Greek Recipes

The largest of the Cyclades archipelago, Náxos is one of the few Greek islands that is completely self-sustainable and could feed itself. Every square inch of the island, including the main town proudly boasts either a small vine plot or abundant market garden, squeezed in between low rise apartment blocks and villas. Further into the centre of the island, you will see flocks of sheep and goats everywhere, along with row upon row of silvery-green olive trees. Naxos also has some of the Cyclades loveliest beaches and its most dramatic scenery: vast mountains, lush terraced valleys and traditional white-washed villages. It has a unique regional food identify, famous for the grapefruit like "kitron" which is the key flavouring for the smooth local liqueur and spoon sweet. Naxiot potatoes are also renowned throughout Greece - as is the islands impressive array of both sheep and goat's milk cheeses. There is more than enough on offer in Náxos to keep you fully occupied for a w...

Looking for a healthy meal that is quick and easy to prepare? Something that will have you in and out of the kitchen in 30 minutes flat? Look no further, this recipe will have you sitting down to an enjoyable dinner before you can learn to say νιψονανομηματαμημονανοψιν ! Minimal prep time, basic ingredients, and very little supervision are required for this dish from the Aegean islands. A sampling of Aegean flavours - Click to Enlarge Image I first ran across variations of this dish on the island of Santorini, where I was working in the mid '90s. Being the adventurous sort, I spent a couple years getting the "Summer Lovers" thing out of my system by escaping to the Greek isles and experiencing all that they have to offer. Let me just say that the reality was everything I had imagined it to be and more. If you have ever considered just chucking everything and going to ground somewhere in the Aegean for an entire summer, I urge you to do it without a second tho...

Gigantes Tiganiti … Pan-Fried Giant Beans make an excellent appetizer dish. Since time immemorial beans and legumes have figured prominently in regional dishes throughout Greece. Dried Gigantes beans (pronounced YEE-GAN-DES) are a staple of Greek cookery and can usually be found in Greek specialty shops and bakeries, or most well-stocked supermarkets around the world. Also referred to as Elephant beans, Gigantes are about 1 inch long or roughly twice the size of conventional lima beans, and are a variety of runner bean . Cultivated largely in north central Greece, these beans can be prepared and served as an appetizer, as part of a salad, or as a main course. Indeed, this bean is so popular in Greece that five varieties of Gigantes/Elephant beans have been recognized as Protected Designation of Origin ( PDO ) / Protected Geographical Indication ( PGI ) produce by the European Union. The extraordinarily meaty and buttery texture of this extra large bean has served to make them a ub...