Frumenty Soup with Smoked Pork Shank

Warm spicy frumenty soup, cooked with onion, leek and fresh tomato and enhanced with smoked pork shank (syglino) and toasted croutons, is an ideal choice for the rainy and cold days in which our body asks food with carbohydrates and proteins, offering consolation, feeling wellness and homely warmth.
A traditional nourishing soup turns into an absolute comfort food to warm the body, rejoice and fill of the stomach.
Yours!

work: 15′

time: 45′

very easy:

Coconut Rocks

Small rocks of coconut, which is not only tasty, it is also extremely easy and fast to be made and only few ingredients are necessary!
They also have two major advantages: they are with Stevia and they have no Lactose. Those who are intolerant to such carbohydrates will be able to test these small bites.
Coconut, stevia and eggs are the main ingredients. If you want you can add hazelnut praline and have a special Sunday sweet.
Yours!

work: 20′

time: 35′

very easy:

Smoked Pork Shank with Giant Beans

Giant beans along with syglino (corned pork) from Cretan Sfakia, sprinkled and smoked with aromatic herbs of the mountains of Crete (throuby or summer savory, thyme, sage). A delicious and hearty dish, where the coexistence of beans with smoked pork give a proteinaceous, delicious meal with excellent combined components.
The syglino in Crete was made from many years ago and was kept in clay pots with glyna (pork fat). Whole pieces of delicious pork meat is smoked and fried. It was the meat preservation a way to have it during the whole year. Similarly prepared and is found in Mani, in the Cyclades and elsewhere.
Yours!

work: 30′

time: 12h:00′

easy:

Chestnut Tiramisu

Lightweight, simple and delicious Chestnut Tiramisu in layers of juicy sponge fingers impregnated with a strong espresso and rich sweet chestnut cream, combined with the wonderful Italian mascarpone cheese.
Sweet without much sugar, which leaves the aromas of mascarpone, espresso and chestnut emerge.
Fill glasses with alternating layers of sponge fingers, chestnut cream and fluffy mousse mascarpone. I believe that those who try it will fall in love.
Yours!

work: 45′

time: 4h:45′

easy:

Chilli con Carne

Chili con Carne (Hot Peppers with meat) are among the most famous, typical dishes of Tex-Mex (Texan and Mexican) cuisine. There are infinite variations on the basic recipe of this dish, which has its roots in Mexican cuisine and was the dish of the poor Mexican population. For sure it contains meat, hot peppers and spices. The rest -red beans, tomatoes etc.-, probably added in the course of transition in every continent.
It is intensely spicy to very spicy and what you need for this season of the year and for lovers of very spicy flavors. In our house we have one of those lovers and this dish is his favorite. So the more spicy the better. You moderate a little bit the hot doses of ingredients and enjoy it completely plain or on boiled rice, yogurt, mashed or baked potatoes, sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese and tortilla chips or wrapped in tortillas with a little corn and lettuce leaves. Consumed with zest as it is!
Yours!

work: 45′

time: 12h:00′

easy:

Healthy Chocolate Truffles

After a long period where most of us indulged in anything that contained more than «a thousand hundredweight of sugar», it is time to enjoy a sweet very different.
For the beginning of the year, in 2016 the first post of Kitchen Stories proposes an idea of chocolate truffles, with raw ingredients and no sugar. The joy of pleasure without remorse and the lighter feeling of dessert.
Bright aromas of orange and cocoa, with a sour aftertaste from the juice of orange and cranberries. Dried fruits that are used are very tasty and quite sweet. This is why sugar was replaced here by a spoonful of stevia and this is optional because some people can and do not need this extra sweetness.

※※※※※Members, friends, readers & others we wish you all a hopeful 2016!※※※※※

work: 30′

time: 1h

very easy:

Mulled Wine

Aromatic mulled wine with European origin.
Hot Wine, Mulled Wine or Glühwein, as it is called in German-speaking countries. It is a traditional drink which warms people for centuries and is offered during Christmas or Carnival. The Mulled Wine is a very popular traditional drink in the UK for Christmas, and less often during the winter.
Typically made with red wine, cider, and many spices. It is a delicious drink for cold winter evenings and very suitable for friends and family gatherings on festive winter days.
Cheers!

work: 10′

time: 30′

very easy:

Vasilopita the Greek New Year's Cake 2016

Brandy flavors, star anise, cloves, roasted almond, chocolate, Chios Mastic, essential oils of orange and velvety sweet chestnut cream emerge from this Vasilopita-St. Nicholas Cake and place it in another dimension. With the first bite an incredible blend of flavors and aromas explodes on the palate and the apotheosis of enjoyment is assured.
Yours!
※※※※※※※※※※
Happy New Year 2016!

work: 1h:45′

time: 2h:45′

difficult:

Smoked Salmon Canapés

Walnuts Bread for these tasty, festive canapés of smoked salmon spread with cream cheese, which is flavored with dill, chives and lemon zest.
Small delicacies with a dose of luxury that will beautify the beginning of the Christmas Table or Buffet as finger food for more guests…
Yours!
※※※※※※※※※※
The «Kitchen Stories» wish Merry Christmas to you and your families!

work: 20′

time: 20′

very easy:

The recipe

Smoked Salmon Canapés

can be found in the book «Μεζέδες».

Baklava

Traditional Baklava, with 40 thin phyllo pastry sheets, with the fragrant and tasty stuffing of roasted walnuts and almonds. Butter gives an excellent aroma and the phyllo pastry sheets creaks the crust in every bite. The syrup is completely absorbed by the baked Baklava and fine semolina swells and gives it volume.
For that baklava, I can write more, particularly praise…
Yours!

Merry Christmas!

work: 1h:00′

time: 8h:30′

difficult: