Meze / Starters Recipes
WHY IS SALAD GOOD FOR US? In the Mediterranean, especially in Greece, salad is a de rigueur part of every meal except breakfast! Sometimes – indeed, often – it is the meal. Why is it so good for us? Here are two good reasons: It’s filling and it’s full of fiber! A salad is mostly […]
A HEALTHY RECIPE FOR CRISPY ONIONS Ingredients ½ pound onions, peeled 2 Tbsp extra virgin Greek olive oil Sea salt and black pepper Instructions Preheat the oven to 400 F. Slice the onions into 1/4 inch and add them into a bowl. Coat them with olive oil and season them with sea salt and pepper. […]
SOY SAUCE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET It might seem incongruous to include soy sauce in recipes that embrace the plant-based traditions of Ikaria and the wider Mediterranean. But the truth is there’s also a large “Mediterrasian” trend afoot and chefs, at least in Greece, have been incorporating this ancient condiment into recipes for years now. […]
ABOUT RED LENTILS Red lentils are typically bright orange in appearance, and are similar to other lentil varieties in terms of overall – great – nutritional benefits. They tend to break down a little more easily than brown, green or black lentils, and have a mushier texture as well. Additionally, they have a slightly sweeter […]
ROASTING PARSNIPS AND SOME NUTRITION! You can cut the roasting time in half by parboiling the parsnips for about 7 minutes before putting them in the oven. Parsnips definitely aren’t at the top of the winter root vegetable list for most Greek cooks. That place would be taken by the likes of beetroot, celery root […]
BLUE CHEESES & MORE Are you a blue cheese love or hater? How do you feel about Gorgonzola and Stilton, two of the most famous blue cheeses of the world? Did you know that there’s a PDO Greek cheese with a pungent, spicy flavor, made in most Cyclades islands, and especially in Mykonos called kopanisti? […]
If you happen to be in Greece when making this Greek recipe for Sangria, you’ll definitely want to use local, juicy, ripe Greek peaches! You can find the Greek honey on my e-shop and the wines online. This Greek-inspired sangria is an indulgent part of the Greek diet, made with Mediterranean ingredients like fresh fruit […]
WHITE VS BROWN RICE: Even though the milling process removes the rice’s husk, bran, and germ, it’s artificially fortified with nutrients. It’s also polished so it appears to be more palatable. On the other side, brown rice is a whole grain thus it’s richer in nutrition as a whole. The key difference between these two […]
HOW TO COOK QUINOA : First, you rinse the quinoa for at least 30 seconds, and you drain it well. Then add it to a pot with water over medium-high heat. When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let […]
HOW TO PREP FRESH BROAD BEANS: The first step is opening the pods and taking out the beans. Then you need to remove the bean skins -as they tend to be tough. Since peeling them out can be challenging, blanching them first makes it much more manageable. You just need to blanch them for 3 […]