1. 3 rd High School of Xanthi-Comenius F.I.F.A. 2012-2015 Greek Recipes

2. 2 Gigantes

3. 3 Ingredients: 400g dried butter beans 3 tbsp Greek extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbsp tomato purée 800g ripe tomatoes, skins removed, roughly chopped 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp dried oregano pinch ground cinnamon 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve

4. 4 Preparation Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water. Drain, rinse, then place in a pan covered with water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, then simmer for approx 50 mins until slightly tender but not soft. Drain, then set aside. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, tip in the onion and garlic, then cook over a medium heat for 10 mins until softened but not browned. Add the tomato purée, cook for a further min, add remaining ingredients, then simmer for 2-3 mins. Season generously, then stir in the beans. Tip into a large ovenproof dish, then bake for approximately 1 hr, uncovered and without stirring, until the beans are tender. The beans will absorb all the fabulous flavours and the sauce will thicken. Allow to cool, then scatter with parsley and drizzle with a little more olive oil to serve.

5. 5 Pastitsio

6. 6 Ingredients:

7. 7 Preparation For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the beef and lamb, and saute over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it's no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of wooden spoon. Drain off any excess liquid, add the wine, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the bechamel, heat the milk and cream together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the tomato and meat sauce, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs and yogurt and set aside. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Don't over-cook because the pasta will later be baked. Drain and set aside. Add the pasta to the meat and tomato sauce, and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.

8. 8 Greek Salad

9. 9 Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1½ tablespoons lemon juice 1 clove garlic—minced ½ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and extra for garnish 3 tomatoes—cut into wedges ¼ red onion—sliced into rings ½ cucumber—sliced into thick half-moons ½ green pepper —julienned 4 120g feta cheese—cut into small cubes Olives

10. 10 Preparation Place the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano in a small jar with a screw-top lid and shake to combine. Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine just before serving. Garnish the Greek salad with a little freshly ground black pepper

11. 11 Halva

12. 12 Ingredients: 2 cups of coarse semolina (substitute Farina or Cream of Wheat) 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely 1/4 cup pine nuts 1/4 cup raisins For the syrup: 4-1/2 cups water 2-1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup honey 3 small pieces cinnamon stick 3-4 whole cloves 2-inch piece of orange peel Ground cinnamon for dusting

13. 13 Preparation Prepare the syrup: To a medium saucepan, add the water, sugar, honey, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange peel. Boil for 5 minutes then lower the heat and simmer gently. Remove the cinnamon, clove and orange peel before pouring. In another larger saucepan, over medium high heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the coarse semolina and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Cook the semolina in the oil until the grains begin to toast and turn a deep golden color. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully add the hot syrup to the semolina mixture. The semolina is going to sizzle, bubble, and spatter so be careful not to burn yourself. Stir in the walnuts, raisins, and pine nuts and continue to cook until the semolina absorbs all the liquid. Cover the pot tightly and set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes. Spoon the mixture into a pudding mold or into individual ramekins. Allow the pudding to cool to room temperature before serving. To serve, sprinkle with cinnamon and some more chopped nuts (if desired).

14. 14 Tzatziki

15. 15 Ingredients: 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. vinegar 2 cloves garlic, minced finely 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. white pepper 1 cup greek yogurt, strained 1 cup sour cream 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced 1 tsp. chopped fresh dill

16. 16 Preparation Combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix until well combined. Using a whisk, blend the yogurt with the sour cream. Add the olive oil mixture to the yogurt mixture and mix well. Finally, add the cucumber and chopped fresh dill. Chill for at least two hours before serving. Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill just before serving.