Sheftalia Sheftalia is a delicious charcoal grilled dish. It consists of minced meat shaped into small sausages, wrapped in panna (suet). Panna is a thin sheet of fat, like lace, taken from around the liver of the animal. The best panna is that of lamb or pork, as it is especially thin and wraps easily around the minced meat. Ingredients for 4 servings: 800g minced pork meat Salt Pepper Cinnamon 1 onion, finely chopped Half bunch parsley, finely chopped 2-3 tablespoons breadcrumbs 1 panna (caul fat or omentum) Vinegar Wash the caul well with water and vinegar. In a bowl, thoroughly mix the minced meat, the breadcrumbs, the onion, the parsley, salt and pepper, and then mold into small oval-shaped balls. Place the mixture over the caul fat and wrap each separately into tight packages. Finally, cook over charcoal or on the grill until cooked evenly on all sides. Notes: Sheftalia can also be made using minced chicken meat.
Stuffed vine leaves (koupepia) Delicious vine leaves stuffed with minced meat, rice and herbs. Ingredients for 70-80 vine leaves: 1 cup oil 2 onions, finely chopped 1 kg minced pork meat 1/2 kg grated tomatoes 1 cup tomato juice 1/2 cup white rice short grain 1/2 cup lemon juice Half bunch parsley, finely chopped Mint 1/2 cup olive oil Salt Pepper 1st Method: Saute the onions in the oil. Add the minced meat and stir until cooked. Add the tomato, tomato juice and bring to the boil. Add the washed rice, salt, pepper, mint, parsley and the lemon juice and parboil. Place the vine leaves into boiling water and simmer for a while before taking them out. Take some of the mixture, place it on the vine leaf and fold into package. Place the koupepia in a pot or roasting pan, adding water or stock until completely covered. Add lemon juice and olive oil, cover the casserole and cook over very low heat or in the oven. 2nd Method: Thoroughly mix all the ingredients for the filling. Place the vine leaves into boiling water and soak for few minutes. Take some of the mixture, place it on the vine leaf and fold into a tight package. Place the koupepia in a pot or roasting pan, adding water or stock until they
completely covered. Add lemon juice and olive oil, cover the casserole and cook over very low heat or in the oven. Note: Stuffed cabbage is prepared the same way. Pork Afelia Pork slices marinated in wine and cooked in a casserole. Ingredients for 4 servings: 2 kg pork Salt Pepper Crushed coriander Cumin seeds (optional) 1 cup wine cup oil Cut the meat into cubes and marinate in wine, salt, pepper and coriander (and cumin). Heat the oil in a casserole, strain the meat, place in the casserole and cook until crisp and brown. Remove the excess oil and add the marinade and the wine. Cover the casserole and cook adding some water when necessary. Serve with bulgur pilaf or potatoes.
Ravioli with Halloumi Cheese A delicious pasta dish with a special halloumi and mint flavor. Ingredients for 130-140 ravioli: 3 cups grated halloumi (1 ½ package) 4 cups flour 1 pinch of salt 1 1/3 cup, approximately, lukewarm water A little dry mint 2-3 eggs ½ cube chicken stock or chicken broth that you have already prepared Put the flour and the salt in a container and knead them using lukewarm water (as much as necessary to produce a tight dough). Add the halloumi, the mint and the eggs (as many necessary, 2-3 eggs), without whisking them, so that you get a tight mix. Each time, you take a bit of the dough, cover it in flour and then use the pasta-roller (or pasta maker) to spread the dough into long and narrow strips, as thin as possible. Roll out the dough strips onto a floured countertop. Calculate approximately half the length of each strip and place 1/3 ½ teaspoon of filling, spaced apart, so that each piece of filling is spaced approximately 4.5 centimeters from the next one. Lift the remaining half and cover the dough strip. Cut, using the special round-toothed tool, in a diameter of 3.5 cm (remembering to dip the tool into flour each time before cutting the ravioli). Place the ravioli on a floured tray. Remember to flour the top side of the ravioli, in order to be able to place them so as not to touch one another. Continue to work in the same manner until you run out of
materials. Meanwhile, heat enough water in a large and wide pot, along with the chicken stock/broth, and add the ravioli, leaving them to boil for approximately 10-15 minutes. On a somewhat deep platter, spread the grated halloumi cheese. Remove the ravioli from the water with a slotted spoon and place them in the platter, over the grated cheese. Add plenty of grated halloumi on top, along with Anari cheese and dry mint. Pie with Anari Cheese A sweet and light recipe that combines the traditional, fresh Anari cheese, a type of soft cheese from Cyprus, with the filo dough. Ingredients: 1 kg unsalted Anari cheese Cinnamon cup sugar Rosewater 1/2 kg filo dough sheets 100g butter 250g fresh cream 1/2 cup honey Roasted almonds or walnuts Beat the Anari cheese with the fresh cream. Add cinnamon, sugar and rosewater, and mix thoroughly. Place the filo dough sheets in a buttered roasting pan, buttering every two sheets. Make three layers of eight sheets each and bake in the oven. Put Anari cheese in between each layer. Spread the honey, roasted almonds and walnuts on top of the last layer.
Ladies Fingers (Daktyla) Delicious sweets, in the shape of fingers, dipped in syrup, stuffed with almonds and cinnamon. Ingredients: For the dough: 1 kg flour cup oil Pinch of salt 1 Lemon 2 cups water For the filling: 300g crushed almonds 50g sugar Cinnamon Rosewater For the syrup: 1 kg sugar liter water Lemon juice Cinnamon sticks Oil for frying Sift the flour and rub in the salt and oil, while stirring. Add water and lemon and knead to firm dough. Cover and leave to stand. Prepare the filling, mixing all the ingredients. Roll out the dough
into a thin sheet and cut into 8x10 cm rectangles. Put a teaspoon of filling at the edge of each rectangle and roll. Press the two ends with a fork to seal. Fry in hot oil until golden brown and then drain. Dip in cold syrup for a few seconds; drain and transfer to a plate.