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Kolokithokeftedes / Squash Fritters

August 3, 2015 36
traditional Greek squash fritters / kolokithokeftedes

traditional Greek squash fritters / kolokithokeftedes

Kolokithokeftedes are light and crispy and so jam packed with flavor, these traditional fried squash patties that will have your tastebuds singing happy happy songs!

Zucchini squash, onions, potatoes, carrots, lemon zest and a sprinkle of nutmeg come together in the most delightful combination. The whole lovely veggie mix is bound together with a go-to ingredient Greek cooks have been using for hundreds of years and that is just now catching on in the US, can you guess what it is??   Continue Reading →

Greek Potato Stew / Patates Yahni

May 13, 2015 21

Greek Potato Stew / Patates Yahni

Made with just 5 ingredients with one pot in just under an hour, this traditional Greek potato stew (πατάτες γιαχνί) is rustic potato perfection. Red ripe tomatoes, fresh parsley, sweet red onions, minced garlic and yellow potatoes simmered in olive oil combine to create one of the simplest, most authentic and amazingly delicious Greek dishes you will ever enjoy! Continue Reading →

Greek Beet Salad / Pantzaria Salata

April 14, 2015 11
traditional Greek beet salad

traditional Greek beet salad

Greek beet salad is a fantastic choice for take-to-work lunch and summer picnics too! If you are planning on taking it to work with you as part of your lunch, make sure you use a metal lunch box set instead of plastic lunch boxes that aren’t eco-friendly. The great part of being vegan is how much better it is for the environment so why not continue being pro-active for the world by using a metal lunch box?

This beeeutiful traditional beet salad will have you fighting for seconds it’s so good! Gorgeous earthy boiled red beets, tiny tiny minced garlic pieces, flecks of fresh mint and parsley, Greek olive oil, red wine vinegar, ground coriander, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper combine to make a mouthwatering main course and the perfect side dish to just about anything – as delicious as it is lovely and incredibly easy to prepare.

Pantzaria salata is served all over Greece and is most often paired with a plate of skordalia (Greek garlic smashed potatoes). Truthfully they are amazing together but I also love beet salad all on it’s own with a big piece of crusty bread. So flavorful and satisfying, the authentic Continue Reading →

Greek Peas / Arakas Kokinistos

September 18, 2014 17
Greek peas with tomato and dill

Greek peas with tomato and dill

Plump, sweet little green peas swimming around in a sauce of tomatoey, dill goodness – how good does that sound? Add a piece of crusty or grilled bread to help sop up all the crazy yummy soupy extra and you’ve got yourself one of the tastiest and simplest meals in Greek cooking.

Greek peas are phenomenal and hands down our absolute favorite way to enjoy peas. They’re perfection right off the stove and even a bit better than that a day or two later!  This dish is infinitely scalable and very easy to reheat. In Greece a big bowl of arakas kokinistos is often enjoyed as a meal in itself and Greek peas are also an amazing side dish to Continue Reading →

Melitzanosalata / Eggplant Dip

July 29, 2014 10
melitzanosalata drizzled with olive oil on grilled bread

melitzanosalata drizzled with olive oil on grilled bread

There couldn’t be a simpler or more delicious way to eat eggplant!  Not a fan of eggplant?  Melitzanosalata will knock your sox off and have you waiting for eggplant season to roll around next! This very traditional Greek summer dish is authentically vegan and is so incredibly flavorful you will be so surprised by how few ingredients you’ll need and how easy it is to make.

A couple of medium eggplants, an open flame (a grill ideally but a broiler will do!), roasted garlic cloves, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper – thats it! Slather this yummy goodness over grilled bread, scoop it up with homemade pita chips or put as a side to just about any dish and you will not be disappointed, I Continue Reading →

Fried Squash

April 16, 2014 6
golden fried squash

golden fried squash

Crispy, golden outside – tender, meaty inside, fried squash is so simple and so delicious you’ll never look at zucchini without drooling again! These make an amazing meal all on their own or pop them into a piece of pita bread with a little tahini lemon sauce and you have the perfect sandwich. You’ll find so many Continue Reading →

Braised Leeks

February 2, 2014 5
braised leeks

braised leeks

Leeks are Greek to me!  They’re everywhere in Greece and in Greek cooking.  Braised leeks are my favorite way to make them because its one of the few recipes where the leeks are allowed to stand alone and really shine.

Just a few ingredients including white wine, lemon and thyme and you have tender, sweet, beautiful braised leeks on your plate in less than 20 minutes from start to finish. Quick, easy, lovely Continue Reading →

Vegetable Stew

October 9, 2013 12

traditional Greek vegetable stew

This hearty, warming vegetable stew is the perfect way to end a cool autumn day.  Traditionally, Greek vegetable stew is made with peas but I’ve had it with green beans and its just as tasty.  A big piece of crusty bread, a fork and a spoon for the juices and you’ll be in heaven!

Carrots, peas and potatoes swim in a garlicky good light tomato sauce flavored with fresh dill. Fresh dill is a key ingredient here.  If you don’t have any around, put this dish off for another day. Vegetable stew is a great way to use winter vegetables and cooks up in Continue Reading →

Pickled Green Tomatoes

October 8, 2013 2
pickled green tomatoes

pickled green tomatoes

At the end of every growing season, there are always a bunch of tomatoes that never got the chance to ripen and are hard and green.  I used to relegate these late bloomers to the compost pile but a few years ago, a friend gave me her Yiayia’s family pickling recipe for green tomatoes and not one has gone to the compost heap since!

This is such a quick and easy way to enjoy a vegetable often forgotten.  I love making relish from the pickled green tomatoes and the best part is they pickle very quickly so you can start enjoying them about 2 weeks after putting them up. If you don’t have a garden, you probably know someone who does and is more than happy to share Continue Reading →

Lahanosalata / Cabbage Salad

September 30, 2013 4
traditional cabbage salad / lahanosalata

traditional cabbage salad / lahanosalata

Lahanosalata is a traditional, classic winter salad in Greece.  Both the cabbage and fennel are harvested in fall and used throughout the winter months.  Crunchy, fresh and so full of flavor, cabbage salad easily stands alone with a piece of crusty bread or pair lahanosalata with chickpea fritters or falafel for an extraordinary meal.

I guarantee you will never want regular coleslaw again once you’ve tasted this dish. Vegan or non-vegan, the flavors and textures of this simple, so quick to prepare recipe will knock your socks off.  Its enjoyed all over Greece and a must-ask-for if Continue Reading →

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

March 2, 2013 2
roasted brussel sprouts

roasted brussel sprouts

Yay for brussel sprouts! If you’re not a fan of them already, this recipe is sure to get you on board with brussels. Very simply, roasting is the secret to loving this vegetable.

These crispy outside, meaty inside, crunchy, salty mouthfuls of Greek vegan goodness will make you forget all about the sad, over boiled, soggy, sulphury brussel sprouts of the past. So quick and easy to make, you’ll Continue Reading →

Okra (μπάμιες)

February 23, 2013 10
okra in light tomato

okra in light tomato

Oh how I love okra! Tender, sweet with a big piece of crusty bread to sop up the garlicky good sauce and you’ve got yourself a Greek vegan good meal.

This recipe gently braises the okra. It’s a simple, no fuss method that allows the okra to stew slowly until they’re melt in your mouth perfect. Late spring and early summer is okra season here and I always keep my eye out for them to first appear at my favorite farmers market. They do pop up Continue Reading →

Lahanorizo (Cabbage and Rice)

October 25, 2012 15
lahanorizo, the unstuffed stuffed cabbage

lahanorizo, the unstuffed stuffed cabbage

Think of this dish as unstuffed stuffed cabbage.  So simple to make, lahanorizo (Λαχανόρυζο) is a traditional recipe of sweet, tender cabbage, fresh dill and thyme. It’s a quick, delicious meal right  from the stove and leftovers are just as good a day or two later.

Served warm, lahanorizo is hearty and perfect for a winter’s night.  A dish at room temperature (or even right from the fridge!) and sprinkled with a bit of fresh lemon juice is just the thing for a hot summer afternoon.   Tasty, healthy, Continue Reading →

Fried Sweet Green Peppers

August 6, 2012 2

fried sweet green peppers

You’ll find this super simple, incredibly tasty meze (or appetizer) everywhere in Greece. These sweet green peppers fried up to a tender, mouth watering state of delicious will fill your kitchen with the most amazing aromas. Honestly, that’s something I look forward to every time I make these!

Pair them with a glass of dry white wine and a big piece of crusty bread for lunch or light dinner. You’ll find that, out of the pan or room temperature, fried sweet green peppers Continue Reading →

Eggplant Tiganites (Fried Eggplant)

July 19, 2012 5

eggplnt pltes 1This recipe is one of the earliest memories I have of cooking. Sprinkling salt on the eggplant slices and watching them ‘sweat’ out their bitterness fascinated me to no end. It was a simple but important job and one I took very seriously – isn’t it funny the things you remember? Eggplant tiganites are a staple menu item and often served as appetizers, or meze, in Greece. My favorite is to layer them between two pieces of bread for lunch. They’re wonderful anytime really!

The secret to this recipe – the simple batter coating that turns to a delicious golden crisp and protects the tender eggplant from becoming greasy. The result is melt-in-your mouth amazing. Probably not something often said about the unassuming Continue Reading →

Roasted Fava Beans

July 14, 2012 1

Favas are the un-bean bean. Roasted in a hot oven or on the grill, fava beans taste like – tiny little baked potatoes! Kid you not, the creamy texture and taste of a roasted fava bean will fool you every time. I’ve grown up eating fava beans in soups and spreads but never had them roasted until I tried them in Greece one summer.

whole roasted fava beans

In the summertime, you’ll find outdoor grills selling corn on the cob everywhere in Greece. One afternoon I noticed a bunch of long green pods on the grill. I asked about them and was told they were favas. The pods were slippery with olive oil and covered in salt which I found odd as I wasn’t going to eat the shell. As I shucked a few pods and popped the beans into my mouth, it made sense. Continue Reading →

Greek Green Beans / Fasolakia

July 10, 2012 44
Greek green beans

Greek green beans / fasolakia

I visited a friends house after school once and her mom asked if I liked green beans, she was serving them with dinner. I said, yes I loved them! Well, that was before I sat down to eat a side of soggy, grey-green canned beans. Yuk! Green beans to me were soft and tender and swimming in tomato, garlic and olive oil.

You’ll be surprised how simple these are to prepare and how melt in your mouth delicious they are. This recipe is based on 2 lbs of green beans and can easily be doubled or tripled with perfect results. Make sure to have Continue Reading →

Roasted Red Peppers

June 3, 2012 0

Roasted red peppers are delicious in salads, flavored oils, dips and  sauces or perfect all on their own with a piece of crusty bread. The method I recommend here is to roast your red peppers in the oven at high heat.

roasted red peppers

Much simpler than broiling whole peppers or holding them over an open flame, this method leaves peppers easier to seed and peel. And I guarantee you’ll notice an even more intense roasted pepper flavor from Continue Reading →

Roasted Beets

May 7, 2012 5

Beets are a hit or miss kind of thing with most people. I really believe this is because they’ve only had canned or boiled beets. Roasted beets are another story entirely. Roasting brings out a sweetness that balances the strong earthy taste of beets in the most delicious, perfect way.

roasted and peeled beets

It’s a super simple, fool proof method and best of all –  no need to peel raw beets. After roasting, the skins just slip right off you won’t believe how easily. Once you try it, I promise roasting will be Continue Reading →

Horiatiko Greek Salad

April 30, 2012 0

Greek chopped salad in kouloura

This is a traditional, horiatiko or village, chopped Greek salad. A fail-proof recipe, the fresher your veggies are here, the more delicious your salad will be. I think of it as a very farmers market friendly dish!

So quick and easy, you’ll find yourself making this salad all the time. I’ve listed out the ingredients by number of each vegetable with corresponding cup measurements so you can easily scale this recipe to Continue Reading →

Roasted Garlic

November 14, 2011 2
roasted garlic

roasted garlic

Roasting garlic in the oven brings out a buttery, nutty sweetness that is so different from raw garlic. Make a big batch at a time and you’ll have it on hand, ready to pop into your favorite recipes. Easy to cook and store, see what you think of the Greek Vegan’s no-fail garlic roasting technique!

Quick prep, easy clean up and perfectly delicious results every time – here’s the secret, Continue Reading →

Roasted Tomatoes

November 14, 2011 5

The secret to the sweetest, most delectable roasted tomatoes is high heat contrary to many low temp methods. You’ll find a hundred and one ways to use these, I promise. They bring an deep, rich tomato flavor to soups and stews that you just won’t get with canned tomatoes.

oven roasted tomatoes

oven roasted tomatoes

Make a big batch and store in the fridge for 7-10 days or freeze for up to six months. They add a delicious layer to soups, sauces, stews and spreads. It’s also a great way to use extra garden tomatoes up at the end of summer when Continue Reading →

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