Yigandes Plaki Greek Baked Beans Tomato Casserole Food

GREEK BAKED GIANT BEANS (GIGANTES PLAKI)

Steps:

• Soak the beans in a large bowl with plenty of water for at least 12 hours (24 hours will work best).Rinse them well and transfer them in large pot. Fill with enough water to cover them by at least 2 inches and bring to a simmer. Skim any foam from the surface and cook until tender (about 1 hour). Remove from the heat.
• Preheat your oven to 390°F (200°C).Drain half of the water from the pot and refill with fresh water (this will cool the beans and will help them not to peel-off when drained). Stir gently and let them sit until you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Drain the beans and transfer them to a large casserole dish or baking pan. Add the rest of the ingredients except the water and stir gently to mix. Add enough water to just cover them.
• Bake for about 60 minutes or until almost all of the liquids have evaporated.
• Serve with bread and olives. Eat!

GIGANTES PLAKI (GREEK BAKED BEANS)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan or shallow casserole, then gently cook the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano and beans, 250ml of just-boiled water and some seasoning, and bring to a simmer. Put into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until thickened and bubbling.

GIGANTES PLAKI RECIPE (GIGANDES GREEK BAKED 'GIANT' BEANS)

Steps:

• To prepare the gigantes (Gigsntes) plaki, start by soaking the gigantes beans overnight into plenty of water. Drain them into a colander and rinse with plenty of water.
• Place the gigantes in a large pan with cold water, enough to cover them, add a pinch of sea salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes, until tender but not cooked. Drain them in a colander and set aside.
• In the meantime, pour into a large baking pan the olive oil, add the chopped onions, the whole garlic clove (peeled) and bake at 180C, until softened and slightly colored (approx. 15 minutes).
• Turn the baking pan out of the oven. Add the gigantes beans (drained), the celery, the parsley, ½ cup of hot water and season with salt and pepper. Put back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• Turn the baking tray out of the oven, blend the gigantes beans lightly with a wooden spoon and pour in the grated tomatoes or plum tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, add a pinch of oregano and bake the gigantes plaki further for 50-60 minutes at 180C, until the beans are soft and tender and the sauce thickens.
• For an easier alternative, after soaking the gigantes beans overnight, drain and rinse them. Place in a large pan with enough water to cover them and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes, drain them and place into a large baking pan, along with all of the ingredients, cover with some aluminum foil and bake at 180C for approx. 2 hours. The last 30 minutes, bake without the aluminium foil. Enjoy!

YIGANDES PLAKI - GREEK BAKED BEANS & TOMATO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Add the beans to a pot with enough cold water to cover well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook at a slow boil for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 325F (160C).
• Using a wooden spoon, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft.
• Add tomatoes (if using canned, add all liquid as well), bouillon cubes, salt, pepper, parsley, and water, and allow to boil gently for 10-30 minutes, until it begins to thicken.
• Place the beans in an oven-proof pan, add tomato mixture, stir and spread mixture out evenly.
• Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are soft. (Check the dish during cooking and if needed, add a small amount of boiling water.) The dish will look crispy on top.
• Remove from the oven, cover, and allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• When using after refrigerating, allow it to come to room temperature, or heat briefly in the microwave. This dish is not served hot.

MESSINIA STYLE GIANT BEANS BAKED (GIGANTES) WITH SPINACH & FETA

Steps:

• Put the drained beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 3 in/7.5cm and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the beans al dente, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile put the spinach in a large colander and sprinkle lightly with salt. With the palm of one hand, rub the spinach against the holes of the colander, almost in a kneading motion, so that the greens exude liquid. Do this for 10 minutes, and then put a plate over the greens and a weight on top of the plate (such as a large can of tomatoes) and leave to drain for 1 hour.
• Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and cook the leek and onions, stirring, until wilted, about 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 F/175 C
• Combine the drained greens with the cooked onions, the herbs, and 1 cup/150 g of the feta in a large bowl. Drain the beans, reserving 4 cups/960 ml of the cooking liquid and add to the bowl. Add 1 cup/175 g of the tomatoes and toss to combine. Taste and add salt, if desired, and some pepper.
• Put the beans-and-greens mixture in a large ovenproof casserole or baking dish and mix in ¼ cup/60 ml olive oil and 2 cups/480 ml of the bean cooking liquid. Spread the remaining 1 cup/175 g tomatoes over the beans and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup/75 g of feta and the bread crumbs on top. Drizzle the remaining ¼ cup/60 ml olive oil over the surface and bake, covered with parchment then aluminum foil, until the beans are very creamy and soft, but not disintegrating. Depending on the age and condition of the dried beans, this could take anywhere from 1 to 2 ½ hours. Add more liquid to the pan during cooking if necessary to keep the beans from drying out. Remove the paper and foil about 30 - 45 minutes before removing the beans from the oven, so that the surface caramelizes and chars slightly. Serve hot or at room temperature, accompanied by pita bread.

BAKED TOMATO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Break bread into pieces and place in buttered 6 x 10 x 2 baking dish.
• In saucepan, combine tomatoes, seasonings, sugar and cornstarch.
• Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened; pour over bread.
• Sprinkle with onion and grated cheese.
• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

YIGANDES PLAKI: BAKED BEANS & TOMATO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Add the beans to a pot with enough cold water to cover well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook at a slow boil for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 325F (160C).
• Using a wooden spoon, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes (if using canned, add all liquid as well), bouillon cubes, salt, pepper, parsley, and water, and allow to boil gently for 10-30 minutes, until it begins to thicken.
• Place the beans in an oven-proof pan, add tomato mixture, stir and spread mixture out evenly. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are soft. (Check the dish during cooking and if needed, add a small amount of boiling water.) The dish will look crispy on top.
• Remove from the oven, cover, and allow to cool.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Yield: serves 4
• Serving note: Restaurants serve this as a meze (in small portions), but because of the quantity in which it's fixed, unless you're planning a selection of mezether for a large gathering, it works better as a main dish.
• Reheating: When using after refrigerating, allow it to come to room temperature, or heat briefly in the microwave. This dish is not served hot.