Giant white beans in the oven

GIANT WHITE BEANS IN THE OVEN

Ingredients

1/2 kilo giant white beans

1 cup olive oil

4 large ripe tomatoes or the juice of 2 lemons

3 carrots cut into thin slices

4 sprigs celery

A piece of red chili pepper less than half of a square centimeter

1 medium potato

Instructions

Soak the giant beans overnight in the water.

Next mornings put them in a pot and pour 5-6 cups of water over them.

Place the pot over high heat.

Boil them for ten minutes.

Strain the water in which the giant beans boiled and toss it.

If you want to reduce the gas this food produces during digestion, it is necessary to toss the first water.

Put in another pot 6 cups of water to boil.

Put the strained giant beans into the boiling water.

Let them boil for an hour, over medium heat.

Peel the carrots and cut them into thin slices. Add them into the beans.

Wash celery and cut it into small pieces. Add them into the beans.

Dice the potato and add it.

Put some salt and the red hot pepper into the beans.

Let the giant beans to cook until they become very soft.

If you want your beans to get red color, mash the tomatoes and pour them into the pot.

But If you like them white, substitute the mash tomatoes with the lemon juice.

After you add the tomato or lemon let the giants cook for five more minutes.

Pour the beans into a large and deep pan.

Add the oil and put the pan in the oven on the first rack from the bottom.

Bake at 200 C degrees until they absorb most of the fluid.

An hour of cooking is usualy enough.

If you want to dry the food further, put on the air for a few minutes.

The air makes the skin of giant beans crispy.

The giant beans can be offered as a main dish in fasting.

 But many times they accompany ouzo and they are served as antipasto.

                                                                                                                                                           

Pilaf with prawns

PILAF WITH PRAWNS

First recipe with fresh prawns

Ingredients

1 kg large fresh prawns

2 large onions

5-6 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon coriander grains

1/2 tablespoon of black pepper grains
a small piece of red chili pepper (less than a half square cm)

3 large ripe tomatoes

120 grams of olive oil

300 grams rice for pilaf

Instructions

Put the prawns in a large deep bowl filled with water.
Let them in the water for a few minutes.

Rinse them three times and let them aside.

Sauce

Put in a pot 2.5 cups of water. Place the pot over high heat and wait for the water to boil.

Peel and mince the onions.

Peel the garlic.

Once the water boils put into the pot garlic and onions and let them cook for a few minutes.

Cut the tomatoes in the blender.

Pour into the pot 60 grams of oil, the grains of coriander and the pepper grains.

Let them boil for two minutes and then add the chopped tomatoes and the piece of hot pepper.

With kitchen scissors cut the legs and the whiskers of the prawns and toss them.

Separate the heads from the bodies of the prawns.

Remove the shell of each prawn from its body.

Each prawn has a gut along its back which is often black because it contains sand.

Incise the prawn along its back with a knife.

Open slightly the skin.

Drive a large needle under the intestine. Pull it gently trying not to break it, and remove it.

But if broken, then remove it piece by piece.

Keep the bodies of the prawns cover aside to use them later.

Wait eight minutes for the tomatoes to boil and then put in the sauce the heads and the shells of prawns.

Let the shells and the remaining ingredients to boil 5-6 minutes.

After that time take with a slotted spoon the heads and shells of prawns and toss them.

Remove the pot from the heat.

Leave the sauce to cool.

Put the sauce in a food processor and beat it.

Pass the sauce through a sieve and collect its broth.

 Pilaf

Put in pan 60 grams oil and place it over low heat.

Pour in the rice and stir it to get smeared with oil.

Continuously stir the rice until it is fried a little.

When the rice is ready, its color becomes light beige and slightly transparent.

Measure 3.5 cups broth and pour it into the rice.

Stir occasionally the rice to prevent sticking.

Cut half of the prawns in three pieces each. Leave the rest of them whole. 

Let the rice boil for 10-15 minutes and then put the prawns in it.

Boil 5 more minutes and remove the pot from the heat.

PILAF WITH PEELED FROZEN SHRIMP

Second recipe with clean frozen shrimp

Ingredients

800 g of peeled frozen shrimp

All the other ingredients remain the same

Sauce

Put in a pot of 2.5 cups of water. Place the pot over high heat and wait for the water to boil.

Peel and mince the onions.

Peel the garlic.

Once the water boils throw into the pot garlic and onions and let them cook a few minutes.

Cut the tomatoes in the blender.

Pour into the pot 60 grams of oil, the grains of coriander and the grains of pepper.

Let them boil for a few minutes and add the chopped tomatoes and the piece of hot pepper.

Let them boil for a few minute and then beat them in a food processor.

Pass the sauce through a sieve and collect its broth.
Measure 3.5 cups broth and leave it aside.

Pilaf

Put in a pan 60 grams oil and place it over low heat.

Put in the rice and stir. Cook it for 3-4 minutes until its color becomes light beige.

Pour in the rice the broth and stir.

Let the rice boil for 15 minutes.

Cut half of the shrimps into two pieces each.

Leave the rest of them whole.

Put the shrimp into the rice and stir.

Boil for five more minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat.

                                                                                                                                                                   

Omelet with artichokes

OMELET WITH ARTICHOKES

Ingredients

8 medium artichokes or 5 large ones

100 g olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

5 large eggs

Instructions

Clean the artichokes by removing the outer green leaves.

Underneath them there are white leaves. These leaves have pins at their end.

Cut the end of these leaves and the pins and toss them.

With a knife remove the hard peel all around each artichoke.

Rub each artichoke around with lemon to prevent black coloring.

Cut each artichoke in half and remove their hair from their center.

Cut quartered artichokes as French fries are cut.

Put the oil in a frying pan 26 cm in diameter.

Place the pan over medium heat.

Just warm the oil and put the artichokes into the pan.

Stir the artichokes from time to time.

Cover frying pan with a lid and lower the heat slightly.

Stir occasionally.

Let artichokes to cook and become soft and tender.

When the artichokes are ready, they get a light brown color and a fork penetrates easily into their flesh.

Put the eggs into a bowl and beat them lightly. Add some salt and pepper for taste.

Stir artichokes and pour the beaten eggs over them. Lower even further the heat.

Cover the frying pan with a flat cap.

Let the eggs be cooked on one side.

Turn the pan upside down and the omelet drops on the lid.

Place the omelet turned on the pan.

Let the heat on for 3 more minutes and then turn it off.

Do not remove the omelet from the heat but leave it on it to be cooked thoroughly.