Smyrneika Soutzoukakia in Domatosaltsa - Sausages from Smyrna in Tomato Sauce and as appetizers with Tzatziki sauce

Smyrneika soutzoukakia or sausages from Smyrna is a very traditional dish in Greece. Its originality comes from Smyrna thus the name Smyrneika. Smyrna – which is now called Izmir - is situated in the outskirts of Turkey across from the island of Chios, Greece. You can get to Smyrna from Chios by ferryboat in only 30 minutes. The dish is brought to Greece by Greek refugees from Asia Minor in the early 1920’s when the Greek and Armenian genocide took place.

Smyrneika soutzoukakia are served, traditionally, over rice, mashed potatoes or French fries and are usually made with ground beef. My mother and sister in law used to mix the rice with the ground beef. I have a Greek – quite old cookbook - that states the same. In this recipe, I decided to omit the rice, and instead of serving them over rice, I served them over orzo. I also used ground turkey instead of ground beef. You can use ground beef if you would like. It tastes equally good.

You can serve the soutzoukakia (sausages) with tzatziki sauce as an appetizer, with my domatosaltsa (tomato sauce) that I specifically created for them, or you can cook them in the domatosaltsa (tomato sauce) and serve them over orzo, rice, mashed potatoes. I have also served them in the past with gluten free orzo, and instead of regular breadcrumbs in the meat mixture I used gluten free breadcrumbs. The sausages can also be fried once you lightly coat them in flour.  I don't usually fry any foods, so these ones I baked them in the oven.  Enjoy!

Smyrneika Soutzoukakia - Ground turkey sausages from Smyrna

Makes 30 servings (approximately 1.3 oz each)

2 lbs ground turkey
½ cup shredded onion
2 tsp. crushed garlic
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup chopped parsley
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ tbsp. olive oil to coat the cookie sheet

Peel and shred the onion and the garlic. Set aside. Wash and chop the parsley.

In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, the bread crumbs, the parsley, the shredded onion and garlic, the cumin, nutmeg, salt and pepper and the 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Mix well together and shape into 3" long sausages. About 1.3 oz each.

The sausages (soutzoukakia) before they go into the oven

Preheat oven to 400° F. Use the ½ tbsp. of olive oil and brush a cookie sheet. Place the sausages on the cookie sheet and bake for about 40-45 minutes turning around in between, till lightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve.

After they come out of the oven

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1.284 oz (36.4g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 74
Calories from Fat 38
Total Fat 4.2g
Saturated Fat 0.7g
Cholesterol 31mg
Sodium 124mg
Potassium 97mg
Total Carbohydrates 1.7g
Dietary Fiber 0.2g
Sugars 0.2g
Protein 8.6g

Domatosaltsa For Smyrneika Soutzoukakia

Tomato sauce specific for Smyrneika soutzoukakia to dip or to serve with the soutzoukakia over rice, orzo or mashed potatoes.

Makes 6 servings (approximately 8.3 oz each serving)

¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
14 ½ oz diced tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cumin

In a large saucepan, sauté the diced onion in the olive oil. When the onion is transparent, add the diced garlic. Sauté for a minute or two, but don't burn it. Add the diced tomatoes, the tomato sauce (the can and the cup) and one cup water. Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Add the cumin, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and parsley. Add the oven baked cooked sausages.  Cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Serve over orzo, or rice or mashed potatoes.  Or serve the domatosaltsa (tomato sauce) on the side as a dipping sauce for the soutzoukakia.

Served over orzo in domatosaltsa (tomato sauce)

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 8.148 oz (231g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 131
Calories from Fat 80
Total Fat 8.9g
Saturated Fat 1.3g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 983mg
Potassium 643mg
Total Carbohydrates 12.8g
Dietary Fiber 3.6g
Sugars 7.9g
Protein 2.8g

Tzatziki Sauce
Makes 28 servings (approximately 2 tbsp. each serving)

16 oz reduced fat sour cream
8 oz Greek, Non-Fat, Plain Yogurt (oz)
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 tsp. garlic
2 tbsp. dill
2½ tbsp. red wine vinegar
4 tbsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. salt

Blend all ingredients together, refrigerate.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving (31.4 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 43
Calories from Fat 32
Total Fat 3.6g
Saturated Fat 1.4g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 6mg
Sodium 30mg
Total Carbohydrates 1.3g
Dietary Fiber 0.1g
Sugars 0.4g
Protein 1.4g

Served with Tzatziki sauce and with the Tomato sauce as appetizers

Note:  The sausages freeze well by themselves.  The same with the tomato sauce.  You can freeze them if you are making a big batch of either of these dishes (except of course the tzatziki sauce).  I froze them in the past and heat them up in either the microwave or in the oven.  Or I would defrost the sausages and the tomato sauce and then cook them in low heat till heated through.   

If you try this recipe and like it please comment below. If you like what you see on this blog, feel free to follow it. If you have any questions post them in the comments box.

Greek Style Oven Fried Chicken

I was craving some fried chicken the other day. So I decided to make it with my usual Greek twist in it. The oregano, the cumin and the lemon juice shouts Greek. This dish can easily be made gluten free. Use gluten free all purpose flour (like King Arthur's) and gluten free breadcrumbs.

Makes 8 servings (approximately 6.2 oz each serving)

2 ¼ lbs chicken pieces
½ cup flour
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cumin
2 eggs
1 tsp water
2 cups bread crumbs
2 tsp oregano

Wash and skin the chicken pieces or you can buy them skinless and boneless. I used a whole chicken that I cut up into pieces. Whatever chicken I had leftover I boiled it for my little shih tzu and kept the chicken stock in the freezer for future use.

In a bowl, mix together the flour with the ground pepper, salt and cumin. Set aside. Beat the 2 eggs with the water in another bowl and set aside. Mix the breadcrumbs with the oregano into a third bowl and set aside.

Coat the chicken pieces with the flour mixture first. Then dip them into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Place them on a cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil, into a single layer. Bake at 400°F preheated oven for about 1 hour. Turn once. Remove from the oven, place the chicken in a platter and squeeze some fresh lemon juice. Serve and Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 6.173 oz (175g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 395
Calories from Fat 109
Total Fat 12.1g
Saturated Fat 3.3g
Cholesterol 154mg
Sodium 471mg
Total Carbohydrates 25.9g
Dietary Fiber 1.6g
Sugars 1.8g
Protein 42.8g

Before it goes into the oven

Ready to eat! Enjoy!

Gluten Free Meatloaf with Middle Eastern Spices

My daughter found out that she is allergic to gluten.  Therefore, when I decided to make this meatloaf, I had to use gluten free breadcrumbs.  I used Udi's gluten free whole grain bread that I crushed in the food processor.  You can substitute regular breadcrumbs for this recipe, or any other type gluten free breadcrumbs.  I have tried it both ways and either way comes out delicious.  I served this with Sweet potato mash with paprika and chill powder  (recipe below).  Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings (approximately 4.5 oz each)

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

2 oz Udi's bread (crushed in a food processor)

3/4 cup chopped parsley

1 cup shredded onion

2 tsp. crushed garlic

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 cup olive oil

Peel and wash the onion. Place it in a food processor and pulse until shredded. Set aside. Clean the garlic and crush with a garlic press. Set aside. Wash and chop the parsley. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

In a blow mix together the ground turkey, the shredded onion, crushed garlic, chopped parsley, the bread crumbs, paprika, cumin, thyme, turmeric, salt and pepper. Mix well. In an ovenproof pan place the meatloaf mixture and pour over the 1/2 cup olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 2 hours.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (128.2 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 343

Calories from Fat 221

Total Fat 24.6g

Saturated Fat 4.7g

Cholesterol 87mg

Sodium 287mg

Total Carbohydrates 5.7g

Dietary Fiber 0.8g

Sugars 1.2g

Protein 24.4g

Mexican Bean salad with a Greek twist

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday. 

I made this dish the other day to go along with the chicken fajitas. Beans are a popular dish in Greece but not the black beans or the corn. There are bean salads made with cannellini beans. I ended up incorporating some Greek ingredients into this dish. Instead of cilantro or lime juice, I used parsley and lemon juice. I also added the cannellini beans to the mix. We ended up with a wonderful bean salad that gave us both a bit of Mexican flair with a Greek twist. Enjoy!

Mexican Bean Salad with a Greek twist

Eight (8 servings) approximately 7 oz each

1 can – 15oz black beans
1 can -15.5oz cannellini beans
1 can – 15 ¼oz corn
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ c fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped shallots
½ cup grape tomatoes cut in half or quartered – depending how big they are
¼ tsp cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Rinse the beans and the corn under cold water. Place them in a bowl. Mix together the beans, the corn, the olive oil, the lemon juice, the grape tomatoes, the parsley, the shallots, salt and pepper and the cumin. Refrigerate till ready to serve or leave at room temperature.  

Nutrition Facts  Serving Size 
1 serving (186.4 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 447
Calories from Fat 49
Total Fat 5.4g
Saturated Fat 0.9g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 26mg
Total Carbohydrates 77.9g
Dietary Fiber 23.4g
Sugars 4.5g
Protein 26.4g

Greek Style Seafood with Herbs and Vegetables

Since it's Lent I'm trying to cook dishes that are free of meat or chicken.  Fish is allowed on certain days of the week. Enjoy this hearty seafood soup.  If not during Lent, during a cold rainy day.

10 servings (approximately 1 ½ cups per serving)

½ cup olive oil
1 cup onion chopped
1 tsp garlic chopped
2 cups celery diced
1 ½ cups carrots diced
4 cups potatoes diced
1 cup chopped parsley
1 lbs cod fillets diced
1 lbs large shrimp
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
2 15oz cans water + 1 extra 15oz can water
2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
3 bay leaves
¼ tsp cumin
In a Dutch oven, over high heat pour the ½ cup olive oil. Add the chopped onions and garlic. Sauté, until transparent. Add the carrots, celery, and potatoes. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables absorb some of the oil. Add the tomato sauce, the diced tomatoes, the two 15oz cans of water, the parsley, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and cumin. Let it come to a boil. Then, turn down the heat to medium and simmer for about one hour until the potatoes are cooked. If you need to add more water, then add the extra 15oz can of water. Depending on what size you diced the potatoes you might need the extra can of water so that the potatoes are cooked.

Towards the last five (5) minutes, add the fish and the shrimp. Let it come to a boil and lower the heat for the last 5 minutes. The fish should be flaky and the shrimp pink colored. Turn off the heat. Serve with some fresh bread.

 



Nutrition Facts

Serving Size  1serving(389.1 g) approximately 1 ½ cups
Amount Per Serving
Calories 267
Calories from Fat 109

Total Fat 12.1g
Saturated Fat 1.8g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 113mg
Sodium 853mg 3
Total Carbohydrates 17.7g
Dietary Fiber 4.0g
Sugars 5.3g
Protein 22.5g

Greek Style Chili with ground turkey and vegetables

On a cold, snowy day, I decided to make something that will keep us all warm.  This chili is a combination of a Greek bean soup (that is very popular in Greece, that recipe at another post) and the Mexican chili.  Greeks make their own version (shall I call it chili?) of a bean soup but they use pork pieces or just plain beans.  Since we all love chili in our family, this dish combines Greek spices, like ground cumin and ground coriander, which are also popular in Mexican cooking, along with vegetables and a better-for-your-heart version, by using ground turkey instead of ground beef.  Top it with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and you have another variation of chili.  More like Greek style chili. 

Enjoy!!!!

Greek Style Chili with ground turkey and vegetables 

Ten (10) servings of 15oz each. 

1/3 cup olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of a Dutch oven pot)

¾ cup diced onion

1.5 lbs. ground turkey

1 ¾ cups diced celery

1 ½ cups diced carrots

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 14oz can diced tomatoes

1 14oz can tomato sauce

1 14oz water

2 tsps paprika

3 tsps chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

½ tsp coriander

1 15.5oz can of kidney beans

1 15.5oz can of red beans

1 15.5 oz can of cannellini or great northern beans

 Vegetable preparation

Prepare the vegetables by washing, cleaning and dicing the onions, carrots, celery and garlic.   Pour the olive oil in a Dutch oven.  Turn the stove on.  Saute the onions and garlic till translucent (don’t let the garlic burn).  Add the ground turkey and let it brown stirring constantly (see the picture below).  

Then add the carrots, celery, the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, coriander, and water.  Let it come to a boil stirring occasionally so that it won’t burn.  Lower the heat and simmer for ½ hour to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the veggies are soft. 

Open up the cans of beans and rinse under cold water to remove any sodium.  Add to the ground turkey/veggie pot and stir.  Heat it through, stirring constantly so that it won’t burn.  Once it comes to a full boil, turn the stove off and remove from heat. 

Serve with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, mozzarella cheese (mozzarella cheese is healthier than cheddar cheese), and some nice crusty fresh italian bread.

The nutrition facts below do not include the calories for yogurt or mozzarella. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size                                         15.62oz (442.8g)

Amount Per Serving

                        Calories                                    536

Calories from Fat                                  232

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat                                               25.8g                           40%

Saturated Fat                                       5.8g                             29%

Trans Fat                                              0.0g

Cholesterol                                           139mg                         46%

Sodium                                                 936mg                         39%

Total Carbohydrates                             28.4g                           9%

Dietary Fiber                                         9.7g                             39%

Sugars                                                 6.3g

Protein                                                 46.4g