Artichokes ala Polita

As a convenience to the many readers of this blog, I’ve amassed all the Lenten (and Lent-friendly) dishes that I have posted thus far. Most of the dishes are Greek and appropriate for Lent and some are foreign but due to their ingredients, they fit in nicely with the Greek Lent in which us Greeks abstain from meat, meat by-products, dairy and eggs and fish.

All seafood (not fish), grains, pulses/legumes, fruits, pasta, rice and of course vegetables are allowed in the Lenten diet. I have also included recipes which can be easily adapted to suit Lenten needs. Use of eggs, dairy, cheeses, meats can be omitted and replaced with vegetable stocks, potato as a thickener, bulgur wheat for binder.

For those interested in the the minutiae of Greek Lent, this page from the Greek-Orthodox Archdiocese of America clearly explains the W5 of Lent.

I’ve done my best to include every Lent-friendly recipe I’ve posted so far and have double-checked the links. If there’s an error or dead-linked, please email me and I’ll correct the listing.

This pager of links will remain on the front page of my blog right-up until Easter. I will also be adding some new dishes along the way. Here ae the Νηστισιμα / Σαρακοστιανά…

Kali Sarakosti!

Seafood

Octopus Stifado

Cream of Chickpea Soup With Shrimp

Ginger Scallion Noodles With Shrimp

Spaghetti With Lemon Shrimp & Saffron

Artichoke Salad With Fried Calamari

Fried Octopus

Herbaceous Green Rice With Shrimp

Crab Kritharotto

Octopus With Olives & Potatoes

Octopus Meatballs

Lobster Saganaki

Tourlou With Seafood

Steamed & Broiled Razor Clams

Crispy Fried Shrimp

Makaronia With Tarama

Steamed & Broiled Razor Clams

Mussels Saganaki With Mustard (omit the cheese)

Grilled Shrimp with Mustard & Honey

Classic Mussels Saganaki

Shrimp Giouvetsi

Lobster Kritharotto

Risotto With Shrimp, Mushrooms & Asparagus

Linguine With Clams

Linguine With Shrimp

Prawns saganaki (omit cheese)

Cuttlefish with Spinach

Prawns Tourkolimano (omit cheese)

BBQ Shrimp

Octopus Salad (Mosaic)

Scallops Saganaki

Grilled Sesame Scallops

Deep-fried Mussels

Grilled Stuffed Calamari (omit cheese)

Wine-steamed Mussels (omit cream)

Grilled Octopus

Grilled Calamari

Fried Calamari

Broiled Scallops

Seafood pasta

Calamari Souvlaki

Shrimp with Ouzo and Pasta

Fried Oysters

Shrimp With Ouzo and Saffron

Calamari L’Amoricaine

Shrimp Salad With Avocado and Pasta Shells

Marinated Calamari Salad

Octopus With Penne

Shrimp Cocktail

Mussels Riganato (omit sausage)

Seafood Pasta with Fusilli

Spaghetti with Shrimp and Mussels

Shrimp With Mastiha liquer

Cuttlefish With Saffron and Potatoes

Harvest Linguine With Clams

Steamed Clams

Shrimp Bisque (omit cream)

Seafood Pizza (omit cheese)

Scallops Provencal

Shrimp With Capers and Dill

Octopus and Pasta Bake

Octopus Krassato

Cuttlefish Lemonato

Thai Green Curry With Scallops & Shrimp

Soup With Mussels and Ginger (omit cream)

Seafood Croquettes (grate some par-boiled potatoes as a binder)

Spaghetti With Mussels and Parsley

Warm Calamari & Prawn Salad

Snails With Gigantes and Artichokes

Snails in a Tomato and rosemary sauce

Spaghetti “al Cartoccio”

Lobster & Spaghetti

Astakomakaronada (lobster pasta)

Steamed Crab

Shrimp With Linguine

Taramosalata (made with bread)

Taramosalata (made without bread)

Vegetarian (Ladera)

Piroski

Warm Citrus & Spiced Olives

Lemon-Pepper Calamari

Roasted Beets With Almond-Potato Skordalia

Bowtie Pasta With Olives & Cauliflower

Cauliflower Stifado With Kale & Kalamata Olives

Walnut Skordalia

Olive Oil French Fries

Warm Citrus & Spiced Olives

Quick Cauliflower Toursi

Politiki Salata

Mushroom Giouvetsi

Patates Plaki

Pickled Green Beans (Toursi)

Samphire Salad

Artichoke Salad With Split-Peas and Shrimp

Fried Peppers

Potato Salad With Samphire

Asparagus Salad (omit Feta)

Bean Salad With Roasted Garlic, Capers & Parsley

Bulgur Wheat Salad

Raisin Bread

Chickpea Salad With Roasted Red Peppers & Green Beans

Artichokes a la Polita

Lagana (Traditional bread for Clean Monday)

Lenten Tahini and Cinnamon Rolls

Hummus

Potato Salad with Blood Oranges & Kalamata Olives

Steamed Broccoli with olive oil and lemon

Fakkes With Kritharaki

Beet Greens Salad

Tomato Fritters (omit the egg and use boiled bulghur as binder)

Fassoulada Soup

Chickpea Soup

Semolina Halva (replace butter with vegetable or olive oil)

Fakkes (Greek Lentil Soup)

Grilled Pasta Salad

Shrimp Salad

Grilled Polenta with Roasted Red Peppers

Lentils with Pasta (omit pork)

Braised Lentils

Avocado Salad

Salad of Rocket, cabbage and Apple

Greek Roast Potatoes

Creamy Asparagus Soup (omit cream)

Kolokithokeftedes (omit cheese, used boiled bulgur as binder)

Parsley Salad Dip

Eggplant Fritters (omit cheese)

Roasted Red Pepper & Potato Salad

Beet Soup With Oregano

Caper Salad (Dip)

Strawberry Salad

Salad with Sun-dried Tomato Dressing

Balsamic Asparagus Salad

Salad of Broccoli and Cauliflower

Beet Salad

Mixed Greens With Pomegranate Dressing

Spring Salad

Steamed Zucchini and Horta Salad

Sicilian Pasta with Fried Eggplant

Vegetable Toursi

Latholemono

Pumpkin Fritters (omit cheese)

Baked Chickpeas

bean soup (Fassoulada)

Okra Stew

Soupa Horiatiki

Artichokes ala Polita

Another Potato Salad

Spanakorizo Another local variety asks for more spinach, and some lemon too.

Samphire Salad With Onions & Orange

Rice salad

Amaranth Greens (Vlita)

Fassolakia (without meat)

Fried Mushrooms

Warm Green Bean Salad

Green bean and Roasted Cherry Tomato Salad

Steamed Cauliflower & Chives Salad

Chickpea Fritters

Provencal Potato Salad (use vegetable stock)

Imam Baildi

Grilled Vegetable Pasta

Fassoulotavas Makedonikos

Salad of Zucchini Ribbons

Steamed Zucchini Salad (omit cheese)

Melitzanosalata (Eggplant Salad)

Makalo

Potato Salad for Good Friday (no olive oil).

potato salad (with olive oil)

Briam Florinis

Dolmades Gialantzi

Black-Eyed Pea Salad, and Octopus With Vinegar

Ladenia (Greek pizza)

Tagliatelle With Zucchini, Tomato and Fresh Herbs. Add some stir-fried shellfish or mushrooms to make this recipe even better.

Tagliatelle with Mushrooms (omit cheese)

Greek Chickpea Soup. Substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock (note: not all vegetable stocks in the market are vegetarian).

Kampanoules With Peppers and Basil (omit the cheese)

Spinach Salad With Apples & Mint

Meliztanosalata

Spaghetti With Tomato and Basil (omit cheese)

Spiced Cabbage Soup (omit sausage)

Minestrone Soup

Braised Cauliflower

Orrechiette with Rapini

Hilopites with Mushrooms (omit cheese)

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes

Wholewheat Artisan Bread

Homemade Pita Bread

Olive Bread

Homemade Buns with Sesame Seeds

For the Lenten Sweet Tooth

Tahini & Honey Ice Cream

Lenten Bougatsa me Krema

Loukoumades

Lenten Cake

Apple Crisp (omit butter and use an olive oil-based margarine)

Nistisima Paximadia

Lemon Halva

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at  http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

© 2007-2010 Peter Minakis

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© 2013, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

The post Greek Lent (Sarakosti) Recipe Round-up appeared first on Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond.

Pasta’s popularity goes beyond the happy bellies of Italian diners and besides the many dishes (with so many pasta shapes to choose from), the other key to its popularity has to be its simplicity in preparation.

Anyone can boil water, add salt and cook the pasta according to packet instructions and most can whip-up a quick and delicious sauce to toss said pasta. It’s the everyman’s meal, it’s quick, it’s filling – it’s delicious!

Last night I came home late hungry and as I opened the fridge I prayed that the tub of roasted cherry tomatoes was still waiting for me to use. They were. Late winter/early Spring is still early to be buying good tomatoes but the hot house cherry tomatoes are usually good.

Be it for salads or sauces, cherry tomatoes are reliable and they sing when slow-roasted in the oven with Greek olive oil, garlic and some sea salt. You can toss the cherry tomatoes in a salad, use for appetizers or use in  pasta sauce.

Many Greeks love pasta simply tossed in crumbled Feta or in this case, a dry mizithra cheese – generously grated over the pasta and tossed to melt into  creamy, buttery consistency.

Dry mizithra cheese is a hard cheese, usually in a ball form and it usually comes from the whey leftover from making Feta cheese (much like Manouri cheese). It’s medium in saltyness and best when freshly and finely grated over pasta. Italian foodie-philes will think ricotta salata as an alternative and I’d say correct! In fact, I was served a similar dish on New Year’s Eve, inspired by a recipe from Lidia.

Boil the pasta, have previously roasted cherry tomatoes on hand, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, some fresh ground pepper and a rub of a dried Greek oregano over the pasta make this dish a wonderful, easy and delicious meal in a pinch.

Spaghetti With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Dry Mizithra Cheese

(serves 4)

1 – 500 gr. package of Misko no. 6 pasta (spaghetti)

2 pints of ripe cherry tomatoes

Acropolis Organics extra-virgin olive oil

8-10 whole cloves of garlic

coarse sea salt

approx. half cup grated dry Mizithra cheese

dried Greek oregano to taste

1. Make a batch of roasted cherry tomatoes ahead of time by pre-heating your oven to 350F. Rinse your cherry tomatoes and place in  shallow pan with whole cloves of garlic, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Toss to coat and slow roast for about one hour or until they just begin to shrivel and the juices begin to run out of the tomatoes. Remove from the pan, cool and store.
2. Place a pot of water on your stove-top and bring to a boil. Season generously with salt and cook pasta according to packet instructions. Bring roasted cherry tomatoes to room temperature.
3. When the pasta is cooked, drain and reserve. In the same pot place a handful of cherry tomatoes  (one handful for each portion) and mash them with  fork to release their juices (add some roasted garlic too).
4. Add the pasta, some olive oil and toss to coat. Add fresh ground pepper, some dried Greek oregano and toss again, divide and plate.
5. Grate lots of dry Mizithra on top of each portion and serve. Pair with a bottle of chilled Kanenas Rose.

*Mizithra is a traditional Greek whey cheese with Protected designation of Origin (PDO). It has been manufactured in Greece for thousands of years and is considered the ancestor of all Greek whey cheeses. Mizithra is manufactured from whey derived from ewe’s, goats or cows milk or mixtures of milks in the regions of Macedonia, Thrace, Thessalia, Sterea Hellas, Peloponissos, Ionian islands, Aegean island and Crete island. There are two types of Mizithra; Fresh Mizithra which is unsalted or slightly salted and consumed a few hours or days after its manufacture and Dried Mizithra which is salted, dried and consumed as grated cheese. Fresh Mizithra contains up to 70% moisture and at least 50% fat in dry matter, while Dried Mizithra contains 40% and 50%, respectively (from www.expoaid.gr)

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© 2013, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

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Below are some gift ideas I have compiled with a little Canadiana mixed in. Some gift items are ideal for stocking stuffers and others are more substantial purchases and there’s a few in between. Something for everybody, remember the ones you care about in your life and even though gifts are nice to receive it’s really about who spends Christmas with you gathered around the tree – not what’s under the tree.

Two summers ago my brother got married and instead of giving wedding guests kitschy bombiniere, we chose to give something with meaning, reflecting the family’s values and something that everyone would use. We gave bottles of olive oil and and I’m suggesting you do the same. Acropolis Organics (Toronto based) brings their olive oil from Chania, Crete and they also have a wonderful Mousto Balsamic vinegar that has become a must with our salad dressings.

Acropolis Organics now is selling these olive oil and mousto balsamic gift sets at better food/grocery stores around Canada or through mail-order.

With holiday entertaining full-on or at least you’ve contemplated how and what you are going to serve…time evaporates with Christmas shopping, attending work-related parties, house parties. Why not buy one of my homemade phyllo pies (pites) for your next gathereing? There’s Spanakopita, Tyropita, Prassopita and the very popular Bougatsa me krema. The phyllo pies can be purchased then just need re-heating or you may bake from frozen.

Want a stress-free holiday season? I do home catering from making Moussaka to Pastitsio or preparing a whole menu for a dinner party. Send me an email and let’s talk.

This past summer I had the pleasure of visiting Nafplio, Greece for the first time and the memories are still vivid in m mind.  While I was wandering the alleyways I tripped upon  fantastic souvenir shop that sold lots and lots of olive wood products for the home and kitchen. Cheese boards, mortars & pestles, salad bowls and utensils are just some of the products you can buy. Won’t your home look better with some olive wood?

Another gift item I think you should by for the Greek food fantastic is Prospero’s Kitchen by my friend Diana Farr-Louis. This book details the origins and recipes of the cooking of the Ionian Islands and Kythera.

Despite the doom and gloom that’s been painted upon Greece, tourism this past summer flourished and one of the jewels of Greece hs to be Costa Navarino resort. Not only do they off first class accommodation in Messinia but they also embrace and promote the local artisans who make some of Greece’s best olives, olive oil, jams and honey. A basket of Costa Navarino products would be bringing Greece right into your home and hearts.

Greece also produces beauty/healthcare products and a nice stocking stuffer would be some olive oil soap. Great for the skin, all natural and affordable. Greek olive oil soap is going to be the next big thing!!

This next gift idea isn’t Greek but it involves grapes and that’s kinda Greek, right? Just 90 minutes south of Toronto is Niagara Falls and that flourishing Niagara Wine Region. One of the unique products to come from this region is Niagara Ice Syrup. There’s no alcohol in it but the syrup is great for salad dressings, sauces, reductions and desserts. Watch for this product to make a splash in 2013!

As a cook, I like to have a stocked pantry and that means lots of herbs and spices.  I also need to be organized and I splurged on these magnetic spice rack containers. Set the containers on a magnetic strip on your wall or stick to the fridge or just stack in the cupboard.

Next to your hands being your greatest asset in the kitchen, you need good knives and ever since I got this knife set from Happy Chef I’ve been cooking with much more ease. Quality knives are safer to use and you cut, chop and slice with precision. Be it a home cook or chef, you need good knives.

Christmas is a good time to say “thank you” to the people that did awesome things for you this past year. Send thanks to friends or good clients with  gift basket from Peter & Paul’s, a Canadian company run by Greeks (support Greek businesses).

Another great idea is to give someone some art. Georgia lives in the US but every time she goes back to Greece she’s inspired by the country’s natural beauty and she puts memories into canvass. Have a look at Georgia’s prints and send someone a memory of Greece. Again, support Greek business.

I love taking photography and this year I upgraded from the Canon S90 to the latest model, the Canon S100. It’s compact, takes fabulous photos and even shoots HD video!

I love my Greek coffee and this past summer I discovered a small shop specilaizing in brass and copper works. I bought a “gazaki” that runs on fondue fuel and its perfect for making a cup of Elliniko! They also make brikia, sugar and coffee containers and the serving trays waiters still use to deliver coffee to shop owners.

Finally, why not treat yourself or you and your friends to an upcoming Greek Supper Club created and cooked by me in an open, cozy kitchen studio here in Toronto? Gift certificates now available.

Feel free to add any other product/service (keep it Greek or Greek-owned) in the comments section below.

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

The post Greek Christmas Gift Guide 2012 appeared first on Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond.

Regardless, I felt the need to do my part to help promote Greek businesses offering their goods and services and I made a call out to Greeks on Twitter and Facebook to come forward and tell me their story. Did you know there are over a hundred Greek food items that have a PDO designation? A product gains PDO status from the European Union when it comes from a specific geographical location, uniquely made because of its location and method of being made. Products of PDO desgination will also have a seal to protect the consumer from buying counterfeiters cashing in on the original product’s cache. PDO Products are much like an appelation. Would you call Niagara sparkling wine a Champagne?

The first spotlight shines on Crete, this magical, blessed land where you see either mountains, goats and sheep or olive trees and sea. The Cretans are fiercely loyal to their friends and especially loyal to their local ingredients and traditional Cretan diet (some say the true Mediterranean diet). Today’s feature is on Candias Oil, Candia was the name given to Crete during Venetian rule and the name pops up here and there as you travel through Crete.

Candias Oil’s extra-virgin olive oil originates from the same olive-oil producing region, same soil and climate, its extracted from the same olive oil press/mill. Candias Oil selects their oil from small, family-type operations and small batch testing is constantly being made to ensure that acidity levels are below 0.8%. The standarization facility is located in Viannos, on the south coast of Crete in the Heraklion prefecture.

Candias Oil has three PDO-desginated olive oils: one from Viannos, another from Sitia and the third from Peza. I am not going to get into which of Greece’s olive oils are the best but I can and will tell you Greek olive is the best and I encourage to buy a bottle of Greek olive oil. You’ll never buy anything else, your food will taste differently and simple dishes will come alive. Buy Greek!

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

The post Candias Oil From Crete appeared first on Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond.

I am now selling Spanakopita (spinach and cheese), Tyropita (cheese) pitas, all made with hand-made, opened/stretched phyllo. The Spanakopita’s filling is made of spinach, Feta and ricotta cheeses, eggs, salt, pepper, scallions and fresh dill.

The Tyropita contains Feta and ricotta cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper and it is available in both rectangular and round trays. The round Tyropita is what us northern Greeks call a Boureki and it’s also called a Strifti pita. In English i is known as a spiral pie.

A new addition to my phyllo pie roster are Pastourmadopita. This special pie contains slices of Pastourma, tomatoes, Bechamel and Kefalograviera cheese.

I am also offering a sweet Bougatsa…a Greek breakfast and snack offering. Adults and kids will indulge in Bougatsa in the morning be it in the store where it’s made or taken “paketo” with them. My Bougatsa is made just like in Greece with hand-made phyllo, semolina cream filling and baked until golden and flaky. All you have to is cut it into fork-sized pieces, sprinkle with icing sugar and cinnamon and enjoy with a Greek coffee, frappe or chocolate milk!

The large pies are 16″ X 11″ and sell for $30.00 and the small pies are 11″ X 8″ and sell for $15.00. The Spiral pies come in large and small sizes and again, $30 and $15 respectively. They are made and frozen in foil pans and you may either that overnight in the fridge before baking or bake from frozen (takes longer to bake).

These phyllo pies are great for entertaining, serve as part of a light lunch or dinner with a salad or soup and they always go over well at parties (they are the first to go).

Orders may be placed my emailing me at truenorth67 AT gmail.com, pick-up only (for now). Cash and paypal are accepted (firm).

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© 2012 – 2013, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

The post Phyllo Pies For Sale! appeared first on Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond.