Eggplant tomato sauce with pasta

September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 ~ miakouppa ~ Leave a comment

Eggplant tomato sauce with pasta is an easy and nutritious vegan meal!

One of us married a man who hates eggplant. It’s true. He has other wonderful qualities, and he proudly grows beautiful eggplants in the garden, but he will rarely eat them. He’s the guy who picks the eggplant slices out of moussaka (which we happily transfer to our plate). He’s the one who will sort through the pile of fried zucchini and fried eggplant chips to select only the zucchini. He’s the dad who makes a point of not eating any of our vegan stuffed eggplants because he “is saving them” for the girls, who love them. But this eggplant tomato sauce with pasta? Guys…this he ate! And (drum roll please) he ~~loved~~ liked it!

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Spinach and cheese pita pocket

September 13, 2021September 13, 2021 ~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments

Spinach and cheese pita pocket full of spinach, feta and mozzarella.

Ever crave spanakopita, but don’t have the time, energy or desire to make one? We feel like that sometimes! In those moments we have been known to call our parents to see if they happen to be rolling out phyllo dough in the middle of the afternoon to make one of their amazing spanakopitas…and if they are, would they mind if we came by to take it. Although we are often in luck (these two have limitless energy), sometimes they inform us that, no! No spanakopita – but we could drive by to pick up some pastitsio and galaktoboureko, which we happily do. Still, after eating our fill of other delicious things, we still find ourselves wanting spanakopita.

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Kale, quinoa and apple salad

September 7, 2021September 7, 2021 ~ miakouppa ~ 4 Comments

Kale, quinoa and apple salad is the perfect Fall salad

Those of you who grew up in Greek households would probably not be surprised to learn that quinoa didn’t feature prominently (at all) in our childhood diets. In fact, it was only while in university, exposed to so much, that we learned of this ancient Incan food. That was long before the United Nations declared 2013 the “International Year of Quinoa”. One of us was exploring a downtown health food store, an activity which felt other-worldly. At that time, natural health food stores and organic food was something that only the most eclectic concerned themselves with. We were by no means eclectic. We were simply curious, fascinated, and hungry.

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Fried phyllo wrapped feta

August 24, 2021August 24, 2021 ~ miakouppa ~ Leave a comment

Fried phyllo wrapped feta with chili flakes, honey and crushed pistachios.

We really like you. We care about you, and wish only the best for you and your families. Some of you have been with us from the very beginning and we are so grateful. Some of you are newer friends and we are thrilled that you have decided to join our Mia Kouppa community. Without you, each of you, our little space on the internet would be much less fun and much more lonely!

Because we care so much about you we are asking, hoping, imploring that you to try this recipe for fried phyllo wrapped feta. We want it to change your lives, the way all of you have changed ours. Sounds overly dramatic? Maybe, but that’s probably because you haven’t tasted this yet. Try it, and then let us know if we exaggerated a little too much.

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Easy baked zucchini and potato frittata

July 28, 2021July 28, 2021 ~ miakouppa ~ 6 Comments

An easy baked zucchini and potato frittata loaded with fresh herbs and cheese

This is really a winner of a recipe, and one we think you will make over and over again. Here are a few things that it has going for it:

It’s simple easy to make
It’s economical
It’s absolutely delicious
It’s pretty to look at

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Grilled peaches with feta and honey

July 9, 2021July 9, 2021 ~ miakouppa ~ Leave a comment

Grilled peaches with feta and honey is a simple and delicious summer dessert or brunch idea

The idea of pairing fruit with feta cheese is certainly not a new one. Think of all the beautiful cheese platters you have seen; most have at least a small bundle of grapes nestled between the bries, goudas and aged cheddars. When it comes to Greek cheeses, many have discovered that the salty, sharp flavour of feta pairs deliciously with the sweetness of fruit.

A very popular fruit and feta combo is watermelon with feta, and there’s a good reason for that – it’s delicious! We have already shared two lovely watermelon and feta recipes; one which is served as small bites, perfect as passed appetizers, and the other which showcases the beauty of grilled watermelon.

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Dandelion greens and grilled bread

July 5, 2021July 5, 2021 ~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments

An open-face sandwich of dandelion greens and grilled bread flavoured with lemon, olive oil, garlic, oregano and feta

Χόρτα με ψωμί στη σχάρα. This post for dandelions greens and grilled bread is really just a composite of two other recipes we have already posted, with some small modifications. Still, we could not not share this recipe, because this open-faced sandwich is one that we grew up on, and it is all sorts of delicious!

The concept here is simple; after dandelions greens are cooked, Greeks like to toss them with a healthy amount of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and a bit of salt and pepper. Often, that’s it! Sure you can add some dry oregano if you like, but that would usually be the extent of it.

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Spinach, arugula and strawberry salad

July 2, 2021July 2, 2021 ~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments

A delightful summer salad made with baby spinach, fresh strawberries and tossed with a slightly sweet vinaigrette

Σαλάτα με σπανάκι, ρόκα και φράουλες. What a delightful salad this is! When we’re in full blown strawberry season, which in Quebec lands between June and October, we prepare this spinach, arugula and strawberry salad often, like every-few-days often.

We first had this salad, or something similar, at a friend’s home. In the center of the table, surrounded by all sorts of grilled meats, dips, potatoes and other salad sat a large bowl of green and red. It was the first thing to go, and almost everyone returned to get a second helping of the salad which was made with spinach and sliced strawberries. Since then we’ve seen variations at various gatherings, including those which we host.

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Traditional Greek recipes

Featured ~ miakouppa ~ 2 Comments

A compilation of 10 traditional Greek meals for anyone interested in cooking Greek food.

Παραδοσιακές ελληνικές συνταγές. Anyone interested in learning more about Greek cooking and traditional Greek recipes will welcome this post! We’ve compiled a selection of traditional Greek foods which go beyond the better known, and amazing moussaka and pastitsio (don’t worry, we’ve included those too!). We hope that this will help inspire you to make Greek main meals that you may not have heard of, but that we think you will certainly enjoy.

Traditional Greek recipes are very regional; depending upon what area of Greece you are living and eating in, recipes will vary. Our parents are from the Peloponnese, Messinia to be more exact. So, some of these recipes, and their specific preparation are specific to that area, and to our family. We hope that you will enjoy them as much as we do!

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Minestrone soup

April 5, 2021April 13, 2021 ~ miakouppa ~ 4 Comments

The easiest and best vegetable minestrone recipe with beans and pasta.

Σούπα μινεστρόνε. Minestrone soup is one of those things that can quickly become a disappointment. We’ve had many in our day and although none have been horrid, the vast majority have been kind of blah. A little bland, a little uninspired, a little too unremarkable. The best minestrone soup that we’ve had, one that is full of flavour and pretty remarkable, has come out of our parents’ kitchen.