Octopus Love Scrap page

My Octopus Love scrap page, the edge of my fabric from Tula Pinks' Salt Water in the Coral colorway had part of the octopus cut off, so I couldn't use it for my quilt but I thought I could put it on a scrap book page along with a picture of an octopus grilling at a Taverna in Santorini.

Inside is a surprise pull out

For a recipe of my favorite way to cook octopus -  Octapodi Kokkinisto that you can find here. 

It is tied to another piece of Salt Water fabric and connected to a vellum tag sticker that I stamped on.  I also did a few heart stamps on the recipe card itself that is from the Minds Eye paper collection along with the 12x12 cardstock used for the background.

I totally got my inspiration for this pull out from several of the DT's on CCW, thank you so much for making my pages look more interesting, I love the inspiration and creativity I find there.

It was my first time using my sewing machine on paper, I hope I didn't mess up my needle, since I just used my regular sewing needle.

Every Day is a Special Day, is so true and I love the paper I used for the inside.

Every day is special and Every day I cook.

Linking up to Creative Craft World - February Challenge Scrap Map
and Scraptastic - First February Scrap Challenge, Every day life picture (in my instance a recipe)

And linking to a friends blogaversary celebration over at SIMPLESEW, hello Shirley, go check out her blog!

Octapodi Kokkinisto (Red Sauce Octopus) Recipe

Did you know that the name Octopus is from the Greek language.  via New Latin from Greek oktōpous having eight feet χταπόδι.

So I want to share with you an Octopus recipe, it's pretty good, if I say so myself.  When I first moved here I thought it was so funny seeing the frozen octopus's in the freezer section, they are just there all big and well whole, it looks like you could just throw it back into the water and it would start swimming.  Don't worry you don't have to use that kind for this recipe, instead find the ones that are already cleaned and cut up into pieces.

 Here you go:

Octapodi Kokkinisto:  1 person

1 cup chopped octopus
1 red onion- sliced fine
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of tomato sauce (use you favorite pasta sauce)
salt and pepper to taste
optional 1tsp. of Rio Grande Chile (my mom makes it and sells it in New Mexico)

Place the octopus pieces into the correct saucepan. Cover, and cook over medium-high heat until the octopus has released its juices, 10 minutes. Uncover, and continue simmering until the liquid has reduced to 3 to 4 tablespoons,  If the liquid dissipates then add some warm water, when using smaller portions of octopus the water evaporates quicker if you are doing 6 or more cups you probably won't have to add any water.  You want the octopus to cook in the water for at least 20 to 25 minutes this allows it to become tender.

Once the juice has reduced add the onion, olive oil and lemon juice, cook until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and chile seasoning (optional) Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 25 minutes. Cook uncovered for the last 10 minutes if the sauce is too thin.

This recipe is for one person if you want it for 2, then double it, 3, triple it and so on.  And yes it is a whole onion per portion.
Let me know if you try it I would love to hear if you like it.

Greek Style Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie, such a comfort food and fairly easy to make, her is my Greek version.

I buy a whole chicken and use 3/4 of it on a different meal, Fried Chicken or Chicken and Rice in the oven.  I take my 1/4 piece of chicken plus the wings and boil them in water to make a stock.  I do this the night before I want to make my chicken pot pie, once the stock is cooled I pull the meat off of the bones and put aside in a separate container.
Cut 2 potatoes and 1 carrot into little cubes and place them in your chicken stock, get it to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, add cut up chicken and thicken it if needed with a rue (butter/flour mixture).
While this is cooking make your pastry base, I use an old family recipe (the family member is not old just the recipe) from my Aunt Jeanie, you can find it here, or use your own.  Put it in the fridge to chill while you make the bechamel sauce.

Bechamel Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or untill thickened, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside.

Now for the production:

Roll out your pastry to fit your pan, I used a Pampered Chef stoneware.

Then put in your potato, carrot and chicken mixture (ps you can add other stuff here like celery or whatever you like)

Next spread your bechamel sauce on top. (one time I put a crust on top of the bechamel and my husband thinks it taste better that way, so if you use my pastry recipe, there is enough to do this)

Place your bakeware on a tray, just in case there is juice spillage.

Place in the oven at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. (my husband turned it up on the one pictured above and that is why it is burned, I was about ready to blame the kids, but he told me he did it, the reason why there should only be 1 cook in the kitchen.)

Let it cool for about 10 minutes, the bechamel sauce stays really hot, serve and enjoy.

Let me know if you make this, it is really creamy with all of the yummy bechamel sauce and just a great comfort food.

Fun Fact

I was watching a documentary yesterday and the women said that Pizza originated in Greece! What?  Wow!  I love Pizza, I could eat it 5 nights a week and have leftovers on 2, just kidding,  but it is one of my favorite things to cook and eat.
As an American I always thought that pizza originated in Italy and this is true if your are talking about a tomato based pizza with cheese on top (Italian invention date 1889, fairly recent as far as dates go), I mean Europe didn't even have the tomato until the 1600's.
But if you are talking about the dough baked with toppings on top then that is Greek in origin and from Platos' writings as long ago as 500 BC, dough baked with oil, herbs and cheese on top. Even the name is Greek in origin- Pizza (Italian pronunciation: pittsa) from the Latin verb pìnsere, to press and from the-Greek- pēktos, πηκτός, meaning "solid" or "clotted", (pita).

There you go a little fun fact for you, Merry Christmas.

In case you don't have your own Pizza Dough recipe, here's mine:

3/4 bag of flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sugar
1 package of yeast
Mix those 4 ingredients then add:
2 cups of milk warmed to (100-110F)

Mix it all together, add flour until not sticky, make it into a round ball, put it into a bowl and cover with a towel and leave it in a warm spot for 2 hours.
Tada great pizza dough, now the hard part what kind of toppings are you going to put on it?

Baklava Recipe

Baklava Recipe

3 cups nuts (I used a mix of walnuts and almonds)

1 cup sugar

1 grated peel of orange

1 tsp. of cinnamon

1 stick of melted butter

1 roll of filo dough

whole cloves

1 1/2 cups honey

Finely grind the nuts then mix in the next 3 ingredients (sugar, orange and cinnamon)-set aside in a bowl.  Melt the butter and spread some on the bottom of the pan, add 2-3 sheets of filo, butter the filo then sprinkle the nut mixture on top, repeat- filo, butter, nuts, until you come to the last 2-3 sheets of dough.  I had 4 layers of dough/nuts, on the top add your filo brush the rest of the butter and then cut into squares before baking, press a whole clove into each square.

Cook at 325 F, for 50 minutes.

In a saucepan put the honey and 1/2 cup of water, bring to a boil and then let it simmer for 15 minutes.

When the baklava comes out of the oven pour the honey over the top.  I like to swirl it around the pan until you can't see the honey moving anymore, then you know it got all soaked up.

Eat and Enjoy.

Some tips for success:

Use real cow butter and real Honey, makes all the difference.

Second layer of nuts and dough.

All cooked and half eaten.