traditional Greek cinnamon cookies These traditional Greek cinnamon cookies are golden brown circles of perfection. Just a bit crunchy with the subtle taste of cinnamon and oranges, each bite will have you wanting another! So simple to whip up, Greek cinnamon cookies are my coffee’s best friend and I make them often. ‘Often’ because you can also mix up the dough ahead and bake your cookies within a week OR freeze portioned dough balls and thaw/bake up to three months down the road Greek cinnamon cookies dusted with sugar The slightly molasses-ey flavor of the brown sugar more closely mim ..read more

a perfect loaf of traditional Greek eliopsomo / olive bread Eliopsomo (eeleeOPsomo), traditional Greek olive bread, combines two of my forever-favorites into one – bread and olives This no-knead, slow-rise, authentically vegan recipe takes five of the most basic ingredients and turns them into heaven. In an effort to reproduce an authentic Greek bread baking method using clay covered bakers, I use a clay bread cloche. These are easy to find and not very expensive and give you the most amazingly crunchy crust! Another option would be a Dutch oven, I’ve used them a few times when baking away ..read more

Traditionally Greek, authentically vegan, everyone’s favorite – dolmades! Dolmades, or stuffed grape leaves, are one of the most iconic of Greek dishes. I can eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner! Thing is, we’ve always had a bit of a running debate about the name in my family. My mom’s side of the family calls them dolmades as do most Greeks. My dad’s side, with his dad hailing from Smyrna, use the more Turkish name of yiapraikia. Whatever you choose to call them, they are phenomenal! Traditionally made without meat and actually stuffed with corn kernels when rice was dear, dolmade ..read more

traditional Greek stewed cabbage One of my very favorite ways to eat cabbage, I often serve this traditional Greek ‘cabbage in a pot’ (λάχανο κατσαρόλας) over rice or, for carb-conscious friends, over cauli rice and it’s a hit every time! The cabbage leaves are sweet and tender, the stewed juices are so flavorful, you can always feel free to tuck into a bowl all on it’s own with a big piece of crusty bread and go to town – can’t tell you how many times I have It all comes together in one pot with a few herbs, spices and aromatics and cooks up in about 40 minutes. Simple and simply deliciou ..read more

traditional Greek rice pilaf This platter of golden, fluffy, perfect pilaf is so simple to make and positively lovely to eat. Often served as the show-stopper at weddings back in the day when rice was very expensive, pilafi was a dish reserved only for the most special occasions. Even now, when rice is readily available and very inexpensive, this humble dish will wow you every time. 1/4 cup olive oil 2/3 cup uncooked orzo 1 cup chopped onions 1 1/2 cups rice 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup golden raisins 4 cups vegetable broth1 tsp salt and pepper 1 cup chopped parsley Heat olive oil in ..read more

Greek pita bread perfection! Simple and quick with just a 30 min rise, you’ll love making your own pita bread! Once you do, store-bought will never taste the same This recipe makes 8 pitas about 6-8″ in diameter so a good size.  They can easily be rolled out smaller or larger to fit your purposes.  Just make sure your pan fits your pita! Remember, in case you’re not familiar with Greek pita bread, these do not open into a pocket like Middle Eastern or Syrian bread. These pita are meant to be wrapped around a filling or, and probably my favorite way, cut into triangles and used as ..read more

gorgeous, chunky, filling, fantastic fava bean spread on toast! The avocado toast trend’s got nothing on this traditional amazingly tasty, incredibly simple Greek power breakfast: 5 minutes, 5 ingredients, one bowl, and done! KouKOfava (κουκόφαβα) or fava bean spread originally hails from the island of Crete and is a positively delicious, incredibly nutritious and absolutely beautiful spread made from fava or broad beans. Each bite of fava bean spread comes with a natural boost of B vitamins, plant protein, minerals, anti oxidants and fiber.  I absolutely LOVE it on everything but most ..read more

traditional golden cake from Constantinople Our dad’s mom, Yiayia Maria, would make this cake for us and we loved it, still do! It was a favorite of our grandfather’s who hailed originally from Smyrna (now Izmir in Turkey) and  he preferred it to all other sweets. That tells you something right there because he had one, SWEET tooth You can tell this cake recipe has it’s roots in Asia Minor from these key ingredients: white (fancy) flour, white sugar AND spiced almond milk. The Persians brought almond milk to Constantinople and the trick to using it in baking will change the way y ..read more

traditional, no-knead, Greek skillet bread One bowl, one pan, four ingredients and no kneading – no joke! This scrumptious traditional Greek bread recipe will make a home baker out of every one of you The roasted garlicky-goodness, perfectly distributed in each bite of this beautiful loaf of bread, is perfection. And baking it in the wrap-around heat of a cast iron pan? Well, that makes it just that much more amazing.  Yes, I am a fan! Traditionally, this bread was baked in a clay pot or pan. For today’s home cook, a cast iron skillet is a perfectly fine substitute. The even ..read more

traditional Greek lentil salad So much more than a simple salad, this complex (to taste, not prepare :)), layered, amazing combination of flavors takes the humble lentil to incredible heights! Think earthy, hearty lentils with smoky roasted peppers and sun-dried tomatoes with bright pops of lemon, red wine vinegar and fresh mint mixed with salty olives, peppery red onions and crisp fennel. There’s a whole lot going on in this rustic, traditional dish and you’ll love every bite of it Want to mention that fennel is an important ingredient in this recipe. I recommend using the white ..read more