April | 2020 | Enogastronomista

Greek Easter Bread / Lambròpsomo/ Λαμπρòψωμο

Lambròpsomo is a bread from the Byzantine times that continues to exist to the present days throughout Greece as a traditional Easter bread. It is used to package it in various forms on Holy Thursday. The shape of each bread varies according to local traditions. The best known and the most used shape is the braid, on which a red egg can be placed. The braids and knots on the bread, derive from pagan times as a symbol of the removal of evil spirits.

Ingredients:

250 g water lukewarm
8 g yeast
50 g granulated sugar
20 g olive oil
500 g hard flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk, diluted with 1 tablespoon water or milk
30 g sesame seeds

Method:

In a mixer’s bowl add the water, the yeast, the sugar, and mix with a hand whisk until the sugar and the yeast are dissolved.
Add the olive oil, the flour, the salt, and beat with the hook attachment at medium-high speed, for 3-4 minutes, until there is an elastic dough.
Transfer the dough to a floured bowl, sprinkle a little flour on top, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour to double in volume.
Transfer the dough to your working surface and roll it out into a sheet 30 cm in diameter, dusting with flour.
With a pizza cutter, cut the dough in a snail shape and spread it on your working surface. Braid it in a cross shape (see photo gallery bellow) and transfer to a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let it rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180^ο C (350^ο F) set to fan.
Spread the egg wash over the whole surface of the dough, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove and serve.
See the procedure step by step in the gallery below. (For full functionality of this gallery it is necessary to enable Java Script)

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16 April 2020 | Categories: Bread, Senza categoria | Tags: მართლმადიდებლური სააღდგომო პური, Bread, bukë ortodokse e pashkëve, православний великодній хліб, православный пасхальный хлеб, easter bread, λαμπροψωμο, orthodox easter bread, ortodokse paasbrood, ortodoksni uskršnji hljeb, ortodoxní velikonoční chléb, ortodoxný veľkonočný chlieb, ուղղափառ զատկի հաց, pâine ortodoxă de Paște, prawosławny chleb wielkanocny | 7 Comments

Decorated Bread

Not as difficult as it may appear. This decorative bread is made from the same dough as any other hard flour bread. The only difference is the use of a well – sharpened blade with which incisions are made everywhere and all around on the bread. Flowers, ears of wheat, a sun, a smile, geometric lines, initials of a name or whatever else your fantasy desires. The only tip before cutting is to cover the loaf with flour. Dusting the top of your loaves with flour prior to scoring will ensure maximum contrast between white flour and dark baked crust. Follow instructions and have fun!

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Ingredients:

500g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting *
2 tsp salt
7gr fast-action yeast
3 tbsp olive oil
300ml water

*Strong flour, also commonly known as strong bread flour, is made from hard wheat varieties. It contains more gluten (12% to 14% gluten content),than other types of flour which gives it its elasticity and enables the dough to rise with a good structure.

Method:

Heat oven to 220°C/ 428°F
Mix 500g strong white flour, 2 tsp salt and a 7gr of fast-action yeast in a large bowl.
Make a well in the centre, then add 3 tbsp olive oil and 300ml water. Mix well. If the dough seems a little stiff, add another 1-2 tbsp water and again mix well.
Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for around 10 mins.
Once the dough is satin-smooth, place it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Knock back the dough (punch the air out and pull the dough in on itself) then gently mould the dough into a ball.
Place it on the baking parchment to prove for a further hour until doubled in size.
Dust the loaf with some extra flour

(Dusting the top of your loaves with flour prior to scoring will ensure maximum contrast between white flour and dark baked crust.)

With a sewing thread form a cross on the dough. Then on each fourth format, draw 2 other lines as in the gallery photos

With a sharp razor make small incisions on the sides of each line – from the top to bottom- so that it looks like an ear of wheat.

Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

15 April 2020 | Categories: Bread, Senza categoria | Tags: arán baile, Bread, brood, domáci chlieb, гэрийн хийсэн талх, домашний хлеб, 自制面包, gawa sa bahay ang tinapay, hjemmelaget brød, hjemmelavet brød, homemade bread, σπιτικο ψωμι, kotitekoinen leipä, pain, pain fait maison, pan casero, pane, Selbstgemachtes Brot, tuisgemaakte brood, نان خانگی, zelfgemaakt brood, לחם תוצרת בית, خبز صنع المنزل | 1 Comment

Goat Leg Oven Roasted with Hasseback Potatoes

The simplest and easiest recipe with goat meat. The simpler it is, the more it retains its flavor. Only herbs, vegetables and very little olive oil make this dish a real delicacy.

Ingredients

2 legs of lamb about 1.5 -2 kgr
1 bulb garlic
bunch of rosemary
sea salt and black pepper
2 carrots
2 onions
potatoes
olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 392°F
Use a small, sharp knife to make some slits all over the lamb. Peel two garlic cloves and slice them into shards. Roughly squash the remaining garlic and put into the bottom of a large roasting tin.
Push a few slivers of garlic and small sprigs of rosemary down into each slit in the lamb and season with plenty of salt and pepper.
Prepare the Hasselback potatoes *
Put the carrots, the onions and the potatoes into the roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay the lamb on top and roast in the preheated oven for about 60 min , until cooked to your liking.
When cooked, remove the lamb from the oven and transfer to a board. Cover with foil and leave to rest for 15- 20 minutes.

*Hasselback potatoes. See how to cut them step by step here>> https://enogastronomista.com/tag/hasselback-potatoes/

14 April 2020 | Categories: gluten free, Meat, Senza categoria | Tags: baked leg of kid, bok been oond gebraai, cuisse de chèvre rôtie au four, 羊腿烤箱烤, картофель хасселбек, forno de perna de cabra assado, gede ben ovn stegt, getben ugn rostad, goat leg, hasselback aartappels, Hasselback Kartoffeln, 염소 다리 오븐 구이, oven kambing dipanggang, pierna de cabra asada al horno, pommes de terre hasselback, vuohen jalkauuni paahdettu, Ziegenbeinofen geröstet, 山羊の脚オーブン焼き | Leave a comment

Easter Stenciled cookies

One of the easiest and prettiest ways to decorate the cookies and enjoy time during quarantin days with your childrens…

Ingredients for 15 cookies:

190 g butter, at room temperature
110 g icing sugar
300 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla powder

For the decoration:

Cookie cutters of desired shape
Cocoa Powder
Pastry brush
Stencils

Method:

Add the butter in a mixer’s bowl and beat it with the paddle attachment at high speed, for 4-5 minutes, until fluffy.
Add the icing sugar and keep beating for 4-5 minutes using the paddle attachment at low to medium speed.
In a bowl, mix the flour with the vanilla and add them to the mixer. Beat for 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks like wet sand.
Remove the dough from the mixer and knead it with your hands until it is thick and malleable.
Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Transfer one of the pieces to a baking shett lined with parchment paper. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and, with a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it has the same size as the baking sheet.
Remove the parchment paper and cut the cookies using the cookie cutter. Follow the same process for the remaining dough, too.

Decoration:

Place the stencil on top of the cookie. Use a pastry brush to pick up cocoa powder and pat the cocoa powder onto the stencil.
Lift away the stencil carefully. Do the same for the rest of the cookies, then bake for about 15 min (180°C / 356°F)

13 April 2020 | Categories: Desserts, Senza categoria | Tags: ステンシルビスケット, biscoitos estampados, biscotti stampati con stencil, biscuits au pochoir, brioscaí stenciled, galletas estampadas, gestenciliseerde beskuitjies, 스텐실 비스킷, Schablonenplätzchen, sjablongkjeks, stenciled biscuits, stenciled koekjes, 模版饼干, بسكويت بالستينسيل | 6 Comments

Koulourakia: Ancient Τraditional Greek Easter Cookies / Κουλουρακια βουτυρου

After the establishment of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire- – which also included Greece – by Constantine the Great, (Constantine was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity ) he was the first to offer as gifts to his officials, the so-called “palatine bread”, today’s butter cookies and sweet bread (tsoureki). The shape of these Easter cookies and breads varies depending on local traditions.The best known is the braid. Braids and knots come from pagan times, as symbols of the removal of evil spirits.

So one of the ancient culinary Easter traditions in Greece is the butter cookies called “koulourakia” (kuluràkia). During Holy Week they are found in abundance in Greek bakeries and home kitchens. The dough is mainly made of butter and must be of excellent quality. Low quality butter will give horrible results without consistency, flavor and aroma. For this reason, every home has her favorite brand. My favorite brand is Greek from the historical region of Thessalia and it is the award-winning Flegga Dairy Company, synonymous with high quality for more than 60 years. The flour used for this recipe is a biological all purpose Italian flour; the same also biological eggs and organic oranges.

Have a Holy and Blessed Easter 2020. Warmest thoughts and wishes to all the people who are suffering from loneliness and pain.

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Ingredients for 35 – 40 pieces:

300 g butter
300 g granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs, medium
120 g orange juice
orange zest, of 2 big oranges or 3 small
50 g brandy
1 kilo all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
50 g milk
1 pinch salt
1 egg yolk, diluted in 2 tablespoons water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190^ο C (375^ο F) set to fan.
In a mixer’s bowl add the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and beat with the paddle attachment at medium speed for 5 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy.
Then, add the eggs one by one, the orange zest and juice, the cognac, and keep beating.
In a bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and mix with a spoon.
Add half of the solid ingredients into the mixer, the milk, the salt, and keep beating for 1-2 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, add the remaining solid ingredients, and mix with a serving spoon until the ingredients are homogenized. Then, knead with your hands until a dough is formed.
Cut a 30 g piece, shape it into a strip, and wrap it like a braid (see gallery below)
Follow the same process for the whole dough.
Transfer the cookies into baking pans lined with parchment paper, spread with the egg wash (1 egg yolk, diluted in 2 tablespoons water)
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Let them cool and serve

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13 April 2020 | Categories: Desserts, Senza categoria | Tags: バタークッキー, biscoitos de manteiga, biscotti al burro, biscotti tradizionali, biscuits au beurre, Butterkekse, 牛油饼干, Easter cookies, 버터 쿠키, κουλουρακια βουτυρου, сдобное печенье, smörkakor, smørkager, بسكويت الزبدة | 1 Comment

Chocolate Quinoa Flakes Breakfast

In these quarantine days where everything flows slowly, i taught my daughter how to prepare her own breakfast. This recipe is so simple that even a little girl can prepare it, obviously with the supervision of an adult.

Chocolate, quinoa flakes, smushed banana, milk and water. You only bring to boil these 5 ingredients for few minutes and it’s ready to eat. Quinoa Flakes are mechanically flattened grains of quinoa, similar to rolled oats; provide all the health benefits of whole grain quinoa with a more familiar breakfast texture and a much quicker cooking time)

Garnish with dried and fresh fruits of your choice or a ball of ice cream. As the cream does not contain sugar, agave or maple syrup cannot be missing. The advanced cream is kept in the fridge for the next day. Just add a spoonful of milk or water and heat it over low heat, stirring constantly.

For the presence of quinoa it is one of the most nutritious & healthy breakfasts for everyone. Quinoa is gluten-free pseudo cereal, high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids. (Ηistidine, Ιsoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan and Valine)

It is also high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants.

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Ingredients for 2 persons:

100 gr quinoa flakes
100 gr dark chocolate
1/2 cup milk (about 125 ml)
1/2 cup water (about 125 ml)
1 ripe banana mashed

Fresh and dry fruits cut into small pieces

Agave or maple syrup for topping

Method:

In a little pot combine the first 5 ingredients. Mix well with a spoon. Bring to a boil, then reduce over low heat and boil for about 2 – 3 minutes (until creamy). Stirring costantly

Serve in bowls. Top with fruits and a generous amount of agave or maple syrup.

As the cream does not contain sugar, agave or maple syrup cannot be missing.

The advanced cream is kept in the fridge for the next day. It should be firm, so just add 1 – 2 spoonful of milk or water, whisk together until incorporated. Heat it over low heat, stirring constantly

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