Hope you enjoyed seeing the super moon / blue moon last night.
The last time we had two super full moons in one month was in 2018, and the next time it will happen will be in 2037.
Mark your calendars!
Other than the super moons life has been getting back to normal here in Winnipeg.
Folklorama had its usual 40 pavilions divided evenly between two weeks in August.
Back in the 70s all 40 pavilions put on their shows in one week and we managed to see them all.
Now we’re in our 70s, and visiting two pavilions one week and two pavilions the next was more than enough excitement for us.
We started our whirlwind tour with a visit to the Greek Pavilion.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Greek food.
When my parents and I immigrated to America we travelled on a Greek ship.
I was only three months old at the time, but maybe somewhere in my subconscious I still remember the smell of the food.
Ma sometimes made Greek bread instead of her Maltese bread for a little variety
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Shawarma is usually made with meat cooked on a vertical spit, then thinly sliced and served in a flatbread or pita.
Gyro means to turn and doesn’t refer to turning vertically or horizontally.
Ma had a rotisserie in her kitchen and she decided meat cooked on a rotisserie would also makes a nice gyro or shawarma, as well as a sandwich.
When covid started in 2020 sourdough bread suddenly became very popular.
Pita Bread and Flatbread are a lot easier to make and don’t require special equipment.
If you don’t have a dough hook attachment just mix the ingredients in a large bowl and knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured board for about 5-7 minutes.
The dough should feel smooth and elastic. You can add more flour to keep the dough from sticking, but it’s better to use too little than too much flour.
After the first rise, knead by hand and let the dough rest before forming into loaves.
Strong bread flour, another name for bread flour, is made from hard wheat and has more protein, from 12 to 14 percent, which gives you bread that rises higher and has a more chewy texture. You can substitute all purpose flour, cup for cup, and the recipe will be fine.
You don’t have to wait for Folklorama to get a little variety in your menu.
Donairs, wraps filled with spiced ground beef or lamb and vegetables, were created by Peter Gamoulakos, a Greek who emigrated to Halifax, Nova Scotia in the 1950s.
His traditional gyros didn't sell, so he changed the recipe and a new favourite was born.
Feel free to go creative!
Hints:
About the Chicken Shawarma…
Chicken thighs are better than chicken breasts for high-heat cooking since they stay juicy.
You can also serve the chicken cold in a salad, or you can reheat by wrapping in foil, and heating at 375º F for 20 minutes.
About the Shawarma Sauce…
It can be made a couple of days ahead.
You can replace the tahini with nut butter (peanut/almond/cashew) for a nutty taste.
Or you can take half a cucumber, slice and squeeze out to remove most of the liquid, then chop finely and add to the sauce for a tzatziki style dressing.
About the Easy Chicken Gyros…
Use a small shallow roasting tin to keep the stock from evaporating.
You can also serve the chicken cold with coleslaw instead of tzatziki.
About the Flatbread….
Flatbreads are thicker and chewier than tortillas or pita breads.
They stay soft and pliable, even when cold, and are perfect for Gyros or with kebabs.
To make ahead, cool them, then place loaves on a pan and cover with foil.
They should keep at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for 4 days.
To freeze place in a freezer bag with parchment between each to keep from sticking.
Defrost at room temperate before serving.
To warm place in a single layer on a baking tray, sprinkle with a little water and place, uncovered, in the oven at 350º F for 2-3 minutes.
About the Pita bread…
Cast iron gives you the best results.
As each loaf cooks, the internal steam creates the pocket. Usually one area bubbles up. Press on this area with your spatula, gently, to coax the steam toward the unrisen areas.
No pocket forming? You now have a warm loaf of flatbread, best eaten while still warm.
Stacking the pitas helps to keep them soft.
To freezer allow them to cool completely, then store in a zip-top plastic bag.
To reheat wrap in foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until hot, soft, and pliable.
Chicken Shawarma
Place in a large bowl
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Cut into bite-sized pieces
8 chicken thighs
Place in bowl of spiced oil and stir to coat well.
Cover bowl, place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for an hour (overnight is better).
Shawarma Sauce
Place in a container that has a lid
1 Cup Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons tahini (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dill
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Combine well, cover and refrigerate.
Have on hand for serving
4 warmed flatbreads
a few lettuce leaves, shredded
1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cucumber, sliced into rounds, then quartered
When you are ready to prepare the shawarma lightly oil a frying pan.
Heat over medium high heat.
Turning regularly, fry the chicken pieces for 6 to10 minutes, until cooked.
Place the warmed flatbreads on 4 plates and divide the prepared vegetables among them.
Place the cooked chicken on top of the vegetables.
Drizzle the shawarma sauce over the chicken, roll up the flatbreads and serve.
Easy Chicken Gyros
Combine in a small bowl
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Add and stir until well blended
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon honey
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
Have on hand for broiling
1/4 Cup chicken stock
Have on hand for serving
4 warmed flatbreads
a few lettuce leaves, shredded
1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cucumber, sliced into rounds, then quartered
Tzatziki sauce
1/4 teaspoon oregano
Shred the meat from a rotisserie chicken into a bowl.
Add the spice mixture and toss together until the chicken is coated.
Spread the shredded chicken in an even layer in a small baking pan.
Preheat the broiler on high.
Place the chicken under the broiler and broil for 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove pan from broiler. Spoon half of the chicken stock over the chicken.
Toss chicken and return to broiler for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove pan from broiler. Spoon the remaining stock over the chicken.
Toss the chicken and return to broiler for a final 2 minutes.
Remove pan from broiler and turn off the broiler.
Place the warmed flatbreads on 4 plates and divide the prepared vegetables among them.
Spoon the chicken on top of the vegetables down the centre of the flatbreads.
Spoon tzatziki sauce over the chicken, top with oregano, roll up the flatbreads and serve.
Pita Bread
Makes 8 large loaves or 16 small loaves
Place in large bowl of stand mixer
6 Cups flour (strong bread flour works best)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons yeast
Whisk together and place the bowl in the mixer.
Add
1/3 Cup plain yogurt
2 1/2 Cups lukewarm water
1/4 Cup olive oil
Using the dough hook attachment, mix at low speed, stopping the mixer at intervals and push the dough down off the hook, for about 6 minutes until a smooth, soft dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and form into a smooth ball.
Put 1 teaspoon oil in the mixer bowl, and roll the dough ball around to lightly coat.
Place bowl in a warm location, then cover with a damp cloth.
Allow dough to rise until about double in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch down and form a log shape.
Divide this into 8 or 16 equal pieces.
Form each piece into a smooth ball, then place the balls on the board.
Brush lightly with oil and cover with plastic wrap.
Allow to rest for 1/2 hour.
Lightly flour work the surface and flatten each ball into a disk.
Lightly flour the top of each disk, and roll with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thick.
Let the loaves rest about 10 minutes.
Wipe the skillet with a little oil then heat the skillet over medium heat, to medium high heat.
Toss a pita between your hands to shake off flour, then lay the loaf flat in the hot skillet.
Wait about 30 seconds and flip. There should be just a few small speckles of brown. If you see black your pan is too hot.
Wait 30 seconds and flip again. Wait until the loaf rises to about 3/4 inch thickness, then flip again.
When the whole loaf puffs up, wait a few seconds, then remove the pita to cool and deflate.
Wipe the skillet with a little oil and repeat with each pita.
Flatbread
12 flatbreads
Place in a large mixer bowl
2 Cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoon yeast
Stir together and let rest for 5 minutes, until foam appears on top.
Add
4 Tablespoons olive oil
6 1/2 Cups flour (strong bread flour works best)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Mix the dough together using the dough hook until combined.
Using the stand mixer’s dough hook knead the dough for 10 minutes.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow to sit for 60-90 minutes, until it has doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces.
Shape the pieces into balls, place on a tray, and cover with a damp cloth.
Lightly flour the work surface.
Take a dough ball and roll into a circle, about 7 1/2 inches in diameter.
Toss the loaf back and forth a couple of times to remove excess flour and set aside.
Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
Brush a medium frying pan with a little oil and place over a medium high heat.
Place a pita in the pan and brush the top lightly with oil.
Cook for about a minute, until bubbles start to appear.
Turn over to cook for another minute.
Place the loaf on a warmed plate and repeat with another pita, brushing the pan with oil after every 3 pitas.
Stack the pitas on a plate, laying a dry cloth over them to keep warm.
