I grew up having this wonderful treat on many special family occasions and always on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve . . . and since I didn't make it for Christmas, I'm definitely making it for New Year's Eve. Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2020! Lemon Pineapple Mousse Recipe Ingredients 6 sheets gelatin 3 large eggs 125 g sugar 1 x 450 g tin pineapple (fruit and juice) 1 large lemon finely grated lemon zest and juice 2 ½ cups whipping cream Garnish: Lemo

After having so much meat for Christmas I've decided to make one of all time favorite Icelandic fish stews for New Year's Eve this year. I can't say that I remember having fish stew on this festive occasion in Iceland but I think something so delicious and relatively easy to make has earned its place on this special day! Fish stews are very popular in many countries around the world and are usually made with a variety of readily available root vegetables and fresh seafood

Fennel, native to the Mediterranean region, is a perennial herb that belongs to the carrot family. I love its licorice-like flavor and eat i

Pastichio is a classic Greek baked pasta dish made with macaroni (or other) pasta, ground beef, béchamel sauce and grated cheese. It is the ultimate comfort food that always brings smiles or happy memories to the table . . . and the taste of home to our minds! This traditional dish is easy to make and well worth your effort . . . even if a bit time consuming. It can be made ahead of time and freezes really well. Actually, I think it's better when re-heated and it's the id

On hot summer days I really don't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Instead, I try to come up with lots of quick, tasty and easy2make versatile dishes that please the palate. . . and the eye! Here is a recipe for one of my healthy summer favorites . . . Lima bean, fennel and artichoke salad with jumbo shrimp that I just love and I'm pretty sure you will too. . . with our without the shrimp . . . wherever you are located in the world! The photo is taken on a b

As you may have discovered, in Greece we use phyllo dough for endless varieties of pies, pastries, appetizers and wrappings for both savory and sweet favorites. Here is a very easy recipe for the traditional Feta cheese phyllo triangles, known in Greek as Tiropitakia. If you want a trendier version, just add some very finely chopped sun dried tomatoes to the cheese mixture and instead of the parsley use finely chopped basil, or a bit of both! Ingredients 200 g Feta cheese 1

Kagianas or Strapatsada is the traditional Greek version of scrambled eggs, made with lots of fresh tomatoes, feta cheese and if available, freshly chopped herbs, to taste. This dish is really easy to make and a superb choice for a nutritious breakfast or Sunday brunch, served with fresh crusty village type bread or Sesame Bread Rings (Koulouria Thessalonikis). At The Eidikon tavern in Piraeus, it's a really popular luncheon dish and often served with the tavern's beloved ke

Koulouria Thessalonikis, delicious sesame bread rings whose origins date back to the Byzantine Empire, have always been associated with the cities of Constantinople and Thessaloniki. They are a delicious breakfast or snack item and one of Greece’s most popular street foods. Early in the mornings, one can still find many “Kouloura” (Koulouri man) or vendors on street corners all over the country selling freshly baked crispy bread rings that tease our senses and make them irre

Today for lunch I had planned to eat delish Feta Stuffed Squid that I had prepared in the early morning before going swimming, but when I opened my fridge at lunchtime and saw a perfectly ripe avocado, some Feta stuffing that I hadn’t used for the calamari and a bowl filled with perfectly boiled baby lima beans I knew I had a winning a combination for a nutritious and easy2make summer meal! It took me less than 5 minutes to prepare the dish that turned out to be really fillin

Russian blinis, deliciously light buttery pillows of pure pleasure, are traditionally served with Smetana (crème fraîsche) and caviar. They are normally made with buckwheat flour and use yeast as a raising agent rather than baking powder or bicarbonate soda. This, of course, means that the batter needs a bit more pampering before you can actually cook it which many people find a bit off putting, including many of my past students. So, to make a long story short, I came up w

Lately I've had quite a few requests for the Bakalarios (deep-fried salted cod fish) recipe served with Skordalia (garlic dip), so here it comes: Ingredients 1kg of salt cod pieces or fillet Oil for deep frying For the batter 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour ½ cup corn flour 300 ml beer ½ - 1 cup water cold or room temperature 1 egg white (beaten into meringue) 1 handful of parsley, chopped Preparation Method Salted cod fish must be soaked in cold water for 24 – 48 hours before

This hearty dip is a must for all garlic lovers! Traditionally it’s made by combining crushed garlic with stale bread that has been soaked in water and then squeezed dry or mashed potatoes. In some parts of Greece it’s made with walnuts or almonds or a mixture of bread and nuts. My recipe below is made with almonds. I've served it in many countries around the world . . . and always with great success! Hope you will like it too! Skoralia - Garlic/Almond Dip Recipe Ingredie

On the 25th of March, the Greeks celebrate the anniversary of the revolution against the Ottoman Empire in 1821 and The Annunciation (Evangelismos) of Virgin Mary. The traditional dish eaten on this day is Bakalarios Skordalia, (fried salted cod fish served with a garlic dip) and if you are wondering, as I did, why the Greeks eat salted cod fish in the middle of the Greek Orthodox Lent, I can tell you the following: March 25th is one of two exceptions made by the Greek Orthod

This year for Christmas my husband and I decided to stay at home and enjoy a relaxing day with Norma, our German Sheppard, which meant I needed to come up with a simple festive menu for two that required minimum input or fuss in the kitchen! It didn’t take me long to decide on the main course; roasted pork loin, bone in, that is so easy2make and always tastes delicious, as long as the meat isn’t overcooked! In the past we got used to the idea that pork needed to be really wel

I love squid in all its forms . . . fried, grilled, slow-cooked in a stew or stuffed and oven roasted with various fillings. My absolute favorite tough, without a doubt, is the recipe that I'm sharing with you today; Feta stuffed Squid with roasted Red Peppers and fresh Herbs. This recipe is really easy to make, once the squid is cleaned, and always a big hit. As a main course I like to stuff big squid that serves 1 - 2 persons but if you are having a dinner party or even a

This is a recipe I’ve been making for my friends and family for years! Fresh oranges add juicy flavor, while peppers and olives add color to a chicken casserole that's really tasty and easy2make! I also hope it will bring lots of sunshine to your plate . . . like it does mine in the photo below! Ingredients Vegetable oil, olive oil or butter 4 chicken breast – skin removed and cut into smaller pieces 1 cup chicken stock 1 large red onion – thinly sliced 2 large red bell pe

With pumpkin is in season, it goes without saying that I'm making lots of yummy pumpkin recipes . . . my favorite being comforting soups; especially the Pumpkin Carrot soup recipe below! As pumpkin puree freezes very well, you might want to cook a larger quantity than you need, puree it and when completely cold, . . . freeze in zip lock bags per cup or lb. The general rule for quantity is as follows: ½ kg (1 lb ) of fresh pumpkin (without seeds) = 1 cup mashed/pureed. To

In my home, various pulses are an essential part of our diet. I love all pulses and since these natural wonders freeze well, I always cook more than I need and store any extras in my freezer. This way, I can make a quick healthy meal whenever I feel like it . . . that is delicious and provides me with much-needed energy and keep me going all day long. The following chickpea salad recipe is a really simple and truly easy2make! I hope you'll like it as much as I do! Ingredien

For those of us who love frozen desserts, there is nothing more satisfying than flavorful ice-creams paired with layers of vibrant tasting seasonal fruit and decadently syrupy Greek spoon sweets! Making homemade frozen ice-cream desserts is a lot easier than most people think . . . . even if you don’t have an electric ice-cream maker to do the work. Needless to say, ice-cream makers yield wonderfully creamy textures with their constant churning but you can get pretty good r

Ingredients 1 kg (4 – 6 medium sized) round zucchini Olive oil and salt For 300 g zucchini pulp you will need: 4 tblsp olive oil ¼ cup scallions, finely sliced 100 g Trachanas* ¾ – 1 cup water 1 garlic glove, crushed 2 tblsp fresh parsley, chopped 2 tblsp fresh basil, chopped 100 g Feta cheese, crumbled Salt and pepper, to taste Preparation Method Wash and dry zucchini. Cut a slice off the zucchini tops and set them aside. Using a sharp knife and a small spoon, scrape out the