Cold Calamari Salad

This is a very easy and healthy appetizer.  This is my version, but feel free to alter according to your and/or your family's taste.


You will need: freshly bought squid, parsley, salt, pepper, lemon, garlic and olive oil.  You may substitute parsley with dill. 

• 2 fresh squids (cleaned)
• 1 lemon
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt, pepper, olive oil and parsley or dill to taste.

Fill a pot with water half way and squeeze half of the lemon.  Let it boil.  Add cut squid (calamari) to the hot lemon water.  Let the squid in the water under regular heat for 9-10 minutes until it is done.  Do not leave it for too long because it will get harder.  Be careful to watch it and remove from hot water.  Mix with the other half of the lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, minced garlic and a sprinkle with parsley or dill. 

Enjoy!!!

Crab Miso Soup (かにみそしる)

You will need the following: Crab claws (chopped), miso paste, scallions, shiitake mushrooms, dashi (seasoning stock).

• 1Ib crab claws
• 2 table spoons miso paste
• 1 scallion (green/spring onion) thinnly sliced
• 3 shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
• 1 small packet of dashi
• 3 cups of water

Boil 3 cups of water with dashi seasoning stock.  Add the miso paste and slowly stir in low heat.  Ensure that once you add miso paste the liquid mixture is not boiling.  Add the crabs and allow it to cook for 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Add shiitake mushrooms and scallions to garnish. This soup is great when accompanied with steamed rice with furikake seasoning or with steamed rice alone.

Note: Adjust miso paste to your preference.  You may also adjust the rest of the ingredients to your liking.  

Meatballs my way (Qoftet sipas menyres time)

These meatballs are a great hit with everyone that has tried them.  They make a great snack and/or a side dish.  Kids love them too. 

You will need: Ground beef, yellow onion, salt, pepper, garlic, egg, oregano, parsley or dill and if you have Arabic or Indian spices even better. 

Recipe:

• 1 Ib ground beef
• 1/2 yellow/red/white onion thinly diced
• 1 egg
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• salt, pepper, oregano and parsley or dill to taste.
• 1 tea spoon of Indian/Arabic spices (optional)
• 1 table spoon bread crumbs or panko (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together and shape into small balls or shapes of your choosing.  For a healthier version you may bake them in 350 degree F oven until brown.  Or you may saute in olive oil.  Serve hot and as an option with plain yogurt.

Note: You may put cheese in the middle or tofu if you like.  It will taste very good. 

Spinach Phyllo Dough Pie (Byrek me Spinaq)

Byrek is another favorite dish of mine.  I grew up with it and continue to make it when I feel like having a taste of Byrek.  It can be made with vegetables for vegetarians, but it can also be made with ground beef and tofu for vegans.  I have made all versions and all are equally delicious and unique. 

You will need the following:

• 15-20 sheets of phyllo dough
• 1.5 cups of yogurt (I make my own yogurt because I find the store bought ones have too much starch)
• 1 egg (you may use two if you like)
• 1 Ib of spinach (thawed)
• 1 cup of butter (depending on your preference)
• Parsley to taste
• 1 tea spoon salt
• pepper to taste
• 2 green onions/scallions
• 2 medium size garlic minced

Butter a pan (size of your phyllo dough) and start laying the dough to cover the pan.  Brush the each sheet of dough with melted butter.  Repeat this 7 times or 10 times depending on the number of sheets you are using.  In a bowl mix yogurt, egg, spinach, parsley, salt, pepper, scallions and garlic together.  Add the mixture to the pan that you have already put buttered phyllo dough sheets.  Continue the process of layering the sheets until you have finished them all and finish by brushing with melted butter.

Bake the spinach pie at 350 degree F until golden brown.  After baked, let it cool a bit and cut.  Serve while hot.  Or heat it up if you decide to refrigerate. 

Note: You may use as much butter as you like. Same goes for the salt and pepper.  If you prefer to make a ground beef pie, brown the beef first with the ingredients (do not use yogurt and egg in this case).  You may also substitute yogurt with feta cheese or tofu.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Grandpa Pano's Fergese (Fergesa e Gjyshit Pano) Tomato Soup

This dish was passed down to me from my maternal Grandfather, Andon.   He would spent three months at a time every year when my sister and I started school and this was his favorite dish to make while visiting with us.  This is a typical summer dish, but can be made year-round. 

You will need: A pan, pot, eggs, tomato, salt, pepper, peppers (any color would do), olive oil, dill or parsley, white feta cheese or ricotta cheese. 

Recipe:

• 5 tomatoes (steak tomatoes)
• 8 oz ricotta cheese or 1/2 Ib white feta cheese (it will taste better with feta cheese)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 2 table spoons of olive oil
• 4-5 peppers
• parsley or dill to garnish

Cut the tomatoes in half and place them in a blender.  Blend until reached a soupy consistency.  Pour in a pot and simmer over low heat.  In a bowl mix the egg and the ricotta cheese or the finely crumbled feta cheese, salt and pepper.  Pour this mixture in the tomato that is already simmering and slowly stir.  Turn off the heat.  In a separate pan saute whole peppers (you may prefer to cut the peppers into strips and saute, which is also fine).  After sauteing the peppers, pour them into the fergese.  Serve in a bowl while hot.  Garnish with parsley or dill.  You may substitute parsley and dill with oregano.  

Ela's Apple Strudel

My childhood friend, Renata, asked me for this recipe.  This is quite easy to make; children and adults love it, but moreover is healthy with no added sugar.  This is also a very good recipe for people with diabetes.

You will need:

• 10 sheets of phyllo dough (or less depending on your preference of thickness)
• Cinnamon (depends on your taste preference, but enough to coat the apples.
• cloves (ground preferably)
• 2 cups or more of walnuts (depends on your preference)
• 2 medium apples diced or 3 small apples diced
• 1/2 cup of raisins (optional)
• Melted butter to butter each sheet

Take a cookie tray and butter it.  Layer a phyllo dough and butter it, add another layer on top of the first one and continue to do so until you have finished with all of them.  In a bowl mix diced apples, cinnamon, cloves, walnuts and raisins.  After mixing, spread the mix all over the phyllo dough.  Roll.  Once you have rolled, butter the roll and cut.  Bake in preheated oven in 400 F degree until golden.  Let cool.  Enjoy hot or cold.

Note:  You may use pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon and cloves.  You may also use walnuts and apples only if you do not prefer anything else in it.  Let your taste buds guide you.  You may also cut the roll after baking it, but it will be more challenging.  It is easier to cut before baking. 

Xander's Pumpkin Soup

My 3 year old nephew, Xander, gave me a pumpkin that he had picked at a pumpkin patch.  So in his honor, I made a pumpkin soup with his pumpkin and named it after him.

You will need: Oven, roasting pan, salt, pepper, a medium size pumpkin, chicken broth, heavy cream (for a healthier version, substitute heavy cream with either whole milk, 2% milk, 1% milk or skim milk to adjust to your personal diet), rosemary for flavor, garlic, onion, olive oil and a mixing machine to puree the pumpkin. 

Recipe:

• 1 medium size pumpkin
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream or milk
• 1 medium size yellow onion, red or white
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 table spoons of olive oil

Cut the pumpkin in half and clean it from the seeds.  Peel the halves and cut the peeled pumpkin in cubes.  Once cut, place in a roasting pan coat the cubed pumpkin with olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Preheat oven to 400 F and roast until golden brown.  In the meantime heat the chicken broth in a pot.  Place the cubed roasted pumpkin, broth, rosemary, garlic cloves, and onion cut in 4 pieces in the mixer.  Once all the ingredients are placed, puree for few seconds.  Ensure that there are no lumps left and that a creamy soup consistency has been reached.  Once finished, place in the pot where you heated the chicken broth and add the heavy cream or milk.  Simmer at a low temperature for few minutes. 

Note: For best results use a Vitamix machine to give you a creamy consistency for the pumpkin soup.You may adjust seasoning to your preference.  

Ela's Version of Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are a great snack or a side dish to a meal anytime.

Recipe:

You need wings, a bowl to marinate the wings, a fridge, roasting pan, oven, herbs, Raki (Albanian spirit), Mirin (a type of Japanese sake used to season food), Teriyaki sauce.

• 5-10 pieces of wings
• 2 table spoons of Mirin (optional)
• 2 table spoons of Raki (optional) You can substitute Raki with Vodka
• 1 tea spoon salt
• 1 tea spoon pepper
• 1 table spoon oregano
• 1 table spoon Teriyaki sauce
• Parsley for seasoning at the end (you can substitute parsley with dill).

Put the wings in a bowl or a dip dish.  Pour all the ingredients over the wings and mix them for few seconds until all the wings are well coated.  Cover the bowl/dish and let stand in the refrigerator for 4-5 hrs or overnight.  When you are ready to roast them in the oven, leave them to room temperature for few minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place the wings on a pan that has been previously coated with olive oil or butter.  Roast the wings until golden brown.  Once finished, let them sit outside for few minutes.  Sprinkle parsley or dill or other herbs of your choice.  Serve hot accompanied with a sauce of your choice.  For a healthy choice, serve with plain yogurt.  Enjoy!