Cretan diet recipes

Skordalia

5-6 cloves of garlic
150gr potatoes (boiled)
1/2 cup EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
2 teaspoons vinegar
Salt

Instructions:

Peel and mash the garlic cloves and add in the potatoes and mash the mixture. Add 1-2 teaspoons vinegar and pour in the olive oil, whisking the mixture at the same time.

Top the garlic paste with the olives and serve. In addition to olive oil, you can also add a little lemon juice. Instead of potatoes, you can use breadcrumb soaked in water.

Tzatziki

Cretan diet recipes

Tzatziki

1/2 kilo strained yoghurt
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons vinegar
2 large cucumbers
4-5 cloves of garlic
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:

Wash the cucumbers and grate them. Then, squeeze out the excess water. Peel the garlic cloves and finely chop them. Combine all the ingredients and, finally, if you wish, add the finely chopped purslane and the dill.

Chicken roasted

Cretan diet recipes

Chicken roasted

1 chicken, 1 ½ kg
2 medium-sized onions
1 red pepper
2 kg chestnuts, boiled and peeled
1/2 water glass oil
½ water glass red wine
salt, pepper

Instructions:

Wash the chicken, cut it into portions, add salt and pepper, strain it, brown it in the oil for 10 minutes and then add the wine. Cut the onions and pepper in small pieces and add them in the casserole. Let them brown for 2-3 minutes, add some water and cook the food at normal heat for 30 minutes. Then add the chestnuts and cook for 10 more minutes. If you want, you can add two grated ripe tomatoes instead of water.

Cuttlefishes with Green Olives

Cretan diet recipes

Cuttlefishes with Green Olives & Fennel

1 ½ kg cuttlefishes, cleaned
2 bunches of fennel, cut in thick pieces
3 big onions, cut in thick pieces
1 water glass red wine
2-3 garlic cloves
500 gr. green olives, crushed
1 water glass olive oil
salt, pepper

Instructions:

Remove the stone from the olives and put them in a bowl filled with water in order for their extra salt to be removed. Wash the cuttlefishes well and cut them in stripes (approximately 2 cm). Put the oil in a saucepan and when it starts to sizzle add the onions, cuttlefishes and garlic. Brown them, stirring from time to time.

Then add the wine and after three minutes also add 3 glasses of water, cover the saucepan and let the food cook at medium heat. While the cuttlefishes are being cooked, put the fennel in another casserole, boil it for a while, strain it and add it in the cuttlefishes, together with the olives which you have also strained. Add salt and some pepper and let the food cook until the cuttlefishes become tender and their water evaporates.

Snails

Cretan diet recipes

Snails with Rosemary and Wine

1 kg snails
½ water glass red wine
½ water glass flour
½ water glass oil
salt, pepper, rosemary

Put the snails in a big bowl filled with water and leave them there until their heads come out (30 to 45 minutes) and clean them thoroughly. Throw away all the snails whose heads have not come out. Put the snails in a saucepan half-full with water and when the water comes to the boil, add 3 tbsp. salt and half a glass of vinegar and boil them for 10 minutes. Then throw the water and wash them very well with cold water.

Salt the snails, flour them and cook them in sizzling oil for 3 minutes, with their openings facing the pan. Add the rosemary, salt and pepper, stir them and 2 minutes later add the wine. Let them come to the boil and they are ready to serve. Another option is to prepare a batter, using flour, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic (optional), fill the snails’ openings with this mixture and fry them in the oil and rosemary.

Kalitsounia

Cretan diet recipes

Kalitsounia

1 kg flour
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. oil
water (enough so that the dough does not stick in your hands when kneading it)

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients well, knead the dough with your hands and let it rise for 1-2 hours.Roll out the pastry using a rolling pin. Make a big pastry sheet, ½ cm thick and cut it in the shape of a tea saucer.