

1 pound small, waxy potatoes, such as red-skinned (* approx.. 6 medium sized potatoes)

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (* – see note 1)
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved (*approx. 2 cups)

 

FOR THE ARUGULA PESTO

2 ounces baby arugula (about 3 cups loosely packed leaves)

¼ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 or 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (use a larger amount if you are a garlic lover)

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 ounce Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about ¼ cup) (* – see note 2)


TO COMPLETE THE SALAD

Freshly ground pepper

½ cup toasted walnut pieces (optional)

Recipe Modification Notes:

(1)    We omitted the salt from the boiling water (potatoes) and substituted it with fresh lemon juice.  The fresh lemon juice, in addition to being nearly sodium free, helps to keep the potato skins tight during cooking.

(2)    Arugula pesto – we omitted the ¼ teaspoon kosher salt entirely, and we held back on integrating the 1 oz Grana Padano/Parmigiano-Reggiano grated cheese, and instead chose to sprinkle it on top (sparingly), afterwards.   This allowed us to control the flavor and the amount of sodium. Depending upon how “low sodium” we’re targeting – cheese can be a hidden source of sodium.  The USDA nutrient database lists the average Parmesan cheese @ 454 mg/sodium per 1 oz.  (individual brands’ sodium content can significantly vary from the normative value, so can sometimes be a tricky food and one to keep an eye out for.)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. For the vegetables:  Places the potatoes in a large pot of cold water with the salt *with the lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer.  When the potatoes are fork-tender,10 to 15 minutes (depending on size) transfer them to a bowl with a slotted spoon.  Add the green beans to the water and boil for 1 2/1 minutes.  Transfer the green beans to a separate bowl.  Rinse both vegetables in cold water until cool; drain well.  Cut the potatoes in half if they are much larger than bite-size.  Set aside.
  2. For the arugula pesto:  Combine the arugula, mint, olive oil, and garlic, salt, and cheese in a mini food processor.  Process until the mixture forms a fairly smooth paste with some texture left.  Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender, or a regular blender if you make a double batch.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  3. To complete the salad:  Toss the potatoes and green beans with the arugula pesto, several grinds of black pepper, and the walnut pieces, if using.  Taste, *sprinkle the cheese on sparingly, and add more salt *pepper if needed, and serve.

 

 

Disclosure(s) – re: FTC compliance purposes: OXO provided the salad spinner. I am demo-ing their blogger outreach program and received the salad spinner as part of our participation in their program (we have to disclose this, despite the fact that I already purchased/owned an OXO salad spinner before we started with the blogger outreach program).  Additionally, Michael Natkin generously provided us (and all of the other attendees at the book launch party) with a copy of his book for review purposes.

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Potato and Celery Root Latkes

October 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Holiday eating to me translates into “sometimes, but not every day, comfort foods”.   So yes – our low sodium latkes are fried (its’ a rarity on our blog so I’m not going to feel too guilty). I used these tasty little morsels as a base for our October Unprocessed, gluten free eggs benedict.

You can find our gluten free mock hollandaise recipe on Andrew’s site, or you can read more about celery root on our site .

Without further ado, here’s the recipe: (sorry, I don’t know why the plug in wasn’t working)
Ingredients

4 cups Russet (or Yukon gold) potatoes, shredded (large sized shreds)

1 cup celery root, shredded (large sized shreds)

1 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

1 /2 cup rice flour

1 teaspoon white pepper, ground

1 egg, beaten*

1/3 cup water

Cooking oil (for frying)

*depending upon how much moisture you wring out of the potato/celery root, you may need or want to add an additional egg to the mixture.  The consistency of these will vary depending upon the water content.  If your mix is too runny, add more rice flour (incrementally).

Directions

1.  Remove excess water from shredded potato and celery root by placing them between two layers of cloth (cheesecloth, strong paper towel, or clean tea towels), roll (like a cinnamon bun) and then wring out excess moisture. Place the (less moist) potato and celery root shreds into a medium sized mixing bowl.  Add chopped chives.  Mix evenly.

2.  In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flower and white pepper together, ensuring even distribution of the pepper/flour. Stir in the water, 1 egg, and chives (i.e., no large clumps).  (The consistency that you’re looking for is a cross between a thicker-type pancake mix meets hash brown patties.) Combine with the potato, celery root shreds (and chives) and mix evenly.

3.  Form into small “patties”, roughly 2-3” across (and no thicker than ¾” – 1” high. I use a small measuring cup, pack the latke mixture into it; dumping the cup’s contents directly into the heated skillet.)

4.  In a medium or large sized skillet, add adequate cooking oil (the kind that has a high smoke point) until the bottom of the skillet is covered (approximately ¼” high).  Bring the temperature of the skillet/oil to high/moderately high.

5.  I always test the oil temperature prior to frying latkes (test should sizzle and brown quickly, use a tiny amount of the latke recipe or a 1” cube of bread).  Keep in mind that heating your oil to the correct temperature will make a difference in the final product – and is the difference between biting into a soggy mess one versus a perfect latke (meaning, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside). Keep additional (unheated) cooking oil on hand, as making latkes process tends to use a fair amount of oil.

6.  Also keep in mind that the oil loses temperature as you cook through successive batches of latkes, so it is important to  ensure that you keep checking the oil temperature and volume (in the pan) to make sure that the oil temperature is correct before you start the next batch of latkes.

7.  Drop the latke batter into the hot oil, and reduce heat to moderate.  Cook until the underside has turned golden brown.  Turn the latkes over, and cook the other side until evenly cooked.  Transfer to cooling rack/warming oven to until ready to serve.  (Add more oil and bring to temperature as required).

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Grape Leaves – How to Pick & Prepare for Dolmades

September 13, 2012 By 4 Comments
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Preparing your own grape leaves for dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) is a cinch. Store-bought grape leaves are usually packed in heavily salted brine, so using fresh leaves is a healthier (and lower sodium) option. Read how to select and blanch grape leaves from the garden for a delightful Mediterranean treat.

To continue with our Low Sodium Greek Food Festival, Sue’s posted a delicious  dolmades recipe on her blog, Please Don’t Pass The Salt.  Happy Eating!

Harvesting Your Leaves

Younger, medium-sized leaves 3-4 inches in diameter are optimal for dolmades. They are large enough to stuff, and still tender. Older leaves develop a tougher structure and can get chewed on by bugs, or otherwise aged and  damaged.

Spring through early summer is the best time to harvest, as new leaf production is plentiful. However, summer and early harvests are okay too…you may just need to search a little deeper for the younger leaves. Our wild and crazy grapevine continues to produce new leaves well into the late fall– taking over our entire yard in the process.

Here’s what to consider when harvesting:

1) Make sure the vine has not been sprayed with pesticides;
2) Leaves are best when light green in color with no holes;
3) Look for leaves that are not too deeply lobed (indented). Think about wrapping the leaf around a one to two inch length of rice stuffing;
4) Clip the leaves at the stem and try to keep them shaded and cool while harvesting;
5) Blanch as soon as possible to prevent drying out. From the garden to the kitchen will yield the best results.

The key is to select the correct size of leaf. Choosing a large leaf can make the dolma taste too “leafy”. Likewise, choosing an inappropriately sized (small) leaf, may mean that there’s not enough “wrap”.  As you can see from this photo, the leaves are distinctly different shades of green.  We aim to pick the lighter green (younger) leaves.

Preparation

I think the process of blanching is actually easier than separating and washing packaged grape leaves. It’s a quick, four-step process:

1) Bring a large saucepan or pot of water to a gentle boil;
2) Clip the stems off your leaves and rinse under cool water;
3) Place leaves in flat bunches of 5-10 at a time in the boiling water for 3-5 minutes and cover;
4) When flaccid and dark green, remove to a plate with a large slotted spoon or spatula. They’re now ready for filling and rolling.

Yes, it’s that simple. What I noticed through the process was the great changes in color the leaves go through. From their native hue to a bright, nearly phosphorescent green, ending with the dark green typical of dolmades. Another thing I noticed was that the leaves are not too fragile. Yes they are soft, supple and pliable, but you need not worry too much about handling them.

Storage
For best results, use the blanched leaves within a few days (keep refrigerated). To freeze for later use, do not blanch. Rinse your leaves, tamp dry and place flat in a sealed freezer bag, air removed. Grape leaves tend to tenderize over time while stored in the freezer. After thawing, remove a leaf to test for flaccidity – if it feels tender and can be rolled, no blanching is necessary. If not tender, then blanch.

Now the stuffing and rolling party begins…then the best part…eating delicious, homemade dolmades!

 

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Homemade Horto-merothikopita Pie Recipe (Greek-style green & herb pie)

August 10, 2012 By 2 Comments
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Today’s recipe is inspired by our personal friend George Menzelos (who happens to be the founder/owner of Arianna Trading Company, he’s a supplier of amazing tasting organic Greek olive oil). Coincidentally, George also [inadvertently] personally inspired us to create a low sodium olive oil pastry crust recipe. We’ve taken George’s original greens and herbs pie recipe and converted it into a low sodium version (our version is pictured above).

Here is George’s story behind his homemade horto-merothikopita pie
[horta = greens] + [merothika = herbs] +[pita = pie] =  ["greens-herbs-pie"]

Welcome to Greece!  My greens and herbs pie is not a traditional Greek dish in so much as it’s a creation by a Greek/American foodie who’s a health nut. Having traveled around the different regions of Greece, I have seen many variations on spanakopita, they use the greens and herbs they have in season and what is available not just spinach. Greens of all kinds are a huge part of the traditional Greek diet and have been attributed to their good health and longevity. Unfortunately with globalization and especially since it’s entering into the EU there has also come fast food into the Greek people’s diet. You now see the same cardiovascular diseases and obesity happening among Greeks particularly in the young people.

As part of what I’ve studied about adding alkaline based foods into my diet, I regularly prepare a raw greens & herbs pesto. This pesto is a puree of many types of greens and herbs with lemon juice, olive oil and walnuts that I whip up in a food processor. I try and make this a part of my weekly routine and it keeps refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. This pesto oxidizes so I keep a layer of olive oil covering the top. I use this pesto as a spread for sandwiches and wraps, raw on cooked pasta, as a dip or just eat it straight up from a spoon, yum.

This greens pie is actually the byproduct of making my pesto. I can buy up more variety of greens for use in both. Because it’s been baked the greens and herb pie will last much longer and it also freezes beautifully. This is a great way to get a concentrated amount of vitamins and minerals into your diet that’s simple and tastes great. Note that I do like to buy and use the whole bags of organic pre washed greens for the most part and use the upper stems with the leaves of a whole bunch of herbs to cut down on prep time. After preparing the base of the greens mixture I separate the mix into the raw and baking parts adding in the remaining ingredients, often saving and baking the pie the following day. It’s a great way to get in a healthy portion of greens and herbs into your diet. This pie is a perfect side dish to grilled fish or meats and it makes a great breakfast or lunch.

Our low sodium version of George’s horto-merothikopita pie recipe

Makes 1  – 12″  pie

Ingredients

1 or 2 unbaked low sodium pie crusts (depending if you want to make a covered pie or an uncovered one — we made ours “uncovered”).

Step A

1/2 cup chopped scallions

16 oz of spinach, kale, arugula mix (we used 6 oz kale, 6 oz spinach, and 4 oz arugula)

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

1/3 cup fresh dill

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

Step B

1 cup low sodium ricotta (or goat) cheese

3/4 cup packed green onion/scallions

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic

Optional:  top with whipped mascarpone cheese (as seen).

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F
  2. In a food processor, chop all ingredients listed in step A (scallions, spinach, kale, arugula, mint, dill and cilantro). Remove and place in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a food processor, whip together the ingredients listed in step b (ricotta, green onion, eggs, olive oil, and garlic).
  4. Fold together and place in unbaked pie shell
  5. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.  (Place foil loosely over the top for the first 20 minutes) . Enjoy!
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Olive Oil Pie Shell Recipe

July 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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Sometimes we derive inspiration in the strangest ways.  This olive oil pie shell recipe evolved from a mistaken interpretation (i.e., my listening skills weren’t working that day).

When Sue and I first started to consider cooking up a Greek food festival, I called my friend George Menzelos, from Arianna Trading Company (to pick his brain about Greek food).  George and I were chatting away (about Spanakopitas and green herb pies) and he described some of his recipes to me.  [I thought] he had mentioned that they made pastry on the Greek islands by using olive oil (and not butter).  I guess I was wrong, because when I later called him up to get his olive oil pie shell recipe, he stopped dead in his tracks.  Whoa, what?  They brush olive oil on the savory pies (butter on the sweet ones) – they don’t typically make an entire pie shell out of olive oil.

My curiosity had been piqued, and I decided to see if I could actually make a pie crust out of olive oil.

So here it is – my Olive Oil Pie Shell Recipe.

It’s a little crumbly, which is great when you eat it.  The easiest way is just to combine the ingredients, make the crumbles (I used a pastry cutter), pour the crumbles into a pie shell, and press the dough into the sides of the pan with your hands.  The recipe is simple, and takes very little time at all.  Plus,  you don’t use butter. What’s even better is the fact that if you’re lazy like I am (sometimes), you won’t even need a rolling pin.

I think that the pie shell actually tastes better made with olive oil and not butter. Try it out and see for yourself — you might never want to go back.

…P.S. you’ll have to wait a couple of days for our low sodium version of George’s herb pie recipe.

Ingredients (for 1 pie shell – bottom)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon sodium free baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg yolk, beaten

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Combine all of the ingredients (i.e., mix dry together first, and then add the wet ones).  Using a pastry cutter, gently “cut” the pastry until it resembles fine crumbles (see above).  Remove the dough from the  bowl and pour the crumbles into the pie pan.  Press the crumbles into the side of the pan.

olive oil pastry – an easier way is to just put the contents into a pan and press it into the sides

olive oil pastry

Alternatively, you can shape it into a ball and roll it (though you might need to add a little more moisture than what the recipe calls for)

it is possible to roll it into a ball, but it does tend to break apart (add more moisture than this recipe stipulates if you plan to roll it out).

 

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Stuffed Eggplant Braised in Olive Oil, Onion, Garlic and Tomatoes (Imam bayildi) Recipe

July 29, 2012 By 1 Comment
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Imam bayildi is a traditional Mediterranean dish, most notably served in Turkey.  With the advent of global food migration, it can also be found in Greece — but in Greece, the stuffed eggplant dish is often served warm (as opposed to being served at room temperature in Turkey).  This is one of my favorite “comfort food” dishes (and its vegetarian).

You can find our guest post and low sodium recipe over on Sue’s blog, Please Don’t Pass the Salt :)

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