Bulgarian Eggplant Spread (Kiopoolu)

1 1/2 pounds eggplant, washed

5-6 tablespoons sunflower oil or olive oil

6 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp red-wine vinegar

3/4 tsp salt, more or less to taste

Roast the eggplants until blackened. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove skins. Use a fork to puree the eggplants until smooth. Don’t use a food processor! Slowly pour in the sunflower/olive oil and process until well incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients – stir well. Season to taste with salt and vinegar. Serve at room temperature with breads. Serve with heirloom tomatoes, red onions slices and some olives Decorate with flat parsley. 

Coconut Pie

Makes one 9x1-inch (23x2,5cm) or one 7,5x2-inch (19x2cm) Removable Tart Pan.

Coconut Crust

1.7 cups (150g) shredded coconut, unsweetened

1 vanilla bean, scrap put the seeds and 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract

¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

1 tbsp (10g) corn or potato starch

1.3 Tbsp (20 ml) light corn syrup or honey

1 tsp (5g) baking powder

2 ea. (60g) egg whites

1 Tbsp rum

Method

Grease the tart pan with cooking spray or softened butter and flour. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the rum and stir well again. Using a spoon spread the coconut mixture evenly into bottom of the tart pan and all the way up to the sides. Fill with the coconut custard and leave the mixture to set for few hours. That way the coconut mixture will absorb the liquid. 

Baking

Set the oven rack adjusted to the middle position with a baking sheet or a pizza stone; this will allow the pie to get a nice browned bottom.

Bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature then refrigerate or freeze a couple hours; the coconut pie must completely chilled before unmolding. Top with the saved toasted coconut. This coconut macaroon pie can be stored at room temperature for 2 days, up to 4 days in the or kept frozen for weeks. This pie should be served at room temperature.

Inspired by Bruno Albouze's Coconut Macaroon Pie

Stuffed vine leaves with mushrooms, raisins and walnuts

Ingredients

1 jar preserved grape leaves

1-1.5 cups rice

1 leek (or 1 big onion), finely minced

1 medium carrot, grated

5-7 mushrooms, chopped small

olive oil

3.5 cups water (or 2 cups stock and 1,5 cups water)

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp dry mint

1 tsp paprika

sea salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Sautee the leek/onion in a bit of olive oil on medium heat until golden. Add the grated carrot and sautee for 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sautee for another 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and continue to sautee for another 3-4 minutes. Pour 3 cups of water and simmer until the liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in the raisins, the walnuts, the dry herbs and the seasoning. Allow to cool for few minutes. Begin stuffing the vine leaves: spread the vine leaf (rough side up) on a chopping board on in your palm, add about 1 tbsp of filling to the center, fold the bottom part on top of the filling then fold the sides on top of the filling, and gently (yet firmly) roll it upwards to seal it. Preheat the oven at 350F. Continue with the rest of the vine leaves and as you make them, tightly pack them in a pan lined with vine leaves. Once you finish rolling and filling, use some leftover vine leaves to cover the stuffed ones in the pan. Sprinkle with some olive oil and add ½ cup stock or water. Bake until done.

Best served hot with yogurt or fresh lemon juice and parsley.

Golden Fish Pie

Ingredients

1kg potatoes

1 lemon

40g unsalted butter

400g frozen peas

2 carrots

2 onions

olive oil

500ml semi-skimmed milk

2 x 150g frozen salmon fillets

2 x 100g frozen white fish fillets

65g plain flour

100g frozen spinach

125g frozen cooked 
peeled prawns

1 heaped teaspoon 
English mustard

40g cheddar cheese

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks, then put them into a large pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and mash with a pinch of salt and pepper, the zest from the lemon and the butter. Place the frozen peas in a colander, pour over some boiling water to defrost them, then drain well and pulse a few times in a food processor. Fold them through the mashed potato, then leave to one side.

Peel and chop the carrots and onions and cook them in a large ovenproof pan (roughly 30cm in diameter) with a lug of oil for 15 minutes, or until softened but not colored, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a pan on a medium heat. Once simmering, add the frozen fish fillets for around 10 minutes, or until cooked through, then use a slotted spoon to remove them to a plate, taking the pan off the heat.

Stir the flour into the carrots and onions, then gradually add the milk, a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously. Stir in the spinach until broken down, then season to perfection. Flake in the fish fillets (carefully remove and discard the skin if the fillets have it), add the prawns, mustard and the juice from half the lemon, grate in the Cheddar and stir gently to combine. Top with the pea-spiked mash and smooth out, scuffing it up slightly with a fork to give it great texture. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until beautifully golden.