All posts filed under: recipes

Greek Olive Tapenade

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Chunky texture with robust flavor, mixed Greek olive spread is the perfect dip to keep on hand. The only con about this dish is that I never make enough of it. Spread on sandwiches or serve with your favorite cracker type, vegetable, or bread. Save Print Greek Olive Tapenade Author: Eleni Saltas Recipe type: Dip Prep time:  5 mins Cook time:  5 mins Total time:  10 mins   Ingredients 2 cups (16 ounces) pitted Kalamata olives ¼ cup (2 ounces) pitted green olives* 2 cloves garlic, minced 6 basil leaves, lightly chopped 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Instructions Drain the olives and finely chop into consistent small pieces. In a medium bowl, combine the olives, garlics, basil, and oregano. Mix well.** Stir in olive oil and red wine vinegar and serve. Notes **For an extra bite and color, use pimento stuffed olives.**You can also pulse all your ingredients in a food processor, but I have found chopping by hand works best and creates a better texture. 3.5.3229 …

Vegan Paximadia

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Nistisima Paximadia (Vegan Biscotti) is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth during Orthodox Lent. Made by substituting bananas in lieu of dairy products, this treat is arguably better than the real thing. Save Print Vegan Paximadia Author: Eleni Saltas Recipe type: Vegan/Dessert Prep time:  10 mins Cook time:  40 mins Total time:  50 mins Serves: 4 loaves   Ingredients 1 cup vegetable oil ¾ cup orange juice 1 ½ cups sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 small overripe banana 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 teaspoons baking powder 5-5 ½ cups sifted flour 1 cup dark chocolate chips or sliced almonds (if preferred) Instructions Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two baking sheets and set aside. Peel the banana and mash well into a large mixing bowl. Add vegetable oil, orange juice, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl and beat well with a whisk or an electric hand mixer. Beat well until smooth. Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder) and add slowly fold into mixing bowl with a rubber spatula. Make sure the ingredients are combined …

Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions

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When you’re short on time and don’t want to sacrifice flavor or nutrition, quickly whip up sautéed mushrooms and onions. With the versatility of mushrooms, you can serve this dish in almost any way you can imagine–eaten plain, on toast, atop steaks, in pasta–sautéed mushrooms and onions is a winner every time. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 pound mushrooms ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon Oregano 1 sprig fresh thyme ½ cup vegetable oil or white wine Salt and pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped Directions: 1. Thoroughly wash and drain the mushrooms. 2. Heat a skillet to medium high heat and add the olive oil. Once warm, add mushrooms and thyme. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook in pan for 3-5 minutes. 3. Add onions and garlic and allow to cook together for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4. Add the vegetable oil, give the pan a stir, and cover the pan with a lid. Allow to cook on low to medium heat for 8-10 …

Grandma Noodle Soup

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Grandma’s chicken noodle soup is easy, creamy, delicious, and full of great flavors. Best on a cold winter day, or when you’re in need of a hearty comfort meal. Ingredients: 32 ounces chicken broth* 1 pound Grandma’s wide egg noodles** 1 cup chicken breast, diced or shredded into bite sized cubes 3 stocks celery, diced (about ¾ cup) 1 cup carrots, sliced into rounds ½ yellow onion, diced salt and pepper, to taste 2 fresh lemons, juiced *If soup looks too thick, add more broth, or water. When reheating the soup, you will also need more broth or water, as the soup will thicken as it sits. **Grandma’s wide egg noodles are typically found in the frozen section at grocery stores. Directions: 1. Bring chicken broth to boil and add the diced chicken breast and bring to a boil. 2. Add the celery, carrots, and onion to the pot and cook until tender. Salt and pepper to taste. 3. When the chicken is nearly done, stir in the lemon juice. 4. Add the egg noodles, …

Tirokroketes (Fried Cheese Balls)

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Gooey on the inside, crunchy on the outside, tirokroketes (fried cheese balls) is an  irresistible appetizer that will leave guests wanting more. For this dish, I use three different types of cheese: feta, graviera, and gouda. The three types play well together and creates great flavor. Eat plain, dunk in your favorite dipping sauce, or squeeze a lemon on top before serving and enjoy! Save Print Tirokroketes (Fried Cheese Balls) Author: Eleni Saltas Recipe type: Meze/Appetizer Serves: 14-16 balls   Ingredients 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled 4 oz graviera cheese, grated* 4 oz gouda, grated 1 egg and 1 egg white ¼ cup milk ½ teaspoon paprika pepper, to taste all-purpose flour, for dredging vegetable oil, for frying Instructions In a mixing bowl, add the feta, graviera, gouda, eggs, and milk. Combine mixture well and season with pepper and paprika. If the mixture looks too runny, add in bread crumbs. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, to allow the mixture to firm up. When the cheese mixture is ready, add some …

Zucchini Bread

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You can always tell it’s the end of the summer by the amount of zucchini bread being made or gifted. The motivation to utilize zucchini in different ways is much higher towards the beginning of the summer, and then suddenly it seems like the zucchini production has tripled and we’re all juggling zucchini. That’s when zucchini bread comes into play. Packed with shredded zucchini, chopped walnuts, and all the right spices, zucchini bread is a delicious and quick way to use up any garden zucchini. Plus, this bread freezes well so you can enjoy zucchini the tastes of summer all year long. Ingredients: 3 cups zucchini, grated (skins on) 3 large eggs 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar (compacted) 1 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon vanilla 3 cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 3 teaspoons cinnamon 1 cup chopped walnuts *1 cup chocolate chips (optional) Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour loaf pans (batter should make two 8×4 inch pans). 2. Beat …

Georgiann’s Koulourakia

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Koulourakia comes in all shapes, sizes and flavors. Some bakers turn their dough into playful circles, braids, or serpentines, and some twist their koulourakia so precisely it looks like a machine pumped them out. Depending on the baker or family recipe, koulourakia is infused with anise, vanilla, orange or lemon zest. And some are left plain with simply the mixings of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. No matter how they’re prepared, koulourakia makes a perfect companion with a cup of coffee. My cousin, Georgiann Pino Petrogeorge has mastered the art of koulourakia. She and I share the same great-grandmother, Anastasia (Tasia) Patsuris. Our yiayia’s (grandmother’s) were sisters with phenomenal cooking skills. You name it—they could make it. Georgiann spent a lot of kitchen time with her yiayia, Georgia Patsuris Sargetakis, and together the two would bake, cook, and share many laughs. Koulourakia, a Greek Easter cookie is one of those treats that sends Georgian back to her yiayia’s kitchen. Over time, Georgiann has modified her yiayia’s recipe to her own favorite tastes, like using vanilla …

Mom’s Snickerdoodle Cookies

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In no particular order, the three best cookies of all time are melomakrona, chocolate chip cookies (still on the hunt for a soft and gooey go to recipe), and my mom’s Snickerdoodle’s. My mom says she has had this recipe for “over 100 years” and although Snickerdoodle recipes are all so similar with just a few variations, my mom’s recipe has always been may favorite and is dangerously addicting. They are easy to make, and come out soft and chewy every single time. If you need to store the cookies, my mom suggests putting them in a storage container with a slice of bread on top to keep the cookies nice and soft. Somehow, it works–science! Enjoy. Save Print Mom’s Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe type: Sweets/Dessert Serves: 100 cookies   Ingredients 1 ½ cups sugar ½ cup margarine, softened ½ cup shortening 2 eggs 2 ¾ cup flour 2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt For the topping: 2 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoon cinnamon Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing …

Garbanzo Bean Greek Salad

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Well composed and packed with flavorful ingredients, Greek salads can’t be beat. Those flavors, however, do have room to be elevated. Simply use all the Greek salad mixings (tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, olives, feta) as a base and add ingredients you enjoy. For me, the addition of garbanzo beans and avocados takes this classic to new heights and greater textures. Plus, both garbanzo beans and avocados are heart healthy and nutrient rich. This garbanzo bean Greek salad is especially perfect for those fasting from meat or dairy during Lent. Save Print Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad Recipe type: Vegetarian/Salad Serves: 2-4   Garbanzo bean salad: Loaded with vegetables, packed with nutrients, and tossed in a bright Greek dressing. Ingredients For the salad: 15 oz can garbanzo beans 1 English cucumber, optionally peeled and sliced in half 3 cups cherry and golden tomatoes, halved (or 4 diced tomatoes) 2 avocados, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced ½ red onion, diced ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives 8 oz of feta cheese (optional-serve on the side or mix in) For the …

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers with Feta

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I’m a firm believer that everything tastes better with bacon. I’m also an extreme spice advocate—I love anything with a spicy bite. The more it burns my mouth the better. So, it was only a matter of time before I added these popular appetizers to my blog. These bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers are “Greekified” within the filling, by combining the deliciously salty feta cheese with thick Greek yogurt for a creamy texture. Once the jalapeño is stuffed, wrap a thin strip of bacon wraps around to seal the popper together and sent to the oven. While jalapeño peppers are what’s standard for this appetizer, you can also spice up or down the pepper to your liking. If you want a hotter bite, use habaneros. For a milder bite, use small poblanos or even mini bell peppers work well. Whatever type of pepper you choose to use, be cautioned that these poppers are addictive and will disappear once served. Save Print Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers with Feta Prep time:  5 mins Cook time:  35 mins Total time:  …