MARATHOKEFTEDES

They are delicious hot or cold, a fantastic super easy to prepare and make, a great vegan meal.

The key ingredient for this tasty fritter is Fennel

Veggies: A gift of mother earth! A rich palette of flavours and textures!

The Greek word for fennel is marathon.

Ancient Greeks believed fennel increased longevity, strength and courage.

Marathokeftedes or Fennel Fritters are an easy, traditional Cretan and Greek vegetarian Meze.

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped fennel.

1 cup onions, chopped finely (spring onions or dry)

1 1/2 cup plain flower.

1 cup water

1 cup olive oil for frying

Salt and pepper

Method:

Chop fennel and place in a bowl.

Combine flour and water until a sticky mixture begins to form.

Add chopped fennel,

onions,

season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine.

Place oil in a frying pan to coat the base of the pan and heat over medium heat.

Step 1:

Place heaped teaspoons of mixture, slightly flatten out

Step 2:

They are easy to turn, even though the mixture is quite soft.

Step 3:

In 2-3 minutes turn them the other side live them for 2-3 minutes again and turn them over again.

Step 4:

Leave them for 2-3 more minutes until golden brown and turn them again.

Step 5:

3 minutes later take them out of the pan.

They are ready! Tender on the inside and delightfully crunchy on the outside.

Served as they are or with some feta cheese or few olives, these fritters are irresistible!

ENJOY!

Questions? Contact Mr. George Portokalakis at: info@portoclub.gr

BIG SAVINGS FOR SMALL GROUPS!

Great for travelling with friends and family!

GREECE 2015

Travel 5 and Pay 4

FOOD, WINE AND COOKING HOLIDAYS IN CRETE

Guided Cooking Tour of Crete Explores Island’s Local Cuisine and Ancient Culture

This holiday is for people who would like to learn some basic skills in preparing the famous Cretan Mediterranean Vegetarian Cuisine. They will gain hands on experience through class participation.

Participants will learn various cooking methods, the big protein question, what foods replace meat, how to balance their diet, eat nutritiously, meal planning tips, and where to shop for ingredients.

Dear friends,

Porto Club and Paleologos S. A want to thank you for your past patronage, as a thank you to you, we are delighted to offer an Exclusive Guest Offer.

Travel 5 and Pay 4:

Take advantage of the special discount for the superb cooking holiday in Crete on April, May, June, October and November, 2015.

Five different available dates/weeks have been chosen from our side for you. Each of these dates is based on maximum eight (8) persons (individuals, couples or families).

Dates: April 19-25, May 03-09, June 28- July 04, October 04- 10, November.01-07, 2015

REGULAR RATE: ~~$3328~~

SPECIAL RATE: $3060*

$3060 per person for a small group of 5 traveler package

You travel 5 but you pay for 4: $3060 X 4 = $12240 instead the $16640 value and save $4400

This special offer is addressed to small groups of 5 people specially and any other you feel like to invite friend or family.

Additionally! No need to pay now! Keep your money for longer. This is how it works: there's no need to pay for the entire holiday course up front – all you do is pay a small deposit of $800 now, and then pay the remainder in cash by arrival at the airport when we meet each other the day of arrival in Crete …
We can really promise of a wonderful week.

FOOD AND WINE HOLIDAY IN GREECE: 14 Days Culinary travel in Central and Northern Greece with Accommodations, All meals, Wineries visits and tasting and Excursions

A CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL JOURNEY THROUGH FOOD AND WINE

This vacation will be so much more than tasting fine wines and eating. You'll meet many of the locals, be touched by how warm and welcoming they are and by their passion for their region their wines and their food. It will be a truly local and memorable experience where you'll go home having made many New Greek friends!

Travel 5 and Pay 4:

Take advantage of the special discount for the superb wine and food holiday in Central and Northern Greece SPRING AND FALL 2015: April, May, June, October and November, 2015.

Five different available dates have been chosen from our side for you. Each of these dates is based on maximum eight (8) persons (individuals, couples or families).

Dates: April 03-17, May 10-23, June 01 -14, October 11- 24, November.08-21, 2015

REGULAR RATE: ~~$5989~~ (For One Person, Double Occupancy)

SPECIAL RATE: $5500*

$5500 per person for a small group of 5 traveler package

You travel 5 but you pay for 4: $5500 X 4 = $22000 instead the $29945 value and save $7945

This special offer is addressed to small groups of 5 people specially and any other you feel like to invite friend or family.

Additionally! No need to pay now! Keep your money for longer. This is how it works: there's no need to pay for the entire holiday course up front – all you do is pay a small deposit of $1500 now, and then pay the remainder in cash by arrival at the airport when we meet each other the day of arrival in Greece …

We can really promise of a wonderful holiday.

REVITHÁDA: SLOW BAKED CHICKPEAS WITH TOMATO, ONIONS, OLIVE OIL AND OREGANO

by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP:

In Crete and Aegean islands like Sifnos and Kalimnos chick pea (revithia in Greek) stews are a favourite dish all year long.

In this recipe the slow baking is what makes chick peas really tender, so tasty, and easy to digest.

It is simple and worth trying.

HOW TO DO IT!

The night before, place your dried chickpeas in a bowl and enough water to cover the chickpeas by about 2 inches.

The next morning, strain and rinse your chickpeas and reserve.

Boil the chickpeas until just tender (about 1 hour).

and then bake them in the oven with tomato and onion rings afterward.

You need:
1 cup dry chickpeas (150 gr)

The night before, place your dried chickpeas in a bowl and enough water to cover the chickpeas by about 2 inches.

Next day, strain and rinse them

and add them to a pot. Add water to cover them and simmer till cooked, about 1 hour.

Place tomato rings at the bottom of the baking pot first.

Add the chick peas on top of the tomatos,

and arrange second lay of the tomato rings over them.

The onion rings over the tomatoes,

Olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano,

50-60 gr olive oil (1/3 of a cup or wine glass or 5 table spoons)

Boiling water- about 2/3 of a cup (100 gr)

Now add boiling water as needed just to cover the chick peas.

Cover with the top of the pot and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 200 degrees.

An hour later remove the top

and cook the chickpeas, uncovered, for 30 more minutes until tender.

Serve the dish hot, warm or even at room temperature with some feta cheese , crusty bread, olives, or as it is, plain!
Its just delicious!

ENJOY!
Questions? Feel free to contact: info@portoclub.gr

PLASTOS:

A PIE FOR FASTING, A PIE FOR VEGANS

COOKING FOR 1:

HOME VEGAN COOKING

by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP:

Hello,

Through my recipes I want to impart my knowledge about Cretan and Greek Traditional Mediterranean foods and nutrition, in general.

I am doing my best giving you simple recipes, easy to make methods for the lazy and impatient ones.

The "Plastos" is basically a savoury pie of greens and cornmeal crust known throughout

Greece

with various names.

It is a corn bread a cross between bread and a type of pie. Mixture of greens in between the corn meal, (sandwich style) water and olive oil to create wonderful and filling bread. The filling is similar to spinach pie/spanakopita, but with a little more variety.

Very easy to make and the final result is delicious,healthy, nothing short from perfect.

In this recipe I used few herbs and greens easy to find in Crete having flat leafs as lapatha (sorrel), wild leeks, fennel, dill, and onion - you can replace lapatha with spinach – but don’t forget leeks / fennel / dill and onion. Those ones give the taste and perfection!