Black-eyed beans are one of Greece’s most loved legumes. Most regions have their own dish with black-eyed beans as the key ingredient and today we share our family recipe- Mavromatika me Xorta (black-eyed beans with wild greens), which originated in the Peloponnese.
Ingredients
250 grams black-eyed beans
1 bunch of silverbeet or other wild greens of your choice (about 3 cups)
1 x Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil for dressing
1 lemon, juiced
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 x cups water
1/3 cup lemon juice
water for boiling
Method
Place black-eyed beans in a pot with water and boil for 15 minutes and drain.
Meantime, wash and cut silverbeet into smaller pieces. Place in a large pot with water and boil for around 30 minutes or until cooked through.
In the meantime add black-eyed beans back into another pot and boil for another 20 minutes on medium heat.
Drain beans and silver beat and place both in a serving bowl. Allow cooling for a few minutes.
Add chopped onion and garlic.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Drizzle with olive oil and add lemon juice.
Mix and serve straight away or you can place in the refrigerator and serve late.
Lahanosalata is a traditional Greek salad, frequently prepared in the winter months and a favourite for the Christmas festive season!
Ingredients
1/4 green cabbage
1/4 red cabbage
1 carrot, peeled
1 x red & 1 x green capsicum
1 x cup shallots
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
1 garlic clove diced
1/4 cup Greek olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
Finely chop your cabbage and carrots. You can use a cheese grater on a large setting, which works well for the cabbage and carrots. Set aside in large bowl.
Chop shallots and capsicum and add to bowl.
In a small bowl add the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and diced garlic. Whisk until combined.
Pour dressing over salad and add salt and pepper. Mix well and serve.
Discover why this humble salad is not only a gratifying and balanced meal in itself on a hot summer’s day but a super healthy one too.
The Greek salad, or Horiatiki, which translated in Greek means ‘village salad’, was ironically born in the Greek capital rather than a Greek village. It is said to have been the invention of taverna owners in Plaka during the 1960s and ‘70s, who according to government standards were not allowed to charge for cucumber and tomato salad (much as there’s no charge for tap water today), so they added a piece of feta to the mix and voila! – a dish tourists had to pay for was invented.
With the passing of time, the salad was embellished with Kalamata olives, strips of green bell pepper and a sprinkle of oregano (today it’s common for it to be served with a sprinkle of capers and a bed of barley rusks too). There cannot be a Greek salad without slatherings of olive oil, which by the end of the meal becomes a sauce at the bottom of the plate that’s beautifully mixed with crumbs of feta, cucumber and tomato seeds and salt. At this point, it’s considered almost unorthodox not to grab a piece of a hunk of bread and dip it indulgently into the juices, in a ritual beloved to most Greeks that’s called ‘papara’. And it gets even better. This salad is a superfood dish!
image via My Greek Dish
Tomato
Tomatoes, which originated in central America, reached Greece as recently as the early 1800s, along with potatoes. Red, juicy, plump tomatoes sprinkled with salt are a sensory delight on a hot summer’s day and offer significant health benefits. They’re packed with antioxidants, vitamins C, K, B3, B5, B6 & B7, folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc and potassium. When cooked they are also high in lycopene, known for its cancer-preventative qualities. They’re good for the skin, boost heart health and balance blood sugar levels. They’re ideally eaten at room temperature.
Cucumber
Cucumbers are high in water content, which makes them wonderfully hydrating on a hot summer’s day, especially if they’ve been chilling in the fridge. They contain fisetin, an anti-inflammatory substance that helps protect from age-related neurological diseases of the brain, as well as polyphenols called lignans, which are also anti-inflammatory. They also contain vitamin K and are high in insoluble fibre, which aids digestion. Tip: Don’t throw away the peels. Use them as a refreshing, pore-tightening face toner by rubbing them on well-cleansed skin.
Onion
Nutrient-dense and packed with antioxidants (with 25 varieties of flavonoid), onions are known for their medicinal properties, as is garlic, also from the Allium family. They are high in potassium, Vitamins C, B9 (folate) and B6 (pyridoxine, known for alleviating melancholy) and have strong anti-inflammatory properties that are said to prevent heart disease and lower blood pressure. They’re thought to prevent cancer, increase bone density and are considered a great antibacterial food, especially good when accompanying meat dishes as they’re said to help break down fats and clean the blood.
image via Serious Eats
Green Bell Pepper (optional)
Sometimes left to the side of the plate, green bell peppers are high in fibre, Vitamins C and E.
Greek Feta
Low in fat, feta cheese is made from sheep’s and goat’s milk and is high in probiotics, which help strengthen gut health. It’s high in vitamins K, B and A, magnesium, calcium and iron so it’s good for your eyesight and boosts bone density.
Kalamata Olives
High in antioxidant phenolic compounds, which also give them their distinctively sharp flavour, these olives are also high in vitamins E, C, A, B and K, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.
Oregano
Anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-microbial oregano is strong not only in its flavour but in its antioxidant effects. This anti-inflammatory herb is also thought to be good for soothing congestion.
Olive Oil
Global scientific research has repeatedly touted the numerous health benefits of Greece’s antioxidant-rich ‘liquid gold’. The monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil (oleic acid) protect from oxidative stress, help prevent cardiovascular diseases and have anti-cancer properties. Olive oil also helps the re-mineralisation of the bones, lowers cholesterol and helps keep brain function strong while balancing hormone levels.
