Category: Aegean Islands

Red Mullet Packets Perfumed with Ouzo & Santorini Capers

  Greek recipes for fish abound and the red mullet, barbouni in Greek, is especially beloved. Ouzo, extra virgin Greek olive oil and capers give this dish a distinctly Greek island brushstroke.

Greek Jam Lattice-Top Tart / Pasta Flora

  Pasta Flora doesn’t sound like a Greek recipe for dessert, but it is and one of the classics, too. This lattice-topped tart, adopted from my Ikaria book, is made with many of the fruit jams and preserves that are part of the Greek tradition. The most common is apricot, but it’s great with plum, […]

Lentils Cooked with Orzo & Caramelized Onions

  This wonderful Greek recipe from one of the most beloved Greek island groups, the Dodecanese, appeals to vegans and vegetarians alike. Lentils and pasta are a popular combination in the Greek cooking of the Dodecanese. Topped with caramelized onions, called sivrasi, this simple dish is transformed into something really irresistible.

Pitaroudia – Chickpea Fritters with Tahini Sauce

  Greek recipes for plant-based fritters abound and this one, with chickpeas, from the island of Rhodes, is a classic. Enjoy this wonderful Greek vegan and Greek vegetarian recipe any time of the day. It goes perfectly with the tahini dip, too!

Roditikoi Dolmades – Grape Leaves Stuffed with Bulgur & Cumin

  The classic Greek recipe, stuffed grape leaves are a specialty of Rhodes and there are so many different versions that once a year the island hosts a stuffed grape leaf cooking contest! Greek stuffed grape leaves, called dolmades, can be served as a Greek meze or as a main course. You can even add […]

Rafiolia – Chios Sweet Pumpkin Phyllo Pastries

  This Greek recipe for a sweet phyllo pastry filled with pumpkin is a very traditional dessert from the Aegean island of Chios. Similar Greek dessert recipes from the Aegean islands go by various names, such as rafiolia and keramidopites, or tile cakes, because they once were baked on hot ceramic roofing tiles, like a […]

Melitzanopilafo – Eggplant Pilaf

  There are many traditional Greek recipes for vegetables and rice as a main course. This simple Greek recipe, made with eggplant and seasoned with fresh herbs, makes a delicious vegetarian main course, but can easily be served as a Greek meze and as a side dish to simple grilled or pan-seared meat or fish. […]

Avgokalamoura – Ground Meat Omelet

  This traditional Aegean island recipe from Chios, for a not-so-classic Greek omelet, is typically made with ground meat that is sauteed in a little extra virgin Greek olive oil and perfumed with aromatic spices. I’ve improvised here, using instead a ready-carved gyro meat that is available in the United States and produced by My […]

Ikaria-Style Batter-Dipped Eggplants in Fresh Tomato Sauce

Vegetable cookery on Ikaria, as throughout the greek countryside, is really varied. This recipes is an old one, which I wrote down while sitting with Myrsina Rousso, 80 or so, in her garden in Manganiti while she recounted numerous recipes and details about the life and food on the island in the 1940s. It’s a […]

Ikaria Green Bean Stew (Mageirio)

A healthy green bean stew from my next book: Ikaria, Lessons on Food, Life and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die.