White Milk Bread

Ingredients

1. Active dry yeast- 1 and 1/4 tsp
   
2. Luke warm milk- 3/4 cup
3. Sugar- 2  tbsp ( see notes)
4. All purpose flour- 2 and 1/4 Cups (1/4 cup or more if required)( see notes)
5. Melted butter/Olive oil- 2 tbsp+ more for brushing (  i used olive oil)
6. Salt-to taste

Method

• Brush a loaf pan ( i used 8"x 4" loaf pan) with butter or line it with parchment paper.Preheat oven to 180 Deg C.
• In a bowl,combine together yeast,milk and sugar.Keep this aside for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is frothy.
• In a large mixing bowl,whisk together all purpose flour and salt.Next add melted butter /oil and mix well using your fingers.
• Slowly add the milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix well until combined.(The dough will be a bit sticky.You can add few tablespoons of flour if you are finding it difficult to handle.)Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead well for 10 to 12 minutes.The dough should be soft and elastic.Transfer the dough to a greased bowl
• Cover it with a clean kitchen towel ,and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume for about 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours.Punch down the risen dough using your fist.
• Form into a loaf shape and place in the prepared pan,seam-side down.Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in volume ,about 45 minutes.
• Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.(if the top browns too quickly,loosely cover it with foil.)
• Lightly brush the top and the sides with melted butter/oil.Allow it to cool a bit before slicing.
Notes:
• Start with 2 cups flour and slowly add more as required.(If you add too much flour the dough will be dry and the bread will turn out to be hard and dry.)The dough should be a bit sticky and as you knead the dough, it will be easy to handle and less sticky .
• 1 used 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 and 3/4 cup all purpose flour.
• I used about 2 and 1/4 tbsp of sugar and it was moderately sweet.Adjust the sweetness according to your taste.
• (This Pic was taken on the Maundy Thursday )

Marble Cake

Ingredients

1. 2 sticks of butter
2. Sugar-1 1/2 Cup
3. 1 Cup milk or orange juice
4. 4 Eggs
5. Baking Pwd-2 1/2 Tsp
6. Orange Zest (1  or 2 )
7. All Purpose Flour-2 cups
8. One pinch Salt
9. 6 Table Spoon Coco Pwd
10. 1 Table Spoon Vanila

Method:
Put Butter and sugar mix it well with a good mixer.Then add eggs one egg at a time.Add vanila .

Mix all the ingredients except the coco pwd.

Make 2 halfs of the mixed ingredients.

Mix Half of the ingredients with coco pwd .

Marinate the pan with butter.

Add the plain mixture first and then add the coco mix...follow the procedure .

O

nce done take a spoon and give it a twirl ,this gives nice shape to the cake.

Preheat the oven to 380

Bake the cake mixture for 45-55 Min

Kourampiedes/Greek Cookies

Ingredients:

300gr butter (unsealed) 120 almonds 110 gr powdered sugar + extra for the food styling 25 gr brandy or rum

vanila-2tsp

All purpose Flour-4 cups

2tsp Baking Pwd

cloves to decorate

How to Prepare:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degree and roast the almond for 3-4 min.
• Beat Room temp butter and powdered sugar for nearly 10-20 min,until its soft and smooth.
• Add vanila,continue to fold everythign together
• Add little by little the all purpose flour and the baking powder into it.
• Add Rum
• Make small balls of the mixture and put a clove on top
• Put the oven to 360 and bake it for 18-20 min

Raisin ,Walnut Bread

Ingredients:

1. All Purpose Flour- 3 Cups
2. Yeast -2 Tsp
3. Salt- 1 Tsp
4. Honey-2 Tsp
5. Warm Water-1 cup 

Method:

Knead Togetther all the ingredients ..Add water carefully .We dont want it to be watery ...

Keep it for 45 min . Ideally inside the oven so that its not disturbed.

Knead it again.And put a slit with a knife and sprinkle water using your hands,

Put it for another an hour or so .

Preheat the oven for 410 and set the clock for 55 min or one hour.

Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup

Ingredients


3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
Croutons, for garnish

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

Giant Beans(Greek Recipe)

Ingredients:

1. Greek Beans
2. Tomato Juice-3 Cups or canned tomato
3. Onion-1 Big chopped and diced
4. Carrots-2
5. Garlic-5 cloves
6. Capsicum-1/2
7. Tomato Paste-1Tbs
8. Extra Virgin Olive Oil-1 Cup
9. Sugar-3 Tsp
10. Spring Onions-4
11. Oregeno
12. Dill
13. Salt and Freshly crushed pepper to taste

Method:

• Soak the beans overnight in cold water.Cook it the next day with salt.Cook it until its soft
• Take a pan ,add olive oil.
• Saute onions,carrots,capsicum one after another.
• Add garlic,tomato past to it.
• Then add tomato juice 
• Saute for 5 min and then add sugar.Add salt and freshly crushed pepper into it .
• Preheat the oven to 400 degree
• Take Baking Pan add beans first to it and then the sauce we made into.
• Add oregeno into it.and also dill to it.Taste for salt.
• See whether the water is enough so that beans are fully covered.
• Bake it for one hour.

If you want it have more carmalised feel to it ..put the oven for 500,press custom broil and bake it for 5 min.

Recipe courtesy by my good friend Melina..Cheers