Greek-style pesto with spearmint and almonds

Spearmint is very popular in Greece and it is used in many dishes as a herb. In some cases spearmint is the ingredient which makes all the difference in the dish. The aroma and the taste are so refreshing, always giving an extra flavour to the recipe. Here we have a nice alternative for pesto which you can use in various dishes

Florina red peppers chutney

A nice recipe to accompany any cold or grilled meat or to enrich other sauces with. Florina peppers are Greece's finest and famous for their sweetness and their distinctive aroma and we use them in Greece in many recipes. They also peel very easily. You can always substitute with pimento peppers or red bell peppers

Almonds, parsley and rocket pesto

Different than the classic flavours in this easy to make pesto which though, work very well together. It is not only to coat your pasta with but it can be used in various vegetable and salad recipes as well or to accompany some grilled fish or poultry with it

Multi-purpose mixed mushrooms ragoût sauce

Simple but so delicious this mushroom ragoût can be used as a sauce over various pasta or meat dishes or even as a light vegetarian dish on its own. You can use fresh, frozen or dried mushrooms after soaking them in water. Depending on your preference and their size the mushrooms can stay whole, cut in halves or in thin slices. As for the water the dried mushrooms were soaked in, don't throw it! It can be added in the broth for extra flavour

Greek pesto with spinach, feta cheese and dill

Based, of course, on the famous Italian sauce here we have a variation with more Greek flavours. Easy to put together, this pesto can be used not only on your pasta dishes but adding 1-2 tbsp in a vinaigrette will give to your usual lettuce salad an extra flavour! Also, works perfectly on a potato or fresh beans salad and next to roast chicken or pork fillet

Multi-purpose feta cheese cream

Just a few ingredients are needed to make this really versatile and delicious smooth cream! It is great to spread on toast bread or rusks. To serve on a classic tomato salad, on chilled or warm tomato soup, to accompany Summer vegetable dishes like stuffed vegetables, beans, okra or peas stew and also to accompany various recipes with dried pulses (soups or salads). The feta needs to be medium salted so better if you soak it from the night before in a bowl filled with water and discard the next day

Coarse aubergine sauce

This is a delicious sauce which can be used in many different ways. As a sauce on top of pasta but also as a dip or spread to accompany some toast bread or bread sticks. It works perfectly as a side dish to various roast poultry and fish

Tuna, olives and mushroom sauce

Such an easy, simple but so tasty sauce to top your pasta or rice pilaf with it! But, strange as it might sound, adding 2-3 tbsp of this sauce in recipes like potatoes yahni, sweet peas or green beans stew give such a kick and extra flavour to the final result! I was hesitant too when I first read about it but I did risk it and Mrs Nikolaou was right! When I first cooked this recipe, though, by choice I added red and green bell peppers in small cubes as well as a glass of wine. But if you want to try the idea of using some of the sauce in the other recipes I mention above then omit the vegetables

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

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!

 

Christmas salad dressing with pomegranate

Christmas and pomegranate are best friends! Such a big favourite and so versatile! Here we have a tasty dressing which goes perfectly well with green salads, beetroots or cabbage, with chestnuts or even avocados. It goes well with shrimps, lobster and scallops but also with salmon. You can even use it as a marinade for pork meat, game and poulty