Continuing the theme of recipes with oregano.
Baking with Oregano
Potato Focaccia with Oregano
- Flour - 0.5 kg
- Milk - 150 ml
- Dry yeast - 12 g
- Sugar - 1 tsp
- Salt
- Vegetable oil - 3 tbsp
- Fresh or dried oregano - a bunch or 1 tbsp
- Boiled potatoes - 2 pcs
Boil and mash the potatoes. Add sugar, a little salt, and yeast to warmed milk. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Mix the milk and potato puree, then gradually add flour, oil, salt, and oregano, and let the dough rise. Oil the sticky dough and roll it out on a baking sheet. Let it rise a little and bake for 20 minutes at 200°C.
This potato bread is perfect for breakfast, paired with cheese and sweet coffee—you’ll love it!
Oregano Buns
- A pack of cream cheese - 200 g
- Egg - 1 pc
- Warm water - half a cup
- Semolina - 2 tbsp
- Flour - 2 cups
- Dry yeast - 1 packet
- Sugar - 1 tbsp
- Salt
- Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
- Onion - 1 pc
- Oregano - a couple of sprigs
- Peppers to taste
Let’s start with the dough. Mix the yeast with flour, semolina, sugar, and salt. Add the egg and cream cheese. Knead the dough well. The dough should be sticky and soft. Grease the dough with oil and let it rise in a warm place for an hour and a half. Fry the onion. Add the oregano and fried onion to the risen dough, roll into balls, place in silicone molds, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 180°C until the buns are golden brown.
Vegetables with Oregano
Eggplants with Oregano
For a large eggplant: 100 grams of breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, grated cheese, oregano, salt, peppers to taste, 3 cloves of garlic, and a little flour.
Peel and slice the eggplants into 1 cm thick rounds. Salt and let them sweat for half an hour. Add salt, pepper, oregano, crushed garlic, and finely grated cheese to the breadcrumbs. Beat the eggs lightly and prepare a plate of flour. Dip each round in flour, then in egg, and finally in breadcrumbs. Fry on both sides in vegetable oil over medium heat without a lid. Place the finished rounds on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Provencal Tomatoes with Oregano
- Medium tomatoes - 3 pcs
- Hard cheese - 50 grams
- Onion - 1 pc
- Garlic - 2-3 cloves
- Vegetable oil
- Fresh oregano, thyme, dill
- Butter - 2 tbsp
- Salt, peppers to taste
Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the flesh, then salt them. Finely chop the herbs, garlic, and onion and fry them lightly. Fill the tomato halves with the sautéed filling, top with a cube of butter and grated cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. These tomatoes are the perfect companions to fried potatoes.
Honey Tomatoes with Oregano
For 5 tomatoes: 50 grams of vegetable oil (e.g., mustard oil), 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp honey, 2 cloves of garlic, peppers and salt to taste, a bunch of oregano.
Cut the tomatoes into 4-6 parts, chop the garlic and oregano, mix the marinade, and pour it over the tomatoes. Serve after an hour or store them for later. You can heat the oil beforehand to warm the garlic for a few seconds. If the oregano is dried, heat it in the oil as well.
Meat with Oregano
Italian Turkey with Oregano
- Turkey meat (any scraps, fillet) - 0.5 kg
- 2 small onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4-5 ripe tomatoes or 2 tbsp of paste, tomato juice
- Vegetable oil
- Sour cream - 0.5 cup
- Oregano - a few leaves, a sprig
- Flour for dredging
- Peppers, salt to taste
Cut the meat into strips, dredge in flour, and fry. Add chopped onions, diced tomatoes or paste and juice, garlic, and fry for a few more minutes. Add sour cream and oregano, salt, and peppers. Simmer on low heat until ready (10-15 minutes).
Stuffed Chicken Drumsticks with Oregano
For 6 drumsticks: 100 grams of feta or bryndza, a bunch of oregano, 2 garlic cloves, peppers to taste, coriander, no salt needed.
Grate the cheese, crush or mince the garlic, finely chop the oregano, and mix. Stuff the cheese mixture under the skin of the drumsticks. Bake until done. Perfect with potatoes and rice.
Marinated Chicken Wings with Oregano
For 1 kg of chicken wings: 1 onion, 5 garlic cloves, oregano, vegetable oil, wine vinegar, peppers and salt to taste, 1 tsp sugar or honey.
You can divide the wings. Thinly slice the onion, crush the garlic, mix with oil and peppers, oregano, vinegar, and sugar. Marinate the wings in the mixture, even for 2-3 days if you have a good fridge and lots of patience. Bake uncovered until done.
Marinated Cheese with Oregano
- Creamy cheese (suluguni) - 0.5 kg
- Garlic, dried oregano, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dried bell pepper, bay leaf, basil - to taste
- Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
- Vinegar - 1 tbsp
- Vegetable oil - 150 grams
Cut the cheese into cubes. Combine the marinade ingredients, excluding the oil—pour the marinade over the cheese, then pour the oil on top. This sequence is necessary because the oil will prevent the cheese from marinating if added first. Store in a jar for 3 days at room temperature in a dark place. You can use the marinade to dress salads or marinate meat.
If you haven’t yet tried oregano, I highly recommend it. In the next article, I’ll share my favorite thyme recipes .
