This spinach and rice recipe known in Greek as “spanakorizo”, is one of the recipes that I am most often asked to share. It tastes as delicious as it is easy to make and my children are wild about it. You can enjoy this dish as an entrée topped with feta or as a side, which pairs well with nearly everything. Also, there is leeway with the ingredients. The traditional recipe calls for rice. However, if you prefer a different to use a different grain like quinoa, you can mix things up as long as you adjust the amount of…
Vegan
-
Continue ReadingAs fall sets in and temperatures begin to drop, one can’t help but get excited about soups. Our family enjoys a whole variety of them from spaghetti minestrone to seafood stew. When trying to choose which one to share first, I opted for my husband’s favorite and one that even my young children enjoy – lentil soup. This dish is both healthy and hearty thanks to the lentils, which are rich in protein and fiber, and easily serves as a main meal. We love to eat the soup with a thick slice of homemade bread. Another option, if you want to…
-
Continue ReadingHomemade tomato sauce, oh how I love thee! Freshness and other benefits aside, a principal reason for making your own sauce is the ability to control its specific flavor. Many of our family recipes call for tomato sauce, the seasoning of which will influence the overall flavor of the dish. When away from Greece, I strive to precisely replicate my mother-in-law’s cooking. Using homemade tomato sauce is one of the ways I go about doing this. While we typically can our sauce, this recipe is written with freezing as the preservation method, for two reasons. First, the canning recipe calls for…
-
Continue ReadingCauliflower; sure, you’ve seen it served on vegetable platers, in salads, side dishes, and soups, but have you ever thought of it as a main dish? That’s right, in our home, we don’t just like cauliflower, we eat it by the plateful! You’re probably wondering how cauliflower alone could sustain a person from one meal to the next. The secret is the amount of olive oil used in the cooking. It adds the necessary calories and combined with the tomato and onion, creates a wonderful sauce that you can enjoy with a slice or two of bread. Of course, if…
-
Continue ReadingThis mediterranean stewed vegetables recipe is known in Greece as “Tourlou”. The stars of this recipe are the green beans and eggplant. Combined with the zucchini and potatoes, this dish is hearty enough to be eaten on its own with a thick slice of feta and some bread, and light enough to be served as a side. If you’re sitting there wondering how eggplant could possibly taste good, that is probably because too often it is prepared incorrectly. While well cooked eggplant is “melt-in-your-mouth” divine, incorrectly cooked eggplant tastes “rubbery” and in my opinion is simply inedible. Thankfully, this Mediterranean stewed vegetables recipe…
-
Continue ReadingMmm… french fries, who doesn’t love french fries! Top them with feta and oregano and you’ve got addictively delicious Greek fries! If my kids could eat Greek meatballs and fries every day of the week, they would. And my mother-in-law gladly enables this excess during our summer visits. If you prefer to bake your Greek fries rather than fry them, that works just as well. What really matters with this recipe is the toppings. The illustrated process steps below will show you how to fry them, if baking, simply skip to the topping section. Ingredients About 4 cups oil for…
-
Continue ReadingGreek roasted vegetables known as “briam” is a delicious way to enjoy summer vegetables. As the zucchinis, tomatoes, onions, and garlic, bake, they caramelize, creating depth of flavor. Depending on the water content of the vegetables, the zucchinis in particular, you may need to bake the briam for more time than listed in this recipe. Don’t hesitate to do so. Adding the extra time will ensure that your vegetables achieve sufficient “caramelization”. These roasted vegetables can be eaten hot or at room temperature and do well as an entrée served with bread , a side with meat or fish, or…
-
Continue ReadingStuffed peppers and tomatoes, better known as “yemista” in Greek, is a hugely popular dish and best enjoyed in the summer. The quality of the tomatoes significantly influences the dish and winter grown hot house tomatoes pale by comparison to those ripened in the sun. The secret weapon in this recipe is the mint – when combined with onion, olive oil, and tomato, a particular flavor profile is created that is delicious and addictive. Fresh mint is best for this recipe but dried mint works as well in a pinch. Enjoy these stuffed peppers and tomatoes as is or serve with a generous slice…
-
Continue ReadingHomemade pastry dough is quick and easy to make and is prepared with extra virgin olive oil, making it suitable for those following a dairy free or vegan diet. We use it most often for savory dishes and it can also be used for sweet baked goods. If baking something sweet, add a tablespoon of sugar to the recipe. The ingredients will yield two large pies. If you don’t need that much dough, reduce the amounts by half or store the extra dough in the refrigerator to be used later in the week. Ingredients 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup extra virgin…
-
Continue ReadingA wonderful attribute of Greek cuisine is its approach to vegetables. They are frequently given center stage and prepared as an entrée rather than a side dish. One of the technics used to achieve this is by stewing the vegetables in an olive oil based tomato sauce. Paired with a thick slice of feta and piece of chunky bread, a notoriously bland vegetable becomes a flavor powerhouse. Ingredients 2 pounds peas 1 medium onion 2 medium carrots 2 potatoes 2-3 tablespoon fresh chopped dill 6 cups water 5 teaspoons tomato paste 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons salt Preparation…