> Lemon and Strawberries: June 2015

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Greek "little shoes" - stuffed eggplants (Papoutsakia)


Another delicious Greek dish! Now eggplants are at their peak, so I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't make papoutsakia. The name in Greek means literally "little shoes", which I find adorable and accurate at the same time, as they do resemble little shoes when they're cooked.
These incredible stuffed eggplants are filled with aromatic meat sauce and topped with béchamel. 
It takes some time to make them, but trust me - the effort really pays off!
As with some other Greek dishes, I always make enough papoutsakia to have it for 2-3 meals.  They're as delicious as fresh or even better the next day - reheated with some melted halloumi cheese on top.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Spinach & tomato salad with roasted almonds


I love spinach! I was one of the very few kids that had no problem eating it...well except times in school canteen where they served it in some unbelievably gooey way with no spices whatsoever. I use spinach as a base for stuffing, soups and sauces, but  I have never tried raw spinach before, so I wasn't sure how exactly it will come out. Turns out - it's delicious, refreshing and makes a very nice salad, especially when combined with roasted almonds and balsamic cream.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Stuffed portobello mushrooms


This dish was another culinary experiment - I got these beautiful portobello mushrooms and was wondering what to do with them. I've decided to stuff them with some of the things I already had in the fridge and it turned out delicious!
It's a food that doesn't need much preparation, a little bit of frying, then stuck in the oven and wait for it to be ready, so it's a good idea for a dinner when you don't have so much time!