Salmon with Lemon Artichoke and Capers Sauce

Salmon is such a great fish which is a shame to actually cover it with any type of sauces.  But I got tired of eating grilled salmon all the time so I thought I'd try it with this lemon caper sauce that I sort of came up with a few years ago.  Back then, I used flour.  More like a basic white sauce but with lemon juice.  Over the years, I experimented making it with cornstarch, which takes a lot less time for the sauce to thicken than making it with flour.  It's a great sauce to pour over grilled chicken or any other type of fish.  Another time I baked some tilapia fillets in the same sauce in the oven, but without the cornstarch.  That recipe  in another Greek Fusion Cuisine Blog post.  This is a quick and easy recipe to make if you are crunched for time, or to make on a weekday after work.  Within an hour I had dinner on the table. 


Makes approximately 6-8 servings depending on how big you want your serving. 6 servings are approximately 8 oz each. The Nutritional information below is for 6 servings at approximately 8oz each.

1.5 lbs salmon fillet
 2 tbsp olive oil
4-5 lemon slices

Preheat oven to 500° F. (Broil) Put a grill pan – big enough to fit the salmon fillet- in the oven to get hot. When hot remove from the oven and brush with the one-tablespoon olive oil. 



 In the meantime, wash and pat dry the salmon. Put the salmon, skin side down on the pan and brush with the remaining olive oil.  Top the salmon with the lemon slices. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the pan back in the oven and broil for 8-10 minutes.  

Lemon Caper sauce with Artichoke hearts

¾ cup chicken stock
¼ cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
2 cups artichoke hearts quartered (from a jar will do fine)
1 tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup water
1.5 tbsp butter

2 tsp capers

Salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce-pan add the chicken stock, lemon juice and artichoke hearts. Heat through. Dilute the cornstarch in the ¼ cup water and add to the sauce stirring till slightly thickened. Turn the heat off. Add the butter and stir till the butter is melted.  Add the capers.   Remove the salmon from the grill pan and place in a serving platter.  Pour the lemon-artichoke-caper sauce on top.  Serve over hot rice   



 Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

11 serving (255.1 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 345

Total Fat 21.8g21.8

34Saturated Fat 5.4g5.4

27Cholesterol 79mg79

26Sodium 285mg285

12Total Carbohydrates 10.6g10.6

4Dietary Fiber 4.3g4.3

17Sugars 1.2g1.2

Protein 27.8g27.8

Ravani - Greek Semolina Cake

I have been craving this cake for quite some time now.  So today, I decided to make it.  My mother used to make it often, while I was young.  The semolina gives it a different texture than any typical flour cake.  The lemony syrup (you actually don’t taste it a bit), gives it that extra flavor.  It’s not too sweet but it goes well with coffee, or as an afternoon snack. 

Enjoy!!!

Ravani – Greek Semolina Cake with Lemon Syrup 

32 pieces (approximately 2.5oz each)

For the cake

1 cup unsalted butter melted, or at room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 eggs separated

1 cup milk

1 cup semolina flour (durum wheat)

1 and ½ cups flour

4 tsps baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

Rind of one lemon

For the syrup

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

Juice of ½ a lemon

The cake

Heat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a 9x13 ovenproof glass pan.

Preparation ingredients

Prepare the flour mixture by mixing the flour, semolina, and baking powder together.  Set aside.

Beat together the butter and sugar till creamy.  Add the egg yolks one at time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla extract and the rind of one lemon.  Add the flour mixture alternating with the cup of milk.  Beat well.  Set aside.

Beat together the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold the egg whites into the batter mixture until blended.  Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until it is lightly golden brown.  Or, if a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  (The cake will rise while baking). 

The batter and the greased pan

The batter in the oven proof pan, before it goes in the oven

The syrup

While the cake is baking prepare the syrup.  Pour the sugar and water in a pan and bring to a boil stirring constantly.  Lower the heat to medium and let it cook for 10-15 minutes while stirring.  The syrup should be clear by the time you are done, and very slightly reduced.  Remove from heat.  Add the lemon juice and stir until dissolved. 

When the cake is done, let it cool for a while.  Cut into diamond shape pieces or squares and while it is still warm pour the syrup on top.  The cake will absorb all the syrup.  Serve with some icing sugar sprinkled on top, or just plain.

Out of the oven, cooled with the syrup and with some sprinkled icing sugar on top. 

Nutrition Facts*

Serving Size                                         1 serving(66.7 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories                                              176

Calories from Fat                                  59                                % Daily Value

Total Fat                                               6.6g                             10%

Saturated Fat                                       3.9g                             20%

Cholesterol                                           39mg                           13%

Sodium                                                 53mg                           2%

Total Carbohydrates                             27.8g                           9%

Dietary Fiber                                         0.4g                             2%

Sugars                                                 19.2g

Protein                                                 2.3g

*The nutrition facts include the syrup. 

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes in the oven

Thyme and oregano grows abundant in Greece.  Therefore, it’s very characteristic that these two herbs are used so often in Greek dishes.  If you are ever in Greece and take a walk in the country, outside of the city, you will smell the pine trees but also the thyme and the oregano.  You just won’t get enough of that fragrant smell.  And if you cut a small branch of either oregano or thyme and rub it between your fingers, the aroma will linger till you decide to wash your hands.

 

My mother used to make this dish almost every Sunday, while I was growing up.  I used to love this dish and still do.  The lemon juice and the olive oil make the chicken crispy golden on the outside and juicy inside.  The potatoes turn golden brown and crispy outside but soft and tender inside.  The oregano and thyme just give this dish an altogether different flavor, so delicious that you end up licking your fingers when you are done eating the chicken wings, as I used to and still do.  Nobody can have the chicken wings from this dish.

Enjoy!!!

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes in the oven

12x9 pan (pan measures inside the rim)

Four (4-6) Servings

4 cups potatoes quartered (approximately 6 medium size potatoes)

1 whole chicken (about 3.5lbs)

¼ cup lemon juice (juice of one lemon approximately)

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp ground pepper

½ tsp salt

½ cup olive oil

½ cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rinse and wash chicken well inside and out.  Set aside.  Peel, wash and quarter the potatoes.  Set the chicken in the middle of an ovenproof pan.  Spread the potatoes around the chicken.  Sprinkle the chicken and the potatoes with the oregano, thyme, pepper and salt.  Drizzle with the olive oil.  Add the water in the pan. 

 The dish before it goes in the oven 

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours approximately, or till the chicken is crispy golden and clear juices run out when tested with the fork; the potatoes should be crispy on the outside but soft inside.  Test with a fork for doneness.  

                                          

The dish when it comes out of the oven

It makes a great Sunday meal!!!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size                             1 serving 14.318oz (405.9g) 

                                              (these calories per serving are approximate for four (4) servings).

Amount Per Serving

            Calories                       620

Calories from Fat                      233

Total Fat                                   25.9g               40%

Saturated Fat                             4.7g                23%

Cholesterol                             198mg                66%

Sodium                                  363mg                15%

Total Carbohydrates                 16.8g                  6%

Dietary Fiber                             2.6g                 10%

Sugars                                     1.4g

Protein                                     76.3g

Spinach Cheese pie (Spanakotyropita)

For my first recipe post, I picked the most difficult of the Greek dishes to make.  But I love Spinach and Cheese pie (Spanakotyropita).  And so does my whole family.  Since I was making it for all of us, I thought it would be nice to post it on my blog.  Enjoy!!!

Spinach Cheese pie (Spanakotyropita)              

52 servings or 1.5 oz each piece approximately

15x10 ovenproof glass pan (pan measures inside the rim)

1 Pkg (16 oz) phyllo dough (Athens brand or any phyllo dough will do)

2 pkg (12 oz each) frozen cut leaf spinach

½ cup green onion chopped

½ cup shallots chopped

1 cup flat leaf parsley chopped

2 tbsps olive oil

16 oz low fat cottage cheese

1 and ½ cups crumbled feta cheese (12 oz)

½ tsp ground pepper

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

4 eggs

¾ cup olive oil (for brushing the phyllo dough sheets between layering)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Defrost the frozen spinach and drain any excess water by squeezing between your hands.  Set aside.  Chop the green onions, shallots, and parsley.  Set aside. In a frying pan, over a hot stove, pour the 2 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the green onions and shallots till transparent.  Add the frozen spinach and parsley.  Heat through.  Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the hot stove. 

            

In a bowl, mix together the low fat cottage cheese, the crumbled feta and the eggs.  Add to the spinach mixture.  Make sure the spinach mixture is cool or the eggs will curdle.  Add the ground pepper, salt and ground nutmeg.  Set aside.

          

Have the ¾-cup olive oil handy with a brush.  Brush the 15x10 pan with olive oil generously.  Open up the package of phyllo dough.  There should be two small packages in the box.  Take the one out and open it up.  Have to work quite fast with phyllo dough since it dries quickly. In order for it not to dry out, cover it with a damp towel.  Take one phyllo dough sheet and place at the bottom of the pan.  Brush with oil. 

       The picture, above, shows with a few phyllo dough sheets already layered and brushed with oil.

Take another phyllo sheet and continue layering at the bottom of the pan brushing with olive oil in between.  Make sure the whole pan is completely covered with some of the phyllo dough extending at the ends of the pan (once the filling is poured in you will be able to fold the excess phyllo dough and hold the filling inside). 

       This picture, above, shows with the one package of phyllo dough layered. 

When you are finished layering the first package of phyllo dough pour the spinach/cheese mixture. 

                    This picture, above, shows with the spinach mixture.

Now fold the ends of the phyllo dough on top of the filling. 

                                    With the ends folded in.

Continue layering with the phyllo dough sheets brushing with olive oil in between the sheets. 

                          Completed with all the phyllo dough sheets

When finished, take a serrated knife and cut the pie into diagonal pieces. 

Place in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for one hour and 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Serve when cool. 

                                  Hot right out of the oven.

ENJOY!!!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size                             1serving(47.8 g)

Amount Per Serving

            Calories                       93

Calories from Fat                      55

Total Fat                                   6.1g                       9%

Saturated Fat                             1.8g                       9%

Cholesterol                              21mg                       7%

Sodium                                 178mg                       7%

Total Carbohydrates                   6.1g                       2%

Dietary Fiber                             0.5g                       2%

Sugars                                     0.4g

Protein                                     3.6g