Greek Creamy Rice Pudding-Rizogalo

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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My family claims this Greek Creamy Rice Pudding recipe as their version of comfort food. We must make this at least 2-3 times a month! Growing up my mother would serve this as an afternoon snack, but warm without the sugar. It can be eaten warm or cold. This is all up to you, but I would try both ways and select which version you like best! In my husband’s family they would serve this dish cold as a dessert, which is the recipe below.

The type of rice used in this recipe can vary from home to home, but in this recipe I used  Uncle Ben’s long-grain converted rice. Other varieties such as brown rice, arborio, basmatic, or jasmine can also be substituted. You can find these various rices and grains online at Lundberg Family Farms. Today, throughout Greece and in modern Greek homes, you will find rice pudding as a menu staple.  And in my family with three grown kids, this is their most often requested recipe when they return home for the summer.

Greek Rice Pudding

 

 

 

 

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Greek Creamy Rice Pudding "Rizogalo

What a simple savory rice pudding for a breakfast treat or a refrigerated dessert. I've been making this both ways, and my family enjoys it warm as well as chilled!

Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine California Greek
Keyword Greek, pudding, rice
Servings 8
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 1 cup long grain converted rice - I use Uncle Bens
  • 1/2 gallon whole milk
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4-1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon for topping

Instructions

  1. Place rice in a deep dutch oven with a heavy bottom.

  2. Cover with 1/4 cup water and bring to a simmer. Cook until water is absorbed about 2 minutes. You are partially cooking the rice.

  3. Pour in milk and stir. Bring to a slight boil and reduce heat to a low heat.

  4. Continue stirring frequently to avoid any sticking, every 10 minutes.

  5. Cook on low for 1 -1 1/2 hours or more until thickened. More as pudding consistency.

  6. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

  7. Place eggs in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk together.

  8. Add 1/4 cup of the warm rice pudding into the bowl of eggs, mix quickly to temper the eggs. Get them warm to add to the rice mixture so they don't curdle.

  9. Add the egg mixture to the large dutch oven and whisk vigorously until thoroughly mixed.

  10. Place in individual bowls or into a large 8x11 dish.

  11. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve warm or cool and cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. This can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

  12. This dish can be made the night before and served chilled.

 

Ready to serve Greek Rice Pudding

If you are in a chocolate mood, you can try my Chocolate Rice Pudding.

Chocolate Rice Pudding

And for a healthier version I made a Millet Ricotta Pudding which I have added fresh raspberries.

Millet Rice Pudding

Enjoy these fun family recipes!

Mary

 

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Greek Spinach and Rice – Spanakorizo

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Many of you have requested the traditional Spinach and Rice dish often found in our Greek homes. We make this warm and nutritious meal in our home weekly, as a great meatless meal. For the rice, I use Uncle Bens converted long-grain rice. Made in one pot, and under 30 minutes you have a comforting dish for your family. Many times if I have greens in my garden, I will add kale,  swiss chard, or dandelion greens in addition to the spinach. You can also add fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, or oregano. If you prefer quinoa to rice you can follow the recipe below. Quinoa can be found online or at Melissa’s  Produce.

For a different version of this dish you may want see my Spinach and Quinoa recipe .

 

 

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Greek Spinach and Rice -Spanakorizo

This quick dinner can be made in an hour for your family! I do buy fresh spinach for the added nutrients, frozen spinach or baby spinach does not work in this recipe. Serve alone or with fresh bread. If I have any additional greens in my garden, I often add kale, dandelions, mustard greens and swiss chard. This is a weekly meal in my home!

Course Main Course
Cuisine California Greek
Keyword rice, spinach
Servings 4
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 3 bunches fresh spinach, washed ends trimmed
  • 1 onion, chopped or 2 leeks, chopped
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup long-grained rice
  • 1 chopped fresh tomato, or 1/4 cup tomato sauce, or 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a deep Dutch oven, add the olive oil and onions and cook until tender over medium heat.

  2. Add the fresh spinach to the pot.

  3. Sprinkle the uncooked rice on top.

  4. Add 2 1/2 cups water, tomato or sauce, salt and pepper to the pot.

  5. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. You may need to add more water to prevent any browning on the bottom. Stir frequently.

  6. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

 

In a deep heavy skillet or Dutch oven, saute onions until soft, not browned

Add the spinach to a deep Dutch oven.

Sprinkle rice on top of spinach.

Add water, tomato sauce, salt and pepper.

Cover and  reduce to a simmer, for about 20 minutes until rice is done.
Check often and stir until most of the juice is gone. You may need to add more water if needed.

Other spinach recipes you may enjoy on y blog:

Spanakopita – Greek Spinach and Pie

For more Greek recipes look for my category Simply Greek or Traditional Greek on my blog home page.

Enjoy are family recipe,

Mary 

 

 

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Fresh Tomato Egg Scramble – “Kagiana”

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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My mother Voula served this fresh tomato egg scramble to our family for breakfast and as well for dinner. Just by adding more vegetables to the eggs such as green peppers, green onions or herbs you can change the recipe to your taste.  What’s great about this dish, is how tasty it can be with just these few ingredients. Serve this as a brunch dish by adding a great salad or fresh fruit.  I wouldn’t skip the step of using a fresh tomato or omitting it, because this is what adds the savory kick to the eggs. Adding the salty feta boosts it’s flavor to a new level, a perfect combination.

Grow your own tomatoes!

  1. Here are some of my favorite tomatoes to grow in my summer boxes. One Greek Variety: Thessaloniki, Early Girl, Better Boy, Yellow Pear, Black Beauty, Green Zebra, Plum, Roma, San Marzano.
  2. For more information take a look at the Tomatomania Site.
  3. And please don’t forget the health benefits of tomatoes: they have a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K. Also included is the major dietary source of antioxidant lucopenTomatoes are the major dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.They are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K.
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Fresh Tomato Scramble "Kagiana"

In our home growing up, this egg scramble was our quick dinner on warm days. Add feta, fresh herbs and toasted bread and it was all we needed. We made this dish mainly in the summertime when tomatoes were in our garden.

Course Breakfast, dinner
Cuisine Greek
Keyword eggs, feta, tomato
Servings 2
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 1 fresh tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Place frying pan on heat to medium.

  2. Add butter and melt.

  3. Add chopped tomato and cook on medium-low heat until pink in color.

  4. Add the beaten eggs, salt and pepper and cook until set.

  5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the crumbled feta. Serve warm!

Recipe Notes

You can add additional ingredients such as bell peppers, green onions, leeks, or fresh basil. 

You might want to look at other related posts:

Greek Deviled Eggs with Feta

Greek Deviled Eggs

Fava Beans and Eggs for Breakfast

Fava Beans with Eggs

Feta Zucchini Patties

Zucchini Patties

Enjoy a hearty breakfast!

Mary 

 

 

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Savory Leek and Feta Phyllo Pie

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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This savory leek and feta pie is one of many recipes that has been passed down in our family for many generations. It has the texture of a quiche with phyllo dough wrapped around it. If you cut this in smaller pieces 5×6, it makes a wonderful appetizer for 60. But for a main dish, cut the pie in larger pieces about 3×4 inches, making 24.  As a caterer this special dish is one of my top three requested recipes! For a phyllo I can trust, that does not break apart or rip while using, look for organic Fillo Factory in your freezer section. One more hint: I always have a defrosted package in my refrigerator, for last minute dishes, and it should last up to 2-3 weeks. Otherwise, defrost your phyllo overnight in the refrigerator.

My garden leeks

Make sure when buying leeks they are green from top to bottom. No, brown leaves please!

My Winter Garden with Leeks.

If you have a chance to grow leeks they are easy, and so much more flavorful!

How to Clean Leeks.

Wash your leeks carefully, they are full of dirt. Cut down to the tender part of the green. The rest of the greens you can save and make stock or add to your soups.

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Savory Leek and Feta Phyllo Pie

Enjoy my most popular recipe for flaky and savory leek pie stuffed with fresh leeks, feta and dill. This recipe works well as an appetizer, just cut the pieces smaller.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine California Greek
Keyword leek pie
Servings 48
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 -4 pounds fresh leeks, washed, white and light green only, chopped
  • 1 pound Greek feta, crumbled
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1-2 teaspoons dried dill or 3-4 teaspoons fresh dill
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 pound phyllo dough, defrosted
  • 1 pound butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Wash and clean the leeks. Cut off the dark green leaves, leaving the white and light green leaves. Slice and coarsely chop. Set aside.

  3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter.

  4. In a large bowl, add the eggs and whisk together. Add the feta, dill, evoo, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with a large spoon. Gently add the leeks and mix well.

  5. Using a half sheet pan, or a large lasagna pan, butter the inside bottom of the pan with a pastry brush. Layer 1/2 of the pound of phyllo sheets. Add one layer at a time buttering each phyllo sheet. Cover and save the second half for the top layer.

  6. Add the leek mixture, spreading evenly in the pan.

  7. Add the second layer, buttering every sheet.

  8. Score the top of the phyllo with a sharp knife, cutting through the top phyllo sheets only. For larger pieces cut 3x4, and slice each piece diagonally for 24 pieces. For appetizer size, 5x6 for 30 pieces and cut diagonally for 60 pieces.

  9. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown. Let sit for 20 minutes before serving.

 

You may also be interested in other uses for phyllo dough:

Bittersweet Chocolate Baklava

Chocolate Baklava

How to Make Phyllo Cups with Blood Orange Ice Cream

Blood Orange Ice Cream

Greek Pastichio with Phyllo

Greek Pastichio with Phyllo.

Enjoy my recipes and get cooking!

Mary

 

 

 

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Greek Garden Salsa with Pita Chips

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

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Everyone raves about my Greek Garden Salsa with crunchy toasted pita chips when I serve it at a gathering. It makes for an excellent appetizer for a large group. When creating this recipe, I considered a salsa that had few Greek ingredients, that could be could be served with pita bread. This is a summer recipe using fresh tomatoes so look for them at your farmer’s markets or consider growing them in your garden. This garden salsa can be made ahead of time, or even the day before. The pita chips may be made in advanced as well, just slip them into a sealed container or plastic bag. Leftover salsa can be used the next day for a topping on your eggs, chicken, fish, or meat. Looking for a great pita bread is so important, make sure you purchase from a store that rotates their bread often. We often use Kronos Pita Bread. Also available is wheat pita and gluten-free pita.

The Health Benefits of Tomatoes

  • Lycopene makes tomatoes a key food to fight cancer, and heart disease.
  • Tomatoes are also rich in vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and flavonol antioxidants.
  • Carotenoids are abundant in green and yellow-orange vegetables and fruits and help to defend the body’s tissues against oxidative damage, which is a natural byproduct of our metabolic processes.

Greek Garden Salsa

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Greek Garden Salsa with Pita Chips

This Greek salsa served with toasted pita chips explodes with fresh garden flavors. Make it ahead, cover and place in the refrigerator. It also makes a great salsa for fish, chicken or pork chops.

Course Appetizer
Cuisine California Greek
Keyword salsa
Servings 4
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 2 tomatoes, seeded, finely chopped
  • 1 red, yellow, and green pepper finely chopped
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 1 14 oz. can of artichokes in water, drained and chopped
  • 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup capers, drained
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, peeled, finely chopped

Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Toasted Pita Chips

  • 1 pkg. pita bread (6 breads)
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup sesame, poppy or fennel seeds toasted

Instructions

Salsa

  1. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and gently mix.

  2. Make the vinaigrette below and add to the salsa.

Vinaigrette

  1. Place vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix. Whisk in the olive oil slowly to emulsify. Pour over salsa.

Toasted Pita Chips

  1. Cut each bread in 1/8 wedges. Place on a sheet tray and brush one side of each piece with olive oil.

  2. Broil for 2-3 minutes until golden. Check the bread often, it browns quickly.

  3. Flip the pieces over, and brush with olive oil and add the seeds.

  4. Broil for 1-2 minutes until golden. Serve with the salsa.

Recipe Notes

This salsa can be made ahead without the vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate and when ready to serve add the vinaigrette a couple of hours before serving.

 

Toasted Pita Bread

Toasting the pita is very important in this recipe. It gives a crunch factor to this saucy soft salsa. It adds more flavor from the seeds, spice and olive oil. You may want to experiment and use a flavored olive oil such as lemon, garlic or basil.

This recipe is best if made the day ahead and refrigerated, and brought to room temperature before serving.

Check out my many pita bread recipes:

How to Make Pita Bread

Fresh Roasted Eggplant Dip

Pita Bread Salad – Greek Panzenella

Enjoy your summer and serve fresh!

Mary 

 

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Mary’s Food Blog – California Greek Girl

by Mary Papoulias-Platis

California Greek Girl is about ” All things Greek”. Included is a little bit of gardening, cooking, and traveling.  Occasionally, I’ll throw in interesting Greek family stories, travel  adventures (good and bad), and my love for great Greek food!  Having lived in California all my life, I will add a little sunshine to my posts with a punch of freshness from our coastal air and delicious foods from our state.

I have divided my recipes into two categories: Simply Greek and Traditional. Simply Greek is for the quick and easy dish you may want to make tonight. This is also where I might throw in a healthier, and lighter dish that I have created. While still using Greek ingredients, I will also add traditional dishes in this category but with a healthful and lighter version of an old recipe. The Traditional Greek category is for a recipe that may be more detailed, longer, and more for a weekend, Sunday, or for a special occasion.

Gardening will include my garden and how I select plants and grow the many things I do for my Greek kitchen needs. Herbal information,edible plants, and roses are so important to to any creative Greek cook. Fresh vegetable such as tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and beans are all wonderful and delicious for your summer dishes,when cooking with a Greek menu.

Travel will include all of the California coast  from San Diego to the beautiful  regions of  Northern California. I will share with you shops I love, places to dine, and any beautiful sights you may want to explore in out beautiful breathtaking state. Also included are the several trips to Greece I have taken throughout the years and my travel experiences there.

At last, the Greek to Me category will be  just that!  Anything I feel you need to know about traveling to Greece, Being Greek, Living Greek and Cooking Greek. Please feel free to ask any questions in this category, and I would love to hear about you and any feedback  you may have.

Efharisto! (Thank-you for visiting)

Last Note:

I’ve recently written a cookbook all about olive oil called, “Cooking Techniques with Olive Oil” I wrote the book for the consumer to learn how to cook with olive oil, including how to buy, store and preserve with olive oil. The chapters are listed as cooking techniques, such as braising, baling, steam, and many more interesting techniques.

BUY MY COOKBOOK HERE

Thank You for visiting, drop me a note and let’s connect!

Best in Health, 

Mary Papoulias Platis

 “Thou shouldest eat to live; not live to eat. – Socrates

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