This famous Greek dish is from Corfu and the Ionian Islands. It is popular in tavernas throughout mainland Greece. Sometimes the meat is also cut into thick slices or cubes before pot-roasting. It is always served with pasta, an indication of its Venetian origins.

Ingredients:

3 lb veal top round, left whole
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbsp wine vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To serve:
1 lb macaroni, rigatoni, or alternative pasta, boiled
Grated Kefalotiri, or parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1 – Preheat the oven to 350F. Make small cuts in the veal with a sharp knife. Stud the garlic slices and cloves into these cuts. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish and saute the veal on all sides for about 5 minutes or until browned. Remove and set aside. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves and cinnamon and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the wine and vinegar, season with salt and pepper, stir well and bring to a boil.

2 – Return the veal to the casserole dish. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the veal is tender and the sace has thickened.

3 – To serve, place the cooked macaroni on a platter. Place the veal on top. Spoon the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with grated cheese. Carve the veal into slices at the table.

Servings: 4 to 6

Enjoy this traditional easy Greek recipe!

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Ingredients:

1 lb macaroni
*Sauce
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 lb minced beef
1 can of peeled tomatoes, chopped
1-2 tbsp tomato puree
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper
**Béchamel Sauce
2 oz butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1 pint of milk
8-12 oz kasseri cheese or strong cheddar cheese-grated

*Sauce Preparation:

Sauté the onions and garlic.
Add minced meat and brown.
Add peeled tomatoes, tomato puree, bay leaves and salt & pepper.
Simmer for 45 minutes until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
During the last 30 minutes of the sauce cooking: Boil the macaroni in salted water and drain.

**Béchamel Sauce Preparation:

Melt the butter in a milk pan.
Stir in the flour until it forms a paste.
Add the milk a little at a time stirring continuously. (Do not stop stirring otherwise the sauce becomes lumpy).
Lastly pour in ¾ of the cheese and stir until melted.

Preparation:

In an ovenproof dish, place one third of the pasta followed by half the tomato sauce and then half the béchamel sauce. Place second third of pasta and second half of the tomato sauce. Place last third of pasta plus final layer of béchamel sauce. Add a final layer of grated cheese. Place in a medium oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Servings: 6-8

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Pastichio – Greek Lasagna

Preparation Time: 1-1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

1 pound ziti
1 pound chopped meat
3/4 pound Feta cheese, crumbled
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
6 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 heaping Tbsp. cream cheese
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

Boil ziti then drain. Meanwhile, brown chopped meat with 1/2 stick butter and tomato paste. Add salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients (except eggs) and let mixture cool completely. Then add eggs. Grease a 13×9 inch pan and pour mixture (with ziti) into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until lightly browned.

This recipe serves/makes 6

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• 1/2 lb Sweet butter
• 4 Dried figs
• 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup Raisins
• 2 eggs
• 1 orange (grated rind only)
• 6 tb Cognac
• 1 cup Apricot jam
• 2 cups All-purpose flour (or more)
• 1 tb lemon juice (optional)
• 1/4 ts Salt
• 2 ts Cornstarch
• 1/2 ts Baking powder
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2 cups Stewed apricots

Method

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy and gradually add the sugar, 1 egg and an egg yolk, and 3 tablespoons of the Cognac, beating thoroughly after each addition. Sift 2 cups of the flour with the salt and baking powder and add slowly to the batter, while beating on medium speed. Remove the beaters and finish by hand, adding only enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the apricots into uniform pieces and place in an enameled pan. Soak the figs and raisins in the remaining Cognac until swollen, then mince and add to the apricots along with the orange rind, jam, and lemon juice and stir into the apricot mixture, then cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cool.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and set aside about one-third for the latticed top. Using your fingers (the dough will be too soft to roll), press the larger portion of dough into a buttered 9 x 12 x 2-inch baking pan, pressing evenly about 1/4-inch up the sides. Pour the filling into the dough-lined pan.

Divide the remaining dough into walnut-sized balls and roll each ball into 1/2-inch strips. Using the strips, make a lattice over the top of the pastry. If using a glaze, beat the remaining egg white slightly with a fork and brush on the dough stips. Bake in a moderate oven (350 F) for 45 minutes, or until golden in color. Remove and cool in the pan on a rack. To serve, cut into 1-1/2-inch (or smaller) squares with a sharp knife.

Note: You may prefer to use peaches and peach jam, strawberries and strawberry jam, and so on, instead of apricots; also diced candied peel adds a colorful note when substituting for figs; and slivered almonds may be added to the filling.

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