Vazania, as they are called in the Cypriot dialect, (in Greece they are called melitzanes), is a simple dish made withe fried eggplants and potatoes, which are cooked, together in a tomato sauce to make them “giahni” (stewed). This vegan dish, uses only a few ingredients, so it’s not only frugal but also very delicious.
Greek Traditions
Karpouzopita, which comes from the words “karpouzi” (watermelon) and “pita” (pie also meaning flat) is a traditional Greek recipe coming from the Cyclades and having its roots in the antiquity.
Souvlaki plural souvlakia, is a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat grilled on a skewer served with a piece of bread on the skewer.
Kaloirka is a traditional Cypriot recipe, which is a pasta dish filled with minced veal or beef, similar to meat ravioli or tortellini.
Pastitsio is a layered Greek pasta casserole dish, made with tubular pasta, meat sauce and topped with bechamel sauce.
Gavros Marinatos (marinated anchovies) are like sushi. Actually the fish is not totally raw as by marinating them into an acidic liquid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, it’s like cooking them and serving with with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and oregano makes an amazing appetizer.
Watercress, in Greek called “kardamon = κάρδαμον”, (Nasturtium officinale), is an acquatic plant which is usually used in salads or to make soup.
Everybody loves a good lamb pie wrapped in puff pastry and this one is made with leftover lamb on the spit, a few days after Easter with the addition of leeks, spring onions, dill and graviera cheese, which is just delicious!
This Spring salad is easy to make with leftover Easter Eggs. This is based on a salad we used to make on Easter day in Cyprus and I have enriched it with more herbs, which makes it delicious and also very healthy.
Ovelias is a Greek Easter tradition where a whole lamb is roasted on the spit. The word ovelias pronounced Oh-veh-LI-as comes from the ancient Greek word “ovelos” which used to be a wooden or steel rod, where pieces of meat were skewered on and slowly cooked. Nowdays, the word “ovelias” means a whole lamb cooked for Easter on the spit.