These are the steps to making our traditional Greek Lemon Soup. I chose to use an organic chicken, and sometimes I can find an air-chilled chicken as well. It’s not necessary, but I prefer the clean taste and juiciness these chickens have. If you don’t have a heavy soup pot, you can use chicken parts that fit into your pan. You can select which pasta or rice to use, I prefer orzo because it thickens the soup slightly.
Wash and remove insides of chicken with cold water. Place chicken in a pot filled with cold water, add carrot, and onion.
Cook on simmer for 2 hours. Skim foam or fat from top.
Strain broth and return to pot. Bring to a boil.
Add orzo and reduce heat to medium and cook for twenty minutes or until orzo is soft. Remove the soup from the heat.
Gather the ingredients for the sauce. Juice the lemons. Beat the eggs, add the lemon juice slowly, add the broth slowly.
Beat the eggs, add the lemon juice slowly, add the broth slowly.
Pour the egg-lemon sauce into the broth.
Add the chicken pieces. Add extra pepper and lemon juice. Taste for seasonings.
When visiting Greece this last season every household had rows and rows of cabbage growing in their backyard gardens. This fall dinner brings warmth to the table and is definitely considered a Greek comfort food,and one of my favorites, Stuffed Cabbage. The stuffing can be made from beef or lamb, just substitute with the same amount. I like to serve this dish with avgolemono sauce, an egg and lemon sauce. It also can be served plain with the remaining juices from the pan. A dollop of sour cream is extra, just our little addition! If you would like a vegetarian version, you can make these quinoa. Recipe here: Quinoa Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. Cabbage has many health benefits you can have in a dish such as this one.
Health Benefits of Cabbage
Low in calories and fat, making it a weight-loss-friendly food.
Contains antioxidants, such as vitamin C and anthocyanins, which reduce inflammation and protect against heart disease.
Provides potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure.
For a finishing sauce you can add the egg and lemon sauce!
Wash cabbage and remove center core.
Plunge cabbage into boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Peel cabbage leaves gently and set-aside.
Mix ground beef with the remaining ingredients.
Place a tablespoon or so of the filling onto the cabbage leaf, towards the bottom of the leaf.
Roll in the sides of the leaf as you roll up the cabbage.
Place the rolls snugly into a deep dutch pot. Place second layer on top.
Fill the pot with the reserved cabbage juice, approx. 3 cups or until it reaches the top.
Place a small plate on top to hold down the cabbage. Cover pot and place on med-high to boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve plain with juice, or with Egg and Lemon Sauce
If you are serving with lemon-sauce, take the pot off the heat. Add sauce and gently stir in the sauce.
I have been making Baked Fish Plaki for my family holidays, birthdays, and summer events for years! Any white fish can be used in this recipe. It is fast and easy to prepare and a delicious main dish served with a salad and fresh bread. Baked Fish Plaki is simply an onion-mixture with tomatoes cooked down with wine and cinnamon. Please try and not omit the cinnamon, this is what gives it a Grecian touch. Fish that can be substituted is halibut, bass, or cod. Do not use a thin fish fillet, for it will vanish into the sauce. The aroma of this dish takes me back to the seaports of Greece. This special dish was inspired by my walks along our coastal waters in California. For more detailed cooking instructions, take a look here, Cooking Techniques for Baked Fish with Tomatoes and Onions.
What are the Health Benefits of Eating Fish?
Fish is filled with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins such as D and B2 (riboflavin).
Fish is rich in calcium and phosphorus and a great source of minerals, such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium.
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times per week as part of a healthy diet.
Use this page to make the Baked Fish Plaki recipe on my blog. This recipe is a traditional baked fish dish my mother passed down to me and I have made hundreds of times. Once, you learn the basics to this method, you can create your own special dish. I prefer fresh fish at all times. You can use Cod, Halibut or any fish that can stand up with baking without falling apart. No fillets, please. But, if I’m in a pinch, and I need dinner made in a hurry, I always stock my freezer with frozen fillets.
I used Costco’s Wild Caught Cod Fillets by Trident . As you can see one bag gives you eight nice size pieces.
Wash and place fillets in a large oiled baking dish.
For the Sauce: Place olive oil in frying pan. Add sliced onions and garlic. Cook on medium for 10 minutes until soft. Do not brown.
Add remaining ingredients, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Pour sauce over fish and bake for 45 minutes. I like to arrange the fish on a platter if yo have a buffet style dinner.
Writing this inspirational post is an obvious one since you know I grew up in southern California area and now live by the coast. When I need a rest from my busy brain, or just need a form of exercise I do head out to my favorite walk along the coast and take in some of that cool, crisp air that greets you in the early morning.
Over the years, I’ve learned to sit on a rock and just observe the tide, the color of the sand, and the many activities that occur seasonally in the area. During the winter, many new happenings are springing up. We have small baby sanderling birds hopping along with short skinny legs in search of early lunch which might include clams and leftover fish pieces their parents have dropped for them on the warm sand to nibble on.
The tide is lower than usual , and the dark blackened rock formations are beautifully displayed as the waves crash up against their toughened edges. The tide pools are visible for all children to play and explore with this time of year. Included are the multiple levels of sea life hanging on to dear life as the sun shines upon them as the tide ebb and flows. Star fish, sea slugs, mussels, and mossy-green painted plants are the many tide pool treasures that emerge, for all birds to quickly feast on.
As I continue down the coast the smells from the camp fires are just beginning as the sun is slowly setting. The surfers are out in the record numbers as they observe the silence of the afternoon. And the many coastal birds are satisfied and retreating to their favorite warm rocks. The quietness of this once busy day is once again settling in for a restful sleep.
My inspiration cannot be full enough as I make my way back up the path, to where I started. The senses in my head are entangled with one another, as I slowly head back home. These beach experiences will now take me back to my real world, into the kitchen, so I may create the dish that inspires me the most from my visit to the ocean.
Our year-around garden boxes are brimming with greens and herbs for your everyday meals. Greens are embedded in the Greek diet, so growing up we were introduced to almost every variety. They were steamed, braised and in stews. Many of our salads were mix in with romaine to give them a kick. You can use greens in so many dishes, it’s worth throwing some in your garden boxes. Plus, you have a variety of fresh greens to choose from for your morning smoothies.
My phyllo green rolls can have any greens mixture you desire and what you may have on hand. Be creative and add kale, broccoli leaves, sweet peas tendrils, sprouts, arugula, I can go on and on.
Here’s my appetizer tip: I always have a package of defrosted pie crust or phyllo dough in my refrigerator for quick last minute meals.
I’ve included in this recipe mustard greens, spinach, leeks, and rapini. I added fresh oregano, and parsley to the greens for added taste. For the sauces, I chose two that I liked equally as well. One is a balsamic sauce and the second is a Meyer lemon vinaigrette. These rolls can be used as an appetizer, served with a salad or soup, or as a lunch entree. Enjoy!
Makes: 12 rolls
2 cups chopped each of spinach, mustard greens, and rapini (Remove thick stems)
1 leek, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons fresh parsley,chopped
1 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/8 cup bulgar
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound phyllo dough, defrosted
1 stick butter, melted
Bring a medium pot of water to boil, add greens and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Drain. Cool.
Squeeze the greens in a paper towel until all water is absorbed. Place in a medium bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Mix thoroughly.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place one phyllo sheet on wax paper or on a silpat . Butter top layer. Fold over lengthwise and butter.
Spoon 1/4 cup of greens on the phyllo at the end facing you, keeping greens away from edges.
Roll like a cigar. Place on buttered sheet pan and butter.
Use up all the filling. This makes up to 12 cigars.
Note: They can be frozen at this point.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until medium brown.
While they are baking make the sauces.
Meyer-Lemon Sauce
Makes 1 cup
3 gloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch of pepper
1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice or regular lemon
Combine garlic and salt in a small bowl. Stir with a fork until salt is melted.
Drizzle in olive oil, then add a pinch of pepper and with the fork whisk together.
Whisk in lemon juice. Taste for seasoning. Strain juice with a fine sieve and serve.
Balsamic- Lemon Sauce
Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of salt
Combine balsamic and Dijon in a small bowl. Whisk together.
Whisk in oilve oil. Add zest and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth.
Taste for seasoning. Add salt if needed.
Have you ever attempted a winter garden? Most people haven’t. My very close friend Wendy started her garden last year with such success, I was inspired to try it out for myself.
I ‘m so pleasantly surprised at the bounty it has produced, the little effort it has taken , the amount of less watering needed, and the robust flavors from the various winter greens.
The one thing I have learned this year is that I enjoy the winter garden so much more! I thought I would never say this. I hate the cold, and refuse to do much gardening in the winter. With that said, I will continue my new love for winter greens, and the many more surprises it has for me in the coming months. Here are a few pictures of what my beautiful garden has grown to be. For more information on gardening I recommend Pat Welsh’s Southern California Organic Gardening Book from Chronicles or visit her at http://www.patwelsh.com/
” Desire is the wind that goes on blowing inside you and keeps your inner flame wavering, that’s why you are not still.” Osho
Inspiration is living life through a view of multiple lenses. When you experience the moment it explodes within you. When you listen; it calls, when you touch; it sings, or as you watch; it grows ! It is nature’s wonderful gift, and if you take the time each day to welcome it, the possibilities are endless.
Inspiration comes from many experiences and stimulus within our world whether it be nature, travel, people, reading, work, your family, your home or just watching a leaf as it gently falls from an old oak tree.
But, it’s all about experiencing those short bursts of inspiration, and then applying them to your daily life that takes you one step closer to understanding this. It inspires you to continue to grow and thirst for the unreachable? That feeling? What exactly is it? It can be described as a calmness that takes over your senses, and your mind floats to another level of consciousness and before long time passes. A giddy feeling begins growing in your mind and body, a transparent spirit takes over, and before you know it, it fades and much too early.
Many philosophers and beliefs over the centuries have preached about kindness and truth. But has inspiration ever been studied and taught?
My inspiration from nature developed as a very young girl playing in the fields behind our house. I played all day long. Looking at bees amongst the flowers, lifting up trap-door spider lids for a glimpse of a strange creature, hanging from tall branches hoping to get a bird’s eye view of our field, and just imagining all the things that are possible in a young girl’s imagination.
Were these long hours of being alone around nature, pushing my inspiration button as a child? Playing for hours without any disturbances, listening to bird calls, walking on leaves as they crunched beneath my feet, watching cloud formations and just being alone? (no worries my brothers were playing around the corner)
I do feel my eyes see differently than others. I see the smallest detail in everything. (and I’m not looking for perfection, I’m the least likely candidate for that!). But, actually noticing all the details, day in and day out, in a rose, or a caterpillar, or perhaps the secret spice in that one cookie! I feel special inside when this occurs. An unexplainable spark that travels throughout my being.
As the New Year arrives, take the time to look inside for your flame of inspiration!
During the month of January, I will be dedicating my posts to ” Inspiration” and how it influences me as I write and create my blog posts for you.
And please feel free to write me about your special inspirational moments and how you celebrate this great gift!
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!
