Baked feta wrapped in filo dough (Φέτα σε φύλλο κρούστας)

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Baked feta wrapped in filo dough

Feta wrapped in filo, baked and then drizzled with honey and sesame seeds

Have you ever had a cheese ball appetizer? Neither have we! Although we think that they sound pretty good, we’ve never gotten around to trying one, and you can be sure that our Greek parents never served such a thing either.

We think that you can forgive us for not experimenting; we already have a slew of cheesy appetizers to choose from when we want to indulge. Whether we opt for halloumi fries with a citrus mint dipping sauce or a baklava baked brie, there is no shortage of cheese mezes to compete with unknown cheese balls.

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Fried eggplant with tomato sauce (Μελιτζάνες τηγανητές με σάλτσα ντομάτας )

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Fried eggplant with tomato sauce

An incredible Greek side dish of fried eggplant which is then baked in a rich tomato sauce

We know that eggplant is a divisive fruit (yes, eggplant is botanically a fruit!) and that there are camps of people who love them, and others who hate them. We happen to be lovers of the aubergine and are thrilled when our gardens start to offer this versatile, hearty and delicious purple gift.

We have already posted several eggplant recipes, and here we are finally sharing what may be one of our favourites. In this classic Greek dish, which can be served as a side or just as easily as a meze or light lunch, eggplants are fried and then baked in a rich tomato sauce. This is a dish best served with a nice loaf of fresh bread for dipping; the sauce is to die for! You can even layer the eggplant and sauce between two slices of bread and make yourself an eggplant and tomato sauce sandwich. Sound strange? Have we ever steered you wrong before?

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Marinara sauce (Σάλτσα μαρινάρα)

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Marinara sauce

A tomato sauce so easy and delicious that you’ll always make homemade from now on.

If you’ve been following our stories over on Instagram lately, you may have noticed that we just wrapped up a weekend of tomato sauce making. An annual ritual, this many day affair is one that the whole family gets involved in. That’s helpful because the work is plenty, and many hands make the job easier, quicker and a whole lot more fun.

At the same time, we know that not everyone has the time or energy or inclination to can their own tomato sauce, and that even when we do, by the time next spring rolls around sometimes the shelves are bare.

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Plum cake (Kέικ με δαμάσκηνα)

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A fragrant and delicately spiced Italian plum cake

A year after marrying, one of us bought a house in the city.  Our new home came with a finished wood-paneled basement, a kitchen with original cabinetry (which we have yet to get rid of by the way) and a bathroom with baby blue and pale pink tiles cemented onto the walls, to match the blue bathtub and toilet, of course.  We love our home, and love that despite being in an urban area, we have a backyard that is large enough to have accommodated baby pools and sandboxes, gardens, football games, badminton nets, gangs of people during Greek Easter, and most recently a spa. That is not to say that outdoor living was always easy however, and here’s why.

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Cactus pear, lavender and walnut halva (Χαλβάς με φραγκόσυκο, λεβάντα και καρύδια)

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Cactus pear, lavender and walnut halva

Classic Greek semolina dessert with a seasonal twist

Halva is the perfect go-to dessert during periods of Orthodox lent. Naturally vegan it meets all the requirements of no meat, eggs, or dairy when we are fasting. Although the Orthodox calendar is almost 1/3 fasting days, halva is so good that we find ourselves making it even when we can have egg, butter and dairy filled desserts like bougatsa or galaktoboureko or double chocolate zucchini cake.

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Mini meat pies with filo (Kρεατοπιτάκια με φύλλο κρούστας)

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Mini meat pies with filo

Greek mini meat pies

Think of all of the choices you make, every single day.  Do you set your alarm 30 minutes early so that you can get in a morning run, or do you snooze for extra slumber? Do you splurge and purchase an impractical but gorgeous pair of heels, or put your hard earned money towards running shoes – in case you do choose cardio over sleep.  It’s clear that all the choices we make have consequences, some small and unimportant (should I use a pink or yellow highlighter to mark up my grocery list) and others more meaningful and significant.

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Watermelon and feta bites

~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments
watermelon and feta bites

Watermelon and feta in bite size serving, drizzled with balsamic glaze

The pairing of watermelon and feta, usually served as a salad, is gaining in popularity and there is a good reason for that! The fresh, sweet crunch of watermelon and the salty creaminess of feta cheese is a perfect combination.

Although we have posted the requisite watermelon and feta salad (with grilled watermelon no less!), we thought it would be fun to serve this great combo as an appetizer.

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Grilled zucchini salad with corn and black-eyed peas

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Grilled zucchini salad with corn and black-eyed peas

A salad hearty enough to be a light meal

When we fire up the out door grill to make delicious things like souvlaki, grilled steak or cedar planked salmon we like to take the opportunity to grill even more, and vegetables are an obvious choice. Sometimes we like to simply serve grilled vegetables, and other times we use them to make something special, like this delicious grilled zucchini salad with corn and black-eyed peas.

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Green beans baked with chicken and potatoes (Φασολάκια στο φούρνο με κοτόπουλο και πατάτες)

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Green beans baked with chicken and potatoes

A classic Greek one pan meal of fresh green beans baked alongside chicken and potatoes in a rich tomato sauce

Our parents’ garden is full of delicious things to eat, including a large section devoted to a few varieties of green beans. Growing tall, these plants are secured by using things like long bamboo shoots, old broken hockey sticks (because, Canada) and thin planks of wood that our dad has found, somewhere. Perhaps not the most elegant set up, but certainly functional. Like many things in their garden (old feta buckets as planters) practicality and availability supersede beauty, always.

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Peaches and cream cake

~ miakouppa ~ 4 Comments
Peaches and cream cake

A moist cake full of peaches and topped with whipped cream

Peaches and cream go together like macaronia and kima or like kota me patates. The delicate, sweet flavour of the peaches combined with the light and creamy taste of homemade whipped cream is celebrated with this peaches and cream cake; a cake so good, it should be invited to any of your celebrations. Like birthdays, or anniversaries, or Wednesdays.

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