Luxe Beat Magazine SEPTEMBER 2014 | Page 39

Cuisine
Recipes from Chef Nikki
Rose’s Book
Crete: The Roots of the
Mediterranean Diet
© Nikki Rose 2011

We eat a lot of beans in Crete. Some
varieties are made into fritters
(chickpeas and split yellow peas) and
added to a long list of vegetable or
meat dishes. Some are mashed and
served as a dip along with other
meze items. We also use chickpea

flour for rustic breads. I like beans as
the star of a salad. Certain beans
make ideal medleys with certain
herbs. For instance, black-eyed peas
with fresh dill is a fantastic
combination. Lentils have a very
robust flavor, so they hold up to

powerful seasonings and garlic. Plan
to make bean salads about an hour
before serving (or overnight) to let
the flavors meld. Bean salads will
keep under refrigeration for 3 days.
CookinginCrete.com

Black-Eyed
Pea Salad

Serves 4-6 people as part
of meze
2 cups cooked black-eyed
peas
1 small onion, diced (purple
onions work great for this)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1tbsp fresh parsley,
chopped
1tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 small chili pepper, minced
or a pinch of dried red
pepper flakes
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tsp white wine vinegar
a pinch of salt and black
pepper
Mix all ingredients together,
marinate in the refrigerator
for at least an hour before
serving.
Kali Orexi!

PHOTOS ARE COURTESY OF CHEF NIKKI ROSE FOR RECIPES

Fresh String
Bean Salad

Some of my favorite meals
have been created out of
sheer laziness or lack of
time. I like to find ways
to retain individual flavors
of vegetables I’m privileged
to acquire straight off the
plant. One-pot dishes are
great but flavors can be
lost due to high heat or
overcooking. I want to eat
good food even though I’m
just as busy as everyone
else. Chefs need breaks
from the office too. My
neighbor, Eleni, is a
professional organic farmer.
She gave me a sack of
gorgeous string beans.
I could have prepared them
in the traditional Greek way
– braised with aromatics.
But they were so precious,
I tried something different.

1 pound string beans,
strings removed, of
course
2tbsp extra virgin organic
olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium tomato, diced
¼ cup fresh parsley,
chopped
1 tsp high-quality dried
oregano
½tsp sea salt
freshly cracked black
pepper
Fill a stockpot with ½ inch
of water. Bring to a boil. Add
beans, lower heat and simmer
until tender (about 5mins).
Drain and reserve. Return the
pot to low heat and gently
cook garlic in olive oil for
2mins just to take the raw
edge off. Remove from heat.
Add beans and remaining
ingredients. Tastes great
warm or at room
temperature.