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Family recipe for Greek style tomato paste

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auroracoor1

auroracoor1

Active member
It's super simple! Here's how to make it :) :)
  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
  • 1 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil or oregano leaves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
 
What can I use tomato paste for?
 
Here is my Greek style sauce:

1. Canned tomato sauce, paste or fresh tomatoes
2. Fresh basil
3. Sea salt
4. Pepper
5. Greek oregano
6. Fresh garlic or garlic powder

Slow simmer for about 2 hours while mixing every 15 minutes, this is my Greek style sauce/paste :)
 
nadellii said:
What can I use tomato paste for?
Click to expand...
Many Greek recipes use tomato paste, like fasolakia (green beans). I also sneak a little bit in my lentil soup (fakes). You can also add some water and turn it into a tomato sauce. I sometimes even put a little in my pastitsio when I am cooking the ground beef!
 
nadellii said:
What can I use tomato paste for?
Click to expand...
You can reconstitute it with a little water to make it more like a sauce. There's something special about homemade tomato paste - it has a fresher flavor than the stuff you get in a can. You can use it wherever tomato paste or tomato sauce are called for in recipes.
 
nadellii said:
What can I use tomato paste for?
Click to expand...
Add water to it and then start using it when you make lentils, green beans, green peas, baked chicken and okra, octopus (served with pasta - a very common dish served in Greek schools), soutzoukakia, yiouvetsi, kokkinisto, and several other dishes
 
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Yes, this is the base for so many Greek dishes!
 
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kosta_karapinotis said:
Yes, this is the base for so many Greek dishes!
Click to expand...
LOL seriously! If you want to know how to make anything taste good, just add a little tomato sauce/paste/juice. We seriously put it in just about everything.
 
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No Meat Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves) Recipe

It has taken me a long time to get vegetarian dolmades to the point where I enjoy them. Here is my recipe. It uses a lot of oil, so strict fasters shouldn't eat them. But most people aren't super strict so I would even say these are good for lent!

Ingredients:​

  • 1 jar of grape leaves (about 60-70 leaves)
  • 1 cup short-grain rice
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Water

Instructions:​

  1. Prepare the Grape Leaves:
    • If using grape leaves preserved in brine, rinse them well under cold water to remove excess salt. If using fresh grape leaves, blanch them in boiling water for about 1 minute, then drain and rinse with cold water. Trim off any stems.
  2. Prepare the Filling:
    • In a large bowl, combine the rice, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped dill, chopped mint, chopped parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine.
  3. Fill and Roll the Grape Leaves:
    • Place a grape leaf flat on a clean work surface, shiny side down, with the stem end facing you. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the rice filling onto the center of the leaf, near the stem end.
    • Fold the bottom of the leaf over the filling, then fold in the sides, and roll tightly into a small cylinder.
    • Repeat with the remaining grape leaves and filling, arranging the rolled dolmades seam-side down in a large pot or deep skillet, packing them snugly together.
  4. Cook the Dolmades:
    • Once all the dolmades are rolled and packed in the pot, drizzle with a little olive oil and lemon juice.
    • Pour enough water into the pot to just cover the dolmades.
    • Place a heatproof plate or lid directly on top of the dolmades to keep them submerged during cooking.
    • Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently for about 45-60 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the grape leaves are tender.

Stuffed grape leaves - how much filling?

I haven't made stuffed grape leaves in a while and I have some questions.

First of all, I am having a hard time judging how much filling to put in each leaf? I have a friend who helped me and tried to explain. She'd put a teaspoon of filling in the leaf, then add or subtract more after looking at it. She's quick rolling, and I have no idea how she knows how much filling.

And she really couldn't explain it - just said that you have to look at it and it's by feel. It sounds like my yiayia and she's younger than me! I told her that and she just shrugged. She tried to talk me through it as we were rolling together but it seemed so random to me.

What do you think of Gyro variations?

There are some gyro shops near me in the United States and they seem to be putting a different spin on the classic dish. There are some variations. What do you guys think of the variations?

I don't recall seeing these variations in Greece, but I could be wrong. Variations such as - gyros made with different meats, like chicken, those made with Greek meatballs, souvlaki, etc.

And what do you think of putting fries in Gyros? I do see that in Greece.
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