The Odd Fork

There are times that the Odd Fork tries to keep a balanced diet. It pinches snacks which are low in fat and often gluten-free while at the same time are nutritious, rich in protein and of course tasty! The cookies in the photo above, are another example that "less is more". They have everything you want from a cookie: Great taste, excellent aroma, a soft texture and almost zero fat and calories! What they do NOT have: Sugar, oil or butter, eggs, lactose and gluten! 

For the Odd Fork, black coffee and 2 - 3 cookies of these make the perfect fast and energy breakfast!

For 10 - 12 cookies all you need is a ripe banana and some of your favorite flakes (oat flakes, buckwheat flakes, quinoa flakes or millet flakes). Also add spices of choice, chopped nuts or dried fruit pieces, cocoa nibs... Variations are countless! 

For this version, mash banana in a bowl using a fork and add in the banana pulp the zest of a lemon and about 1/2 tsp of ground ginger (powder). Also add some coconut, some dried, sugar-free blueberries and last but not least millet flakes, as many as needed to have a mixture that resembles a cookie dough and you can use your fingers to shape the "dough" into cookies (if millet mixture is a little sticky, don't worry).

Put cookies onto a baking pan lined with a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 15 - 20 minutes. Store them in an airtight container and enjoy in breakfast, before or after your workout, or just anytime you want a healthy, sweet snack!

Trying to keep a healthy and gluten free diet for a period of time, the Odd Fork cooked many times with quinoa, buckwheat and several superfood grains, it hadn't tried millet though. When it came across a small pack of millet in a food store one day, it decided to give it a try. The buy was successful, as millet was cheaper than quinoa, easier and faster to cook and its taste was mild and pleasant, almost like couscous or rice. 

The Odd Fork added millet in vegetable soups, prepared a millet tabbouleh salad, made a delicious veal millet stew and the last -at least for now- dish is this one. Of course, it is the most creative and the most yummy!

Ingredients:

For the millet "pastry":

- 1 cup uncooked millet

- a small onion, finely chopped

- half a bunch of fresh parsley

- 1 Tbsp of olive oil

- 1/3 tsp turmeric (powder)

- a pinch of dried ginger (powder)

- a pinch of nutmeg (powder)

- salt

- 250 grams smoked yellow cheese of choice, grated (optional)

For the mushroom stuffing:

- a medium onion, finely chopped

- a clove of garlic, finely chopped

- 1 Tbsp of olive oil

- a big, green pepper cut in small squares
- a pack of small white fresh mushrooms, cleaned and cut in small squares
- the remaining half bunch of fresh parsley
- a small sachet of dried mushrooms (porcini or anything you like)
- a glass of Greek Mavrodaphne or a similar sweet, red wine
- 2 to 3 Tbsps of tomato paste
- 2 to 3 whole cloves
- some whole grains of allspice
- some dried, ground thyme
- a bay leaf
- 2/3 tsp smoked paprika and a pinch of hot paprika
- salt, black pepper
- a can of red kidney beans (optional)

For the millet "pastry", just sauté onion in olive oil, add the parsley stems very finely chopped and add water (about 2 to 3 cups, twice the amount of millet). Add spices and salt and when it comes to a boil add millet, cover  the pot and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until millet is tender. Then uncover the pot, add fresh parsley leaves chopped, increase the heat and let millet absorb the liquids, stirring often and carefully with a wooden spatula. Remove from heat when the mixture has the texture of a really thick porridge. Let it cool (when cooler, it will thicken more) for some time and add cheese (keeping though some of the cheese aside). For a vegan option, skip the cheese -the millet porridge will still be aromatic and tasty!
For the mushroom stuffing, add olive oil in a pot and again sauté onion and garlic. After a while add pepper, parsley stems very finely chopped, fresh mushrooms and dried mushrooms soaked in Mavrodaphne -add Mavrodaphne also. Add tomato paste, a big glass of water, salt and all the spices. Cover the pot and cook over medium to low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Uncover the pot, increase the heat and let liquids evaporate. A couple of minutes before removing pot from the stove, add fresh parsley leaves chopped and beans drained from the can and very well washed. Set it aside and let it cool.

Preheat oven to 180* C (350* F) Fan. Grease with olive oil a medium rectangular casserole and evenly spread half the millet porridge onto the bottom. Place the cool mushroom stuffing over the millet base and cover it carefully with the remaining millet mixture. Spread the surface of the pie with the remaining cheese (if using) and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and cheese melts.



The pie is better to be cut at least half an hour later. The combination of aromatic herbs and mushrooms has a taste similar to minced meat sauce and the Odd Fork remembered the traditional Greek Moussaka!
Millet pie turned out to be fantastic and it is a very good reason to reduce the meat intake! Besides, with a creative and hearty pie like this, who needs a steak?

The Odd Fork got the inspiration for this recipe from the Greek traditional dish "Gioubetsi" which is made with veal, beef or even chicken and sometimes seafood. It is made in a pot on the kitchen stove where it boils with tomato paste and when the meat is tender, it is transferred in a baking casserole and with the addition of short pasta -usually orzo- it is baked until is soft and sauce is thick.

The Odd Fork cooked it in the pot over the kitchen stove, used millet instead of orzo, added many spices, carrots and red peppers and nice Greek black raisins and the result was a hearty, aromatic stew -probably far from mom's Gioubetsi, but still lovely!

Ingredients:

- 300 gr of veal stew meat, cut in small cubes

- a small onion, finely chopped

- a clove of garlic, finely chopped

- 2 red peppers cut in thin strips (the Odd Fork used the Greek "Florinis" peppers)

- 2 Tbsps of tomato paste (or a mini pack of 70 grams)

- 2 carrots grated in the cheese grater

- salt, pepper

- a pinch of dried spearmint

- a pinch of red hot pepper

- a pinch of nutmeg

- 2 bay leaves

- 3 whole cloves

- 2 to 3 allspice grains

- a whole star anise

- 2 to 3 Tbsps black raisins

- 1/2 cup uncooked millet

In a pot, add a tbsp of olive oil and sauté veal with onion and garlic. Add peppers, tomato paste and 2 cups of water. Stir well and when it comes to a boil add carrots, salt, pepper, all the spices and raisins and cook over medium heat for 40 - 45 minutes, until meat is tender. Add millet and cook uncovered for about 25 minutes or until millet is tender and it has absorbed most of the liquids.

The veal was tender like bread dough and the millet had infused all the aromas from the spices and raisins -it worked exactly like orzo! The Odd Fork pinched the food satisfied and paired it with a "ripe" semi-sweet red wine.

Isn't Halloween a great time of year? The Odd Fork loves horror stories, masked parties and of course, Halloween recipes! Since there was enough pumpkin left from this pumpkin salad, the Odd Fork made some easy, yummy sweet pumpkin treats to satisfy the little Forks which will come knocking at the door and ask the traditional "Treat or Treat?" 🎃

The spices in the recipe and good quality walnuts are the key ingredients and they will make these pumpkin sweet pieces fantastic, just one bite and you' ll be addicted forever!

Ingredients:

- 4 cups white sugar

- 1 cup evaporated milk

- 3 tbsp light corn syrup

- 1 cup pumpkin purée

- 1/8 tsp salt

- 3 tbsp butter

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 tsp cinnamon 

- 1/4 tsp ground ginger

- 1/4 tsp ground cloves

- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

- 2 cups chopped walnuts

In a saucepan, bring 5 first ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes and be careful NOT to stir, as the syrup bubbles a lot and you don't want a caramel burn! When mixture registers 232 degrees F (110 degrees C) on candy thermometer, or forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water, remove pan from heat. Stir in butter and when cooler add vanilla, spices and walnuts. Beat mixture until it is very thick and loses some of its gloss. Quickly pour into a square pan lined with greased baking sheet, put in the fridge and chill until firm for some hours before cutting in squares.

Keep the pumpkin bites in a box inside the fridge.

Pumpkin purée may be found easily ready and canned in every super market, but it's really simple to make your own homemade purée and keep it in the freezer in portions. Just cut your pumpkin in slices and bake until pieces are soft (test them by pinching with a fork).

When pumpkin slices cool, blend them until you have a nice, smooth purée. Measure pumpkin purée using a tea cup, fill single-use plastic bags and store them for a long period of time inside the freezer.

So, every time you wish to make a recipe containing canned pumpkin, all you need to do is to defrost a bag of your homemade purée!

The Odd Fork continues its tribute to chestnuts! These sweet babes above are perfect for breakfast with coffee or hot chocolate and for a late afternoon snack also, with a shot of liqueur.

For the pastry:

- 1 and 3/4 cup all purpose flour

- a package of active dry yeast (about 7 g)

- 60 ml lukewarm milk

- 1/3 cup sugar

- 50 g melted butter

- a medium egg

- some vanilla and some cinnamon 

- an egg slightly beaten (optional)

For the chestnut filling:

- 15 to 20 boiled and peeled chestnuts

- a small piece of butter (size of a walnut)

- 1/3 cup evaporated milk

- 3 tbsp sugar

- some vanilla, some cinnamon and some brandy or citrus liqueur

- 1 tbsp thick fruit marmalade (any flavor available) 

- some blonde raisins

- 1/3 cup walnuts coarsely chopped

- a bar of praline chocolate (about 180 g), coarsely chopped

Start with the filling first. Heat the milk and dissolve sugar and butter. Add chestnuts and milk mixture into blender and mix to make a smooth chestnut purée, adjusting the amount of chestnuts or milk to have the desired consistency. Transfer into a bowl and add remaining filling ingredients, mixing well. The texture should be thick, like potato mash. Set it aside and prepare the pastry. In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in milk and add 1 tbsp of the sugar. Mix and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Mix all the remaining pastry ingredients except the beaten egg and add the yeast mixture, kneading until the dough does not stick on hands. Form the dough into a ball and set aside covered with a damp towel. Let it rise until doubled, about an hour.

So after that, divide the dough in three equal balls and roll each one to a thin, big circle. Cut smaller circles using a cookie cutter or glass and fill each one with a tsp of chestnut filling, sealing the edges very well (wet edges with water to make them stick together). Layer a baking pan with parchment paper. Arrange the chestnut pies, cover pan and allow them to rise in a warm place until double in volume. Once ready, brush them with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame (if desired). 

Bake in a preheated oven, air setting, at 350 C for 15 min or until lightly brown. Enjoy them while still warm, they are fantastic!

Chestnuts bring Christmas to mind, however October is the month for them! So the Odd Fork came across some lovely chestnuts in the flea market and the result was an unusual, yet absolutely yummy vegetarian pizza!

For the pizza crust:

- 250 grams plain flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- half a cube of fresh, bread yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
- 25 grams melted butter
- 2 egg yolks
- some ground, dried thyme
- 1/3 tsp mix of nutmeg and ground cloves
- some extra lukewarm milk, if necessary

For the chestnut - mushroom topping:

- a small onion, finely chopped
- a clove of garlic, finely chopped
- a small leek, finely chopped
- a small sachet dried mushrooms of choice
- a wine glass of Greek Mavrodaphne or a similar sweet, red wine
- salt, pepper, some paprika
- 2 whole cloves
- a cinnamon stick
- a star anise
- some ground, dried thyme
- some roasted chestnuts (the Odd Fork used 8)
- some blue cheese in small cubes
- some soft, yellow cheese (like Greek Kasseri) in small cubes

Start with the pizza crust. In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in milk and add sugar. Mix and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Mix all the remaining crust ingredients and add the yeast mixture, kneading until the dough does not stick on hands. If dough is too thick, add warm milk. Form the dough into a ball and set aside covered with a damp towel. Let it rise until doubled, about an hour.

Meanwhile, make the topping. In a pot over high heat, add a tbsp of olive oil and sauté onion and garlic. After a while add leek and mushrooms and deglaze with Mavrodaphne. Add all the spices and chestnuts chopped and also add some water, just to cover the ingredients. Turn heat to medium, cover the pot with its lid and boil for about 20 to 30 minutes until tender. Then uncover the pot, increase the heat and let luquids evaporate. Remove from stove and set aside to cool.

Stretch out the pizza dough (using a pastry roller or hands) on a large pan lined with non-stick baking sheet and spread it around evenly with the chestnut topping, leaving some space around the rim. Sprinkle with cheese and let pizza in a warm place until crust has puffed up and almost doubled in size, about 1 hour. Bake in a preheated oven at 400F for about 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is golden. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 min, slice and serve!

It is totally delicious and although the Odd Fork loves to drink beer when eating pizza, this one was fantastic paired with Greek Mavrodaphne. Hope you enjoy it as much as the Odd Fork did!

The Odd Fork has many food blogger friends and one of them is Penelope. She cooks with imagination, using leftovers and healthy, mediterranean ingredients and she always creates new, tasty recipes! So when the Odd Fork came across these tahini mini breads, it made its own version using its favorite wholemeal Greek tahini (tahini = sesame paste) and spices!

Ingredients:

- 4 Tbsp wholemeal tahini

- a medium, ripe banana

- 1/2 cup black raisins, soaked in warm water (keep the water)

- 2 Tsp mix of ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg

- some sunflower seeds (about 1/3 cup)

- whole wheat self rising flour (as much as needed)

Just add into your blender tahini, banana cut in pieces, spices and 1/2 cup of raisin water and blend everything together on a high speed to get a nice, smooth paste. Transfer into a bowl and add flour stirring slowly, until batter resembles a cake dough.

Add sunflower seeds and raisins (drained) last and mix to combine into the dough. Divide it evenly among muffin tins filling them with batter up to 3/4 and bake in a preheated oven, air setting, at 350C, for 20 minutes or until the top is slightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry.

The Odd Fork ate as many as possible while still warm with its afternoon Greek coffee and saved the rest into single-use plastic bags in the freezer. This way the're going to remain fresh for long, and any time the Odd Fork wants a warm muffin for its breakfast, all it has to do is to heat the muffin up in the oven and enjoy with coffee! 

So yummy and healthy at the same time, thanks Penelope! ;)