photo credit: Duru…

Now who so ever thinks that men shirk cooking need to meet Anand, an entrepreneur and a geek. He likes to cook whenever time permits and I am happy he could take time to share this recipe with me…

• 2 stalks celery, thickly sliced on the diagonal
• 1/4 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut into chunks
• 1 cup (250 mL) cubes Canadian Mozzarella cheese or crumbled Canadian Feta
• cheese
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) baby carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp/2 mL dried)
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each, salt and pepper (approx.)
• 1 cup (250 mL) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Combine celery, cucumber, cheese, carrots, oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or container.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 2 days.
3. Stir in tomatoes and check seasoning, adding more salt and pepper to taste just before serving. Tomatoes should never be refrigerated so adding them to the salad just before serving preserves their flavor and texture.
4. Add 1/4 cup (50 mL) black or green olives with the vegetables, if desired.

Meet Anand….

Anand Subramanian who is a full time blogger and Internet marketer from Cochin, Kerala. Thanks Anand for the recipe!

While in Greece  Q and myself  got hosted by lovely Katherine called  Kay by her friends. After a long trip to stunning Zagora village (famous for Zagorin apples) in the mountain called Pelion; as we all settled down Kay quickly tossed a salad and served it with some Cipuro ( a stronger version of Ouzo).  How can I describe this Greek salad called Dakos but it to say – DELCIOUS!!And how much we all had!

However, there is a small hitch… One ingredient that gives character to this salad is the Dried bread (called rusk in Greece). I am yet to see this kind of bread in India. The rusk we get here is toasted, faintly sweet and goes well with tea and coffee. So, I might have to wait before I get to have next share of Dakos…no wait may be my newly acquired bread machine can do some magic…hmm goto start experimenting soon!

Meanwhile, herez the recipes for Greek salad called Dakos for those who have all ingredients readily available..

There is no hard a fast rule on the measurements of the ingredients…afterall its a salad! Just toss how much ever you want!

1. Soak the dried bread (rusk) in water and squeeze out the water once the bread is semi soft
2. Toss sliced onions, cubed tomatoes, sliced pepper, black olives, fetta cheese, capers, crushed garlic (optional), oregano and olive oil
3. Mix all and serve

Isnt that insanely simple!? A must try out…

Till next time….happy cooking!

Meet Kay…a retired Librarian, enthusiatic and adventours, warm and gentle and our super host in Thessaloniki. Her taste in home decor can be interesting topic of discussion. Her passion shows in her beautifully done dream house!