Baked rice pilaf with chicken, broccoli and creamy cheese sauce

A clever and very tasty dish to have any day combining poultry, rice and vegetables in one dish!  For extra flavour you can add various fresh herbs in the rice but also peas or/and mushrooms

Black-eyed beans and roasted beetroots salad

Colourful, nutritious, very filling salad full of aromas and taste to enjoy any time! The various ingredients work together very well and it could also be served as a light meal along with some fresh rustic bread. The same recipe can be cooked with lentils, chickpeas or a mixture of various dried pulses



Potatoes, celeriac and leeks gratin

A delicious and easy to prepare recipe with some of the most tasty Winter vegetables to serve as a first or side dish. They work together very well and it is a nice alternative idea for the classic "potatoes au gratin"



Chocolate mousse log with caramelised pears

Oh! This is really a delicious recipe! It needs time and patience (especially when, like me, you are not so familiar to such kind of recipes) but, as we know, the most interesting things in life need time... In the end, though, you end up with this light, airy and delicious dessert to accompany your tea or coffee or to serve after a special meal 

Beef fillet with cognac, thyme and lemon

Most of the beef sold in Greece is imported, though some animals are bred abroad and raised in Greece. Some people insist that imported meat is best, particularly from countries with a long cattle-raising history (like Argentina, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Ireland, UK), but others say exports are inferior to what locals enjoy in the country of origin, or are the result of intensive farming. But regardless of all these and if the meat is organic or conventional, imported or local, beef fillet does not come cheap and that's why we need to handle and cook with care! Definitely beef fillet is not the piece of meat for those (me included) who prefer their meat really well done... but if it is cooked until it reaches its limit then it is not bad at all:-)

Savoury cake with ham and cheese

A simple but very tasty cake to enjoy as a snack or to serve along with a crispy green salad for a light meal. You can substitute the Kefalotyri cheese with Feta and you can also add a few black olives- finely chopped. In that case the best herb to use is the rosemary or the oregano



Braised octopus in dry and sweet wine sauce

Serve this tender and delicious octopus as a meze to share along with toasted bread or as a main meal accompanied by a nice rice pilaf

Hearty tart with eggs, mushrooms and bacon

Delicious breakfast ingredients gathered on top of a tasty homemade pastry creating a luscious tart to enjoy along with a salad any day in the week! Feel free to use a store-bought shortcrust pastry if you don't have the time to make your own. You could also make the recipe using individual tart tins

Chickpeas, carrots and raisins salad

Easy, delicious, colourful and super nutritious salad to serve any season and in any occasion next to various meat and poultry dishes. Simple ingredients which work together well giving a subtle sweet flavour

Spicy pickled beetroots at home

A great idea with a tasty recipe to preserve fresh beetroots and use them any time you need! They can be served next to a platter with various cheeses, in sandwiches, on various salads or to accompany grilled meat and fish dishes



Chestnuts and semolina cream pie

Easy and light and in season, this phyllo pastry sweet pie can be served any time in Winter but also it could become one of the desserts you can serve during the Holiday season! The combination of the creamy filling (resembling to the other popular Greek dessert, the "Galaktoboureko") with the chestnuts is just delicious!

Marinated baked wild pig in wine sauce with root vegetables

Hearty and delicious Winter dish to enjoy with the family and guests. In Greece local or imported wild pig ("Agrio-gourouno" in Greek) is sold throughout Winter, particularly during the holiday season at many butcher shops. Unfortunately nowadays not many local breeds are left as most livestock breeders prefer the more profitable foreign breeds or those cross-bred with local breeds. A rare exception is an area in Trikala (Central Greece) where thoroughbred Greek wild pigs are still around which they feed on acorns and other fruits of the forest, which gives their meat its delicious flavour

Spicy yellow split peas purée (Greek Fava dip) with smoked herring

Fava dip is an easy dish to make and its bright yellow colour is a pretty addition to any table. It can be served as an appetizer, meze or a side dish. Fava goes particularly well with dark leafy greens, salty dishes and various fish. It should not be confused with the meaning of the same word in other countries though. In Greece, "Fava" is nothing else than the yellow split peas and not the broad or fava beans ("Koukia" in Greek). To prepare fava is not something complicated. Despite being a staple dish in traditional Greek tavernas, most of the yellow split peas are often imported. The Greek fava exists but it is slightly more expensive with the best variety coming from Santorini island. A special kind of fava bean is growing in this beautiful island, without irrigation, for over 3500 years! This variety is a bit rare to find outside Santorini and it is rather expensive but there is also a cheaper variety of Greek-grown fava coming from Corinthos area and nowadays it is available at most supermarkets. Fava dip used to be served in the traditional tavernas along with a simple tomato ragoût and finely chopped hot pepper. The secret for a successful fava dip is to mash in the pot, while slowly cooking, and not in a blender. This recipe can be served as a meze to share but also as a main meal

Sautéed spinach and leeks with cream cheese

A very tasty and healthy side dish to accompany various meat, poultry and fish dishes. The spinach with the cream cheese and the green herbs go together very well!

Cheese, red onion and fresh sage homemade flat bread

It takes time to prepare this recipe and it needs patience... but in the end you will be rewarded with a delicious bread and as you know nothing beats the taste and the aroma of  freshly-baked homemade bread! If you don't like sage you can use another herb of course (when in season I find that the fresh oregano is an excellent choice!). Great idea to enjoy it as a snack at work, at school, a picnic or to have it even as a light meal along with a crispy salad

Harricot beans with cabbage

Simplicity at its best with this traditional recipe. A very tasty Winter-time dish to enjoy the beans with the family. Super healthy and rather light it can be cooked any day in the week and have something different than the classic recipes with dried pulses

Beef cooked in balsamic vinegar and coriander sauce with garlic and spicy potato mash

Oooh! A very hearty and delicious recipe to enjoy during Winter time! Tender beef bites in a nice, thick sauce along with a, not so common, kind of potato mash! If, though, there are small children in the family you can use milder spices

Crispy phyllo rolls with potato filling

A nice recipe for phyllo rolls with a simple but delicious potato filling. Nothing complicated about this recipe which can be served any time as a first dish, party or buffet dish or a snack! Make as many as possible because you can never stop at one!

Chicken legs fricassée with Swiss chard and herbs in avgolemono sauce

A delicious idea to try the chicken along with the tasty Swiss chard and herbs in a luscious, but different from the classic, avgolemono sauce! Very hearty and filling recipe to enjoy with the family. Just have plenty of fresh rustic bread at the table to enjoy the sauce and a large piece of feta cheese!

Mushroom salad with creamy parsley sauce

Simple in ingredients but delicious in taste and healthy too, this salad will satisfy your guest to the full! It can be served any time and it is ideal to accompany numerous fish or meat dishes

Homemade mandarin marmalade

Now that these super fruits are still in season take advantage and make your marmalade (I don't call it jam since it is a citrus fruit) to enjoy at your breakfast or to use as a filling or spread on other desserts. I strongly recommend to use the authentic mandarins and not clementines or satsumas. There is no comparison between the three!! Mandarins are the real McCoy in this case and so you will not need to add any spices or vanilla to enrich the taste and the aroma!

Potato croquettes with beetroots and salmon

Unusual combination of ingredients but with a really delicious result! Serve these croquettes as a meze to share with the refreshing dip or even as a main meal along with some fresh green salad

Baked lamb with Winter vegetables and mild spices

Who said that lamb is only for Spring and Easter time? In Greek cuisine it is cooked all year round and the only difference is that during the Winter the various flavours embracing the meat are more rich. Today's dish is inspired by a traditional recipe from Chania region, in Crete. What makes this dish special is the local wine "Marouvas" they use and it really goes perfectly well with the lamb. This wine, with its special characteristics, has an intense oxidation. This element helps balancing nicely the greasy flavour of the lamb. Then, the herbs and the spices give an extra flavour and subtle aroma to the food and makes it sooo tasty and mellow thanks to the slow cooking in the oven

Classic orzo pasta with tomato - Simple but great!

This is what we call "kritharaki orphano" ("orphaned" orzo) and it means that there is no kind of meat involved in the recipe. It is one of the classic meatless dishes with pasta in the Greek cuisine. Just plain pasta with tomato and various mild spices to give an extra aroma. Although there is no meat in it, it doesn't mean that it lacks of taste. On the contrary! It is a simple recipe but so tasty and filling too to have any time of the year and especially after periods where most of us had a lot of meat and we need something simpler and lighter for a meal. What, in general, we have to keep in mind about orzo (especially when cooked on the cooker) is that it needs our attention because it is very easy to stick at the bottom of the pot. So keep the heat to medium-low and stir the food frequently. Most of the times I prefer to use a non-stick pot

Spicy braised cauliflower

A tasty and nicely spiced, without being too hot, vegetarian recipe which can be served as a main dish or as a side dish to various meat or poultry dishes. After all the meat we had during the Holiday season I think it is a very nice idea to get back to normal with some vegetables

Spicy meatballs in tomato and orange flavoured sauce

Another delicious version to cook Greek meatballs and enjoy a really hearty meal with family and friends! They are so versatile and they can be served with a wide variety of side dishes. Mashed or fried potatoes, pasta, rice pilaf or even roasted vegetables are a few great ideas

Easy tart with baked oranges

Some puff pastry and a few oranges are enough to create this fast and easy dessert! Delicious in taste, fragrant and good looking to serve it anytime during the Winter months

Creamy lentils soup with feta cheese

Perhaps I have mentioned it before but it doesn't matter:-) I was never a big fan of dried (or fresh) pulses but lentils are probably my favourite! Especially (and probably only) when cooked in the classic Greek lentils soup recipe. And this is strange because I was never a big fan of soups either!... What a contrast eh?? But when it comes to creamy, velvety soups, then things change... And that's why today's recipe is so special to me and I believe you will appreciate it as well. I would like to add that the same recipe  can be transformed into a special dip! You only need to increase the amount of Feta cheese in it and sprinkle with some finely snipped fennel fronds on top. Try it out in this way too and you'll remember my words

Easy warm chocolate drink

There is nothing like a warm chocolate drink in the Winter months and I believe that most of you agree with me! And when the drink is made at home it tastes even better and gives us such a cozy feeling! Here we have a basic recipe to follow but there are so many little things we can do to give to the drink a special twist. Try out some orange zest, freshly ground cinnamon or nutmeg or cardamom, Grand Marnier or other liqueur or even various freshly ground peppercorns

Baked fritters with leftover Festive season vegetables

Every year the same story... it's not only the leftover cheeses you have to use up after the Holidays big feast, but plenty of leftover vegetables too waiting for you in the fridge to deal with them... which makes us think that "next year we will not cook so many..." but we make the same mistake year after year:-)) These fritters, for example, are a nice idea to use up the leftover vegetables so to have something light and tasty without feeling guilty that "in these difficult times" you had to throw food away...

Fluffy omelette with herbs and leftover cheeses

I don't know how often it happens to you but in our house every year our fridge has plenty of various leftover cheeses after the Holiday season... How many crackers and how much chutney you can have so to accompany the various cheeses? So, this omelette is a nice idea to use those cheeses up and have a nice and light meal at the same time. The cheeses mentioned are only an indication (just a few of those we usually prefer every Festive season), of course you can use those you have in your fridge. As for the herbs used, don't feel intimidated by the "shepherd's needles" (Myronia in Greek)... if you can't find this herb then again use a different kind

Caramelised pancetta with balsamic syrup and root vegetables herbed mash

This is a very nice idea for the New Year's Day lunch so to have something different than the classic roast pork. Tender meat with a luscious crunchy skin on top where the balsamic vinegar syrup gives it a special flavour

Festive salad with rocket, chicory and pomegranate

An easy, refreshing and delicious salad to accompany your New Year's roast but of course a nice salad for any time during the Winter months