If you’ve never had raw honey, you really have ... [read more]]]>

If you’ve never had raw honey, you really have to give it a try. There’s a huge difference in flavor, with raw honey winning out in the taste department. It’s also smoother and creamier with its texture reminding me of a smooth caramel.

There’s no doubt I’ll make these little Greek cheesecakes again. They’re lusciously lovely!!

Note: I recommend these little cheesecakes be eaten within 24 hours of making them. I made them yesterday afternoon at 4 p.m., and we ate two of them at midnight. They were awesome. Then 24 hours after that (tonight), I tried another one and threw it away. It just doesn’t hold up well, so if you make these, plan to share them and eat them soon after making them.

Mini Greek Cheesecakes (Lyhnarakia)

Recipe Adapted from: “The Complete Book of Greek Cooking” by Rena Salaman & Jan Cutler, page 226, (Sifnos Cheese and Honey Tart), Anness Publishing Ltd., 2005, 2008

Yield: 6 individual cheesecakes

Ingredients:

• 2-3 sheets filo dough (use 2 sheets for a thinner pastry shell and 3 sheets for a thicker one)
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/8 cup confectioner’s sugar + more for sprinkling
• 1 tbsp. + 6 tsp. raw honey
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon + more for sprinkling
• 3 tbsp. butter, 1 for greasing the muffin tin and 2 for brushing the pastry
• Optional: 6 dried prunes

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 6-count muffin tin with butter.
• Cut out 2-3 sheets of thawed out filo dough so the cut-out pastry fits inside the muffin tin.
• Melt 2 tbsp. butter and then brush the pastry with the melted butter.
• To make the filling, beat the egg in a medium-sized bowl.
• Add the confectioner’s sugar and flour to the egg, and then beat it with an electric mixture until it’s fluffy.
• Add the ricotta cheese, 1 tbsp. honey, and 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, beating it until it’s well mixed.
• Pour the cheese mixture into the pastry shell and use a spoon to level the top of it.
• Optional: Place 1 dried prune into the middle of the cheesecake filling.
• Bake uncovered until the cheesecake filling is set and brown. You’ll know it’s done when you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
• Remove the mini cheesecakes from the oven and sprinkle with a little cinnamon and confectioner’s sugar while it’s still hot. Here’s how it looked before I added the honey:

• After the cheesecakes have cooled for about 15-20 minutes, top each of them with 1 tsp. raw honey. If you like, you can sprinkle the tops of them with more cinnamon and confectioner’s sugar.
• Refrigerate and serve chilled.

My husband, Kemal, ... [read more]]]>

My husband, Kemal, a native of the former Yugoslavia, introduced me to this wonderful vegetable entree many years ago. The recipe varies from region to region, but regardless of how it’s made, I never met a moussaka I didn’t love!

The Yugoslavian version of moussaka that my husband and I make is a little different from the Greek version that we prepared last week. The Yugoslavian version that my husband makes is prepared with potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, and eggs, while the Greek version is made with eggplant, chickpeas, lentils, feta cheese, and yogurt.

Even the regional recipes vary. Some Greek versions of moussaka are made with lamb and eggplant and are prepared without legumes, and the Yugoslavian versions are also prepared in different ways as well. Whenever I think about all the different recipes for moussaka, I think about chili and how chili is made many different ways and has different ingredients, depending on who makes it.

Anyway, I want to share with you one Greek version of moussaka that Kemal and I recently made, and later when we make the Yugoslavian version, I’ll give you the recipe so you can compare it to this one. Before I give you the recipe for the Greek version we just made, I’ll show you what it looks like. Here’s a picture Kemal took last week right after it came out of the oven. It makes a huge pan, and makes about six to eight servings.

Vegetable Moussaka (Adapted from: “The Complete Book of Greek Cooking” by Rena Salaman & Jan Cutler, page 174, Anness Publishing Ltd. 2005, 2008)

Ingredients:

• eggplant (4 medium size) (zucchini can be substituted)
• 1/2 cup orange lentils
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 6 tbsp. olive
• green onions, 1 bunch
• garlic, 2 head
• chickpeas, 1 can drained
• cherry tomatoes, fresh (about 2 cups or so)
• diced, petite tomatoes (1 can)
• sheep yogurt, 12 ounces (can substitute goat or cow yogurt)
• herbs de Provence, 2 tsp.
• eggs, 4, beaten
• feta cheese (to taste…you basically can’t go wrong with how much cheese you use. It all depends on how much you like)
• salt
• pepper
• parsley
• water

Instructions:

1. Cut the eggplant into medium slices, leaving the skin on. Generously sprinkles the slices with salt, and then cover with water. Soaking the eggplant in salt water for about 30 minutes will help make the eggplant less bitter. After soaking, rinse the eggplant slices, drain the water off them, and then blot them with a towel to dry them out some.
2. While the eggplant is soaking, cook the lentils by putting them in a pan with about 2 cups of water, 2 tbsp olive oil, and the 2 vegetable bouillon cubes. Heat on high until boiling, then lower the heat to medium, cooking until the lentils are soft. Drain the water after they’re cooked.
3. Dice the garlic and slice the onion, and then sautee them in about 1 tbsp. olive oil. Cook about 5 minutes and then add the lentils, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, diced petite tomatoes, herbs de Provence and about 3 or 4 tbsp. water. Cook on high heat until it boils, then reduce the heat to low, simmering for about 20-30 minutes. When it’s done, add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Preheat the oven to about 350 degrees.
5. Heat about 3 tbsp. of olive oil in a frying pan on high. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and then fry the eggplant slices a few at a time until they’re all cooked. You don’t need to fry them a long time…maybe about 1 minute on each side.
6. After you’ve fried all the eggplant, grease your baking dish with olive oil.
7. Now you’re going to put a layer of eggplant slices on the bottom of the pan, then put some of the lentil/chickpea mixture on top of the eggplant slices. Continue layering like this until all the eggplant and legume mixture has been used.
8. Beat the eggs, and then mix in the yogurt and some more salt and pepper. Pour the egg/yogurt mixture over the eggplant and legume mixture.
9. Put sliced or crumbled feta cheese on top of the egg/yogurt mixture and then bake until the moussaka is golden brown (about 30-50 minutes, depending on how large your baking dish is and how many layers you have).
10. When the moussaka is done, generously sprinkle the top with with parsley and serve.