Mushroom Souvlaki with Pistachio Pesto
You can use any nut you like, or even seeds, such as roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds, for the pesto. But if you do use pistachios, I highly recommend the amazing Aegina pistachios from my online shop. A word about mushrooms and eating for longevity: Mushrooms have always been a part of the longevity diet […]
Spinach Tagliatelle with Creamy Walnut Sauce
The concept of using ground nuts, especially walnuts, to help thicken a sauce is rooted in some of the regional Lenten traditions of Greece. It was a brilliant way for cooks to mimic the texture of, say, ground meat, during periods of fasting, and to provide important nutrition. (read more on Notes below)
Dry-roasted Cauliflower with Cayenne and Lemon
CAULIFLOWER & LONGEVITY: It is usually the colorful veggies that get all the attention for being the brightest stars in the healthy diet universe. But cauliflower, which has grown in popularity, is an exception. All the cruciferous vegetables play an important role in eating for health and longevity. In Ikaria, people grow all manner of […]
Warm Green Beans with Chopped White Onion And Hazelnuts
FACTS & TIPS: Why Hazelnuts? I had originally created this recipe with bits of cured pork in mind, using a very small amount of meat the way my ancestors would have a few generations ago. But then I wanted to challenge myself and make the recipe totally vegan. Nuts do the trick, and hazelnuts are […]
Creamy Broccoli Soup With Star Anise, Cashews And Ginger
FUN TIP: Creamy texture doesn’t have to be achieved with, well, cream! In this recipe, I call for an age-old Greek tradition for using nuts as a thickener. Cashews, while not native to Greece, are a much-loved nut. They are super rich in iron and copper, which impacts our metabolism in a positive way. Cashews […]
Seared Cauliflower Steaks Baked Over Herbed Apples
There’s no end to the good things cauliflower gives our bodies. But did you also know that it is one of the best detox vegetables around? There are many ways to detox but nixing the refined carbohydrates and sugar from our diet is first and foremost. If we focus on adding nutritious vegetables to our […]
Giant Bean Greek Village Salad
FUN FACT: Many of us have seen, tried or at least heard of a Greek salad, but chances are we may also have experienced it in its American version, with lettuce and vinaigrette. Real Greek salad calls for neither! The brininess of the olives and/or capers or sea fennel provides ample acidity and lots of […]
Sheet Pan Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Kale with Vegan Basil Pesto
How to Choose Sweet Potatoes: Choose fresh sweet potatoes that are heavy for their size, hard, smooth, and free of bruises. Watch out for shriveled skin, dark spots, or indentations, as these are common signs of decay. Cleaning Sweet Potatoes: Before using, scrub sweet potatoes with a produce brush while rinsing under cool water. Cut […]
White Beans with Eggplant and Vegan Feta
PRACTICAL FACT: Beans are one of the most important foods to consume when thinking about a healthy longevity diet. They’re rich in fiber and complex carbs and they are crucial to one of the most important aspects of health: our gut! Ikarians and Greeks in general cook beans every which way, but it’s when combining […]
Lentil Tabbouleh With Crumbled Nuts
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Cheese Week, or Tyrini, ushers in Lent
Learn about Greek cheese week, called Tyrini, which is the week before Lent begins.
The Earth-Friendly Mediterranean Diet
Discover why the Mediterranean Diet is the best diet for a healthy planet, as well as for a sound mind and body. The plant-forward deliciousness of Greek-Mediterranean food will convince you that we can live by plants alone! Or, at least, with much less red meat in our lives. Greek cuisine, indeed, boasts one of the most plant-friendly diets on earth, with more vegetarian main courses than any other culinary tradition in the Mediterranean.