Plaki (Butter Beans and Tomato Casserole)

Plaki (Butter Beans and Tomato Casserole)
Athena Avramidis

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion (peeled and diced)
5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
4 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cans of Butter Beans
1 whole tomato, sliced very thinly

Place the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute a few seconds longer. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, parsley, dill, and the sugar. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the sauce reduces a little.

Open the cans of beans, and drain all the liquid. Rinse the beans. Place the beans in a casserole dish (Athena used an oval casserole dish.) Add the sauce and blend well. Top with the slices of fresh tomato. Bake 350 degrees F. for about 1 hour. Check after 45 minutes, if getting too brown cover with aluminum foil.

Athena's Summer Slaw Salad

This is another of the wonderful salads prepared by my dear friend Athena the night we had a delicious Greek dinner at her house. It took her no time at all to put it together.
Athena's Summer Slaw Salad
Athena Avramidis

1 head of cabbage, cut into thin slices (you could easily use 1 or 2 bags of cole slaw mix)
Use about 1/2 - 3/4 of the cabbage
1 (20 ounce can) pineapple chunks drain and save the juice
1/4-1/2 cup walnut halves (you can use chopped if that's what you have)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 of the drained pineapple juice (from the total amount in the can)
Olive oil (about 1 -2 tablespoons)

Cut off the thick end of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in quarters. Remove the thick piece of core from each piece. Slice the cabbage paper thin. Place the cabbage in a bowl. Add the walnuts. Add the salt. Drain the juice from the pineapple; set aside. Add the pineapple chunks to the salad. Pour in about one third of the reserved pineapple juice. Drizzle a little olive oil over the salad. Toss together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Here is how you make the salad:

Cut off the thick end of the cabbage
Cut the cabbage in quarters


Remove the thick piece of core from each piece

Slice the cabbage paper thin



Place the cabbage in a bowl


Add the walnuts


Add the salt


Drain the juice from the pineapple; set aside


Add the pineapple chunks to the salad




Pour in about one third of the reserved pineapple juice



Drizzle a little olive oil into the salad



Toss together



Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Butternut Squash Salad

After this series of posts finishes you should have more than enough salads to take you through the coming summer season. This was another fast and easy salad. I never think of butternut squash except at Thanksgiving; this recipe put a totally different slant on butternut squash.

Athena is one of the best cooks that I know. For years, she has been dazzling all of us with her culinary skills. To watch her work in the kitchen is a joy. She just goes with the flow, and creates, and creates, and creates. Like most of us with a Mediterranean background, she doesn't measure, so we really tried to measure everything for these recipes. She is like me, we change recipes on the fly! Athena said the only difference between Greek and Italian cooking is cinnamon...

We have been friends for twenty-four years, both of us moving to town at the same time.


Her husband is a pediatrician, mine is an obstetrician. My husband delivered her daughter, her husband took care of our tribe! We were both pregnant together, and our daughters, Nassy and Lauren were friends all through school. When we moved upstate, most of us left families in other cities, so our friends here became family. My son Steven was recently reminiscing over dinner at Lee and Athena's when all the kids would be playing in the basement, while the adults enjoyed each others company upstairs. Georgiana even revealed a little secret that involves a jar of spilled glue on the carpet...are my sons listening to this????

Athena's Butternut Squash Salad
Athena Avramidis

2 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and quartered (much easier to buy it pre-cut and peeled if your store carries it)
3 red onions, peeled, and cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt, divided, for vegetables
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided, for vegetables
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Olive oil to drizzle over vegetables (about 2 tablespoonful)
1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (shredded through large holes)
Finely grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on the top (about 2 tablespoons)
PAM or other non-stick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the butternut squash into medium size cubes and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with PAM. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with half the salt and pepper. Peel the onions and cut into large dice too. Place the onions on a separate cookie sheet sprayed with PAM. Drizzle the onions with olive oil.Season with the other half of the salt and pepper. Bake the butternut squash and onions until the squash is fork tender and golden brown, and the onions are soft and nicely caramelized, about 30-40 minutes.

Place the chopped rosemary into a serving bowl. Add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil, and large shred Parmesan cheese. Add the butternut squash and the onions. Mix well to blend. Taste and readjust seasonings if necessary. Top with some finely grated Parmesan or whatever grated cheese you use.

Here's how to do it:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


Peel the red onions
Cut into large pieces


Spray a cookie sheet with PAM
Place the onions on the cookie sheet


Drizzle with olive oil


Sprinkle the onions with salt and pepper
Toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper; set aside


Cut the peeled, quartered butternut squash into smaller strips



Then cut strips into nice size cubes (2 1/2 - 3-inch cubes)
Place the cubes on a cookie sheet that
has been sprayed with PAM


Drizzle with olive oil

Sprinkle with salt

and pepper




Toss to coat with the olive oil, salt and pepper


Bake the onions and butternut squash for about 40 minutes

until fork tender and onions are caramelized

Chop the rosemary

Place it in your serving bowl


Add balsamic vinegar,

salt and pepper to taste,


olive oil,


and large shred Parmesan cheese


Blend well

This is what the onions should look like when they are done


Give the tray a mix


This is what the squash should look like

If you would like the cubes a little smaller
you can cut them now



Add the butternut squash



and the onions to the bowl



Mix well to blend


Top with some finely grated Parmesan
or whatever grated cheese you use


Taste and readjust seasonings if necessary

Toss and sprinkle a little more cheese if desired

Note: You don’t want the cubes too large, but it is better to bake them on the larger size so they don’t break apart. You can always cut them a little smaller after they are cooked.

Mmm, mmm, Wonderful!