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I'm not Greek, but I love tasty recipes from around the world. In fact, I love Cypriot food. I own a few recipe books from Cypriot and sometimes make meals for my boys. I have a friend who is from Cypriot, and she has shared her culinary ideas with me. I love their food culture and it reminds me of Ukraine. A few months ago, she brought me some black olives preserved in dry brine. I love good olives specially when they are fermented, and I enjoy making black olive tapenade. Please visit this post to read more about this recipe.
The recipe I'm going to share with you today is a savory olive cake or bread called Eliopita.
It is a delicious treat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I like to serve it with a Greek salad, soup or kebabs which are delicious with a cup of coffee or tea.
I was brought up in a country where good hearty bread is a part of every meal. People really enjoy bread every day in moderation and without guilt. This bread, I promise you, is well worth it to have a piece!
What do I like about this recipe?
Great to serve right away or the next day!
Perfect for a picnic or lunchbox!
Full of flavor and health benefits!
And it's vegan, which can suit your friends who are following a vegan diet.
It's no-knead bread and no special tools needed!
Why olives are good for you?
Those tiny fruits (olives are fruit) have been around for thousand years, in the Eastern Mediterranean region and they are a staple in the Mediterranean diet! Dr. Brynn McDowell says that the olives are packed with healthy (monounsaturated) fats. Also, they provide your body with essential minerals. Olives are full of antioxidants, that can help protect the body against stress and fight harmful free radicals in the body, which protects us from certain types of cancer.
What do you need to make this recipe?
All-purpose flour - any kind works but try this organic flour.
Black olives - dry cured black olives, such as this one.
Orange - any kind.
Onion - sweet onion is best but really any onion is fine.
Olive oil - extra virgin olive oil is ideal, but any will work.
Dry mint - mint is such an important ingredient in Greek savory cooking.
Orange juice - any will work but freshly squeezed is the best choice.
Cilantro or parsley, and green onions.
Notes on freezing bread:
Wrap loaf tightly in plastic wrap, and place in freezer bag. Double - wrap is another way to do it. I recommend slicing the bread and wrap individually, so when you need a piece, you don't have to defrost the entire loaf.
Let's do it...
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Autor: Inna of innichkachef.com
Servings: one pan loaf, or 12 pieces
Ingredients
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
11/4 cups pitted black olives, dry cured
1/2 cup parsley or cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup olive oil, plus 1 Tablespoon
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup water from soaked olive pits
zest of one or two oranges
1 Tablespoon of dry mint
Directions
Preheat oven 325F.
Prepare the baking dish 13x9. Add a little bit of oil and brush the dish, then lay down parchment paper on the bottom of the dish.
In a pan add chopped onions and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and cook until onions look translative. Set aside.
4. Pit the olives but save the pits adding 1/4 cup of water to the pits. Set aside.
5. In a bowl for the wet ingredients, add olives, chopped parsley, green onions, zest of oranges, orange juice, water from soaking pits (discard pits), and sauté onions. Mix all together.
6. In a bowl for dry ingredients, add flour, mint, and baking soda. Mix together.
7. Add 1 cup of olive oil to the bowl with wet ingredients and mix all together.
8. Combine wet and dry ingredients and transfer into the baking dish. Level up the batter evenly.
9. Bake for 45 minutes, or until nice and brown.
10. Let cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish, then flip onto cooking rack.
11. Let cool for another 5-10 minutes.
Slice and enjoy!
I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon or Pinterest.