Beet Risotto with Feta
Beets are an unusual but delicious addition to classic risotto, made here with Greek rice or with Italian risotto rice. Greek rice is something to look for because it is naturally flavorful, thanks to the close proximity of Greek rice fields to the sea. Most Greek rice grows in Macedonia. Greek rice is also free […]
Ikaria Longevity Cornmeal & Greens Soup
I had been hearing about the use of corn kernels and cornmeal in the Ikarian diet ever since my aunt Mary, who passed away several years ago at the age of 97, mentioned the corn-stuffed cabbage leaves she remembered as a child. This soup is an old recipe and a perfect example of the kind […]
FIVE HEALTHY REASONS TO TRY GREEK PANCAKES
Greek pancakes? It seems like a stretch, but truth be told, pancakes exist in many regional variations in the Greek kitchen and are very old, traditional Greek recipes. As a working mom I’ve used these traditional Greek recipes to offer up quick, nutritious meals to my own kids. Greek-style pancakes offer up a relatively healthy […]
Ikarian Longevity Greens Pancakes
Ikarian cooking in the middle of the 20th century is what most of the island’s nonagenarians remember vividly. They were the stone-hard years of the Occupation, a time of great hunger all over Greece. This pie, really a kind of pancake, stands out to me because it’s cooked on a griddle, the better for using […]
A Wild Asparagus Hunt on Ikaria Yields More than Meets the Eye
LOOKING FOR WILD ASPARAGUS ON IKARIA You have to learn how to look. That’s what my friend Lefteris, a fount of knowledge about Ikaria’s flora, told me as soon as we stepped out of the car in Cambo, the island’s largest flat plain, not too far from Evdilos, the port town in the center of […]
Ikaria Longevity Greens Pie with Whole Wheat Phyllo
This is one of my all-time favorite Greek pies, from the Blue Zone island of Ikaria, where we run our cooking schoolin spring and summer. We teach our guests to make this and they love it.
Black-Eyed Peas with Greens and Fennel (Mavromatika me Maratho)
Black-eyed peas are one of the easiest legumes to cook. You don’t have to soak them. They are filled with nutrition and have a wonderful, nutty flavor. In Greece, regional specialties abound for black-eyed peas, among them this lovely, savory, vibrant stew from the Aegean islands, where fennel is one of the core flavors.You can […]
Traditional Pies from Ikaria (Pitarakia)
These traditional pies, so called “poor”, are in fact full of flavor and exceptionally healthy. They are one of the most popular, traditional foods of Ikaria.
Amaranth Leaves – aka Vlita
Amaranth, called Vlita in Greek, is one of the traditional Greek foods eaten in summer, when it’s in season. It’s a Mediterranean Diet dream ingredient, filled with amazing nutritional properties.
Black-Eyed Peas with Chard and Olives /Mavromatika me Elies kai Seskoula
Beans and greens are coupled in countless main-course vegetable dishes in the Greek kitchen. This black-eyed pea and chard medley is from the Peloponnese.
Naxos Sweet Chard Pie/ Sefoukloti
Filo pies filled with greens and sweetened with honey are found in the Cyclades and other Aegean islands. They are among the most unique Greek recipes.
Greek Spinach & Chard Stew / Bonamatsi
Bonamatsi is one of the great regional vegetarian and vegan main courses that call for greens. This is healthy food with amazing flavor! If you have some real Greek olive oil on hand with which to dress it, all the better. TO find some, go to my online store here.