European epicurean: a country-by-country taste of continental food fare - Spain, Greece, Italy, Norway, Hungary - Recipe

Better Nutrition, June, 2002 by George Erdosh

When you think of European food, you may picture elegant but artery-clogging seven-course meals. With better health in mind, however, many Europeans are switching to a trimmed-down version of traditional cuisine. Here's a five-country taste of the best European dishes--an appealing selection of flavors and presentations perfect for family dining or entertaining guests.

spain

Dinner here is served at the impossibly late hour of 10 p.m., which explains the popularity of tapa bars--gastronomic way stations sought out by hungry Spaniards and savvy tourists during the long stretch after lunch.

Tapa bars serve cold finger foods, grilled vegetables, toasted breads with spicy toppings and numerous other selections from the sinfully rich to the flavorfully nutritious.

Here are some tapa recipes to tap into. If you're entertaining, add bowls of assorted cured olives, skewered vegetables, fruits and seafood.

Skewered Garlic Shrimp

SERVES 6-10

A tapa-bar favorite made by combining shrimp, garlic
and olive oil.

Buy raw, unpeeled shrimp--they're fresher and
better tasting. Once you get the hang of it, peeling
them takes just minutes.

1 lb. raw shrimp
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
  salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3 Tbs. parsley or 2 Tbs. cilantro,
  coarsely chopped

1. Peel shrimp and pat dry with paper towel. Heat
heavy saute pan over high heat.

2. When pan is hot, add 1 Tbs. olive oil and
peeled shrimp.

3. Saute, stirring or shaking constantly, until
shrimp turns pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Remove pan from heat, scoop out shrimp and
sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. Return saute pan to medium heat, add remaining
1/2 Tbs. olive oil, garlic and parsley or
cilantro and stir for 20 seconds.

6. Return shrimp to pan and mix until shrimp are
coated. Spoon onto plate and allow shrimp
to cool.

7. Skewer shrimp on long toothpicks, perhaps alternating
them with squares of pepper, cherry tomatoes
and/or red onion.
Potato Salad in Garlic Sauce

SERVES 6-10

When Columbus returned to Spain with strange
tubers he called "patatas," suspicious Spaniards used
them for animal fodder. Eventually, they accepted
patatas as fit for humans and became fond of them.

This garlicky mixture is similar to potato salad,
but because the salad oil is replaced with flavorful
olive oil and plenty of garlic, the dish becomes pure
Mediterranean.

1 lb. red or California white potatoes, skin on
6 to 8 Tbs. mayonnaise
2 to 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/2 tsp. salt

1. Cook potatoes in well-salted water until barely
tender when pierced with skewer, 35 to 50 minutes.
While potatoes are cooking, combine mayonnaise
and garlic. (If you make your own mayonnaise,
use extra-virgin olive oil and add garlic
at beginning of process.)

2. When potatoes are cooked, drain and cool in
cold water. Chill for easy dicing. If skin is attractive,
leave potatoes unpeeled. Dice into bite-sized
pieces, sprinkle with salt and fold in garlic
sauce with a rubber spatula. Chill until serving
time. Provide small plates and forks to serve at
your tapa party.

greece

No food in the world is healthier, more wholesome or nutrient-rich foods than the fine fare that comes from Greece.

Even though Greeks serve savory, rich spanakopita and butter-drenched, sugar- and honey-infused phyllo desserts such as baklava, Greek cooks use light, protein- and mineral-rich ingredients in the majority of dishes. Feta cheese, extra-tart yogurt, a variety of oil-cured olives, numerous vegetables, deep-flavored olive oils and plenty of seafood are hallmarks of Greek fare. And lemon and wine are staples of daily cooking in this land that coined the word epicure--a person with refined taste.

Avgolemono Soup

SERVES 4

This light, appetite-whetting, first-course soup features
fresh lemon juice and eggs in a full-flavored
chicken or vegetable stock base. Although it's simple
to prepare, you must take care not to curdle the eggs,
which are meant to thicken and enrich the broth.

Use fresh-squeezed lemon juice and, if you don't
have homemade stock, an organic chicken or vegetable
base stock.

5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup brown rice
2 eggs
2 Tbs. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1. In medium sauce pan, bring stock to a boil. Add
rice, reduce heat and cook over low simmer until
tender, about 40 minutes.

2. In small bowl, beat eggs with wire whip or fork
and gradually whip in lemon juice. While beating
constantly, slowly add about 1/2 cup hot soup
in thin stream, a drizzle at a time. Add hot lemon
sauce mixture to simmering soup while stirring,
keeping pot over low heat.

3. Continue stirring until soup thickens slightly,
about 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh dill, a slice
of lemon or finely-chopped cooked egg.

italy

Italian food is among the lightest and most nutritious on the continent. Just as the country's climate varies widely from north to south, so does the country's cuisine. Northern Italy uses plenty of cheese, eggs, rice and cornmeal, while southern Italian fare is rich in olive oil, olives and tomatoes, with most dishes infused with wine.