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I love lentil soup and I make it a lot, so I kept buying lentils, not realize I already had lentils at home.

I make about one batch of lentil soup a month, and I have maybe 3 bags of lentils. The fresher they are, the better they taste in the soup.

So now, I am wondering if there are other Greek dishes that use lentils so I can use some of these bags up! I only use a half a bag for my lentil soup recipe, so it will take me a long time to get through my stock if I only use it for lentil soup.
 

k_tsoukalas

Moderator
You can do lentils in rice! Saute a chopped onion, 1 chopped celery stalk, and 1 chopped carrot for a few minutes, then add 1 cup of lentils and sauté for another few minutes. Add 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let it cook until the water is absorbed and lentils are soft. You might need to add a little more water during the cooking process.
 
That sounds like a good idea! How do I know if I need to add water or not?
 

Phyllo for savory Greek dishes?

I was looking in the food forum and I saw that someone made a remark that the phyllo in Greece used for sweet desserts like baklava is different than the phyllo used for savory dishes. I did notice while in Greece that the savory phyllo is thicker.

What is really the difference? Is savory phyllo homemade? Does it have different ingredients? Is it thicker on purpose? Finally, do you have a recipe?

I know on Crete some of the savory, handheld pies have a dough that is closer to a turnover dough than it is a phyllo. And yet the dish has the word "pita" in it. It was a greens-based handheld pie with no cheese and was spiced with cumin! The "phyllo" was really thick and I believe the pie was even fried.

braised lamb shank was rubbery

All the braised lamb shank I have ever eaten has fallen off the bone - and that is why it is so delicious!

So, I tried to make it thinking it would be foolproof.

Something went wrong - it was tough and rubbery. I am wondering if it is something I did, or if maybe the lamb was a bit tougher than I would have liked.

I asked around and one thing someone asked me is if I cooked it enough. I didn't know how to answer that since I followed the directions, and I got the recipe from a family member whose lamb shank I always enjoyed. What do you think?

Some things to know:

- I am not sure I initially seared the meat long enough
- I held back on the salt in the recipe
- I was forced into using a larger shank than the recipe called for because I couldn't find smaller ones

My Recipe - Greek Grilled Chicken

I grill year round so I thought I'd share with the group an easy grilled chicken dish I have been doing lately. It's my go-to for a quick meal.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and black pepper.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over them.
3. Seal the bag and toss to coat the chicken evenly. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and up to 12 hours for maximum flavor infusion.
4. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the excess liquid.
5. Grill the chicken for 6-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
6. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

greek-grilled-chicken.jpg

Are melamakarona and finikia the same thing?

I had thought I never made melamakarona but then when I got the recipe from a friend, it looks exactly like my finikia recipe.

Are they basically the same thing with a different name?

Here is my Finikia recipe and aside from some minor differences, it looks the same as my friend's Melamakarona recipe.

- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup brandy or cognac
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups finely chopped walnuts
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup honey

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
2. Add the vegetable oil, orange juice, brandy, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Use a hand mixer or a whisk to combine the ingredients until a thick dough forms.
3. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Form the dough into small balls (around 1-2 inches in diameter) and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
6. While the cookies are baking, prepare the honey syrup. In a saucepan, heat the honey over medium heat until it starts to boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped walnuts.
8. Dip the baked cookies in the honey syrup while they're still warm, making sure to coat them evenly. Place the coated cookies on a wire rack to cool.

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