Giagias recipes-Litsa!

Everybody remembers fondly their grandmother and the delicious food she used to make! My giagia and her recipes I will never forget!

Her food was magical, she made wonderful food with so much less than what we have today!

Seasonal was the food she was making! And the aromas permeating the house and the neighborhood was something to experience!

When we cook today we have the world on our feet, with ingredients that we never knew existed, we have the option to create delicious food from every part of this amazing planet!

The seasons don’t matter so much, there is always summer somewhere, and the planet is not so big anymore, so if we want summer fruits and vegetables no worries we have them, they come to us all rapt up and ready to be enjoyed! And of course we have Google, any questions, no problem they will be answered!

Coming back to grandmothers or Giagia or Grandmama, or Oma! 

Are you one of these fortunate people? Is your Giagia still alive?

If you answer yes, I am so happy for you, you still have time to enjoy her and her gifts!

They never ask for too much, they know how busy we are and they never interfere! That is how my grandmothers were, always to give and never ask anything in return!

But there is a danger here, we tent to forget them. This is such a big mistake!We are under the impression that they are invisible!

Don’t take it for granted that she will be here with you forever!

They are very close to the end if they are grandmothers!That is a very sad thing but nevertheless true!

Every day counts!

Do yourself a favor, get your tablet, and go visit this precious person! 

Ask her to make some coffee and have a nice conversation with a person with experience!

Ask her about her life, you will be so surprised with the things she is going to share, and the things she went through!And if she was a good cook ask her to tell you her little secrets, and what made her recipes so delicious!She will probably say, love and time!

Tell her about the special recipe, the one you love, the one you never have enough of, ask her what is her secret ingredient and see her face light up, and if you have the time, ask her to cook with you so you can have something personal from your grandmother, her recipe to use with your family and this way they will remember her for a long time!

The next step will be for you to go shopping so you can make the meal together! She is on a fixed income after all. Document the whole adventure, in the future you will be so happy you did!

Don’t forget to praise her and thank her for just been your grandmother!

One thing you should have in mind, never go to see your grandma empty-handed, by now you should know what she likes and always bring it to her, little things make her happy at this point, to see you and talk with you been at the top of the list!

Giagias recipes are done with Love!

Have a nice visit!

Litsa with Love!

I was thinking today about Rosemary and how much I love it in my cooking!

Rosemary means “dew of the sea” and it is a perennial plant growing wild in the hills

ROSEMARY-Litsa!

 of the Mediterranian countries, the shrubs grow very big and they are quite beautiful!

I mean Lamb will not be the same without Rosemary, what do you think?

It thrives in dry conditions, and not only does it have a wonderful taste and aroma, but also a wealth of beneficial health effects if regularly added to our diet!

But I had to find out what other uses are there for this mysterious herb!

My research left me speechless, to say the least! So many great benefits!

The most interesting health benefits of this amazing herb include its ability to boost memory, improve mood, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, protect the immune system, stimulate circulation, detoxify the body, protect the body from bacterial infections, prevent premature aging, and heal skin conditions.

We already know that rosemary oil has a variety of benefits, but did you know that the herb does, too? Carnosic acid, one of the main ingredients in rosemary, helps protect the brain from neurodegeneration. It does this by protecting the brain against chemical free radicals, which are linked to neurodegeneration, Alzheimer’s, strokes and normal aging in the brain

Amazing!

My mother in law a native of the Greek island of Crete used to make a tisane from many different herbs, and Rosemary was always included!

She is gone over 20 years now and I still have her little pouch of her delicious tisane!No one is allowed to touch it, its very sacred to me, I want to remember her as long as I live!

 Tea can be made very easily with a few sprigs of rosemary herb, hot water, and a dash of natural sweeteners, such as honey or sugar. Unlike many herbal teas that require only the leaves to be steeped for a tea blend, rosemary tea is made by steeping both the leaves and the stems of rosemary. This tea can be made with either fresh or dried leaf, and can even be made through powdered leaves, although this is less common.

The more I learn about all the herbs the more I love them and appreciate them!

Halva with semolina is a dessert that is loved by the Greek people!

It’s one of these recipes that you have to have available when your sweet tooth strikes and you

Halva with Semolina-Litsa!

have to have something to calm it down!

Not too many ingredients and you can play with the flavors so it can make you happy.

You can use orange zest, lemon zest, vanilla,mastiha, the only thing you have to remember is that it has to compliment the main ingredient, the oil!

It can be done in 15 minutes and it doesn’t require any baking, fast and delicious!

Here is what you will need,

2 cups sugar

1 cup Semolina,medium size

1 cup Semolina, regular size

1 cup vegetable oil

4 1/2 cups hot water

The zest of 1 lemon

1 cup almonds, blanched, roasted and chopped

Cinnamon for dusting

Here is what to do

In a pan heat the oil and saute the almonds for a few minutes, When light brown add the Semolina and saute until golden.

Dissolve sugar in the hot water and have available.

Remove Halva mixture from the heat and add the hot water in the Semolina, very carefully because the mixture tends to bubble and it can burn you!Stir until all liquid is absorbed and you have a thick mixture! Place the mixture in a cake mold.

Let it rest for about 5-6 minutes and turn your Halva with Semolina on a nice platter.

Dust your Halva with cinnamon and it is ready.

You can serve with a dollop of whipped cream!(Optional)

A  traditional Greek recipe, totally inexpensive and a recipe that makes people happy!

Halva with semolina, nice and easy and it comes to your rescue you when you need something sweet fast!

And don’t forget cinnamon and nuts = perfection!

Litsa with Love!

Sweet potatoes ala Greek, a delicious way to stuff potatoes with all the Greek elements, like Feta cheese, Greek yogurt, dill and to create something so delicious!

Sweet potatoes are a gift from God with all the nutrients, they are little bullets of happiness, health, and so much more!

Please try to have them on a regular basis, they are so good for you!

Sweet potato Ala Greek-Litsa!

So many ways to stuff sweet potatoes, and here is mine! 

You will need,

2 sweet potatoes

2 tbsp butter

1 cup Feta chunks more if you like 

1 cup Greek yogurt

3 sprigs of dill finely chopped

2 fresh green onions finely chopped

Bacon cooked and cut into little pieces as much as you like

Here is what to do!

Wash the potatoes and dry them well

Pock them with a fork all over

Microwave them for 7 minutes on high

Let them cool and cut them lengthwise but not all the way

With a fork loosen the potato and add the butter and a little salt and pepper

Continue with the Feta, yogurt dill and onion and last add the bacon

Be generous, if your potatoes are very big you might need more cheese

Your sweet potatoes ala Greek are ready to compliment your protein, fish, meat, poultry or if you are a vegetarian they are a complete meal!

I hope you like them as much as I do!