Category: Vegetarian

Mushroom and chestnut phyllo triangles (Πιτάκια με μανιτάρια και κάστανα)

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Mushroom and chestnut phyllo triangles (Πιτάκια με μανιτάρια και κάστανα)

A vegetarian meze that is slightly sweet, light and crispy; perfect two-bites!

Mushroom and chestnut phyllo triangles (Πιτάκια με μανιτάρια και κάστανα)

 

We think that phyllo is the answer to most of life’s food problems.  Although rolling out your own phyllo is a skill which is honed over years of practice (or much quicker if you have a great recipe like this one), store bought phyllo is a breeze! Seriously!  Don’t listen to the stories about how it dries out too quickly or tears easily.  In fact, once you get used to working with store bought phyllo, you’re going to find yourself searching for things to wrap up in it!  True story!

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Custard with cherry spoon sweet (Κρέμα με κομπόστα κεράσι)

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Custard with cherry spoon sweet (Κρέμα με κομπόστα κεράσι)

A simple make-ahead dessert that can be dressed up or down

Custard with cherry spoon sweet (Κρέμα με κομπόστα κεράσι)

 

One of our favourite treats growing up was a creamy vanilla pudding that came from a box.  This product, imported from Greece, was one of the only “processed” foods that our parents ever made for us, and we loved it!  Whenever we would see the unique blue box with a corn on the cob design on it in the pantry, we got pretty excited. We remember how our parents would mix this pudding powder with milk, cook it while stirring slowly and serve it in shallow bowls. Occasionally they would add a topping of fresh fruit (sliced bananas were a particular favourite) or a spoon sweet they had previously made and preserved.  We still see this box of pudding in the Greek grocery store we frequent, and although we have considered picking one up for old times sake, we’re a little worried that our adult taste buds won’t love it as much as we used to.  Uncomfortable about disrupting such fond food and family memories, we’ve decided to create something similar, using ingredients we know we love.

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Spanakopasta

~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments

Spanakopasta

A deliciously quick and simple way to enjoy the flavours of spanakopita

Spanakopasta

 

Ask any non-Greek, or Greek, what one of their favourite Greek foods is, and you will often hear spanakopita.  There’s a very good reason for that!  Spanakopita, in all of its variations is a delicious treat; perfect as a meze, and at the same time substantial enough for a light meal.  The problem (if you are really trying hard to find one) is that spanakopita is encased in phyllo, which you either may not have on hand (if you are opting for the store bought variety) or which you may not have time to make (if you are going for the do-it-yourself variety).  Alas, every problem has a solution, and in this case the solution is pasta.

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Maniatiki Salad (Potato salad with oranges and fennel) (Μανιάτικη σαλάτα)

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Maniatiki Salad (Potato salad with oranges and fennel) (Μανιάτικη σαλάτα)

Perhaps your new favourite potato salad!

Maniatiki Salad (Potato salad with oranges and fennel) (Μανιάτικη σαλάτα)

 

Our parents are from the Peloponnese region of Messinia, the western-most peninsula of the part of Greece that looks a little like a hand which is missing a finger. Messinia is where our heart lies in Greece, and where many of the recipes which we share originate.  However, the Peloponnese is rich with variety and this potato and orange salad is named for the middle finger of the Peloponnese, the Mani peninsula.

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Pumpkin or winter squash pita (Πίτα με γλυκοκολοκύθα)

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Pumpkin or winter squash pita (Πίτα με γλυκοκολοκύθα)

A winter squash pita to rival any pumpkin pie

Fall in Canada brings so much wonder.  Leaves change into the most beautiful colours, the air is brisk and fresh,  and sweater season makes even the grumpiest of humans appear snuggle-worthy.  But sometimes we think that all these wonderful things get usurped by pumpkin spice; we actually think that pumpkin spice might take over the world…and we are intrigued.

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Eggplant BLT Sandwich

~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments

Eggplant BLT Sandwich

Eggplant steps up to create a meat-free way to enjoy a BLT 

Eggplant BLT Sandwich

 

We love bacon.  Like, we love bacon, a lot.  We grew up in a home where bacon was not really something that was featured prominently.  Breakfast was usually an egg fried in olive oil with a side of feta, some Greek yogourt (before it was all the rage), or toast topped with tomato and feta.  Bacon, when we had it, was usually enjoyed at a friend’s house, or after begging our parents to buy some when we tagged along at the grocery store.  Our love of bacon has allowed up to come up with neat ways to incorporate it into our own cooking, like when we used it to wrap up dates and feta.  These bite-sized mezes are so great they even had our parents wondering why they never thought to cook with bacon themselves.  Really!?

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Okra with cauliflower (Μπάμιες με κουνουπίδι)

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Okra with cauliflower (Μπάμιες με κουνουπίδι)

A totally delightful way to prepare okra with cauliflower 

Okra with cauliflower (Μπάμιες με κουνουπίδι)

 

Oh, we’re gluttons for punishment.  Here we go again, posting a recipe that is sure to receive its fair share of hate, or at least, negative comments.  Like spanakorizo, fried liver, and sour trahana, okra is a divisive vegetable.  There tend to be two types of people in the okra world; those who love it, and those who believe that those who love it must suffer from a taste disorder (called ageusia if you want to be fancy).  But that’s a little simplistic.

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Pasta with Swiss chard and tomatoes

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Pasta with Swiss chard and tomatoes

Summer flavours in a bowl of pasta

Pasta with Swiss chard and tomatoes

Pasta is our hero.  When we think the pantry is bare and there is nothing for supper, pasta is there.  When we find ourselves rushed and harried, pasta is there.  When we’ve had a difficult day and want to eat our comfort, pasta is there.  Whether it is a long slender spaghetti, a perfectly plump penne or a fancy farfalle, pasta has saved many a meals.

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