Herbs

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 [...]



Baked Fish Cakes

Mar 10th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Baked Fish Cakes

The first time I tried fish cakes were long ago when I used to work at one of Canada’s banks. Canada is a multicultural nation with peoples from all corners of the world. The fish cake I had back then was brought from a Portuguese lady and co-worker who proudly watched her cod fish cakes [...]



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 [...]



Pomegranate Glazed Chicken With Mastiha-scented Couscous

Mar 6th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Pomegranate Glazed Chicken With Mastiha-scented Couscous

This recipe comes courtesy of the very popular cooking show, “Everyday Food” which is produced by Martha Stewart and company. I’m going to pull a Martha by improving their “perfect recipe”. I’ve provided the link so that you can compare the differences in the approach to cooking the dish.
First off, I’m using pure pomegranate juice. [...]



Baked Sole Stuffed With Seafood

Mar 4th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Baked Sole Stuffed With Seafood

Tuna has gotten a bad wrap in the past, being labeled as the “chicken of the sea”. In my opinion, the real “chicken of the sea” is the sole. Sole (the flatfish) has to be the chicken breast of the sea. It’s lean, it’s white and in need of some flavour. That’s the minus side [...]



Eggplant Parmesan

Mar 2nd, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Eggplant Parmesan

What if I told you that there’s a dish that you can make at home (affordably), be transported into an Italian home and taste authentically Italian? You with me? What if that dish was also vegetarian but was as filling as a meat dish? Look no further than Eggplant Parmesan. This recipe comes to you [...]



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 [...]



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 [...]



Risotto With Shrimp, Mushrooms and Asparagus

Feb 22nd, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Risotto With Shrimp, Mushrooms and Asparagus

This dish arose from thoughts of what to do with some leftover asparagus. I had about a bunch of grilled asparagus left and they deserved a better fate than laying under plastic cling wrap for a week in the fridge. I also had a bag of mushrooms in the fridge (I store mine in a [...]



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 [...]