Fassolada is considered to be the national dish of the Greeks because the Greeks survived those poor years eating dried legumes and vegetables. Meat was eaten rarely and only on special occasions. Even until early sixties, meat was eaten only on Sundays but after a few decades of prosperity we are back to “psorokostena” …
Healthy recipes
This vegan dessert is made with store bought halvas, chocolate, toasted nuts, candied fruit or spoon sweets (glyka tou koutaliou) and coconut.
I’ve been busy the past days as I am now trying to make the book into an e-book, but this turned out harder than I anticipated. However, we still have to eat and since it was really cold here in Athens last week, cold days call out for hot soups. I first made this soup …
Vegan Black Beans Spanakopita (spinach pie) is not the usual spanakopita you make but adding black beans makes a new filling and healthy spanakopita suitable for the fasting days of Lent.
Kotopoulo Portokalato is a chicken recipe of mine which is very easy to make, as the only thing needed is to marinate the chicken in a roasting bag with orange juice and other ingredients and then bake it with potatoes. You forget it in the oven until it is done without having to watch over it or turn it over.
This Turkey Pie Roulade is made with homemade phyllo dough and stuffed with leftover turkey. If you do not have leftover turkey meat from your roasted turkey, you can use minced turkey instead.
Pomegranate syrup starts with juice and sugar and pomegranate molasses with same ingredients but reduced to the consistency of thick syrup.
Cottage Pie or Shepherd’s Pie is a delicious English traditional pie, the first made with ground beef, whereas the second is made with ground lamb, with a crust made with mashed potatoes.
Soutzoukakia Smyrneika, are spicy sausage-shaped meatballs, which are lightly fried and then cooked in a delicious tomato sauce and come from the once Greek part of Asia Minor, Smyrna.
Glyko stafyli or grape preserve are candied grapes in syrup. It is a quick and easy confection to make. You can serve it as it is or used it in other desserts.