Mediterranean Recipes
TIPS FOR PERFECT CABBAGE STEAKS Choose a fresh, firm and crisp cabbage. Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage. Rinse the cabbage and pat dry. Cut off the bottom of the stem and use a sharp knife to cut the cabbage into 1-inch thick pieces. Season both sides of the cabbage steak. Make sure you […]
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 […]
BOMBA RICE Bomba rice is the de facto paella rice, a short-grained variety cultivated in Easter Spain that is said to have originated from an Indian variety brought to the Iberian peninsula. One important property of bomba is its ability to absorb two or three times its volume in water without bursting. As a result, […]
PASTA AND BEANS In the Greek kitchen, we cook up a few very old recipes that marry pasta with beans or legumes. Lentils and small pasta are still enjoyed in the Dodecanese islands and in Cyprus, for example. But for sure, the Italians take the prize on so many great recipes for pasta e fagioli […]
A wish list of Mediterranean diet ingredients goes into this Greek recipe for garlicky shrimp pasta! Seafood is an important component of the Greek diet, and shrimp is always a favorite. Indeed, there are even a fewnative species of Greek shrimp. This dish would not be the same without both the herbs and the extra […]
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? […]
Savoy cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable named after the Savoy region in France, where it’s believed to have originated. It’s a versatile cabbage that even though it isn’t as crunchy as the green cabbage, it keeps its texture when cooked. It has a full flavor and can be enjoyed raw, cooked, pickled and roasted as […]
CARNAROLI 101 Carnaroli is considered the best rice option for a risotto, as it has a larger grain and holds its shape better than Arborio. It’s considered the “king” or risotto rice and it’s Northern Italians’ favorite type of rice. It grows in Novara and Vercelli in Northern Italy, a region where some of the […]