Category Archives: Recipe

Slow cooked lamb with yogurt sauce

Lamb:
1 kg Lamb shank with bone Lamb 2
1 big onion
100 gr carrots
200 gr small mushrooms
One red capsicum
One aborigine
100 gr dried prunes
10 garlic gloves
Half a hand of fresh thyme
Two full teaspoons of mustard
Two teaspoons of honey
1 chili pepper chopped, a bit of hot chili sauce or one full teaspoon of spicy red pepper flakes
Some butter
One glass of red wine
Salt & pepper
Cup of chicken of beef stock
One bowl or pot with lid (ideally one that fits the lamb without too much space on the sides, if needed make sure the lamb is cut into two pieces so it fit the bowl.

Potatoes:
250 gr small potatoes (cooked with skin)
Rosemary, salt


Salad:
½ cucumber
100 gr tomatoes
100 gr lettuce
50-100 gr Feta / Turkish white cheese

Yogurt sauce:
100 – 200ml yogurt (Greek style)
2 tablespoons olive oil
One Garlic
Teaspoon of Dill

Preparation:
One day or a few hours before cooking: make small incisions in the Lam (evenly) with a sharp knife and squeeze in ½ garlic gloves with a bit of thyme until they are not visible anymore (use half of the garlic and half of the thyme).

Make sure the lamb stands at room temperature for about an hour before cooking. This takes the fridge chill from the lamb and allows it to cook evenly.

Pre-heat oven 220 degrees, gas 8.

Cut all the vegetables (not too small, the garlic does not need to be cut) and put them in a large bowl.
Melt 50 grams of butter in a deep pan and when all the water has vaporized, add a bit of olive oil. When hot, fry the meat all over on a fairly high heat for about 8 mins, turning it until it is evenly well browned. Remove the lamb from the pan and put it in the bowl.

Put all the vegetables in the (same) pan and fry/cook for a few minutes. Add all herbs, spices, stock and wine and re-heat till boiling. Lamb stewPour the liquid and vegetables over the lamb, make sure the lamb is covered by the vegetables. Put the lid on the bowl and place it in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, turn the meat half way.

Reduce the heat to around 100 degrees (gas 2) and cook for another 3 hours, turn the meat every hour.

Yogurt sauce: Put yogurt in a bowl, add garlic (pressed), dill and olive oil and stir gently.

Salad 1Salad: Cut vegetables, put in a bowl, mix and put the grated feta cheese over it. Add some dressing (e.g. honey/mustard/balsamic vinegar) if you prefer it but I like the salad plain since the other dishes have plenty of flavor)

Potatoes: wash the potatoes; boil in skin for ten minutes. Pour water out and let the potatoes dry in the pan. Add a bit of olive oil, some salt and rosemary and let it fry on low heat for another 10 minutes. Let the potatoes cool down a bit before serving.

You can also serve this dish with couscous sprinkled with fresh coriander but I chose the potatoes which go better with the yogurt sauce.

Spicy squid in coconut

Spicy squid in coconut

This recipe was invented in Cyprus. The squid was very cheap and we decided to make something off it. Lemons are widely available in Cyprus, just get one from a tree. This recipe is based on a Honduran recipe: “sopa de caracol” but of course, sea snails are not available in Cyprus.

Ingredients:

  • 500 grams of squid rings (frozen calamari, not batter-coated)
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • One capsicum
  • One carrot
  • One onion (or spring onion)
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • A tin of Coconut milk or cream
  • Two table spoons pepper flakes (less if you don’t like spicy food)
  • Hint of salt
  • Handfull of chopped fresh corriander

Preparation:

  • Chop onions, capsicum, carrot and garlic
  • Chop the squid rings in half

Cook:

  • Put onion, garlic, capsicum and carrot in a big pan with some oil and fry for a few minutes.
  • Add the pepper flakes
  • Add the squid
  • Add 90% the coconut milk or cream
  • Let shimmer on low temperature (just below boiling) for at least 1 hour till the squid is tender
  • Add lemon juice and the leftover coconut juice just before serving

Serving tips: rice, veggies and sprinkle the coriander over it.

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Spicy Orange Pork stew

Spicy orange honey pork stew

This recipe was invented in Cyprus. When we tried the oranges on the trees in the winter, they were very bitter and we decided to put the juice in a pork-stew.

Ingredients:

  • 5 pork chops
  • 1 big onion
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • One capsicum
  • One big carrot
  • Juice of one sour orange (if not available, use lemon)
  • Two table spoons pepper flakes (less if you don’t like spicy food)
  • A chunk of ginger
  • A tablespoon of honey
  • Some soy sauce
  • A bit of oregano
  • Hint of salt
  • Half cube of chicken stock

Preparation:

  • Chop onions, capsicum, carrot and garlic
  • Chop pork into pieces or around 3×2 cm
  • Skin ginger and slice into 2-3 pieces, bruise with the side of a kitchen knife
  • Put all ingredients into a cooking pan; make sure the pan is not too big. Let it rest in the fridge for 1-5 hours.

Cook:

  • Pre-heat oven 150 degrees.
  • Put the pan on the stove, low heat.
  • stir from time to time until almost boiling.
  • Put the pan in the oven for about 10 minutes at 150 degrees, stir when done
  • Reduce heat till 90 degrees and let the meat cook for 2 hours. Stir gently every half hour.
  • Poor the excess moister out in a frying pan, reduce and put it back in the main pan.

Serving tips: rice, oriental veggies and sprinkle Seroendeng (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serundeng) over the meat