Greek Inspired Pork Souvlaki on Pita

Victoria Day is just a few sleeps away and it's about the time to fire up my BBQ grill! I decided to feature a Greek recipe which I think is a perfect meal for a weekend lunch or brunch.

I love Greek Food and feel fortunate to live in a city where ethnic food can be found easily in every street corner.I first tasted Greek food in 2003 when I was shopping for a dress with my blog partner. She suggested Greek cuisine for a quick lunch and I had a classic Greek entree: pork souvlaki with rice and potatoes. The burst of lemon and oregano give it a unique flavour. My food adventure has now expanded beyond food court franchise-style Greek fare. An acquaintance of mine introduced me to a restaurant called That's Greek Cuisine in Etobicoke about 3 years ago. It is now one of my favourite places for a plate of good Greek food. Their gyros, lamb chops and Saganaki Opa are must to order!

Long story short, this food adventure has also entered into my kitchen. Frequently, I see pork tenderloins on sale in weekly flyers and I certainly do not want to miss this great offer. Pork tenderloin is lean, moist, soft and does not require extensive cooking time. Hence, it is a good choice for pork souvlaki. Here is my version of Greek style pork souvlaki on pita bread!

Skill Level: Easy 

Serves: 8 

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 pieces of Pita bread, white or whole wheat

Pork Souvlaki:

• 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin
• 1 lemon (grate the skin and retain juice for marinate)
• 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Tzatziki Sauce:

• 1.5 cup plain or Greek yogurt 
• 1/2 cucumber, shredded
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp honey 
• Black pepper, to taste

Toppings:

• Iceberg lettuce, sliced thinly
• Chopped olives
• Cucumbers, sliced
• Tomatoes, sliced
• Red onions, sliced thinly

 METHOD: 

1. Clean the pork tenderloin by removing the silver lining with a small knife. 
2. Cut the tenderloin into bite sized and mix in all seaonings. Marinade for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge
3. Heat up BBQ grill for 325 degree Celcius
4. Grill the pork tenderloin for 5 minutes, on each side or until meat is cooked thoroughly 
5. You can brush the meat with olive oil to help prevent dryness
6. To make the tzatziki sauce, mix in all ingredients and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes
7. Warm the pita bread on BBQ grill for couple of seconds
8. Serve the pita bread with tzatziki sauce, pork souvlaki and toppings

Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce

I recently attended a seminar on fibre and the highlights can be summed up in two points - fibre is absolutely essential in our diets and North Americans do not consume enough. Hot on the heels of this seminar, I decided that we were going to have chickpeas for dinner. Being South Asian, legumes are a substantial part of our diet, it is a complete protein when combined with rice, is easy to make and very versatile. My mum always soaks legumes in water overnight and boils it in a pressure cooker the following day and I continue her practice. The pressure cooker is invaluable, this nifty gadget cooks everything in a matter of minutes, a reverse slow cooker. If you do not own one, I highly recommend it - a true time saver. 

Skill Level: Easy  

Serves:4 - 6

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 cups of cooked chickpeas or 1 can of chickpeas (946 mL)
• 2  large onions chopped
• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 1 inch piece of grated ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic crushed
• 1/3 cup of tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon of garam masala (finally  you get to use the garam masala  recipe I posted weeks ago)
• 1/4 teaspoon amchoor powder (dried unripe green mango powder - found at Indian stores or at the international/ethnic section at most grocery stores). Is sour and tart. Lime or lemon juice can be used as a substitute
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped
• salt to taste

METHOD:

1. If using the conventional method, soak 1 cup of chickpeas in water overnight. Pressure cook or boil the following day until soft. If using canned chickpeas, drain the liquid and wash in cold water and set aside
2. Heat oil in a pan and saute onions ginger and garlic until brown
3. Add all the powdered spices and  tomato puree cook for a minute or two
4. Add the  chickpeas and stir until it is well coated in the onion and spice mixture
5. Pour 3/4 cup of water, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer
6. Add the rest of the water if needed - depending on the consistency desired (I use more liquid if serving with rice and less for flatbread like pita, naan or roti
7. Check seasoning and adjust as needed. Add coriander leaves before serving

Spicy Sri Lankan Eggplant

Eggplant or Aubergine as it is also known, is our family's favourite vegetable. From Middle Eastern Baba Ghanoush to Romanian Salata de Vinete - Eggplant dips are a prominent summer time staple in our house, and before BBQ season starts full swing, I will add those recipes as well; but my recipe for today is "Eggplant Goodness" that a Sri Lankan colleague brought to a potluck recently. Not for the faint of heart or the calorie conscious, this dish (made with deep fried eggplant) is served at Sri Lankan weddings and special occasions where one can ignore the richness of this dish and indulge in the delight that is called Vambotu Curry. This recipe may not be the typical way to make this dish, but I have come to this version after making it a couple of times with what my colleague would share of the recipe and what I found on the internet.

I am certain that brushing cubed eggplant with oil and roasting them would work, this however is the deep fried version.

Skill Level: Time consuming but easy to make 

Serves:6-8

INGREDIENTS: 

• 4 medium eggplant
• vegetable oil, for deep frying
• 1 tablespoons vegetable oil, extra
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds,slightly crushed in a coffee grinder
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
• 2 green chilies, chopped 
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar or palm sugar or white 
• 1/2 cup coconut milk - you can use a can but shake well. I used coconut milk powder diluted in water and used 1 cup
• salt to taste

METHOD: 

1. Cut eggplant into cubes, wash and pat dry with a paper towel
2. In a frying pan, add oil, when it is hot deep fry eggplant in batches and drain on a paper towels and keep aside
3. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a pan, add curry leaves, onion, ginger, garlic and chili and saute until golden. Add all the powdered spices and cook for a minute or two.
4. Add the vinegar or lemon juice, coconut milk, brown sugar and salt and cook until it comes to a boil 
5. Add the fried eggplant, reduce the heat and allow the eggplant to soak up the liquid. Adjust seasonings
6. Serve with rice or roti or any flat bread.

Fish Rice Congee

Jook or rice congee is a Chinese version of comfort food. It is most commonly eaten as breakfast or as a comfort when you are not feeling well. It is also the first solid food mothers like to introduce to their babies as it is easily swallowed. Rice congee is made of rice that is cooked in either plain or flavoured broth for a period of time to obtain soft and silky texture. Chicken, ground pork, fish or shrimps can be added as a source of protein. I have also seen other varieties of jook. Koreans like to add oysters, abalones and pine nuts into the congee. Others like to cook the congee with root vegetables. Decades ago, when rice was scarce during war time, my grandparents would mix rice congee with sweet potatoes to feed the whole family. Needless to say, it becomes my parents' favourite.

One of my favourite rice congees is fish congee. In this recipe, I use basa fillet and flavour the broth with lots of ginger. Instead of making chicken noodle soup for your cold, why don't you give rice congee a try?

Skill Level: Easy 

Serves:3 - 4

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 cup Thai jasmine rice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 can chicken broth
• 6 slices of ginger
• 1 L water
• 2 tbsp of preserved vegetables (dung chai), rinsed
• 1 pieces of Basa fillet, sliced thinly
• White pepper to taste

Toppings:

• 8-10 thin slices of ginger, cut into julienned strips
• a handful of cilantro/coriander
• Chinese pickles such as pickled cucumbers, turnips, olives
• Soy sauce 
• Sesame oil

 METHOD: 

1. Rinse and soak the uncooked rice overnight in a bowl, drain
2. Boil the water in a pot with chicken broth, preserved vegetables and ginger slices over high heat
3. Add in the rice and cook until boil. Lower heat and simmer for 3- to 40 minutes, half covered. Stir every 5 minutes
4. If the congee is too thick, you can add in hot boiling water bit by bit
5. Once the congee has turned into silky smooth texture, add in the sliced basa fillet
6. Cook for another 10 minutes
7. Serve with sesame oil, ginger, cilantro or any of your favourite toppings