Category: Meze / Starters

Quinoa Bowl With Broccoli, Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes & Lemon-yogurt Dressing

HELPFUL TIP: Just a little bit of yogurt in a dressing goes a long way. Used here, it creates a creamy dressing that is healthy and packed with both nutrients and flavor.

Vegan Greek Island Tomato Fritters

HELPFUL TIP: If you’re wondering the kind of tomatoes needed for this recipe, look for fleshy, not juicy. Some use plum or Italian tomatoes because they have a thicker flesh and they’re less watery.

Crunchy, Spicy Greek-style Buffalo Cauliflower

FUN FACT: Buffalo Cauliflower is the plant-lover’s answer to Buffalo wings, that greasy snack that’s classic on Super Bowl Sunday! While I haven’t been able to find the story of when and how cauliflower became a stand-in for actual chicken wings, I did unearth the story of the wings themselves. The Buffalo wing was invented […]

Easy Carrot Tzatziki

In the tradition of the Mediterranean diet, dips and spreads hold a special place. They are part of the meze culture found throughout the entire Mediterranean. In Greek cooking, the number of dips is endless and many are based on Greek yogurt. I get so many requests for how to make tzatziki, the classic Greek […]

Pan-seared Tofu With A Ouzo and Pomegranate Glaze

TOFU AND THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET: Tofu, or bean curd, as it is also known, is an unparalleled source of plant-based protein coming in at 10 grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving. It is made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness. It has such […]

Quick Lemony Chickpeas & Spinach

This delicious Greek chickpea recipe with spinach epitomizes the simple way that healthy, plant-based Mediterranean ingredients come together in the Greek and Mediterranean diet. Chickpeas are one of the oldest cultivated legumes in the Eastern Mediterranean and Greeks have been enjoying them for eons. You can easily swap out the spinach for something more exotic, […]

HOT OR COLD YOGURT SOUP WITH SPICY GRILLED EGGPLANT, MINT AND POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

YOGURT KNOW-HOW: Warm and cold yogurt soups abound all over the Eastern Mediterranean. From the Syrian lamb-yogurt soup called shakrya to Turkish yogurt soups, the variety is impressive and spiciness is almost always part of the flavor palette, counterbalancing the cool, refreshing qualities of really good yogurt. Yogurt and Yogurt Substitutes: If you’re using real […]

GRILLED POLENTA WITH KALAMATA OLIVE CONFIT

A LITTLE HISTORY AND A HELPFUL TIP: Corn has been an important part of the original Ikaria diet, in so far as one can claim that, with corn being a New World crop. But what I mean is that once established in the Mediterranean, for almost half a millenium now, it became something people could […]

Honeynut or Butternut Squash Stuffed With Herby Mushrooms

PRACTICAL TIP – KNIFE SKILLS 101!:A paring knife, small and pointy, is ideal for the incisions. Knives which are continually used must always be kept sharp—a blunt or dull knife is dangerous because it requires more pressure and is more likely to slip and cause an injury.

Tabbouleh Salad with Grilled Asparagus, Mint and Toasted Pine Nuts

HOW TO MAKE A GLUTEN-FREE TABBOULEH:Bulgur is one of the oldest grain products in the Eastern Mediterranean, as wheat is one of the three members of the holy trinity of Mediterranean Diet plants (the other two being the olive tree and grape vine). But in these gluten-intolerant times, knowing some viable substitutes for much-maligned wheat […]