Monthly Archives: February 2012

Classic Greek Bean Soup / Fasolada

Classic Greek Bean Soup / Fasolada

Beans are a New World product but bean soup. fasolada in Greek, is Greece’s national dish! Makes 6 servings 1 pound medium-sized white dried beans 2/3 cup extra-virgin Greek olive oil 3 large onions, peeled and chopped 3 medium-sized carrots 3 celery stalks or 1 ½ cups chopped wild celery, with leaves 6 –8...

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Tahini-Chocolate Mousse

Tahini-Chocolate Mousse

Tahini (sesame paste) replaces milk and butter in many Greek Lenten desserts, both traditional and contemporary. It goes particularly well with chocolate and with honey.     1 cup almond milk 3 ½ oz. / 100 g dark chocolate (couverture), chopped into small pieces 3 tbsp. honey, preferably Greek blossom or thyme honey 2...

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Apple Crisp with Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Apple Crisp with Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Many traditional Greek sweets, especially during periods of fasting, such as Lent, call for olive oil instead of butter. An apple crisp isn’t exactly traditional Greek food. I’ve “hellenized” a classic American dessert by adding two distinct greek flavors, that of olive oil and the scented geranium, arbaroriza in Greek, which Greek cooks often...

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Greek Mushroom Pilafi

Greek Mushroom Pilafi

Another simple dish that’s perfect for lent, but also for vegans and vegetarians. It’s an easy recipe to fix on a weeknight. Greece, a mountainous country, is a mushroom-lovers paradise. Many mushrooms grow in the wild, but there are also a few companies that have made a thriving business out of cultivating them. Makes...

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Rigatoni with Artichokes, Kalamata Olives and Herbs

Rigatoni with Artichokes, Kalamata Olives and Herbs

An easy pasta dish that calls for one of Greece’s iconic products, the Kalamata olive…perfect for Lent, vegans, and a quick mid-week meal. Makes 4 – 6 servings 6 tbsp. extra virgin Greek olive oil 1 leek, trimmed and cut into thin rings 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 cups good quality canned artichoke...

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Linguine with Poor Man’s Caviar (Tarama)

Linguine with Poor Man’s Caviar (Tarama)

This recipe was inspired and adapted from a recent posting of friend and Canadian food blogger Peter Minakis. It is really simple, really delicious and, to my palate, has that elusive quality called umami.   6 tbsp. extra virgin Greek olive oil 4 scallions or spring onions, trimmed and cut into thin rounds 1...

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