My pasta bake

I have been stagnated for a long time,  as I didnt get inspiration nor pleasure out of my cooking. In that time I have tried to create something simple based on my own difficult taste. So finally  I tried 'my pasta bake' , it was so gorgeous that I would recommend you to try it.

Penne pasta
Good tinted tomatoes
Black pitted olives
red chillie
One onion
Salt and pepper
Oregano

Put the pasta in a pot with water to boil (10 mins). Cut the onion, the chillie and put them in a small bowl. Add the olives, the tomatoes, salt and pepper, oregano and some grated chedar cheese. Mix with a wooden spoon. When the pasta is ready, put the pot lid on top of the pot half way, and pour out the water out (leave a bit of water in). Then throw into the pasta the mix, and give it a couple of stirs. Empty the ingedients into a medium sized tray.

Heat the oven at 250 degrees.

White sauce (or bechamel without the egg)
Butter
Plain flour
Milk

Melt the butter in a pot on low heat, throw the flour in and with a wooden spoon stir the roux. When the roux is getting a bit thick , put warmed milk in and stir quickly until it becomes a slightly thick white sauce. Add some nutmeg (a pinch or two) , stir and take it off the heat. Pour the sauce onto the pasta mix. Add a lot of cheddar on top.

Put the tray in the oven and let it cook for 15 mins. Take it out and put some (tiger type) of sliced bread, in pieces, on top of the pasta bake. Make sure you dont press the pieces too much into the bake. Put the tray in the oven for another 10 mins.

Take it out and let it rest for 10 mins. Serve as much as you like and enjoy with some white wine. (I omit the wine as I am not a drinker).

And voila, my pasta bake.

The irresistable stuffed vegetables (made in Greece..errr well)

Almost all island greek cooking is similar to the turkish food, and also influenced by the middle eastern recipies, one such recipie is the stuffed veggetables or..dolmas. The success in this is largely based on the freshness and locality of the vegetables used: for example the taste of the Cretan tomatoes and Messara (Crete) potatoes are something to make this dish.. out of this world . The only herb used in this is: Cretan mint, which I dont know how you will find it, but you may use Uk garden mint etc. I find myself smelling this herb for a good few mins whenever I cook this dish, as I find the smell irresistable.

So for a summer dinner in Crete, preferrably eaten outside in the garden under a tree.. here goes:

Large ripe tomatoes
Large potatoes (new)
Large Aubergine
White rice
fresh mint
onion (grated)
half a tin chooped tint tomatoes
Olive oil

Preheat the oven while you do this.

Cut out the top of all veggies in rounds (thick). Use a small spoon or a kitchen tool to spoon out the flesh of all veggies used. In a large bowl, grate all of the veggies flesh you have spooned out. Throw a cup of rice in the bowl. Cut a large bunch of mint in very small pieces, and put that inside the bowl too. Grate a large onion, and add to the ingredients. Add the chopped tomatoes. Pour a couple of cups of olive oil in. Season with a good few pinches of salt and black pepper.

Mix with your hands, and let rest, while you season the veggies and place without the lids inside a large tray.

With a spoon put the mix inside all veggies in the tray (dont completely fill them up, allow a bit of empty space at the tops). Cover with their lids (also seasoned) and put your hand on top of the mix left inside the bowl and empty the oil (and inevitably some of the ingredients) from inside the bowl on top of the veggies.

Add half a cup of water on top of the veggies, and a couple of splashes of olive oil.

Put the tray in the oven, and cook for about 1 hr. Check after half an hour often, to see when the tops look cooked and also the rice is fluffy and ther veggies become more full as the now cooked ingredients make the veggies look...largely..stuffed.

When cooked, allow half an hour to rest. Put your choice of veggies on the plate, and accompany with feta cheese. It will turn out to be your favourite dish,for the summer, and thats a promice!

Kali orexi!