Cooking Technique for Apple Strudel

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Here will you find my Cooking Techniques for the Apple Strudel Recipe on my blog. I have added this technique lesson separate from my recipe because it makes my recipe post too long. Many of my guests just want the recipe. But, being a culinary teacher I prefer to add the cooking techniques for my more detailed recipes such as this one.

Supplies:
One sheet pan or cookie sheet
A pastry brush
Wax or parchment paper

I like to mix my apples for this desert, a tart apple with a sweet apple.


Peel and slice apples into 1/4 inch pieces.


Place the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg , raisins and walnuts in a bowl and gently mix.


Lay out the phyllo dough on wax paper and butter the layers one by one.


Place apple mixture on short end of dough and roll like an envelope, tucking in ends.
I used cranberries in my photo.


Place on cookie sheet seam side down and cut only the top layers of phyllo. Butter entire surface.


Bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden brown.
Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. May be served with ice cream or whipped cream.

One of my favorite recipes, please enjoy!

 

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Farmer’s Market with Smit Orchards

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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I’m here at the farmer’s market in Oceanside visiting my favorite fruit booth, the Smits. If you need apples or fall fruit for your special menu this is the place.  Throughout the county at local farmer’s markets you will find Smit Orchards. Smit Organic Orchards is located in Linden, California, and are family-owned and operated. They are locally involved in many of our Farmer’s Markets in the area. I visit them weekly for their amazing selection of organic fruits and juices. These pictures are from the Oceanside farmers market which is along the coast in San Diego.

 

Autumn is upon us and I recently caught up with them at the Oceanside Farmer’s Market for a fresh batch of organic apples. After a short talk with Matthew McCreight, he suggested I select a mix of two different apples which will enhance my strudel with a deeper apple flavor. I chose green Granny Smiths and red sweet Pacific Galas, for my apple strudel.

Along with fruit,  I always pick up a bottle of their incredible fresh juices. During this stop I bought their Freshly Pressed Apple Cider.  Their cider has a lovely Autumn scent and warm spicy fruity taste. They also offer small to-go bottles of various flavors for your quick trip around the market.  Make this your weekly stop, say hello to Matthew, and allow him to help you select the best he has to offer in fresh organic fruits.


To find your local farmer’s markets and/or  Smit Orchards at the Oceanside farmer’s market look for details here at the San Diego Farm Bureau.
They also can be found at their blog and on Twitter.

Visit your local famer’s markets!

Mary

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Autumn Pear-Stuffed Butternut Squash

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Autumn has arrived and in celebration of our new season, I’m baking butternut squash in my oven, enjoying the autumnal spices as they perfume my home. I often roast this wonderful squash with a splash of olive oil, dried oregano and basil. This recipe has the flavors of pumpkin pie without the crust.  It makes a great side dish to any meal, or as a light main dish. You can find butternut at your local store and look for the size you need if you’re doubling this recipe. They come in all sizes. I tend to like the smaller ones, because they are easier to cut and handle. Be careful when cutting, wear a metal glove to protect your fingers or cut slowly to prevent any slipping, the skins are very smooth.

 

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Autumn Pear-Stuffed Butternut Squash

Stuffing butternut squash gives you the fall-spiced treat you need for your fall menu.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine California Greek
Keyword autumn, butternut, pear, squash, stuffed
Servings 2
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 large butternut squash, halved and seeds removed.
  • 1 bosc pear, cored and peeled, roughly chopped
  • 4 California dried figs, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons California golden raisins
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons Greek feta, crumbled

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Cut each squash in half and again in half cutting near the top of the rounded bottom leaving a long half. You should have 4 pieces.

  3. Place all the pieces on a parchment lined sheet pan.
  4. Sprinkle all four pieces with a little olive oil, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  5. Turn and place the squash skin side down on the sheet pan.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Let cool slightly.
  7. Scoop out the flesh from the long end only and place in bowl. Using a fork and gently mash flesh.
  8. Add pear, figs, raisins, almonds, honey, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.
  9. Stir all ingredients gently together.
  10. Place the mixture evenly into the two squash pieces.
  11. Bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes until warm and lightly golden.
  12. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve warm.

To begin this recipe, you will need the following equipment:
1 sheet pan
parchment paper/silpat/
medium bowl

First step is to cut the squash into four pieces.

Sprinkle with spices and oil.


Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until fork tender.(about 45 minutes)

Scoop out flesh from long piece only. Place in bowl and mix in other ingredients.

Stuff mixture evenly into the two round pieces. Sprinkle with feta cheese.


Serve warm and enjoy!

 

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Figs Wrapped in Phyllo with Orange Honey Syrup

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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As fig season is upon us, I decided to try and recreate a wonderful fig preserve from my childhood memories, Figs Wrapped in Phyllo . So I set forth on my own scavenger hunt searching for figs from my friend’s gardens and backyards.  After several days of looking I came across no figs. I’ve heard it’s a lost fruit and I’m starting to believe it.  I even posted my bad luck with everyone on Facebook, hoping to find a couple of trees.  No luck.

After that is when I decided to head over to the Vista’s farmers market and see what I could find. As I walked by the Oakes Knolls Ranch stand there they were! I was so excited that I found so many figs, I bought an entire flat of 5 different varieties. When I brought them home, I remembered how my aunts and mother would stuff them with an almond and preserve them in a syrup. I could not find the original recipe, so I came up with a delicious new way to enjoy them. I used the small green and purple variety of figs because they stood up the strongest.

Butter the phyllo sheet and wrap each fig with one sheet of phyllo dough.

With your fingers gently twist the phyllo tightly around the fig.

Brush lightly with butter.

Place in cookie sheet and bake until crispy!

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Figs Wrapped in Phyllo with Orange Honey Syrup

Try this exotic fruit as a dessert for any party, made with a Greek Twist using phyllo dough as the wrapper for a beautiful presentation.
Course Dessert
Cuisine California Greek
Keyword california greek, figs, phylllo
Servings 12
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

Figs

  • 12 small green or purple figs
  • 6 sheets of phyllo dough, defrosted at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 12 whole almonds

Sauce

  • Orange Honey with Star Anise Syrup
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon of orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 whole star anise

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place one sheet of phyllo on wax or parchment paper. Butter. Lay the second phyllo sheet on top of first sheet and butter.
  3. Cut the phyllo sheet lenghwise down the middle, and once down the width. Now, you have four pieces.
  4. Cut 1/4 inch off the top of four figs. Press one almond in the inside of each fig.
  5. Place one fig in the center of each piece.
  6. Bring all four corners together. Using your hands, gently gather phyllo to make a purse.
  7. Twist the ends to form a top. Place figs in a muffin tin or sheet pan. Butter the tops and sides.
  8. Repeat with the remaining figs.
  9. Bake figs for 15-20 minutes.
  10. Figs can be sprinkled with cinnamon, powdered sugar, or served with this warm delightful syrup.

Syrup

  1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a soft boil. Reduce temperature and simmer until slightly thick about 2 minutes. Keep warm.

The perfect dessert!

 

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Oakes Knoll Farm in De Luz, California

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

Today, I’m here at Oakes Farm at the Vista Farmer’s market. Look at all the figs! Growing up in a Greek community, the seasons are marked by the food that is seasonally available to us. In the late summer, I remember my aunts gathering together in our kitchen to make fig deserts and preserves. They were sweet treats to be shared in a late afternoon with friends and neighbors as they dropped by to visit.

We had a couple of fig trees, one green and the other black. As kids we ate them fresh straight from our trees, as the warm sun had ripened them, just right for our quick summer treat. Figs soon became one of my favorite fruits, and I was so inspired by these memories, that I set out to re-create the fig deserts we grew up to enjoy.

Today, I have two young trees in my yard, two young to bare any fruit worth mentioning. So, Saturday rolled around and I headed to the Vista Framers Market where I found and visited with the Oakes Knolls Farm from De Luz. There they had so many varieties my head spun!  All gently placed in their own little baskets a half dozen or so;  Genoa, Red Genoa, Ganache, Brown Turkey, Flanders, and Kadota!  The farmer was nice to spend so much time with me explaining the  many varieties, that we were soon drawing a small crowd around us listening to his interesting and educational talk.

When I arrived home from the farmer’s market I spent the afternoon experimenting with various recipes. The method of cooking I liked best was wrapping the figs in phyllo and baking them in the oven. Continuing to experiment I made a fig relish, chocolate-dipped figs, and stewed figs. It was a delightful afternoon! Once, I write these recipes down in a manner that you can follow, I will post them on my blog for viewing.

As I poured over the many recipes in my magazines and cookbooks, the question that was going through my head was;  What is it about figs that draw so many people to them?  All I could conclude was, that they are a perfect little package wrapped in a soft edible skin, with a sweetened flesh and with just one bite your taste buds awaken with the last taste of summer!

 

 

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My Greek Summer Vegetable Garden

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

I’m sure all of you are probably wondering how my Greek garden went this summer. With amazement I finally received a very nice crop. This season was late due to our colder climate which we haven’t experienced in over 50 years! August is showing a little more promise for a better month.  With that in mind we ate many delicious vine-ripened tomatoes, and had  left over to hand out to our neighbors.

Arugula and Tomato Salad with Feta

The cucumbers and green beans were very successful in my garden this year. We had to reinforce  them because they grew beyond the 6 foot lattice we put up for them. I think my family has finally had enough beans to last them for the entire year. But they came in handy when company dropped by for a bite to eat, and they were there ready for picking.  Another great choice were the peppers, green peppers, jalapenos and poblanos.  To my surprise, we enjoyed our hot peppers in salsas, egg dishes, and chopped in our guacamole.

My recipe for Guacamole and Wings

Moving along to the Globe eggplant?  Well, eggplant need heat and we have had very little, but they are now popping their little heads out!  The Japanese eggplant were my best variety and have always been a secure choice for the garden. They are easy to grow and give a plentiful crop. We have stir-fried, stuffed, and enjoyed the eggplant dip several times over with this crop. A quick tip is to buy the blossom set spray to help the blossoms from dropping and to encourage  more fruit.

My recipe for Greek Eggplant Dip

Lastly, my favorite of all are my herbs; parsley, basil, dill, oregano, thyme and rosemary!  They performed and performed and are still performing. All summer long I used them in marinades, dressings, sandwiches, pastas, and many more. What a pleasure it is to walk out every morning and pick these beautiful small fragrant plants to accompany my tomato dishes, pastas, and salads.
Hopefully next year, I would like to plan a separate narrow box just to house my herb collection.

This salad below has many of my freshly picked herbs!

Summer Vegetable Pasta

Here is the complete list of all the plants I used in creating my Greek garden this year.
Herbs
Greek Oregano, Greek Basil, French Tarragon, French Thyme, Italian Large Leaf Basil, Dukat Dill, Cilantro, Chervil, Chives
Vegetables
Japanese Eggplant, Globe Eggplant, Red Knight Bell  Pepper, California Yellow Bell Pepper, Serrano Pepper, Poblano Pepper, Cucumber, Green Beans, Squash
Tomatoes
Brandywine Heirloom, San Maranzo, Sweet 100, Yellow Pear Heirloom, Thessaloniki Greek tomatoes

 

I never get tired of gardening, fresh vegetables are always the best medicine for your body!

Mary

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Roasted Red Pepper Appetizer

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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This roasted red pepper appetizer is one of my favorites that I entertain with all year long. If you can’t find colorful peppers in your supermarket, substitute bottled or prepared peppers from the deli. Green peppers don’t work in this recipe. For serving suggestions,  I use an artisan bread to soak up all their juices, but crackers or pita bread work just as well. If you have any leftover peppers, they keep in your refrigerated for many days. They can be added to sandwiches, placed in omelets, or added to your favorite pasta dish. This is one staple I keep in my refrigerator at all times! Make this ahead of time and keep refrigerated, and serve at room temperature. Use leftovers for sandwiches, added to your eggs, or top any protein for that extra flavor punch!

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Roasted Pepper Appetizer with Balsamic Vinegar

A fabulous appetizer to start your meal with, simple and a quick served with a loaf of warm bread.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Greek
Keyword balsamic, roasted, sweet peppers
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 2 yellow bell peppers
  • 2 orange bell peppers
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 -2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 1 loaf of artisan bread or 1 baguette, sliced

Instructions

  1. Wash and pat the peppers dry. Place the bell peppers on a sheet pan. Broil on high until the skins are blackened. Check and rotate the peppers frequently, do not leave alone.
  2. Once blackened place the peppers in a dish and cover with plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes. While still warm, carefully peel the blackened skin off the peppers. Gently pull the stem off . Slice in half and remove the seeds and white pith inside the pepper.
  3. Cut into strips about 1/2 inch thick and place in a deep flat dish.
  4. Add minced garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. Refrigerate and let the peppers marinate until ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

For a Party: Can be made several days ahead and served at room temperature.

 

Roasted red pepper appetizer.

Try growing red peppers in your garden, they are a summer crop and bring many peppers per bush.

Fresh red peppers.

Renne’s garden seeds can be purchased on her site. You can get many varietals you don’t see in the garden centers. Don’t these look delicious. No room for a garden, grab a large garden pot and watch them grow.

Renee Garden Pepper Seeds

Enjoy the many other recipes on my blog:

Lamb Stuffed Green Peppers

Kalamata Olive Spread with Mini Sweet Peppers

Red Lentil Salad with Red Peppers, Oranges and Basil

 

Happy Gardening…

Mary Platis

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Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip “Melitzanosalata”

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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This Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip has been in our family for many years. I serve this at all my holiday dinners, as well as at my catering events.  What’s nice about this dip is that it can be prepared ahead of time, which can help with the advance preparation of a big meal. Try and use a high quality extra virgin olive oil in this recipe only, it makes a big difference! The taste comes through and adds another level of flavor. To learn more about olive you can purchase my cookbook, below. Bread is my choice for a dipper, pita, crackers or chips can also be used.

Eggplant comes in many different sizes and textures. I tend to use the meatiest eggplant, which are the long rounded ones pictured below.

Globe eggplant

You can use other varieties, but the cooking times will vary. If you do use the longer version, they are not as meaty so you will have to buy more eggplants.

To see a more detailed instructions please visit: How to Roast Eggplant post.

 

Roasting Eggplant

Roasting the eggplant elevates of the flavor and gives you a smokiness, which is added flavor to your dip!

Use the pulp only!

Let cool slightly, and scoop out the flesh.

Use a food processor until smooth.

Add to your food processor until smooth. For a more chunky dip, you can use a mortar and pestle, or break up with potato masher.

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Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip “Melitzanosalata”

Appetizers that are healthy can be hard to find - but this eggplant dip is healthful as well as savory with the addition of fresh parsley.

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Greek
Keyword CaliforniaGreek, dip, eggplant, Greek
Servings 6
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 2-3 purple round eggplants
  • 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoons pepper
  • 1 baguette loaf, 1 package of pita bread, sliced or crackers
  • Note: Use the large round eggplant

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

  2. Wash eggplant, pat dry, and puncture skin of the eggplant with a sharp knife in several places.

  3. Place on a cooking sheet or sheet pan and bake for one hour.
  4. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

  5. While eggplant is warm to touch, cut in halve lengthwise and scoop out pulp with a spoon into a medium bowl.

  6. Place pulp in a food processor, blender, or use a hand blender and blend until smooth.

  7. Place back into bowl and add, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix gently.

  8. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until cool. Taste for more salt or pepper.
  9. Slice baguette and place around bowl. Or cut pita rounds like pie shape triangles and serve alongside the dip.

Recipe Notes

For a Party: Can be made 1-2 days ahead. This recipe can be doubled for a large crowd.

If you love eggplant as much as I do please visit more recipes here:

Weekend Eggplant Moussaka

Stuffed Eggplant with Grains

Eggplant Potato Phyllo Pie

 

 

Add this to your recipe box,

Learn all about extra virgin olive oil.

BUY COOKBOOK HERE

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Gazpacho Soup with Oranges and Avocado

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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In the Spring, I set out to plant a Greek garden with all the vegetables I need for a summer meal. With an abundance of tomatoes in my garden, this Gazpacho with Oranges and Avocados is a perfect cold soup for a summer evening and can be made ahead of time and allowed to marinate while you’re at work. Use it for company, just serve with pita bread and a slice of feta cheese. The use of Greek basil and Greek oregano will give it the kick you need to enhance this chunky-style Greek dish. This can be served as an appetizer, main dish, or a side with any meat.

Don’t skip the Avocados!

One fruit I just love are our avocados here in California. We have so many varietals, I often visit the farmer’s market to see what I can find. Once, I found my favorites, I found them at our local nursery and planted two trees in our backyard. Now, it’s takes a few years for the trees to mature, so you must have patience. MY love for avocados started as a young girl in my uncle’s avocado grove. He grew acres and acres of avocados. And our favorite meal was his avocado sandwiches- what a treat!

Tip on choosing the right avocado!

My favorite is the Reed!

Ready for the market!

Here is my mother and aunt relaxing on the avocado ranch, one of my favorite pictures I cherish!

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Gazpacho Soup with Oranges and Avocado

Try this simple and quick recipe for any hot summer day. It's so refreshing and can be made ahead of time, to be enjoyed for dinner.
Course Soup
Cuisine California
Keyword avocado, Califonria, cold soup, oranges
Servings 8 people
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 6 fresh tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 4 cups)
  • 2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 2 cups)
  • 2 cucumbers, peeled and seeded, cut into 1/4 inch dice
  • 1/2 small sweet onion, peeled and minced
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 5 cups tomato juice
  • 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons of fresh Greek oregano, minced
  • 2 teaspoons of fresh Greek basil, minced
  • Garnish:
  • 2 avocados, thinly sliced
  • 2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
  • Extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Combine the tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber,onion, garlic, salt, vinegar, pepper in a large glass bowl.
  2. Let sit for 10 -15 minutes. Stir in tomato juice, 1 cup water, hot sauce, basil, and oregano . Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to 2 days.
  3. Before serving top with a thin slice of avocado and orange. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Enjoy visiting my many avocado recipes:

Greek Avocado Ceviche

Grapefruit and Avocado Cabbage Slaw

Avocado Risotto with Lime and Olive Oil

California Avocado Salsa with Jicama Chips

 

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