Spanakopita Nistisimi (Lenten) is a Cypriot version of a vegan spinach pie which I remember eating when living in Cyprus but not the exact recipe.
Pies
Eliopita, Elioti or Eliopitakia are Cypriot olive pastries made either as a bread, as a roulade, as turnovers or a pie, to accompany a cup of coffee or tea.
Today is a day we celebrate in Greece by cooking or baking anything with cheese and so it is called Tyrini (tyri = cheese) and as it is always on a Sunday we call it Cheesy Sunday. Just like carnival is celebrated by eating all the meat before lent (carne levare meaning remove all meat) …
Pischies is a Cypriot traditional fried pastry dessert made with dough on which it is generously brushed with olive oil, cinnamon and sugar and after shaping them they are fried in olive oil and then bathed in syrup.
These mini flaounes or flaounitses as we call them, are easy to make and are an excellent snack and the perfect finger food for parties.
The queen of taste, the black olive owes a lot to the Greek fertile earth which gifts it a superb light buttery taste, features in many pastry recipes. Eliopitakia. Eliopsomo (Olive Bread) Lagana Olives and Carrot Bread Sticks and rolls Whole Wheat Focaccia with Kalamata Olives
Kotopita is an easy chicken pie and when made with puff pastry it is even easier. In the chicken filling I add some vegetables which are bound together with a bechamel sauce.
Shiamishi, are one of the best panigyria treats in Cyprus. These are made with homemade phyllo filled with an aromatic sweet semolina cream, which is flavoured with anthonero (orange blossom water) and mastic and then deep fried.
Bourekia is a pastry made with a thin flaky phyllo, and are filled with anari which is the Cypriot name of the cheese, which is similar to anthotyros or ricotta. Anari is a white soft whey cheese which is produced when making halloumi or kefalotyri. It has a delicate, creamy flavour, slightly sweet, …
Kattimerka, is a traditional pastry dessert, similar to pischies but instead of being fried, these are cooked in a traditional frying pan called sadji. Sadji resembles like the Arab Saj, however, unlike the Arab saj, which is dome shaped, the Cypriot sadji resembles more like a wok. You can use a wok or any non-stick sautéing pan.