Aglaia’s Mousaka (or Moussaka)

My Mousaka (or moussaka) with layers of eggplants, potatoes, and peppers, is topped with yogurt and olive oil béchamel. I recently added the spicy and smoky Kea sausage to the lamb, to deepen and enrich the flavor.

 Read HERE about the origin of this iconic Greek dish.

‘Pseudo-moussaka’ is the meat-less, vegetarian version of the dish that my mother often prepared in the summer (scroll down to see this delicious Variation).

 

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See the video of My moussaka from Joanne Weir’s Plates and Places.

 

Little did we know how idiosyncratic the name of the vegetarian version were to our home.  We all loved it and I thought the term ‘pseudo-moussaka’ was common until my first husband burst into wild laughter upon hearing the name of my family dish! After much investigation he concluded that it was family jargon, but it was ours, and it was delicious.

 

I serve large spoonfuls, as with all gratin dishes; not perfectly cut squares. If you prefer a more elegant presentation make it in individual clay pots.

 

 

Makes 6 servings

 

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Baked Scallion – Parsley Meatballs with Avgolemono Sauce

The tart egg and lemon sauce complements beautifully these sweet, light, and simple baked meatballs.

Serve with rice or bulgur pilaf. 

You can also serve the meatballs and the sauce over tagliatelle or spaghetti, simply tossed with fruity olive oil after cooking the pasta al dente.  

 

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Instead of serving the sauce on the side, meatballs are sometimes cooked in a chicken or meat  avgolemono soup. On this occasion some rice may be added to the meatball mixture,  and they are called giouvarlakia.  

 

 

Serves 4-6

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Crustless or ‘Naked’ Squash Pie

The pie is very easy to whip-up and makes a great warm or room-temperature appetizer. Using a very similar mix, you can make the classic Zucchini or Squash Fritters that everybody enjoys at Greek taverns. Instead of frying, you can bake the patties.  

Adapted from Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts.

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GLUTEN FREE

See also the summer ‘naked pie’ we make with zucchini, of which we often have an overwhelming abundance in June, fresh from our garden.

 

Serves 5 to 6 as a Main Course (or makes 8 to 10 appetizer portions) (more…)

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Chicken-Rice-Onion-Feta Pie with Olive oil-Egg Topping

Kotopita from Epirus, as we call it, is my friend Stamatia Stylou’s delicious version. Stamatia comes from Livena, a Greek village in southern Albania, or ‘northern Epirus’ as the region was called in my father’s time.  

 

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Incidentally my paternal grandmother came from the broader area, but we have never seen her cooking or learned about any of the foods she used to prepare. She lived with my father’s sister and I don’t think I have ever seen her dressed with anything but her nightgown whenever we visited them. 

On Kea we make this delicious chicken pie with local free-range rooster—about three times the price of the supermarket chicken!

 

 

For a 15-inch round pan (serving 8-10)


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