Recipes

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 [...]



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 [...]



Tandoori Chicken

Feb 25th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Tandoori Chicken

It’s time to break the monotony of the series if Lenten dishes I’ve been posting. For the record: I fast for the first week of Lent, revert back to my regular diet of meat, seafood, vegetables (all in moderation) and I’ll revert back to the Greek-Orthodox fast for Holy Week (preceding Easter on April 4th). [...]



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 [...]



Linguine With Clams

Feb 18th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Linguine With Clams

This is one of my favourite pastas dishes and it’s also one of the simplest to prepare. The dish is also versatile as one can substitute ingredients you like or replace with seasonal or local ingredients.
Don’t have fresh clams? Why not try this with mussels? Don’t have access to fresh clams? You could certainly use [...]



Mushroom Bouyiourdi (Μπουγιουρτί με μανιτάρια)

Feb 9th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Mushroom Bouyiourdi (Μπουγιουρτί με μανιτάρια)

Some of you might remember my post with the classic Bouyiourdi with tomatoes, peppers and cheese – baked until everything melds together and awaits your anxious dipping of thy crusty bread.
This spin on Bouyiourdi will also satisfy those who love the act of dunking bread into food. Those of you who like the whole fondue [...]



Penne All’Arrabiata

Feb 8th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Penne All’Arrabiata

There’s one week left until the Greek-Orthodox Lent commences. This is the third and final week of Carnival, the final farewell before a fast up until Greek Easter (April 4th). This week is called Tyrini, where meat is dropped from the diet but cheeses, dairy products and eggs are allowed. Shellfish is still allowed.
In Greece, [...]



Chicken Wings tou Kalofaga (Φτερούγες του καλοφαγά)

Feb 4th, 2010 | By Peter Minakis
Chicken Wings tou Kalofaga (Φτερούγες του καλοφαγά)

In Greece, festivities are well under way. It’s Carnival time in Greece and one of the biggest days is centered around grilled meats. The period of Carnival in Greece is called “Apokries” and today marks “Tsiknopempti”.
Tsiknopempti is a compound word that describes the smell of grilled meats and Thursday: “Tsikno-pempti”. Tavernas will have lit up [...]