A Green Greek Supper
Sport is bad for you. Whoever said it was good for you? Five days in and I am already hooked to the box; the Olympics being about the only occassion I watch daytime-TV other than at Christmas.
It’s alright for John, he at least gets to go to work sometimes, but I can envisage myself 10 days on, and 2 stones heavier with oily, acne-ridden skin, scoffing pizzas out of boxes and guzzling cans of cider.
Luckily, Greek food is quite healthy if you go easy on the oil. This dish looks fresh on the plate and tastes fresh too, although it is not “green” in the sense of being vegetarian (recipes based on Aussie’s Women’s Weekly as before):
Silver Beet ‘Risotto’ with Cabbage Rolls and Lemon Foam
Spanakorizo (rice with leek and silverbeet)
50 ml olive oil; 1 large leek; 2 cloves garlic; 1 cup arborio rice (makes it creamier, else use shortgrain); just under 2 cups water; salt; 2 TB lemon juice; small handfull flatleaf parsley
Fry sliced leek and crushed garlic in the oil until the leek is soft. Add rice and stir to coat. Add water and salt and simmer over a low flame until the liquid is absorbed (ca. 15 min.)
Meanwhile remove beet leaves from stalks, wash, shred and wilt, with the water still clinging to the leaves, in a covered container in the microwave or over a gentle heat on the hob. Roughly chop the parsley.
Stand the rice 5 min to cool slightly and stir in the beet, juice and parsley. This tastes best if not eaten piping hot.
Dolmathes (lamb cabbage rolls)
Lamb-mince can be quite fatty so I prepare the rolls in advance, chill the stock and skim off the fat. The rolls can be re-heated in the microwave while preparing the sauce.
12 large cabbage leaves; 1 TB light olive oil; 1 onion; 2 cloves garlic; 500 g minced lamb; 50g rice; 1 small tomato; 1 TB parsley; 1 tsp dill; pinch each cinnamon, ground bayleaf, allspice and celery salt; salt & pepper; ca. 600ml chicken or Marigold stock
Blanch leaves until soft, drain and cool.
Fry onion and garlic until onion is transparent. Cool and combine with the raw mince, herbs, spices and finely chopped tomato.
Cut the thick core from the leaves, place a portion of the mince mixture into each, fold in the edges and roll up.
Place cabbage rolls tightly packed into a pan, just cover with stock and place a plate on top to keep in place.
Simmer gently ca. 1 h until cooked through. Set rolls aside (to keep warm or microwave) and keep stock.
2 tsp cornflour; 1 egg, separated; 2TB lemon juice
Reduce stock to a final volume of ca. 125 ml. Mix cornflour with 2 tsp water and stir in. Boil up to thicken slightly.
Bring a pot of water to the boil and tip the eggwhite into a bowl large enough to fit on top. Whisk until stiff then add the yolk, lemon juice and hot stock. Set on top of the pot and whisk over the steam until warmed through. Spoon over cabbage rolls.
Denni