Greek Recipes

For those of you who are fasting for Lent or practicing vegetarian/vegans, this is your lucky day. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Irish eyes are smilin'! :) Halva ready for service - Click to enlarge image One of the hardest aspects of a fast or strict dietary regimen is avoiding tempting sweets and finding acceptable substitutes for dessert courses. This is especially hard on kids. Confections like this one are popular amongst Greek families during the Lenten period. I simply loved this stuff as a child. Still do! There are probably as many variations on this recipe as there are Greek matrons with culinary opinions. My recipe is quite basic, feel free to add or substitute other elements like pine nuts, sesame seeds, walnuts, or whatever else tickles your fancy. A few drops of orange blossom water or even some lemon rind in the syrup could also be a nice touch. I should mention that not only are there numerous permutations for this recipe, there are also alterna...

Many of you are likely already familiar with the Greek dish, Spanakorizo (spinach and rice), but how many of you have tried Prasorizo? Leeks have been a part of the Greek pantry for millenia. In ancient Greece, there were leek growing competitions and the largest specimens were awarded as offerings to the gods . Prasorizo - served with a lemon wedge The fresh green onions and garlic are excellent complements to the leeks in this dish as they are all part of the genus Allium . This dish is vegan and fast-friendly. However, for those of you who are not (or only partially) fasting, some real Greek Feta cheese also goes well with this dish, whether on the side, or crumbled over top as a finishing touch. An easy and quick Greek recipe that is tasty and seasonal. Ingredients: 3 large leeks sliced into thin discs 4 - 6 green onions sliced 1 yellow onion, diced 1 cup long grain rice ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup pine nuts ¼ cup of chopped parsle...

Fava with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of lemon & dried oregano Each year with the approach of Lent, Greeks all over the world prepare for the Easter celebration by fasting for a forty day period. The greater part of this fast consists in abstaining from meats and animal by-products including dairy foodstuffs like eggs, milk and butter. Coincidentally, this fasting period (called Sarakosti or 'forty days') arrives at just the right time to help us shed some of the extra weight we have put on during the winter months! Of course, it is always a challenge to come up with appropriate foods that are both tasty and varied, but thanks to the wide range of Greek gastronomic specialties this period can be anything but monotonous. Fava is essentially a yellow split-pea purée and it is especially popular on the Greek islands, particularly Santorini (or Thera) and Crete. On Santorini, fava is an important element in that island’s cookery, and it is eaten year round as a...