Taramokeftedes # 2 - Fried tarama balls with bread and fresh herbs

One of the most tasty meze of the traditional Greek cuisine and one of the most popular dishes during the fasting period of "Sarakosti" (which started this week) and a shiny star at the table on "Clean Monday" day. It is a meze, though, which you can enjoy anytime in the year as long as you accompany it with a chilled glass of ouzo!:-)) I've said before that there are a few variations of "taramokeftedes" and last year I had posted another one. This one today, though, is one of my favourites

Tomato rice pilaf with squids

Lent period started yesterday and for the next few weeks I will try to present you some of the most delicious and interesting fasting recipes we have in Greece. You don't need to be a Greek or religious to follow this type of dishes. If you are vegetarian or vegan or even just somebody who likes to eat something different than meat all the time then here you'll discover some delicious ideas to enjoy with your family and friends. I start with a traditional recipe to enjoy squids in a different way. A rather common and popular way of cooking squids in Greece but in this version there is a novelty. To make your life even easier, canned (in tomato sauce) squids are used and believe me nobody would be able to tell because they compare very favourably to the fresh or frozen squids- their taste is nice and they are tender in texture. In this recipe we use a variety of rice (of Greek origin) called "Nychaki", as it is broadly known. It is a white long-grain variety and it is ideal for  plain rice and pilafs but also can be used in some kind of stuffings. I don't expect you to find the same variety in your country but if you can then it is worth trying it out. Otherwise choose a variety that it is appropriate for such kind of recipes

Is "Clean Monday" again! - Why not fasting while feasting!?!?

The Carnival period finished in Greece yesterday. Today we are back to "Sarakosti", the 40-day fasting period until the Holy Week before Easter.

Pasta with ground beef, lentils and yoghurt sauce

Inspired, in a way, from the recipe of "Chickpeas with ground beef" this is another delicious way to use dried pulses with a whole new approach. An unusual combination of ingredients which in the end offers such a hearty and tasty meal

Fresh tuna fillets in wine sauce with white beans

We are not big fish-lovers at home but this was a nice alternative to the classic ways of cooking beans and fresh tuna. Delicious combination and very nutritious as well. Enjoy along with a nice glass of red wine

Velvety celery soup with mushrooms and white pepper

The Winter is still around and this year arrived stronger and took us by surprise... So, the best season for more hearty soups at the table to warm us up! The white pepper in this recipe makes the difference so use freshly ground

Sweet pizza with bananas and chocolate

Not long ago I gave you a nice recipe to create your own dough for sweet pizza! Here is now the first recipe where you can put that dough in use so to have a great dessert to share and enjoy with friends and family. A recipe with just a few simple ingredients but with a delicious result. Banana and chocolate is one of the most classic and popular sweet combinations and if laid together on a nice crispy dough then things can't get tastier

Potato salad with chickpeas, olives and peppers

A delicious salad with all these nice and nutritious ingredients which make it a very satisfying meal for all seasons!

Fried country style sausages with leeks and feta cheese

Delicious meze to enjoy along with a good red wine! Take advantage of the leeks while they are still in season to create this rustic recipe

Easy crustless pie with 3 cheeses and ham

Easy, fast and delicious recipe which you can enjoy as a snack or along with a nice green salad for a light meal. Inspired from traditional recipes of this type from around Greece, it takes a slightly different form due to the addition of the ham

Fried eggs with tomatoes in the skillet with chicken livers

A delicious "saganaki" dish to enjoy any day of the week when you want something fast but filling and rich in taste. Great, though, too for a lazy Sunday brunch

Sandwich with Greek Manouri cheese and rocket pesto

Manouri is an airy and light semi-soft white cheese used very often in making sweet and savoury pies and desserts but also used in salads. It is made from the drained whey from feta cheese production (of sheep's or goat's milk). Similar to feta cheese but creamier and much less salty or even salt-free. The regions famous for the Manouri cheese are Central and Western Makedonia (up-North Greece) and Thessalia (Central Greece). It has a slightly grainy creamy texture and a milky taste with a mild citrus flavour. It does not have an outer rind or solidified casing. It is almost always sold in log-shaped rolls or in individual pieces cut from a roll. Wherever a sweet, rich cheese is used, think of manouri. Decent substitutes for Manouri are the goat cheese, the cream cheese or farmer's cheese. To introduce you to this tasty cheese I have a nice and light sandwich that you can enjoy anytime of the day. It tastes even better if you leave it to rest for a bit allowing the bread to absorb the moisture and the flavour of the pesto

Spanakoryzo with cuttle fish and orange

What we have here? The classic vegetarian Spanakoryzo and the traditional "Cuttlefish with spinach" inspiring a new dish with the addition of the orange flavour. Ideal for those who love both spinach and cuttlefish and they like to experiment on traditional recipes giving a modern twist to them without losing the original idea

Slowly cooked goat with thick macaroni - Getting back to the roots...

A delicious traditional recipe which can be found in various areas of Greece with minor differences from region to region. In the long past, goat used to be a common and rather popular type of meat. Later on, for some reason, it was rather forgotten from the majority of households especially in the big cities. The exception was when it came to "boiled goat" (a broth type of soup) or a few other 100% traditional recipes in some regions. The truth is that goat meat is quite tough because of the age of the animal and it needs plenty of slow cooking (in Greece, referring simply to "goat" we mean the older animal otherwise it is called "goat-kid" for the young ones which are more popular thanks to their tender meat) and maybe this was one of the reasons most people were put off... As I've mentioned before it seems that the Greeks have started going back to basics regarding some forgotten ingredients or recipes which for years were rather dismissed by most of us as "low" or "peasant class"... Who said that a crisis can only bring bad consequences??....

Penne pasta with Florina red peppers pesto

A delicious and easy to prepare recipe for a meatless meal to enjoy with family and friends. Simple ingredients blended and balanced nicely together for this red pesto made of the famous Florina peppers. A variety with a distinctive aroma and a very refreshing taste

Crème Caramel with orange liqueur syrup

Crème Caramel .... so classic...  so French.... but so innocently naive to think for years (while I was a kid) that this was another Greek dessert that "mummy prepares better than anyone else!!!"...:-))) As a tribute to my mother (thank God she is still with us) and to my gone (but not forgotten) childhood here you have the chance to try this famous dessert with the refreshing addition of the orange flavour

Tasty and useful marinades

I assume that you often wonder, as I do, "which marinade is more suitable in this case?"... Well, all you have to do is to choose one of the tasty marinades below and be sure that they will give a special aroma and taste to any meat, fish or vegetable dish you are about to cook

Potato salad with fennel, orange and country style sausages

Tasty, easy and refreshing salad for something different to enjoy when you are not in the mood for too much cooking. The recipe covers two people but it can be easily adjusted according to the number of people you have around the table

Braised chicken with carrots and sage

Inspired by traditional recipes from various regions of Crete this dish will satisfy you to the full! Simple ingredients that more or less we all have in our fridge and pantry but with such a delicious result

Easy home made bread

Very tasty and not complicated recipe for home made bread! Enjoy the aroma and the taste of a freshly baked loaf any time in the year. Family and friends will appreciate it for sure!

Traditional pork and leeks pie with home made pastry

This is a delicious meat pie inspired by traditional recipes from Northern Greece. The combination of pork, leeks and the, full of aroma, spices is a classic!! It is a fully Winter-time recipe so take advantage of the season and don't try it out after February or March because it will not feel the same. It's a "heavy" recipe for really cold weather and demands a rich red wine to enjoy it! A great idea is to knead the dough with red wine instead of water, something I suggest in the ingredients below. Believe me, the taste of the pastry is amazing with the wine, something you have not tasted before! If the pork is not your favourite meat you can substitute with beef as long as it comes from some tender part of the animal. Pies usually are served in Greece as a first dish or a snack or as a side dish. This pie though is a full main meal itself and you can serve it along with a mixed cabbage and carrot salad and a good quality feta cheese

Roast garlic relish

Garlic (“skordo” in Greek) is one of the main and very popular ingredients in Greek cuisine. Garlic fits almost everywhere, it goes with nearly all savoury dishes. In some of them two or three cloves are more than enough. For a lighter flavour it is better to peel them. In Thrace (Northeastern Greece) where many dishes are "heavier" than those in other areas whole garlic heads are used in various meat and poultry stews after removing the outer skin and the fronds. This garlic relish is quite versatile since it can be used in salad dressings (about 1 tsp is enough) for a bit of extra flavour, in pasta sauces, in soups to give a bit of a kick, to rub on a chicken for roasting, to various seafoods and even as an addition to any dish with innards! Just a few simple ingredients for such an aromatic and delicious relish!

 

Cuttlefish stifado

Stifado... one of the most popular Winter-time (mainly) dishes around Greece. The variety of stifados is quite large. From the original recipe with hare or rabbit to every other possible meat and even sea food as the recipe I have for you today. But, always, in this dish the stars are the sweet little onions. For those who are not fans of cuttlefish there is always the alternative of the squid. Only in that case instead of vinegar we use dry white wine. You can serve the dish with fries, rice pilaf, pasta or steamed vegetables

Cinnamon flavoured easy carrot jam

It's not many years since I first discovered how tasty carrot jam can be. A friend made some and offered me a small jar to taste it. It is an easy recipe to follow and of course because of the availability of the carrots it is a jam that you can have any time of the year without needing to fill a lot of jars and overload your fridge or your cupboards