My mother-in law always serves her turkey stuffing with fresh roasted chestnuts. This makes her stuffing one step more rich with the earthy roasted flavors of the chestnuts. I do love lots and lots of chestnuts in my stuffing and gravy. So make sure you have several hands ready to do the peeling process. Once they cool, it’s very difficult to get the peel off the nut. If not, work in small batches at a time.
When shopping for chestnuts look for plump and shiny ones. Choose carefully, avoid those with small holes because they can be wormy. Chestnuts can be cooked many different ways. You can roast them in the oven (what I do),over charcoal, or in the fireplace. I once had them on the streets of Greece, roasted and I still dream of those warm toasty chestnuts on that cold day in the city. Once roasted, you can do many things with them. They can be braised, boiled, and pureed.
You can purchase chestnuts dehydrated, but they do not compare to fresh. Just remember, all chestnuts must to be peeled before serving. It’s important to know Chestnuts need to be simmered for 30 minutes in water to become soft for cooking. This step is not necessary if you are adding them gravy or stuffing that will be cooked for longer than 30 minutes. Let’s get started. Step 1. Make a cross-like slice on the flat side of the chestnut. Be careful not to cut yourself. Slice only through the tough skin, not the flesh.
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees towards the end of the recipe.
Step 2. Place chestnuts on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Step 3. While still warm peel the chestnuts. Keep the others under a warm towel. As they cool they become hard to peel.
Step 4. If you cannot peel the chestnuts place them back into the oven for a few minutes to warm up and try again.
Important! Both the outer skin and inner skin need to be peeled. Many chestnuts do not come out easily and will break into pieces. It’s all right to use these in the stuffing.
You may enjoy my other chestnut recipes and posts for the holidays.
Thea Liza’s Spanakopita was her prize recipe! But, it was her special touch we all loved about her. She owned a deli with her husband Mike in San Diego in the sixties, on C street around the corner from the old California Theater. People lined up for her food and specials during lunch hour. I did work there many weekends and during the summer. I remember taking the bus from La Mesa to downtown to help out. I guess those skills paid off when we started our business years later.
The Balason Deli in downtown San Diego!
There are so many versions of this spinach pie in Greece. I could have my own web-site on this recipe alone. This spinach feta pie is eaten in all regions of Greece, and the ingredients change depending on what’s in the garden and what cheese is made in town. I’ll never forget going into a local cheese shop in Greece and seeing so many unique varieties of feta, that my head was spinning by the time I left with my selection. Every family member makes this recipe their own, this one is my aunt’s version.
My aunt Liza was a great cook and we loved her version of this ever-so popular Greek dish. She welcomed everyone into her home and she leaves us one of her many delicious traditional Greek recipes.
Course
Main Dish/Side Dish
Cuisine
Greek
Keyword
appetizer, dinner, main dish, spinach pie
Servings12
AuthorMary Papoulias-Platis
Ingredients
4-5bunches of fresh spinach, washed, dried and chopped
1onion, chopped
1bunch of green onions, chopped
1poundfeta, crumbled
2-3teaspoonsof dried dill or 1/2 bunch fresh
4-5large eggs, slightly beaten
1/2cupextra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1pounddefrosted phyllo dough
1/2cupmelted butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a deep pot saute onions and scallions in olive oil until tender. Add spinach and cook until slightly wilted around 2 minutes. Drain spinach in a colander if too much liquid remains .Cool.
Place spinach mixture in a large bowl and add the feta, dill, eggs, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly.
Place 1/2 of the pound of phyllo in a 9x13 deep large casserole dish, buttering each layer.
Spread the spinach mixture on top.
Place the remaining phyllo sheets on top, buttering each layer.
Score the top layer only of phyllo sheets to desired pieces.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes until golden brown on top.
Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.
I serve this often for dinner so the pieces here are quite large. This is the nice thing about phyllo, cut them in the size you wish.
Who doesn’t love hummus? If you do, you will love this Pumpkin Walnut Tahini cake made from sesame tahini, created with a fall touch of pumpkin. Originally made in Greece for the Lent season, it has an absence of animal products (eggs and butter) for those participating in the fasting ritual.
For those of you who haven’t worked with tahini, it can be found in a jar in the Middle East cooking section of your grocery or near the nut butters. Tahini is a thick paste made of ground sesame seed. It’s used to flavor various popular dishes. You may want to visit my recipes for Greek Hummus and Falafel Sliders.
I added pumpkin, raisins, nuts, and spices to give it a Fall twist. With the addition of pumpkin it gives the cake a dense thick bar-like texture, so serve small pieces as they go a long way. Serve with a scoop of Greek yogurt, fresh fruit or a dash of powdered sugar. For a larger crowd double this recipe and place in a 9 x 13 baking pan. An unexpected but appealing compliment to your holiday table. This cake can be made without the pumpkin, just use 1 cup of tahini to the recipe.
Here are some fun facts about tahini:
Tahini is made by grinding sesame seeds into a smooth paste. Sometimes the sesame seeds are hulled, sometimes they’re left unhulled; sometimes roasted, sometimes raw.
Tahini can be used as a spread, a dip, a dressing, and serves as a key ingredient in many dishes, including hummus and baba ghanoush.
Tahini is a great source of phosphorus and manganese, both of which play vital roles in bone health. It’s also high in thiamine (vitamin B1) and vitamin B6, which are important for energy production.
This versatile cake can be baked and served with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit and and berries. This cake with it's dense nature goes a long way, so cut the pieces small. For fall treat serve with roasted pears.
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
Greek
Keyword
cake, Greek, pumpkin, tahini
Servings12
AuthorMary Papoulias-Platis
Ingredients
1/2cuptahini (sesame paste)
1cuppumpkin puree
1cupsugar
2tablespoonsorange juice
1teaspoonbaking soda
1 1/2cupsall purpose flour
2teaspoonsground cinnamon
1cupchopped walnuts
1/2cupgolden raisins
1cuporange juice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat tahini and pumpkin in a blender for 2 minutes then add sugar.
Combine the 2 tablespoons of orange juice and baking soda in a small bowl and add to mixture. Mix in thoroughly.
Sift the flour with cinnamon and add the walnuts and raisins.
Add the flour mixture and orange juice alternately to the tahini batter on low speed or by hand.
Butter a 9x12 inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment/wax paper.
Pour in the batter and bake for 40-45 minutes.
Cool in pan.
Serve with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, berries or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Recipe Notes
This cake can be made without the pumpkin, just add 1 cup of tahini to the recipe.
The holidays are approaching, and I do get antsy planning out the family dinner. I try to rotate my recipes around the 4-5 traditional dishes everyone expects. My family doesn’t like the menu to be a surprise. They want the smells that are familiar to them and the anticipation of dessert with my freshly baked pumpkin pies.
Here is one my favorite appetizers I make for Thanksgiving, that meets the approval of my family. I do make the filling the night before. Wash and dry the mushrooms and place them in a large plastic bag placed on a paper towel and flat in the refrigerator. Early that morning I take out the mushrooms, fill them, and place them on a cookie sheet and bake into the refrigerator, ready to bake as company arrives.
Start with your pan on medium-low and carefully watch and stir, this will take some time. This can be done the night before.
Add the ingredients and just continue cooking.
As you can see the onions need to turn medium brown to become caramelized and sweet. At this point you can transfer them to a bowl and refrigerate for the next day or use later on in the day.
Here are a few tips:
I use a combination of white button mushroom and baby portabello.
Baking the mushrooms for 5 minutes prior to stuffing will ensure a cooked mushroom.
Do not over- stuff the mushrooms or they will be too are hard to handle.
It’s that season again when you start seeing fresh cranberries in the stores . I love making sandwiches with cranberry sauce, and today I decided to make one with feta cheese similar to a grilled cheese. Enjoy this fast and easy fall combination of flavors. You can make your own sauce or buy it ready made.
Select a great artisan bread.
Place the feta slices on one half of the bread and warm up in the oven, microwave or on a panini grill.
Add the cranberry sauce (cold or warm) and orange zest with second half of bread.
You may add turkey, ham, or chicken slices, red onion, greens, apples, or pears.
One healthy vinaigrette to dress your salad or fresh vegetables, is this homemade Honey-Cider Vinaigrette. This dressing is a good combination of a quality extra-virgin olive oil, apple cider , salt and pepper. It’s important to use fresh quality ingredients since there are so few. The technique is important so your honey cider dressing becomes emulsified, thickened and blended. The oil and acid won’t come together by just stirring. When selecting acids they vary in strengths, so you need to experiment with the proportions.
Apple Cider Benefits
It can improve digestion.
ACV can help fight yeast infections.
It can lower your blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity.
Apple cider vinegar may help people lose weight and reduce belly fat.
It can lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
ACV can improve your heart health.
I prefer using Organic Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar. You can purchase this online at Bragg Live Foods.
Here are ways to vary this sauce:
Acids can include lemons, limes, vinegars, buttermilk
This was taken at The Reading Patch Children’s Bookstore ~ 1989
My kid’s never missed a beat when it came our Haunting Halloween parties at the Platis’ House. We came up with great costumes many hand -sewn, but also store-bought as well. But, as a teacher I was loaded with ideas and props. Our house being on a corner shouted out “Come to Our House” which all the kids did. I always had a special menu I would cook up earlier in the day, which was our house chili, cornbread, and desserts. Oh, I can’t forget the hot apple cider on the stove. Adults arrived with their kids to chat and visit as the dads took turns walking the kids around. Fond memories shared by neighbors who have since moved away. But, the kids keep coming and I’m ready this year as they parade up to our door with their space-age suits, curly clown hair and all their painted faces awaiting an answer at the door.
I hope you enjoy our family recipes as much as we have over the years.
12 oz. apricot nectar 4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
2 cups apple cider
1 cup orange juice
6- inch stick cinnamon- broken up
1 teaspoon whole cloves
4 cardamon seeds- crushed open
Place all the spices in a cheesecloth bundle and tie with string.
Combine all juices in pot with spices and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, and serve.
Makes 12
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
Combine milk, oil and egg in a small bowl. Add milk mixture to dry, stir just until blended.
Pour into a greased 8″ square pan. Or a 10-12 greased muffin tin.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Muffins: 15 minutes.
Serve with softened butter and a splash of honey.
Do you need a basic tomato sauce that can be used for everything Greek? Here’s my version of Greek Tomato Sauce. In the Greek cuisine this Greek tomato sauce has many uses. We use it as a filling in our pastitsio, moussaka, and stews to name a few. The few spices added to this recipe indicate it is Greek in nature. Cinnamon is one spice you are questioning, but it works! Another use for this sauce can be as a topping for baked dishes like baked fish , shrimp, chicken, meatballs, pastas, green beans, cauliflower and rice. When I shop, picking up 2-3 cans of tomato sauce ensures me I can whip up dinner in a flash! Rarely, do I buy one of anything, just a good rule for a stocked pantry.
Saute the onions until they are softened. This is necessary because of the quick sauce time.
Place your tomatoes in a food processor to get a smooth texture. Or make sure to coarsely chop them if using whole tomatoes so they may cook and thicken into a smooth sauce.
Adding all these spices brings out the Greek flavors.
Cauliflower has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. It was on our dinner table simply steamed with a dash of olive oil or braised in one of my mother’s fall casseroles. Even though she never made it into a soup, once I ate it at a fine restaurant I was out to try and recreate it for my family. Fall is about root vegetables and this combination is not only healthy but richly tasteful. Today, this recipe is featured as a guest post on Andrew Wilder’s site “Eating Rules” for the popular “October Unprocessed Challenge” for the month of October. You can find the recipe here.
This is my fourth year participating in the October Unprocessed Challenge. It’s a time I use to reflect back and take notice on how my diet has changed over the years. With all the amazing posts over the years in October I have gained lasting knowledge that I continue to use today. You too can begin your unprocessed journey today, and join the 10,ooo + viewers who have taken the challenge. Browse the many incredible posts that have been written over the years, and perhaps you may find one or two ideas to help you along the way.
Hello from California Greek Girl. I’m the owner of Ethos Culinary located in the beautiful city of Carlsbad. Join me as we explore California’s bounty of foods, farmlands, and culinary experts. I’m looking forward to bringing you Greek, Mediterranean and Plant-Forward Cuisines. OPA!
Hello from California Greek Girl. I’m the owner of Ethos Culinary located in the beautiful city of Carlsbad. Join me as we explore California’s bounty of foods, farmlands, and culinary experts. I’m looking forward to bringing you Greek, Mediterranean and Plant-Forward Cuisines. OPA!
