Greek

Kritharaki me Fakkes (Κριθαράκι με φακές)

Mar 15th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Kritharaki me Fakkes (Κριθαράκι με φακές)

Here’s a wonderful dish that’s suitable for Lent, works as a side dish or served with seafood or fish. You get to pick how you want this dish to appear on your table.  Kritharaki is what us Greeks call orzo. Kritharaki is a rice shaped pasta that should be treated as such. Do not add [...]



Cabbage Salad (λαχανοσαλάτα)

Mar 13th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Cabbage Salad (λαχανοσαλάτα)

Greeks eat according to the seasons. In the summer, Greeks will have the bounty of their garden with tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers to make the world famous Greek salad. Although these vegetables are now also available in the winter, there’s a definite shift in ingredients during the winter months. Taste, cost and a little bit [...]



Octopus Salad “Mosaic” (Χταπόδι σαλάτα “Μωσαϊκό”)

Mar 9th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Octopus Salad “Mosaic” (Χταπόδι σαλάτα “Μωσαϊκό”)

Readers of this blog should know by now that Greek food goes beyond souvlaki, spanakopita and pastitsio. There’s nothing wrong with these dishes but as Greeks, we do not eat them every week. The traditional Greek diet is weighted towards vegetables and pulses, grains and bread, fruits and nuts and fish and seafood. It’s a [...]



Scallops Saganaki (Xτένια Σαγανάκι)

Mar 1st, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Scallops Saganaki (Xτένια Σαγανάκι)

I get my inspiration from many sources: my mother and other family members and friends who I consider culinary wizards, frequent visits to Greece, chatting about food with other Greek food enthusiasts, other bloggers who I respect and consider friends and of course, the well known food and cooking celebrities who enter our homes via [...]



Greek Lent (Sarakosti) Recipe Round-up

Feb 28th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Greek Lent (Sarakosti) Recipe Round-up

As a convenience to the many readers of this blog, I’ve amassed all the Lenten (and Lent-friendly) dishes that I have posted thus far. Most of the dishes are Greek and appropriate for Lent and others are foreign but due to their ingredients, they fit in nicely with the Greek Lent in which us Greeks [...]



Steamed Brocccoli

Feb 27th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Steamed Brocccoli

You have to eat your vegetables. One of the most nutritious, affordable and delicious vegetables is broccoli. It’s loaded with vitamins A, C and K, a good source of fiber. It’s a boon to your immune system and and beneficial for the prevention of heart disease. Another positive for broccoli is that it’s available in [...]



Zesty Cabbage Soup

Feb 26th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Zesty Cabbage Soup

This soup has come a long way since I was inspired years ago by a delicious spiced cabbage soup I enjoyed at a soup and sandwich stand.
I’ve been tinkering with ingredients, amounts and I’m finally content with the flavour, aroma and colour of this soup. I was never satisfied with the outcome of this soup [...]



Hummus

Feb 23rd, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Hummus

Confession. Hummus wasn’t my favourite dip. Until today. I recently tried a Hummus that was made with chickpeas that had been soaked overnight. I’ve used canned chickpeas and I will continue to – they are a good convenience product and one that I keep on hand in my pantry.
You can make a Hummus using canned [...]



Grilled Lobster (Αστακός στη Σχάρα)

Feb 20th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Grilled Lobster (Αστακός στη Σχάρα)

So the first week of Greek Lent is behind us and it really wasn’t that hard adjusting from my regular diet to one without meat or any meat by-products in it. Each year I’ve been steering my diet towards one with more fish and seafood, beans and legumes and less meat. I don’t think I [...]



Nistisima Paximadia (Νηστίσιμα Παξιμαδάκια)

Feb 17th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Nistisima Paximadia (Νηστίσιμα Παξιμαδάκια)

Here I am, mid-week into the first week of Lent. The first day is the hardest and then each day it becomes easier and easier. [...]