Category: Snacks and light meals

Mason jar salad with quinoa and chickpeas

~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments
Mason jar salad with quinoa and chickpeas

A perfect make ahead meal which is vegan, gluten-free and so very nutritious!

Some days we are so rushed in the morning that we head out for work without packing a lunch, and that really sucks. Can you relate? Every best intention to head to the cafeteria or nearby restaurant to buy something healthy is usurped by the sights and smells of tempting options – like French fries and mayonnaise loaded sandwiches. We try to be strong, but sometimes we’re weak and we give in to greasy temptations.

One solution is to have ready-made, grab-and-go lunches ready and waiting. There is no morning that is so busy that you can’t open the fridge and pull out an already packed lunch to take along with you. And when you make a few of these pre-packed meals at a time, you’re winning at life!

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Smoothie with orange juice and berries

~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments
Smoothie with orange juice and berries

A vegan and fruity pick me up, perfect for any time of day

Many people turn to smoothies when they are trying to lose weight, or eat healthier, or feel better about the 3 pieces of bougatsa they had the night before. We get it, and that’s okay. But we’re here to tell you that there’s another reason to enjoy smoothies – because they are delicious! And, they are a fun way to get some fruits, veggies and other goodies into people (kids? husbands?) who may otherwise be less inclined to welcome them into their diet.

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Spinach and rice soup (Σούπα με σπανάκι και ρύζι)

~ miakouppa ~ 4 Comments
Spinach and rice soup

A simple soup with the familiar flavours of spanakopita.

This is a recipe that most of you will be able to make right now. Like seriously, check out the ingredients and then take a peak in your pantry and fridge. If you like to cook, or even if you only like to eat, chances are very, very good that you have everything you’ll need to make our spinach and rice soup.

This soup is inspired by a few things that we love. Obviously, we love soups – but more than that we love being able to feed our families with meals that are quick, simple, and inexpensive without sacrificing nutrition and flavour. And speaking of flavour, this soup was inspired by a few of our favourite recipes; the building blocks are similar to what you would find in spanakopita (yum!) and spanakorizo (yum again!).

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Ginger molasses cookies

~ miakouppa ~ 14 Comments
Ginger molasses cookies

A soft centered ginger molasses cookie with a hint of orange

You may recall us telling you that growing up we didn’t know what gingerbread cookies were. Ginger, in any form, was not an ingredient used in our childhood Greek kitchen. When one of us was a teenager, rebelling against traditional Greek cuisine (what were we thinking?!), we purchased the Better Homes and Gardens Cookies for Christmas Cookbook. We still have that book and its stained, dog-eared and kind of smelly pages are a testament to just how much we use it when holiday baking season arrives. In that book we discovered a whole new world of cookie goodness that went well beyond melomakarona, kourabiethes and koulourakia . In that book we were introduced to florentines, and shortbread, and gingerbread men, gingerbread houses, and gingersnaps. Ginger became a new fascination, and obsession.

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Chicken fingers

~ miakouppa ~ 6 Comments
Chicken fingers

Battered, fried and incredibly flavourful and moist chicken tenders

As you may know, each of us has 2 daughters and although they are now teenagers and adults (when did that actually happen?) memories of them as little girls are as vivid as if they happened yesterday. The adorable frilly dresses. The pony tails and animal shaped hair clips. The innocent wonder of eyes gazing into the world, full of curiosity. The sweet, darling voices asking for one more book before bed.

But let’s be honest, we also remember the temper tantrums in the mall. The permanent marker all over the bedspread. The defiance, the whining, the sibling rivalry. The refusal to eat anything green or the insistence to eat only a handful of items, over and over again. One of those things, asked for regularly, were chicken nuggets or fingers.

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Grilled bread with olive oil and oregano (Ψωμί στη σχάρα)

~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments
Grilled bread with olive oil and oregano

Thick cut country bread grilled with olive oil and oregano flavour.

Just when you thought bread couldn’t get any better, along comes this. If you have ever eaten in a Greek restaurant, either in Greece or elsewhere, you would have likely been served a basket of bread like this; thick cut slices of country bread brushed with olive oil and kissed with oregano, grilled so that they are at once crispy, toasty and yet still soft and able to sop up all sorts of deliciousness.

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Rice with fide (Ρύζι με φιδέ)

~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments
Rice with fide

A classic and traditional Greek side dish of rice cooked with fide

Frugality. Simplicity. Versatility. These are definitely values that homemakers of years gone by looked for in recipes that they would prepare for their families. You can be sure that women in villages all over Greece, and our mom when she came to Canada, would often make this side dish of rice with fide to serve their families. More economical and easier than this is hard to come by!

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

~ miakouppa ~ 10 Comments
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 )

~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments
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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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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