Santorini Fava A Delicious Yellow Split Peas Dip

Hi! I'm now working from Wordpress. I've spent a great deal of time editing and reorganising this post on Wordpress and it is so much friendlier to read & follow my recipe from there. Click on this link to take you directly to the recipe:

Santorini Fava A Delicious Yellow Split Peas Dip

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

If you like hummus, this yellow split peas puree would be something you would enjoy. It is does not taste like hummus but it is certainly a nice change to hummus. Bring out the pita for dipping!

Order Fava in Greece and what you would be served is a puree of yellow split peas and not fava bean of any sort. The yellow split pea grown in Santorini is especially famous. I brought a pack home - see the pretty blue-white bag above? How could I not? It was sold everywhere on the island!

I like how the Fava was served to us at the vineyard in Oia, Santorini. 

Fava will invariably thicken as it sits. That was the reason why it could be plated so prettily in that fashion. In the case above, we were expected to loosen it up with the lemon juice.

At home, thin it out to the consistency that you like with a little water and then readjust seasonings before serving.

The recipe below is easy and it taste so much better than a lot of Fava. Sadly, I have had only one that was worth remembering.

We were having lunch at a homey eatery in Pyrgos village, Santorini. It was run by an elderly couple. The wife took care of whipping out dishes from a shoebox size kitchen whilst her endearing husband did everything else. Her Fava was rustic. 

It didn't look like much but the yellow split peas
dip was the best!

It didn't look particularly pretty. It was plonked unceremoniously next to other little mezes. It looked chunkier than usual but was clearly moist and fluid. Other Fava I had eaten were often too dry, bland and cold, straight out from the fridge perhaps?

On that mound of Fava, I could see and taste little nuggets of onions. It gave the peas so much flavour. She certainly knew how to make a tasty plate of Fava.

Back home, I thumb through a few cook books. I am familiar with cooking lentils but I wasn't sure what seasonings went into a Greek Fava. I tried a random Fava recipe that had me cook the peas just in water and then other seasonings were added at a later stage. I wasn't happy with that. I decided it best to just come up with my own recipe to replicate the Fava I had in Pyrgos.

So in went 1/2 an onion and garlic into the cooking liquid. As the peas do cook relatively fast, there was still flavour left in the onions and garlic. I chose not to discard them. 

Why waste the remaining 1/2 onion? I fried that in extra virgin olive oil till it was lightly caramelised, mixed it into the simmering yellow split peas, cooked further and blitz everything smooth. 

The thought of frying up the remaining 1/2 onion came about from being taught how to cook dal/lentils by a previous neighbour of mine who is from North India. She is a great cook and every evening, I used to linger eagerly by the front porch in the hopes of having a tasting portion of the dinner she had cooked for the day. I am quite shameless when it comes to good food.

I digress. Back to the Fava.

Thereafter, I added salt, pepper, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to taste and voila! I had a Santorini Fava dip that I was actually excited to eat and proud to put on the table.

This is the fifth in a series of 10 meze recipes that were inspired by my recent holiday in Greece. Click here, Greek Meze, Another Selection Of Wonderful Little Bites. For your easy reference, scroll down to the end of the post and you will find a table spread of all the 10 meze, the names of the meze and links to recipes that I have already posted.

SANTORINI FAVA A DELICIOUS YELLOW SPLIT PEAS DIP

Prep:	15 minutes
Cook:	30 minutes
Inactive:	-
Level:	Easy
Serves:	6 as part of a meze
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Keeps well up to 2 days. Thin with water before serving.

Just the ingredients 1 cup (7.05oz) (200g) yellow split peas 2 cups (500ml) water 1 clove garlic 1 small-medium size (3.17oz) (90g) onion 1/2 teaspoon salt pinch of black pepper 2- 3 teaspoons lemon juice + a wedge of lemon 1 and 1/2 + 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 Tablespoon capers

Ingredients

1 cup (7.05oz) (200g) yellow split peas

2 cups (500ml) water

1 clove garlic

1 small-medium size (3.17oz) (90g) onion

1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper

2 - 3 teaspoons lemon juice + a wedge of lemon

1 and 1/2 + 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon capers

Method

Pick any grit off the yellow split peas. Rinse and drain. 

Add the peas into a pot, pour in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 

Boil 5 minutes. After which, skim off any floating foam, add half of the onion (do not cut) and the peeled clove of garlic. Lower heat, simmer covered for 15 minutes. Check on it on occasions. Stir if necessary and add 1 - 2 Tablespoon(s) of water if it seems to be drying out.

In the meantime, diced the remaining onion (set aside 1 Tablespoon) and fry in 1.5 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to soften. Add to the simmering peas. 

The amount of liquid at this stage as you see it,
should be sufficient to cook the peas through.
Remember to keep the heat low and pot covered.

Keep the heat low, cover and continue to simmer covered for 15 minutes or until the peas have completely disintegrated and the water has almost completely evaporated.

Either mash with a spoon into a puree or use an immersion blender. If you would like a thinner consistency, just thin out with water.

Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Add the lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Adjust seasonings to suit your taste.  

To serve, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, top with the reserved 1 Tablespoon diced onions, capers and a wedge of lemon. 

Now, get the pita out or perhaps some chips and dip away! 

Tips

• Fava will start to solidify as it sits. If you do not serve it straight away, on your return, don't be surprised to find a dense looking blob of Fava. Simply thin out with water and readjust seasonings.
• Fava is very good served as a side to beef stew.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                 

I have since posted 5 recipes for meze  - more than enough to serve at a party. We have to make some pita bread then! These pita are terribly soft.

My Greek inspired meze! 

First row. Left to right: Slow Cooked Octopus In A Sherry Vinegar Garlic Marinade, Moussaka - Baked Casserole Of Eggplants, Tomatoey Meat Topped With A Creamy White Sauce, Santorini Fava A Delicious Yellow Split Peas Dip, Marinated Grilled Peppers With Fig Balsamic Cream

Second row. Left to right: Greek Inspired Harissa-Style Hot Chilli Sauce To Go With Olives, 5 Minutes Grilled Cheese Meze, Santorini Tomatoey Tomato Balls/Fritters

Third row. Left to right: Crispy Whitebait And Sweet Onions Disk, Pork Souvlaki Kebabs Skewers, Tzatziki A Cucumber Yogurt Dip,  Oh So Soft Pita Bread

Greek Pork Souvlaki Kebabs Skewers

Hi! I'm now working from Wordpress. I've edited this post there, reformatted it so that it is much easier to read & follow my recipe. This link will take your directly to the recipe:

Greek Pork Souvlaki Kebabs Skewers

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

These pork souvlaki or 'meat on skewers' have been marinating in lemon, garlic, oregano and one of my best extra virgin olive oil. Expect it to taste succulent and mediterranean. 

I was craving to eat the gyros I had in Greece - very moist slices of pork curved off a vertical rotisserie stuffed inside round pita that had been folded into a cone.

The next best thing to those juicy pork slices (since I don't yet own a vertical rotisserie) is to make pork souvlaki. Not only can pork kebabs be served on its own, it is easily sliced into thin slices so that it can replace the meat shaved off a vertical rotisserie. Now, I can choose to have either pork souvlaki or pork gyros and who is going to stop me if I want both!

However you choose to serve the kebabs, they are tasty morsels. The challenge is in cooking the pork just right so that it remains juicy and tender. Overcooked, they toughened up and dry out.  Dedicate a few minutes to watch over them carefully and they will turn out fine.

This is the fourth in a series of 10 meze recipes that were inspired by my recent holiday in Greece. Click here, Greek Meze, Another Selection Of Wonderful Little Bites. For your easy reference, scroll down to the end of the post and you will find a table spread of all the 10 meze, the names of the meze and links to recipes that I have already posted.

GREEK PORK SOUVLAKI KEBAS SKEWERS                     

Prep:	15 minutes
Cook:	5 - 10 minutes
Inactive:	6 - 36 hours
Level:	Moderately easy
Serves:	2 to 3 for dinner or 6 as part of a meze
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Might be cooked a day ahead. Cover in aluminium foil and heat through.

Just the ingredients 500g pork collar  1 Tablespoon dried oregano  2 and 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice  3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons garlic (~ 4 garlic cloves) Some extra virgin olive oil for brushing

Ingredients

1.10 lbs(500g) pork collar 

I use pork collar as it is a flavourful cut with sufficient fat distribution to prevent drying out. Pork tenderloin could also be used but it is a more expensive cut. 

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

2 and 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons (~ 4 garlic cloves) garlic cut into large dice

Some extra virgin olive oil for brushing

Method

Cut the pork into 1.18" X 0.78" X 0.39" (3cm X 2cm X 1cm).  The idea is to cut them such that the pork cubes will cook evenly and at about the same time. A thickness of 0.39" (1cm) is ideal as it is thin enough to ensure that the pork is cooked through.

Mix the remaining ingredients with the pork. Cover, refrigerate and marinate at least 6hrs and up to 36 hours.

As soon as you have refrigerated the pork, determine how many bamboo skewers you would need to thread the pork cubes and soak them in water. You don't want to risk the skewers burning.

10 minutes before you are ready to cook the pork, remove from the refrigerator and thread the pork cubes onto the skewers. Skewer them according to uniform thickness and do not pack them too tight to allow for even cooking. Pour marinade over them.

However you choose to cook the pork, it will cook through faster than you think. If overcooked, they will be hard and dry. Watch carefully, take them off the heat earlier than you think. If undercooked, you can return to the fire, if overcooked, you can't do a thing.

Just before grilling, coat the skewered pork with some extra virgin olive oil.

If using a panini grill

More often than not, I use my panini grill to cook the pork. It has adjustable top and bottom heating elements and grill marks. I turn both top and bottom elements to medium high heat on to medium-high heat.

It takes about 2 minutes to cook through.

If using an oven grill

If you are going to use your oven grill (top heat only), turn it on medium-high, closer to high. 

The meat should be 4" below the heating element. 

After ~ 4 minutes, I turn them.  It takes another ~ 3 - 4 minutes. 

Watch them carefully, do not move away. They should look browned

If using stovetop

Heat up a large frying (or grill) pan on medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the skewered pork. Do not overcrowd the pan.

If you do not have a fry pan large enough to fit the skewers, forget the skewers and fry the pork cubes directly in the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan.

Once the circumferences of the pork cubes have turned opaque, ~ 2 - 2.5 minutes, turn the pork over. 

Lower the heat to medium. It should take another ~ 2 - 2.5 minutes on this side, maybe less.

Best way to check that the pork is cooked through?

Unfortunately, a thermometer won't work as the pork is only 1cm thick.

Make a mental note of the first skewer that you place on your cooking vessel. The pork on it would in all likelihood be the ones to cook through first.

The surface of the pork should have either turned opaque or browned. When you prod of the pork cube, it will feel firm. Too firm however means it is over cooked.

When, I am unsure if the pork has cooked through, I use my kitchen scissors and make a cut through the thickest-looking cube of pork. 

If you have any pan juices left on your cooking vessel, pour it over the pork. If you have any raw marinade left, bring it to boil and pour over the cooked pork pieces.

Best served hot with some Tzatziki or to make pork gyros.

Tips

• The pork must be marinated and it must be marinated at least 6 hours. I had tried a recipe which called for the meat to be marinated just before it was cooked. The flavour of those kebabs were pretty bland and really not worth eating.
• You could marinate the meat and leave it in the freezer until you are ready to use them.
• Any leftover pork can be sliced thinly and be made into very good sandwiches. I heat up a frying pan until hot, drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil and throw in the kebab slices to brown and warm quickly for a satisfying hot sandwich.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                 

Santorini Fava. Even though it is called 'fava', it is not made from fava beans but a yellow split pea. Mention Santorini Fava and Greeks know exactly what to expect. A plate of smooth dip made with Santorini's famous yellow split peas, sprinkled with chopped onions, capers, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. 

My Greek inspired meze! 

First row. Left to right: Slow Cooked Octopus In A Sherry Vinegar Garlic Marinade, Moussaka - Baked Casserole Of Eggplants, Tomatoey Meat Topped With A Creamy White Sauce, Santorini Fava A Delicious Yellow Split Peas Dip, Marinated Grilled Peppers With Fig Balsamic Cream

Second row. Left to right: Greek Inspired Harissa-Style Hot Chilli Sauce To Go With Olives, 5 Minutes Grilled Cheese Meze, Santorini Tomatoey Tomato Balls/Fritters

Third row. Left to right: Crispy Whitebait And Sweet Onions Disk, Pork Souvlaki Kebabs Skewers, Tzatziki A Cucumber Yogurt Dip,  Oh So Soft Pita Bread

Tzatziki And Shopping & Eating At Athens Central Market

Hi! I'm now working from Wordpress. I've edited this post there, reformatted it so that it is much easier to read & follow my recipe. This link will take your directly to the recipe:

Tzatziki and Shopping And Eating At Athens Central Market

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

This cooling yogurt cucumber dip pairs well with almost anything. It is especially good with anything fried - fritters, patties, a bag of chips, pakoras and if you are feeling healthy, perhaps with crudites. I like it as a spread on my fish fingers sandwich. 

For just the recipe, skip the chatter and scroll down.

This Greek dip, Tzatziki, was made with Greek cucumbers bought from the Central Market (Varvakios Agora) in Athens. 

I was in Greece in June and whilst in Athens, I would walk to the Central Market everyday. I love food in all forms. No holiday is complete without a trip to the local markets and supermarkets. I can spend hours looking at food.

I bought an extra luggage just to bring these Greek produce home.
It was money well spent.

The Central Market runs along Athinas Street closer to Omonia subway station. It houses dedicated areas for selling vegetables and fruits, seafood and meat. 

Dotted throughout the peripheral of these three fresh produce areas and fanning out into adjoining side roads are the many shops selling: herbs and spices, desserts, sweets, kitchen sundries, all kinds of nuts and grains, charcuteries, cured fish, olives, cheeses, bakeries, egg vendors... the variety is quite mind boggling.

There was a particularly fascinating herb and spice store located a short distance from the main thoroughfare. In that narrow shop space was a smorgasbod of all the herbs and spices you could possibly want. I even saw a large bag on the floor filled with brown coloured, plastic display sausage links for sale. That was odd.

The shop had easily over 20 varieties of dried fruits for sale, plenty of which I had to ask for help identifying. 

The store helper was generous with dishing out tasting sample. I ended up buying generous bags of dates, very rarely seen golden berries, some beet coloured fruit strips which I now cannot recall what they are, the best dried raspberries, apricots and figs. The raspberries are especially good and I have hidden them in the depths of my refrigerator lest someone in the family discovers them and finishes those sweet and tart tasty nuggets all in one sitting.

I have been wanting to make Kaimaki ice cream. It is a Greek egg-free ice cream with a distinctive stretchy texture. To get this stretchy texture, I must have sahlep, a ground wild orchid root which is very hard to come by (and expensive - it can't be cultivated) if you are not living in the middle east. Even within the market, I had to go in and out of at least 5 spice shops before I found it in this tiny shop.

It was tucked away with the mastic gum and mahlep, spices that are also difficult to obtain if you are not in Greece. 

I exited the shop with 2 large bags of goodies and a smile on my face. My shopping partner for the day wasn't too thrilled though. I did however, make it all good by dropping in at Mokka.

The very best Turkish coffee served with a cube of wobbly Turkish Delight.

It serves very good black coffee, cafe latte and certainly the best Turkish coffee. As you walk out from the meat market, it should be to the left, on Athinas Street. Click on the Mokka link, browse their history and wonder no longer why their coffee is superior. I would frequent it everyday, sometimes twice a day. At times, I would order both a cafe latte and Turkish coffee. I especially miss the Turkish coffee.

Always busy and always good coffee.

There is an excellent place to have lunch within the area. That's if, you can find the eatery. There is no signboard and the eatery doesn't even have a name. Even worse, it is in a basement and you really can't see it from the road level.

Thomas, a driver/tour guide we had engaged to take us to the seaport town of Nafplio had recommended we try the no frills food cooked by an elderly gentleman. The latter has been cooking there longer than anyone can remember.

His eatery is located at one end of the vegetable market in a building that looks close to collapsing. 

In the picture below, the market is to the right. If I recall correctly, this end of the vegetable market is where you would find the dumpster. Doesn't sound like a promising start I know but stay focus and just walk past it. Cross the road and walk confidently down the short flight of stairs.

Thomas said the food tasted as good as home cooked and perhaps even better. So how could I not try?

Walk down the stairs and you will see the
pretty sight of copper coloured wine decanters
albeit rather precariously stacked.  Look a bit further back and lined
up against the back wall will be 8 wine barrels. They are not for
show. They are filled with house wine!  

This place has all of 10 little tables and whatever the friendly, white haired chef decides to cook for the day is what you will have to eat. You walk past the wine barrels and there on the concrete counter (to the left background of the picture above) will be covered aluminium pots of lunch. The counter is tiny but he can fit quite a few pots in that space!

The chef removes the pot lids, you smile and nod if you would like it and he continues to uncover all his pots to show you whatever else he has cooked up. Such an uncomplicated way of ordering. Who needs menus when there is a more effective way of deciding what you would like served to you?

And how was the food? I would eat there everyday if I could! Simple dishes cooked immaculately. The chickpeas were delicate and well flavoured. No overpowering of any one herb or spice. 

I could taste the different flavours of every piece of vegetable in the vegetable stew and each was cooked to the perfect texture. This is quite a feat as this dish is easily overcooked.

The sardines in lemon and garlic was lovely and the chef managed to bury a whole slab of feta in that mountain high plate of salad which was simply dressed with extra virgin olive oil, dried oregano, pepper and salt.

I wished I had tummy space to try all the other dishes he had prepared that day. There must have been at least another 5 dishes. Pity this place is only open for lunch. Perhaps, it is just as well, the way I was eating in Greece, if there was no restraint, I would have returned home the size of a blimp.

This is the third in a series of 10 meze recipes that were inspired by my recent holiday in Greece. Click here, Greek Meze, Another Selection Of Wonderful Little Bites. For your easy reference, scroll down to the end of the post and you will find a table spread of all the 10 meze, the names of the meze and links to recipes that I have already posted.

TZATZIKI AND SHOPPING & EATING AT ATHENS CENTRAL MARKET

Prep:	15 minutes
Cook:	-
Inactive:	5 minutes
Level:	Easy
Makes:	~ 1 and 1/2 cups
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Keeps well covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.

Just the ingredients 4oz (113g) cucumber 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 +1/8 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 + 1/8  teaspoon minced fresh dill 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 cup teaspoon salt 1 and 1/4 cup greek yogurt   Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Ingredients

4oz (113g) cucumber

I use cucumbers labelled as 'Japanese or Kyuri Cucumbers'. They are about 1" (2.5 cm) in diameter and about 10" (20.5 cm) in length.  Skins and seeds which are underdeveloped can be eaten. 

If you don't have access to these, you would mostly likely have to peel your cucumbers and if the seeds are large and unpalatable, get rid of the seeds as well. 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 +1/8 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 + 1/8  teaspoon minced fresh dill 

Need ideas to use up leftover dill? Scroll down to 'Tips'.

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup teaspoon salt

1 and 1/4 cup greek yogurt 

If you cannot get greek yogurt, you would need to strain the yogurt to drain off excess whey. What you would end up with is a thick and creamy 'yogurt cheese'. To find out how to make yogurt cheese, view my post, Labneh, Thick Creamy Yogurt Cheese.

Need ideas to use up leftover yogurt? Scroll down to 'Tips'.

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Method

If the cucumber has thick skin, peel it off and discard. If the cucumber seeds are large, scoop them out and discard.

Grate the cucumber into short strips. I keep mine between 1 - 2 cm long.

Sprinkle the 1/4 teaspoon salt over the cucumber and set aside for 5 minutes.

Squeeze the cucumber to get rid of excess liquid. Be gentle. You don't want to squeeze it bone dry. I usually end up with slightly over 2 Tablespoons of cucumber.

Place in a large bowl, the cucumber, minced garlic, minced dill, ground black pepper and yogurt. Fold in all the ingredients. 

Add salt to taste. You may not have to add all 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Adjust the other seasonings/ingredients: pepper, garlic, dill to suit your taste. 

The tzatziki I had in Greece was always thicker than what is usually served outside of Greece. If you like it thinner, just add cold water or milk. I know of quite a few people outside of Greece who like to add sour cream. Some recipes will ask for either vinegar or lemon which I don't find necessary.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil if you like. I like it without.

Tips

What to do with leftover dill?

Use them in my Smoked Salmon With Dill Butter Tea Sandwich. Click on the link and you will find more suggestions to use up the dill.

A literal bed of Smoked Salmon with Dill Butter Sandwiches

What to do with leftover labneh (yogurt cheese)?

You could make these lovely dessert. Just drizzle little bowls of labneh with honey or soft brown sugar or spoon over my simple 30-minute strawberry jam. Terribly easy and so satisfying to eat.

 What to do with leftover yogurt?

If what you have is yogurt (undrained), then make yourself some ice cold yogurt drink in whatever flavour you like!

Help yourself to a yogurt drink. There's Condensed Milk With Vanilla, 
Strawberry, Mango, Apple and Peach.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                 
Since you now have the recipe for Tzatziki, you must have my recipe for these Greek pork kebabs, Souvlaki. They go hand in hand and if you were to make gyros, you must have a recipe for Tzatziki. You cannot have one recipe without the other.

In Greece, pork is the meat of choice for these grilled nuggets. Chicken also works well. Whatever your meat option, this uncomplicated recipe will have your meat tasting lemony, garlicky with a good flavour of dried oregano, black pepper and extra virgin olive oil. There, that's really pretty much the recipe.

My Greek inspired meze!

First row. Left to right: Slow Cooked Octopus In A Sherry Vinegar Garlic Marinade, Moussaka - Baked Casserole Of Eggplants, Tomatoey Meat Topped With A Creamy White Sauce, Santorini Fava A Delicious Yellow Split Peas Dip, Marinated Grilled Peppers With Fig Balsamic Cream

Second row. Left to right: Greek Inspired Harissa-Style Hot Chilli Sauce To Go With Olives, 5 Minutes Grilled Cheese Meze, Santorini Tomatoey Tomato Balls/Fritters

Third row. Left to right: Crispy Whitebait And Sweet Onions Disk, Pork Souvlaki Kebabs Skewers, Tzatziki A Cucumber Yogurt Dip,  Oh So Soft Pita Bread