Fish, seafood and fresh salads - The Best from Greece

Posted on: 08/Jul/2011 Fish are one of the lightest, tastiest and most nutritious of foods and here we provide some ideas on how to liven up an ordinary meal.

Try baking a whole fish or fillets wrapped in greaseproof paper with a mixture of fresh herbs. Or add a “sauce” to a baked fish dish by adding chopped vegetables.
For example, finely chop a whole tomato, add salt, 2 tablespoons of oil, 3 spoonfuls of lemon juice, half a bunch of finely chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and 1 of capers, finely chopped. Mix well and spoon over the fish once it is ready. Using this sauce as a base, experiment with your favorite herbs.
The simplest way to dress a baked fish is with a lemon and oil sauce. There are several ways to combine the two. One idea for four people is the following:
Blend 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon mustard, 5 saffron threads dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water and half a teaspoon of dried thyme or rosemary.
On to the salads, and for a lighter dressing, replace some of the oil with mustard.
You can also use fruit juice -- citrus, apricot, peach, strawberry -- or vegetable juice -- carrot, tomato, cucumber -- to replace some of the oil.
Use less oil in the traditional “Greek” salad (horiatiki) or on Cretan dakos and replace the feta with a lighter cheese, such as anthotyro, katiki or xinomyzithra.
Rice salads make a meal, but use parboiled or basmati, which don’t get soggy. Pasta salads are also heartier.
Chicken breast (grilled, boiled or steamed) is a great basis for salad meals, cut in fine slices or chunks

RECIPES

Grilled squid with eggplant salad

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the squid
750 gr fresh or frozen squid, the body separated from the tentacles
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp of lemon and orange zest
(preferably organic)
4 tbsp finely chopped herbs such as basil, parsley, oregano, thyme or 2 tbsp dried herbs
Salt and pepper

Turn the grill on high, oil the squid with one spoonful of the oil and grill it for three minutes on each side.
The tentacles will need a little more time to cook. Cut the squid into thin rings and place in a bowl. Add the oil, citrus juices, zest and herbs, season and mix well.

For the eggplant puree
2 medium-sized eggplants
1 drop of mastic oil or 1/3 tsp mastic powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp brown sugar or 1 tsp treacle
Salt and pepper

Make two or three small cuts in each eggplant and heat under a very hot grill until soft and the skin is well-blackened. Transfer them to a plate and cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, remove the flesh and place in a fine sieve. Be careful not to include any of the blackened skin.
Put the flesh in a blender with the oil, lemon, mastic, sugar or treacle. Season and beat for 2 minutes. Test for flavor and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
Nena Ismyrnoglou

Rice salad with fresh vegetables

 

Ingredients (serves 4)
For the rice
2 cups basmati or parboiled rice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
5 cups water

Put the water, salt and bay leaf in a medium-sized saucepan and add the rice as soon as it comes to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer half-covered for 15-18 minutes until the rice is done but not too soft. Drain in a sieve and let cool, then transfer to a bowl. Discard the bay leaf.

For the vegetables
2 zucchinis, roughly grated
1 medium-sized fennel root,
finely chopped
2 shallots, finely sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
5 medium-sized mushrooms,
finely sliced
Leaves and soft stalks of half a bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Freshly ground pepper
For the dressing
3 tbsp fresh marjoram leaves, finely chopped, or 1 tbsp dried
5 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice
Zest of one unwaxed, organic lemon
1 tbsp smooth mustard

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing for two minutes in the blender.
Pour over the rice and add all the chopped vegetables and parsley and mix well.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Keeps up to 2 days.
Nena Ismyrnoglou

Green salad with tomato, rusk and anthotyro

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 bunch rocket, 1 curly lettuce
1 red Lola lettuce, 1 Kos lettuce
10 small paximadia (double-baked bread or rusk), broken into small pieces
3 large, ripe tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
2 tbsp caper leaves
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves,
finely chopped, or 1 tsp dried,
crushed oregano
200 gr anthotyro, crumbled
9 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Wash all the greens well and let drain. When dry, tear into small pieces by hand. Place in a bowl and add the paximadia, tomatoes, caper leaves and oregano.
In another bowl, mix the vinegar with the salt and slowly add the olive oil, stirring continually, and season.
Pour this dressing over the salad and mix well. Serve on individual plates and add the anthotyro or if you prefer, mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
Alexandros Papandreou

www.ekathimerini.com

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