Fasting recipes for Lent

Greek Koulourakia
These soft koulourakia are made with light olive oil (not butter or eggs) sugar, cinnamon, cloves, orange juice, grated orange zest and ouzo. They are aromatic and delicious, perfect to share with friends and family, with a Greek coffee or a cup of tea! If you like nuts, then rolled the biscuits in chopped flaked almonds or leave them plain.

Makes 22

250ml light olive oil or vegetable oil or mix
125g caster sugar
250ml fresh orange juice
Grated zest 1 orange
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tbsp Ouzo, Raki or Mastic liqueur
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground nutmeg
450g plain flour, approx
1 tsp baking powder
Topping
100g sesame seeds
1 tbsp Nigella seeds
1 tbsp anise seeds
Or a handful of chopped blanched almonds

Mix sesame seeds, Nigella and anise seeds together and rinse them in very hot water and allow them to drain until you prepare your koulourakia. When ready to use, place them on a large plate.
Mix orange juice with bicarbonate of soda.
In a large bowl whisk the oil, sugar, orange juice. Mix bicarbonate of soda, orange zest and ouzo together. Add the spices and baking powder and start mixing the flour a little at a time until it comes together until you have a soft but not sticky dough. Cover and rest for 15 min.
Preheat the oven to 175-180C.
Line a large baking sheet or two small ones with parchment paper.
Break dough into egg-size pieces and roll them into thick sausage shape or fat fingers to about 12cm long.
Roll them in the sesame seeds mixture and place them on the prepared trays, not too close together. Bake for 30 min or until cooked and lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely and store in airtight container or in a large glass jar.
If you like them crunchy, put back in a very low oven 140C until they dry out, about 20-30 minutes.

Vegan Stuffed Pointed Red Peppers
These delicious sweet red stuffed pointed peppers are delicious and well worth making! The toasted almonds give them a crunchy texture and the honey gives them a lovely sweetness.

For the peppers
2 tbsp olive oil
8 large thick pointed red peppers
1 cup Carolina or risotto rice
2 large shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 large tomato, grated
2 tbsp honey
1 cup water
½ tsp Aleppo chilli or paprika
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp golden raisins
2 tbsp roasted peeled almonds, coarsely chops
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped dill
For cooking
200ml warm water
1 tbsp tomato purée
Salt & pepper
Olive oil

Cut the tops off the peppers and carefully remove the seeds. Place them in a baking dish.
In a frying pan, sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft.
Add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, then add the grated tomato, honey, chilli or paprika, salt and pepper.
Pour in the hot water and simmer for 5-6 minutes, until the rice absorbs most of the liquid but remains slightly juicy (not dry).
Remove from heat and fold in the raisins, almonds, parsley, and dill.
With a small dessert spoon with a long-handle stuff the peppers leaving a little room for the rice to expand.
Dilute the tomato purée in the warm water and pour into the bottom of the dish. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 35-40 minutes. Increase the oven to 200C and bake for a further 15 minutes until beautifully cooked and slightly caramelised.
Serve at room temperature.

Cuttlefish Cooked in Red Wine

Cuttlefish may resemble squid, but it is shorter and plumper almost like a squid with a round belly. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavour, similar to squid or octopus. You can use squid if you prefer, but it will need less cooking.
A favourite in both Cyprus and Greece, cuttlefish is prepared in many ways. However, cooking it slowly with plenty of sliced onions in a rich red wine sauce is a true Cypriot speciality. This recipe comes from my dear mother, Anna Solomonides of Avgorou village. She called it Kathisto (sitting), referring to the gentle, slow cooking method.

1kg frozen baby cuttlefish, defrosted
1kg onions, halved and thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
150ml olive oil
1 large glass dry red wine
100ml red wine-vinegar
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
3 allspice berries
1 star anise
1 tsp sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
250ml warm water
½-1 tsp sea salt flakes
To finish
Chopped fresh parsley

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the sliced onions and fry over high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly before adding the cuttlefish. Cook until it changes colour and releases its natural juices.
Stir in the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and allspice, followed by the tomato purée. Mix well. Pour in the red wine and allow it to boil for a few minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar and freshly ground black pepper. Do not add salt at this stage, as it can make the cuttlefish tough. Add 200ml hot water and bring to the boil.
Cover the pan, leaving a little opening on the side, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cuttlefish is tender.
By this stage, the sauce should have reduced to a rich, deep red colour. Season to taste with salt and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Serve warm with rice or steamed potatoes or chips. It is equally delicious served cold with toasted bread.

Loulla’s book My Kosmos My Kitchen can be ordered from www.amazon.com or www.austinmacauley.com/book/my-kosmos-my-kitchen. For more traditional Greek and Cypriot recipes and inspiration, join Loulla’s Facebook group Loulla’s Recipe Share