Category: Occasion

Recipes related to holidays and special occasions

Greek Leftover Turkey Salad

Greek Leftover Turkey Salad When Thanksgiving’s done and gone, this Greek leftover turkey salad is my go-to Greek recipe for making good, easy use of whatever meat is still around! If you clean the turkey carcass well, you’ll probably get around 3 - 4 cups of boneless meat, which is perfect for shredding. My model for this salad is the classic chicken curry salad, except, of course, here it’s turkey and I use Greek yogurt and extra virgin Greek olive oil in place of mayo. There’s an added bonus, too: Boil up the bones to make an exceptional Greek Leftover Turkey Avgolemono Soup! This same recipe can easily be made with leftover roasted chicken! Makes 6 servings Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: - 4 cups shredded leftover turkey meat 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 scallions, trimmed and chopped 1 garlic clove, smashed and minced 1 cup of Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil Finely grated zest of half a lemon Pinch of cumin 1 scant teaspoon curry powder Sea salt to taste Combine the chicken, peppers, and scallions in a mixing bowl. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest, cumin, curry powder, mint and sea salt. Transfer the chicken mixture to the yogurt and toss all together with a rubber spatula. Serve the salad in a bowl, or as a filling for a great sandwich or wrap.

When Thanksgiving’s done and gone, this Greek leftover turkey salad is my go-to Greek recipe for making good, easy use of whatever meat is still around! If you clean the turkey carcass well, you’ll probably get around 3 – 4 cups of boneless meat, which is perfect for shredding. My model for this salad is […]

​​Greek Spanakopita Cornbread

Greek Recipe for Spanakopita, Spinach Pie

This Greek Spanakopita Cornbread is fun! It combines two of my favorite things, cornbread, which I love and which has long been embraced on Ikaria, where it’s called bobota, and a classic Greek recipe for spanakopita filling. Make sure to use real Greek feta and extra virgin Greek olive oil!

Mushroom Mageiritsa

This yummy recipe for Mushroom Mageiritsa is a vegetarian version of the classic Greek recipe for Easter soup. Mageiritsa, which comes from the Greek word “cook, or to cook,” essentially is an offal soup, using all the innards that otherwise would be tossed. It’s a way to use everything, the Greek version of nose to […]

Tomatoes Stuffed with Seafood

Recipe for Tomatoes Stuffed with Seafood by Diane Kochilas

This recipe for Yemista me Thalassina, or peppers and tomatoes stuffed with seafood, turns the ordinary into the extraordinary! You can use any combination of seafood you like. Yemista, or stuffed peppers and tomatoes, are, of course, a Greek diet and Mediterranean diet classic, especially during periods of fasting and in the summer when tomatoes […]

Santorini Melitinia

Melitinia

Sweet cheese-filled pastries abound all over the Greek islands and are mainly Easter specialties. Melitinia hail from Santorini and from Tinos.

Lemony Fresh Cod and Chickpea Stew

This lemony fresh cod and chickpea stew will have you coming back for more and dipping great crusty sourdough bread into all the thick lemony pan juices! It’s filling, healthy, easy to make and nutritious, a great example of the many ways beans and legumes are used in the traditional Greek kitchen. It’s a recipe […]

Roasted Leg Of Lamb

Roasted leg of lamb is a Greek classic, one of the most iconic recipes in the whole repertoire of Greek cuisine, and one played out millions of times over Easter, too. Greek lamb recipes are among the most popular in the world. This recipe, adapted from my very first book, The Food and Wine of […]

Chunky Carrot Tomato Soup

Chunky Carrot Tomato Soup

I raised my kids on Greek soup recipes and have more than a few up my proverbial sleeve, but this one, for chunky carrot tomato soup perfumed with great spices, is really special. Its simplicity belies its delicious, complex flavor. Soups are a great Mediterranean diet food category and this one, totally vegan and so […]

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