These Greek cinnamon cookies known as “koulourakia” are a staple in our family. They are crunchy with a light cinnamon flavor, making them the perfect accompaniment to your morning or afternoon coffee. I also love that I can involve my kids in the baking of these homemade Greek cinnamon cookies. Because they don’t contain any egg, I don’t panic if one of them decides to sneak a bite of raw cookie dough. While the pictures below illustrate three different shapes, you can make whichever shape you wish. The only thing to consider with different shapes is your baking time. Ingredients…
Vegetarian
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Continue ReadingThis 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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Continue ReadingSpanakopita is one of the most popular Greek foods. The flaky phyllo dough combined with the savory spinach and feta filling – what’s not the love?! There are many good spanakopita brands available at grocery stores but in my book, nothing beats the homemade kind. If you make them at home, you can determine the ratios of each ingredient. You can go heavier or lighter on the dill, add extra onion, or even mix things up with two different kinds of cheeses. Our family recipe uses extra virgin olive oil instead of butter for the phyllo. If you prefer to…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…