giouvetsi/youvetsi... it's all greek to me

turns out i'm doing pretty well preparing myself to be some sort of freakish semi-greek housewife. this is the most comforting dinner anyone would want to come home to on a cold day after school or work! i made this a whiiiilleee ago when there was an entire week of rain (woo, vancouver...). it was so cold, my rheumatic bones were aaaachinnggg and i just needed something warm and comforting to make me feel better. so, i turned to giouvetsi (yoo-vet-see)! it's a traditional greek stew made with lamb, beef or chicken with kritharaki (orzo) or hilopites, cooked in clay pots. now, this recipe does take a while, but most if it is just down time while the beef cooks down and gets fall-apart delicious. i ended up catching up on tons of my homework done, so really, it's a win-win! nommy food, reading done? sign me up.

oh the rain.. my poor bones!

what you need:
2 packs of stew beef
1 1/2 cups of orzo
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
1 can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
2 cups broth
1 cup water (you can substitute red wine here)
3 whole cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp oregano
2 bay leaves
pinch of nutmeg
butter and olive oil
grated myzithra cheese

yum yum yum :)

step 1:
preheat oven to 300. add butter and olive oil to a large pot set to medium high heat and start to brown your beef. once done, place on a dish, cover, and set aside. dice your onion and add to the pan, stirring to scrape up all that caramelized goodness! cook for ~5 minutes, then add your crushed garlic.
step 2: 
once your garlic gets fragrant, add in your broth, water, crushed tomatoes and spices. bring this to a boil, then add your browned beef back into the pot. let this cook for ~30 minutes.
step 3:
add your orzo and cook for another 15 minutes. if you are running out of liquid, just add more water or broth. once the orzo is close to being cooked, take out your beef and place in a oven safe dish. fish out the cloves and bay leaf. pour the orzo/tomato liquid on top and cook in the oven for ~40 minutes.
step 4:
5 minutes before you take it out, grate some myzithra (or parmesan) cheese over the top.

just what you need on a day like that!

once again, i'm the worst greek alive

so. i'm really lame. i made tzatziki a looooooong time ago for my greek independence day shindig, which i meant to post up here. and i never did. i also didn't post the dolmathes we made! what is this? how did i forget all that food we had? ugh. blasphemy. how does a greek not share the greekness? that's like, the most important part of being greek. and i fail at it. but whatever. i'm at least giving you the recipe for my tzatziki.. so please don't be too angry greek gods? i'm trying here, ok?

thick and perfect for dipping!

what you need:
500 or 650 g container of greek style yogurt
1 cucumber
3 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped dill
1 lemon
salt and pepper

step 1:
strain the yogurt in a lint free cloth over a bowl for about an hour. if lazy, just use the yogurt as it is. it turns out basically the same. grate your cucumber and squeeze as much liquid out of it as you can.
step 2:
add cucumber to a bowl along with the yogurt, minced garlic, chopped dill, juice of 1 lemon and salt and pepper. taste, and adjust how you like it! i usually add a lot more lemon juice.

yum yum yum 

so that's it! super simple, quick and healthy dip. can be used in pitas with falafels, wraps, on souvlaki.. the list goes on and on!

a very belated christos anesti

soo... as many of you have noticed i haven't been updating my blog too often. its a mix of year-end exams, some travelling, moving into a new apartment and taking summer courses that suck up all of my time. i'll try to update as often as i can (or when i make food that is awesome...) but i think overall i will be blogging less than usual. in the meantime, let's look at how i spent my easter! i had about a 2 week break before my last exam, so i decided to head out east to celebrate easter the super, super greek way with my grandparents, sister and other family. what is the super, super greek way? well, i'm talkin' going to church more times in one week than i have in the last 10 years of my life, baking copious amounts of cookies, breads and food in general, and eating things.. i don't ever want to eat again in my life...
anyways, to give you a bit of background information, here's mr. panos to explain a basic greek easter. and yes, we made almost everything he mentioned (minus the kokoretsi, thank god).



aaaannnddddd just for some laughs, one of the best parts in my big fat greek wedding. "cheestro anesti". her dad looks just like both of my papous... and they think in very similar ways...



anyways, so onto some of what i experienced having a very traditional greek easter with my yiayia and papou. first off, i accidentally slept through the palm sunday service (i thought my yiayia was going to hate me forever after that). so, it didn't start too well. things got better when i was able to help my yiayia cook ridiculous amounts of food. let's start with baking over 200 greek cookies, including melomakarona, kourabiedes (YUMMMM) and koulourakia. next came dying eggs. there were a lot of them. we mostly did red eggs (ya know, trying to be all traditional here) which was a little boring but HEY we got to stick them in our ARMY OF TSOUREKI. yes, yes that's right. it was an army. seriously. i don't know why we made so much! anyways, you add in this cool ingredient called mahlepi, which is a spice made from a particular type of cherry. this gives the bread this subtle and unique sweet flavour.

angelopoulos army of tsoureki

 then came the making of some pretty ridiculously epic dolmathes... i still can't even begin to explain how yummy they were. you can't really go wrong with using ground lamb... mmm... so goood! then we made some random meals with no meat leading up to good friday.. then came the scary stuff. when my papou went to the farm to get the lamb, he got the guts with it. and, what do you do with the guts? put them in a soup.. with LEMON!! i mean, of course, why wouldn't you? erm, yeah.. not such a fan. the lungs, liver and kidneys had been sitting in a tupperware container in the fridge for a good 4 days, and they were just taunting me the entire time! anyways, from my observation, the only real reason you go to church late night on saturday is to get the "light of god" from the priest, party with some fireworks, sing a couple of "christos anesti ek nekron"'s, and to go home and eat magiritsa. can't say i particularly wanted to eat that at 2am.. but, i made myself promise to try a bit of everything. gotta say though, this is something i'm just not ready to eat anytime soon. if it was made with the atcual meat, it would have been fine! i guess i'm just not an organ person... can you blame me?!

this was the before face...

anyways, yeah so all i can say is that lungs are very squishy... and bouncy... and that they don't exactly taste good. it weirded me out too much that i could rip a piece apart and name the structures inside (yaaay, HKin nerdiness!). so no. that didn't go well. here's penny, to show us just how awkward it can get. (please mind the random camera movements.. i tried to capture the faces the best way possible!)



sooo... after all the drama with the icky organs, comes the BEST PART OF GREEK EASTER FO SHIZZ. yes, yes that's right. i'm talking about LAMB ON A SPIT. my lord, before this easter, i hadn't had an actual spit lamb for years! ooohhh it was so tasty! the skin was crispy, the meat was falling-off-the-bone ridiculously tender and juicy! there's really nooothing like it. not lamb in the oven or anything. it has to be on a spit. in the yard. so that all of your neighbours can point and laugh. or be jealous. i prefer the to think it's the latter!

this is maria! our little lamby.. head meat reserved for papou!

so, on sunday my aunt and uncle and cousins came over for an epic feast of food made with lemon! i'm talkin potatoes, chicken, LAMB, hummus, veggies, salad, feta, kelafotyri, olives, dolmathes, pasta, bread/tsoureki, cookies, cheesecake, lots and lots and lots of wine.. and some other stuff i can't remember. basically, i ate a lot of food. too much food. i had to change into my lululemons!!
possibly the best part of easter was when my yiayia would answer the phone not saying "hello" but saying "christos anesti" or "christ has risen". literally for 3 days before and after easter that's what she would say. not everybody who called was greek.. so that would have been a very awkward beginning to the phone convo! 
so folks, that was my greek easter... i've given you a wee update hope that is good enough until i find more time to cook!

ingredient of the week: garlic

well.... it's been a very, very long time since our last ingredient of the week! my life has been pretty crazy for the last few weeks... so i haven't really been focusing on the blog. but i have been cooking some pretty epic food (that's my way of dealing with stress!) slowly but surely they will be popping up here! so for this installment of ingredient of the week, i chose garlic. love love love love love love love. i can't get enough garlic. some people don't like it raw or find it way too overpowering, but i just love it. i mean, who doesn't like waking up with garlic breath in the morning? or having their hands smell like garlic for 2 days?! well.. i don't exactly like those parts but you just gotta put up with it! in fact, my duvet actually smells like garlic. it's an issue. doesn't exactly put me to sleep...

anyways. yes, garlic. we all love it. so let's talk about why you should eat more of it! garlic is a cardiac savior. first, garlic is rich in sulfur-containing compounds such as thiosulfinates and sulfoxides, which give it that distinct smell, as well as most of it's nutritional benefits. one benefit of these compounds is that they dilate our blood vessels, helping our blood pressure stay under control. they do this by blocking the activity of angiotensin II (man, never thought HKIN 191 would ever come in handy!!). angiotensin II is a peptide protein that helps out blood vessels contract (then causing blood to be forced through a smaller space, increasing the pressure). by blocking this, the sulfur-containing compounds found in garlic can minimize the unecessary contractions of our blood vessels and therefore the unwanted increased blood pressure.

good for your health, and keeps away vampires  : )

another health benefit from these compounds is lowering of our triglyceride and our total cholesterol levels. but, the major cardiac benefit that these compounds provide is cardioprotection, meaning they protect our blood cells and blood vessels from inflammatory and oxidative stress (ie: damage). basically, highly reactive oxygen molecules wreak havoc on the linings of our pretty little arteries and veins. this damage can cause plaque to form which, in turn, can lead to heart attacks and atherosclerosis. the sulfur-containing compounds found in garlic minimize this by inhibiting the activity of inflammatory causing mechanisms in the oxygen molecules. another compound, ajoene, helps to prevent clots from forming inside our blood vessels by preventing platelets in our blood to become too sticky. ajoene helps maintain a kind of "stickiness homeostasis", if you will.

ok, time for a change! let's stop the cardiac talk -- garlic also has amazing anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal properties, and has been used throughout all of history for treating illness! various compounds in freshly crushed garlic show huge benefits in controlling infection from worms, yeasts, bacteria and viruses. they've been used on burn victims, stomach ulcers, and on bacterial infections that are not responding to antibiotics. that's pretty awesome if you ask me! i really could go on about antioxidants, vitamin C, selenium, anti-inflammatory/arthritic properties, increased iron metabolizing properties, cancer prevention etc, etc. that garlic provides... but i'm tired of writing. basically, garlic is a superfood when it comes to your health, and if you're not eating it.. then you better start! it basically cures everything!

so, now onto the meal i used an epic amount of garlic in. i made a traditional greek lentil soup called Φακές/fakes (pronounced fah-KESS). yes. yes, i know. it sounds like fuckers. ha ha ha ha. but of course, that's not what the old greek ladies are saying! anyways, its quite an easy recipe to make, all you have to do is chop and let cook!

fakes lentil soup: simple flavours, but delicious!

what you need:
1 1/2 cups of brown lentils
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
8 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 potatoes, cubed
4 cups water/chicken broth (i used half of each)
2 bay leaves
2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar

step 1:
after sifting through the lentils for rocks and twigs, put them into a large pot and cover with water. bring to a boil and cook for ~15 minutes. while this is cooking, take the time to chop up all of your ingredients. when cooking time is up, strain into a collander.
step 2:
in the same pot, add olive oil and saute your onions until translucent. add in the celery and cook down for a few minutes. add your sliced garlic, bay leaves, oregano, potatoes, tomato paste and water/broth. let simmer for ~30 minutes, stirring frequently, or until lentils are soft.
step 3:
ladle into a bowl and spoon the red wine vinegar on top. this may seem weird to people who haven't tasted this before, but you need to add this. it lifts the entire dish to a new level! and of course, soak up the liquid with a nice piece of crispy bread! enjoy!

spana... whatchamacallit?

sorry for the delay in posting everybody! exam time is nearly upon us so this will be one of the last blog posts for a while. i'd much rather spend my time cooking epic food, but no.. no... i have to write exams. oh how i love my life. downside: somehow i still have managed to have 2 exams on the same day (one being 70%).. upside: i have about a two week break after that until my last exam! so, i've decided to pack up again and head out to montreal for a real greek easter: lots of family, church services and of course, lamb on a spit! it's gonna be such a nice way to spend the holiday!

anyways, back to my post. a while back i decided to try and make σπανακόριζο, or spanakorizo (pronounced spah-nah-KOH-ree-zoh). got that? haha that's ok. if not, spana... whatchamacallit works just fine  : )  aaanyways, spanakorizo is a traditional greek rice with lots and lots of spinach. i had this cube of frozen spinach in the freezer for aaaaaaages and finally found a way to use it! now, i don't actually have a recipe for this... i kind of made it up as i went along, but it tasted quite like the real deal! it's a super fast recipe, all you need to do is throw things in a pot and let it cook... and it's also pretty good on the student food budget!

a squeeze of lemon brings it all together  : )

what you need:
big chunk of frozen spinach
2/3 cup of brown rice
~ 2 cups water/chicken broth (i used more broth than water -- it gives more flavour)
1/2 an onion, chopped fine
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp dill, chopped (i keep mine in the freezer so it doesn't go bad)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 a lemon

step 1:
in a pot set to medium heat, add in your oil. when hot, add in your chopped onion and garlic and saute until translucent. then add your chucks of frozen spinach. you can use as much or as little as you like!
step 2: 
once the spinach separates and heats through, add in your rice and water/broth and bring do a boil. cook for ~15 minutes or until rice is done, stirring occasionally. 
step 3: 
at the end of the cooking time, add your chopped dill, lemon juice and stir. sprinkle on some crumbled feta if desired, and there you go!


this goes really well as a side dish to basically anything greek (the flavours are pretty classic) souvlaki, lamb, etc etc. it's also perfectly fine on it's own as a meal! i always have it with a nice piece of feta on the side and a fresh squeeze of lemon on top. yum yum yum!   : )

worst greek alive

 ok. i have this thing i need to get off my chest: am possibly the worst greek ever. i don't speak the language (unless greeklish counts, i'm pretty fluent in that), i only really like the traditional music, i don't go to church that often, i let feta cheese go mouldy, and i hate (HATE) olives. the latter is especially bad considering my relatives make a living by actually farming olives in delphi. it's in my blood. oh, i must really be offending my ancestors. when i visited them in 2004 i was forced to have some (i didn't want to be offensive) and i just couldn't keep a straight face. it was just such a strong flavour! ick! but i really love greek cuisine. so, i have to make some modifications. two awesome greek dishes, dakos and horiatiki both have olives. i feel like i'm massacring part of my history, but i gotta take the olives out.

olive trees in the valley below delphi, town of itea in the distance

anyways, let's start with dakos (ντάκος). it's a traditional cretan meze or appetizer, kind of like a greek version of bruschetta, with a rusk, cheese, tomatoes, and greek olive oil and oregano (plus an olive on top but as mentioned above, i leave them out). i went to crete for the first time ever last summer, and i had the most amazing time of my life. i hiked the 18km samaria gorge in keds that weren't broken in, swam in the crystal clear waters of elafonissi, thwarted masses of stupid tourists at the palace of knossos, made friends with fishies at the cretan aquarium and felt odd peace at the arkadi monastery, where thousands gave their lives in the cretan revolt against the ottomans. after seeing so much of crete, i've decided you can't know greece without knowing crete and you can't go to greece without going to crete either. it's a very unique place, the dialect is so so strange, and the history is so different from the mainland. i love that island. i think the city of chania is one of my favourite places in greece, at least the old part of town. streets lined with cute shops, octopus drying in the sun, the old venetian lighthouse in the harbour, awesome naval museum and of course, the crazy restaurateurs complimenting you just so you eat at their place... anyways.. that was a bit of a ramble.

monastery of arkadi, town of loutro - only accessible by boat and the cute and noble kri-kri

dakos is one of cretes signature dishes, and i love love love it. simple, delicious, and it only takes 2 minutes to make. that's my kind of food!

what you need:
cretan rusks (you can find them at any greek or mediterranean grocer, if not you can use melba toast)
hunk of crumbled myzithra or feta cheese
1 tomato
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp greek oregano
step 1:
if you are using the cretan rusks, sprinkle a bit of water on top. this makes it easier to tear into pieces. remove the skin off of the tomato. you can cut it into really small pieces, or grate it into a bowl. spread the tomato with the liquid onto the rusk.
step 2: 
add the cheese, oil and oregano on top of the tomato and enjoy!

 now for the horiatiki (xωριάτικη). for those of you that know what it is hooray! if you don't recognize the name, thats ok, because you most certainly will in english. the classic greek salad. i didn't go one day without eating it while in greece - it's the perfect mix of veggies to relieve you from the heat of the day (umm 45 helloo, not so fun). the really important thing for horiatiki is that you have really, really good quality feta. go to the greek grocer, and get 100g of the greek feta. it'll only set you back about 2 bucks. totally worth it. if they have a good selection they will probs give you pieces of each to try. i always ask for that!

what you need:
1/2 a cucumber, skin off
2 vine ripe tomatoes
1/2 green pepper
extra virgin olive oil
dried greek oregano
red wine vinegar
slice of good feta cheese
step 1: 
cut all veggies into bit sized pieces and put in a bowl. mix together oil and vinegar (a 3:1 ratio is classic, but i like mine with more zing so i put more vinegar)
step 2: 
pour dressing on top of veggies and toss. top with feta and a sprinkle of oregano.

no feta? but it's so important! nope. i let it go mouldy  : (

Καλή όρεξη!
kali orexi!

loukoumadopolis

well, i'm back to the grind after having a week off for reading break. instead of actually reading, i got on a plane and headed out east to visit my grandparents in montreal. it was COLD. first four days was all snow, and -17 degrees! by the time i got to ottawa to see penny, it had warmed up quite a bit. too much cause they closed the rideu canal the day penny and i went to go skate : (  when am i ever going to be back in ottawa it february?! (hopefully never...) anyways, i devoured tons of yummy greek food (including deer that my papou shot while hunting in the fall) ate my weight in montreal bagels, and was spoiled with having several glasses of my papou's homemade wine every night. it was beyond glorious.

my papou and yiayia, montreal 2008

one of the highlights of my trip was making loukoumades with my yiayia. it's no secret to anybody that knows me that i love loukoumades. it's an addiction. and now that i actually have my yiayia's recipe, it's going to be actually be problem. if you don't know what these golden balls of deliciousness are, i pity you. i really do. they're basically a greek version of a doughnut: batter fried till crisp, then drizzled with greek honey and cinnamon. penny, christina and i basically die anytime we eat them. see video below.

bites penny. bites are good.

sometimes loukoumades that you get from a bakery or festival can be quite dense. my yiayia's recipe is anything but. its light and fluffy on the inside, but crispy on the outside - the perfect loukoumades. oh, and i know, i know, this blog is supposed to be somewhat healthy, and deep fried batter doesn't exactly fall into that category. well, this blog is also for me to share a bit of my heritage for those who care, whether healthy or not! so, here we go, my yiayia's recipe:

what you need:
~ 1 cup self rising flour
~ 1 cup of lukewarm water
2 tbsp greek honey
pinch of cinnamon
oil for frying
2 sheets of paper towel

step 1:
pour oil into a pan and heat up. take a mixing bowl and pour in lukewarm water. slowly stir in the flour until it forms a slightly goopy mixture. it should kind of resemble a thick pancake batter.
step 2:
while waiting for the oil, take honey and heat up in the microwave so it is more liquidy. this makes it easier to cover the loukoumades.
step 3: 
once oil is hot, take a spoonful of mix and pour it into the oil. only fry a few at a time or they will take longer to cook. once one side is golden brown, flip over. they should take a few minutes per batch.
step 4: 
place the crispy loukoumades on a few sheets of paper towel to soak up the oil, then serve. pour greek honey on top and sprinkle with some cinnamon. if you want, you can add sesame seeds too  : )

light, fluffy, crispy and down right yummy loukoumades

when life gives you lemons, make αυγολέμονο

damn, life has given me lemons this week. not only is it the week before midterms - which is stressful enough on its own - now plus the fact that i'm all sickly-ickly. to make me feel better, i made avgolemono (ahv-goh-lem-oh-noh), a traditional greek soup with eggs ("avgo") and lemon ("lemoni"). it is the ultimate nommy nommy soup. i am eating it right now, and am in awe that i managed to make something soooo delicious. this is probably the best thing i've made. ever. now, i don't know if that's me and my cooking, or just the awesomeness that is greek food. who knows.

so, i did make some changes to the traditional version. mainly because i lack the equipment (a kitchen aid), but i also wanted a thick soup to help me feel not so sick. in the traditional version, you whip the egg whites until they form peaks, then add it to the broth to make some kind of foamy thing. another traditional version of this soup is magiritsa, made with lamb and served at easter to break the 40 day fast. if ya want it really traditional, you put in the icky bits of the lamb (intestines, heart, head, neck, liver.. ewwies). buuuut since i didn't want any of that lovely stuff, i added normal chicken breast to make some weird, but awesome greek version of chicken soup.

my version of the traditional soup

so, here's what you need:
2 chicken breasts or 3 thighs
2 tsp canola oil
salt and pepper
7 cups chicken broth
3 eggs
juice of 3 1/2 lemons (note: i like mine really lemony, but if you're not a fan, add less)
1 cup kritharaki (also known as orzo) or rice.
1 tsp water
1 tsp corn starch
1 scoop greek yogut
note: you don't need the corn starch, the eggs act as a natural thickener. i just wanted mine a bit thicker than usual.

step 1:
pre heat oven to 350 degrees. pour oil into an oven safe dish and then place both chicken breasts in. add salt and pepper over top and stick in the oven for ~45 minutes, depending on the size.
step 2:
while waiting, juice your lemons into a bowl. set that aside and then put a big pot on the stove. set to high heat and add in all the chicken broth. bring to a boil. once boiling, add in your orzo. it should take ~15 - 20 minutes to cook.
step 3:
when your chicken is done, take it out and slice into small, bite-sized pieces and put into the pot.  set it to low heat. crack your eggs into the bowl with the lemon juice and whisk. set aside. get a small bowl and mix the corn starch and water together to form a slurry.
step 4:
this is the hardest part: tempering the eggs. with whisk in hand, slowly ladle the hot broth into the egg and lemon mixture, whisking quickly. if they scramble, start again. add into the pot, along with the corn starch. stir for about 2 minutes until it thickens and serve with a dollop of greek yogurt!

rich but light, hearty and yummy  : )

as a side note, you can make avgolemono sauce as well, to put over meat or vegetables. it's the same recipe just with no chicken, no orzo, and less chicken broth. a traditional greek way to serve it is over celery and pork which is also really, really good! or of course, on top of dolmades (which hopefully i will be making at some point!)

ingredient of the week: greek yogurt

here we are again with another installment of ingredient of the week! i have been looking for greek yogurt for suchhh a long time in vancouver. they didn't have it at the two or three grocery stores that i usually go to, but luckily on a grocery adventure with the english girl in bc, i stumbled upon a brand i had never tried before - greek god's yogurt. now, that was kind of scary because i have tried some that have literally - i mean literally - tasted like barf. all acidy and just nasty. but i tried this one anyways. they didn't have the low-fat version at the grocery store which was fine with me.. i was just happy i found some. but, if possible the non-fat or lower-fat versions are best, mostly because the regular version is high in fat. although not the bad kind of fat, i'd rather just go for the lighter option!

this brand defs did not taste like barf  : )

so, greek yogurt is way, way different than regular yogurt. first off, it's strained three times so that most of the liquid whey is gone. this means you get double (!!) the amount of protein compared to normal yogurt. higher protein content (in any food) means that you can stay full and satisfied longer, this is why it's one of my favourite breakfasts!

since greek yogurt is not treated with heat (most regular yogurt is), more of the lactobacterial cultures can survive to make it into your gut. once there, they work hard to improve your digestive health by keeping you regular and reducing diarrhea. they also aid in the absorption of essential vitamins, minerals, protein, fats and carbs, and help produce amino acids, b-vitamins and vitamin k. basically, you need these 'good' bacteria in your diet to keep you healthy.

another point is that greek yogurt is low in sugar (about half the sugar content compared to regular unsweetened non-fat yogurt). because of the three-straining process, most of the natural sugar is removed.
oh yeah, and of course, it has lots of Ca²⁺. 

anyways, i like greek yogurt becaue it can be substituted as a healthier version for many higher-fat items such as mayo, sour cream, buttermilk, whole-milk and whipped cream. plus you don't need to worry about it curdling if you heat it up. here are two ways which i enjoyed my greek yogurt today:

greek honey and greek yogurt: the best breakfast of all time

this morning i had a nice scoop of yogurt with my greek honey. it's quick, light, nutritious and kept me full right through my class until 12:30. i loooovveee it.

midday smoothie with greek yogurt

i also made a smoothie before lunch.
what you need:
1 cup organic apple juice
1 fresh banana
2 heaping handfuls of frozen strawberries
1 handful mango or peaches
1 tsp ground flax (i bought regular seeds then pulsed them in the actual blender - money saver!)
1 tbsp greek yogurt

step 1: 
combine all and blend!

i also really like using greek yogurt in tzatziki, salad dressings, marinades (makes the meat super tender), sauces and dips etc etc. it's super versatile, you can basically use it in anything!

holy hummous

i like hommous. i have it with pita, veggies, crackers, souvlaki, on sandwiches or even just by itself. it's really nutritious, high in protein, iron and fibre (the type that keeps blood sugars from rising too quickly) and is useful in vegetarian or vegan diets as it creates a full protein when eaten with starch. recipes vary depending on where you are, lebanese hummous is very different from greek hummous. i obviously like the greek hummous more because that's how i've always eaten it. since i'm living away from home and don't have all the proper kitchen tools, i made this in a blender. it came out a lot more smooth but it tastes the exact same. plus, keeping it in the fridge helped it thicken.

ingredients for life

 what you need:
14 oz can of chickpeas with some liquid
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon (i always add more - i like mine very lemony)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 paprika
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup tahini (optional, but it adds extra flavour and protein)
salt and pepper

step 1:
put chickpeas in blender with a bit of the liquid, lemon juice and oil. blend until smooth.
step 2:
add in cumin, paprika, garlic, tahini, parsley and salt and pepper. blend until mixed together. taste - at this point i usually add in a ton more lemon juice, but this is when you can adjust the flavours to how you like it.
step 3:
garnish with paprika, parsley and an olive in the middle. i obviously didn't put the olive on cause i am the only greek on this earth to not like olives. i know... it's weird.

enjoy  : )

persephone's fruit

pomegranates. i love them. and in the last couple of years the pomegranate has soared in popularity due to it's health benefits (hellooo antioxidants!) with juices and concentrates in almost any supermarket you walk into.

in reality, the pomegranate is an ancient fruit with a rich history in myth, religion, medicine, symbols and art throughout many cultures. for example, ancient greek mythology tells the story of how persephone was kidnapped by hades. once in the underworld, hades tempted persephone with a pomegranate (a sign of marriage). by eating some of the arils before her rescue, persephone tied herself to the underworld. persephone's mother, demeter, was so upset at the loss of her daughter that she prevented the earth from bearing fruit unless she saw her daughter again. zeus arranged a compromise: persephone would spend 1/3 of the year in the underworld with hades, and the rest of the year with demeter. this myth was used by the ancient greeks to try and explain the changing of the seasons.

my favourite kore - thought to represent persephone

in modern greece the pomegranate still holds strong symbolic meaning. you can find cute little pottery pomegranates to decorate your home in any crafts store. in fact, our house in victoria is known as the 'pomegranate house' by my mum's friends because we have so many. this summer on our trip to greece i was lucky enough to pick up some for my own apartment.

one of my hand crafted pomegranates

pomegranates also grow everywhere in greece - the mediterranean climate is perfect for them. anywhere you went you could find little pomegranate trees.

a pomegranate outside out hotel room near chania, crete

anyways, back to my point. i was grocery shopping last weekend and stumbled upon a pomegranate and was so excited that i just had to buy it! when i got home, i decided that i wanted to make something interesting with the fruit. and so, here's what i made - pomegranate balsamic chicken with grilled vegetables and brown rice.

add a few fresh arils for a pop of colour and texture

what you need:

          chicken:

1 chicken breast

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup honey

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp grainy mustard (i used maille ancient grain)

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock

pinch of thyme

          grilled vegetables:

half a zucchini

half a red pepper

any other vegetables you want to put in (i recommend butternut squash)

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

step 1:

cut chicken breast into small pieces. pour pomegranate juice, honey, vinegar, sugar, mustard and thyme into a freezer bag and add in the cut up chicken. refrigerate for 20 minutes. during these 20 minutes, roughly chop up your veggies, and pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

step 2: 

put your veggies, oil, salt and pepper into a dish and mix together. put in the oven. lightly greas a glass dish and add in your chicken, put in the oven. cook for approximately 20 minutes, depending on how thick you cut your chicken. save the marinade.

step 3:

add remaining marinade to a small pot and bring to a boil. add chicken stock and allow time to thicken. about 10 minutes into cooking, turn over your veggies and chicken.

boiling the marinade ensures any bacteria are killed

step 4:

when veggies and chicken are done cooking, heat up your pre-cooked* brown rice and add all onto plate. sprinkle on your sauce and enjoy!

*hint: i cook about a cup and a half of dry brown rice every sunday night so that it's ready to go during the week. since it takes longer than white rice (umm yeah 55 minutes..) it's much easier to cook ahead!

*hint: i used a whole pomegranate to get about a 1/2 cup of juice. it was a time waster! buy POM pomegranate juice instead, and save the fresh pomegranate arils as a quick, healthy snack and as a garnish for this dish!

soupa trahana

this is one of my favourite greek soups. it's simple, hearty and perfect for a cold, rainy fall day. this is the first time i've made this on my own, from my yiayia's (ya-YAH) recipe. i have to say, it didn't turn out too bad! i did change a couple things from the original recipe. i used low-sodium, low-calorie broth, i used skim milk, i added more tomatoes, and i only used a bit of feta. while i could have gone with a low-fat feta, i felt that a really good quality cheese was just worth it to splurge.

trahana soup

now, τραχανά (trah-hah-NAH). what the hell is that, you ask? to be honest, i'm not reaaallyy sure. it's some type of cracked wheat thing, but all i know is that it's super super tasty! you can find it at any mediterranean specialty shop, along with some really good feta. we brought back 5 pounds of the trahana made in my mum's village, Desfina, (english wiki site here) but somehow i forgot it at home. sad. so, instead, i went to Minerva's Mediterranean Deli on west broadway. 

sweet trahana from minerva's

anyways, at minerva's they have sweet trahana (made with milk) and sour trahana (made with yogourt or traditional buttermilk). i literally just stood there for 10 minutes trying to figure out which one to buy. before this, i didn't even know there were 2 types!? well, i'm going to save you those 10 minutes of your life by telling you to get the sweet one. i'm not really sure why they call it sweet, cause it's not sweet at all. so, without further ado, here's the recipe!

you will need:

5 cups water

1/2 cup milk (i used skim)
1 cup stock (i used no soduim stock, the feta adds all the salt you need)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (i used canned cause that's all i had, and i added extra)
4-5 handfuls of trahana
chunk of feta
step 1:
add water, milk and stock into a large pot and bring to a boil
step 2:
once boiling, add in tomatoes and trahana. cook for 30 minutes, stirring often to avoid trahana sticking to the bottom or sides of the pot

30 minutes into cooking process

step 3:
crumble in the feta cheese and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring often.
step 4:
serve in a bowl, add extra feta cheese on top if desired

enjoy!

the elixir of life

this my friends, will change your life. a nescafé frappé: foam-covered iced coffee drink made with instant coffee and milk. i know, i know, it doesn't sound like much, but when you're out in the 40 degree heat, these drinks will literally save your life. oh, and if you're up for it, you can substitute the milk with baileys, something i have yet to try!

monemvasia, greece: relaxing at a kafeneio enjoying a frappé glyko me gala
(glee-KOH meh-GAH-lah)

i usually prefer my frappé glyko me gala (sweet with milk) but after drinking that everyday - sometimes even twice a day - for a month, it can make you sick. so, now i prefer them metrio me gala (medium sweet with milk). here's how you do it!

items needed to create this masterpiece

you will need:

a shaker (i used a nescafé one, but you can use a water bottle)

instant coffee (again, i used a nescafé one for frappés, but any kind will do)

sugar

milk

ice cubes

water

a glass

a straw (very important!)

step 1: 

add 1 or 2 teaspoons of instant coffee into your mixer, and then add half that amount of sugar (less or more, depending on how sweet you like it).

it should look something like this

step 2:

add just enough cold water to cover the mixture, and shake the hell out of it. once you feel the mix becoming foam, you know you're good.

step 3:

pour mix into a glass. at this point, i add the milk into the empty mixer and shake it a bit to get any extra coffee left. pour the milk into the glass. if you want, you can just add the milk in step 2. if you don't want to add milk, just skip this step.

step 4:

add in ice cubes and put the straw in the glass. enjoy!

ena frappé glyko me gala