‘Fasolada’ is a warm bean stew made in Greek homes all year around. It is the ultimate healthy village comfort food. White beans, carrots, celery, potatoes, sun ripened tomatoes, dried chilly and generous quantity of extra virgin olive oil to bind everything together. Add feta cheese and parsley for a great finish! You’ve never dipped your bread in anything better!

Recipe serves: 4 persons. Total cook time: 1.5-2 hours (60 mins if using pressure cooker)

Ingredients

300g dried white small Greek beans
6-7 cups of fresh water
1 red onion, chopped
2 celery stalks (with their leaves), thickly sliced
2 carrots, thickly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
⅓ cup Greek extra virgin olive oil
2 large bay leaves
1½ cups tomato passata or thick crushed tomatoes
1 TBSP. tomato paste
2 medium sized potatoes, cut in large cubes
½ tsp. dried organic Greek oregano
¾-1 tsp. sea salt --- freshly ground pepper --- red pepper flakes
1-2 TBSP. vinegar
⅓ cup Greek extra virgin olive oil (at the end)
200g Mevgal Greek Feta Cheese (serving suggestion)
50g Kalamata or Sun Dried Olives (serving suggestion)

Instructions

1. Rinse the beans, discard malformed or stone-like ones. Soak the beans for at least 8 hours or overnight (preferably).

2. The next morning, drain and rinse the beans. Place them in a large pot with just enough fresh water to cover them. Bring to a boil. You will notice that white foam will rise to the surface of the water. Remove it with a spoon and then drain the beans in a colander. (This step is necessary to get rid of the impurities and it also makes the beans much easier on your stomach!)

3. Place the beans back in the pot with the six cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 30 minutes. While the beans cook, prep the vegetables.

4. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, ⅓ cup of olive oil and bay leaves to the pot. Simmer, partially covered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Next, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, potato and the seasoning. Cover the pot partially and continue simmering for about 30 minutes more, or, until the beans are very tender and the soup is thick and creamy. Check to see if a little more liquid is needed, and if it does add a little warm water. The consistency of the soup should be casserole thick.

6. Just before removing from the heat, discard the bay leaves and stir in the vinegar and the remaining ⅓ cup of olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

7. Serve hot with some hearty bread, seasoned olives and Greek Feta cheese.

Notes

The cooking time depends on the age and condition of the beans. Older dry beans take much more time to cook, so adjust the cooking time accordingly.

This soup is even more flavorful the next day. You can keep it in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days, in an airtight container. Reheat the soup gently in a pan on the stovetop.

Pressure Cooker

If you use a pressure cooker, then follow steps 1-2 as above in an open pan and then combine steps 3-5 under pressure. Essentially add all the ingredients together, stir and then pressure cook. Cooking time can be around 35-45 minutes depending on your pressure cooker. Add more water and continue pressure cooking until beans are soft and creamy.

Tangy feta and crunchy veggies get extra body from fusilli pasta, in this classic Greek-inspired pasta salad. So easy to make and best served chilled or at room temperature, it's a perfect picnic dish on a bright hiking day!

Yield: serves 2-3

Ingredients

250g fusilli, cooked and chilled (3 cups)
2 medium size tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
1 cucumber, cut and diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 Mevgal feta cheese, crumbled (200g)
3 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano (or mint)
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1⁄4 cup Greek extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and serve chilled.

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Mevgal Greek Feta Cheese P.D.O. / 200g

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Sativa Greek Jumbo Kalamata Olives, Whole / 370g

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As the weather cools down, I’d like to introduce you to a wonderful variation of the dolma 'stuffed vine leaf' concept. Here we use the vine leaf as the signature ingredient to create a unique comfort oven bake, using classic Greek and east Mediterranean ingredients.

I love this version because the grape leaves get crispy and a little caramelised and the flavours of the lamb, orzo and feta combine to give such a range of flavours. It’s so easy to make this bake, with no intricate vine leaf rolling, promise!

You’ll have a mouth watering oven bake ready in 45 minutes and your home will be filled with dreamy scents and accents of this wonderful dish.

Yield: serves 4 people

Pie Ingredients

1⁄4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and drizzling
12 large fresh or jarred, drained grape leaves
1 cup finely chopped leek (white parts only)
1⁄3 cup finely chopped carrot (about 1 small carrot)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500g. ground lamb (can use beef if you prefer)
100g cup cooked orzo pasta
2 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1⁄2 tbsp. dried oregano or 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 1⁄2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. chilli flakes, plus more to serve
1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 1 tsp.), plus the juice of 1/2 orange
1 tbsp. Greek thyme honey

For the topping sauce

1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 150g)
150g Greek Yogurt

Instructions

• Lightly grease four 4-inch tart pans or small baking bowls with the olive oil. Set the tart pans on a baking sheet.

• Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the fresh or jarred grape leaves and cook for 1 minute. Drain the leaves, then run under cold water until cool enough to handle. Trim away the stems, then set the leaves aside.

• In a medium skillet set over medium-low heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the leek and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside until fully cooled.

• Add the lamb (or beef) mince, orzo, parsley, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, salt, chilli flakes, orange zest, and black pepper and mix well with your hands to incorporate the ingredients well.

• Preheat the oven to 200°C.

• In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, honey, and the remaining ¼ cup oil. Brush one side of each vine leaf with some of the honey oil mixture.

• Lay three leaves, brushed sides down, into each of the 4 small pans, overlapping the leaves slightly to cover the pan with about 2 inches overhang around the pan’s edges. Add about 1 cup of the meat mixture to the center and spread gently to fill. Fold the edges of the leaves over the filling to cover, then press down slightly to help mold the tart and filling to fit the pan. Repeat with the remaining three pies. Brush the tops with the remaining honey oil mixture.

• Bake until the top of the leaves are crispy and the meat is cooked through, 20-25 minutes (depending on the size and type of baking vessel you use).

• Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a blender or small food processor add the feta, 3 tablespoons boiling hot water, and the greek yogurt; blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

• Unmold the tarts by inverting each one onto a plate. top each with a dollop of the sauce, a drizzle of olive oil and some paprika pepper to taste.

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Mevgal Greek Feta Cheese P.D.O. / 200g

HK$55.00

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Rummo Semi de Orzo Pasta / 500g

HK$29.00

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Mevgal Authentic Greek Strained Yogurt, 10% / 900g （Best Before 20/6/2024)

from HK$90.00