main courses recipes
An experimental celebration of a tiropita and spanakopita combination for the Orthodox Easter festivities coming up soon, with a fancier and unprecedented preparation and presentation, consisting of a tiropita log inside a larger spanakopita log, all rolled up into one and decorated with fresh herbs that are sandwiched in between the external...
A delicate, lighter and more subtle version of the traditional ragù sauce that we are all familiar with like the heartier, heavier, redder and spicier “ragù bolognese” and you’ll understand why if you read ahead and if you venture to prepare this delight yourself ! It all begins with the meat,...
This one-casserole dish, that is started off on the stove top and finished up in the oven, celebrates a variety of mediterranean flavors such as oregano, lemon, onions, garlic and especially green peppers and the trick is to end up with crispy and juicy chicken thighs and firm (thus not mushy or sticky) flavorful rice pilaf, so follow my tips...
Called “bamies latheres me domata” in Greek, which means oil-braised okra with tomatoes, it’s most often prepared as a summer vegetarian dish that I adore but rarely ever eat here in France; but since I’m heading to Montreal soon to see my family, I hope I can prepare this stew with my mom ! Okra, also called gumbo or...
My nextdoor neighbours are young girls, studying part-time and working part-time and they were sweet enough to knock on my door and hand me a big piece of a quiche like this. It was honest and comforting and delicious in its simplicity. Here’s how I think their version was put together and how I modified it slightly to remember their...
The Catholic and Protestant Easter festivities take place over one month earlier before the Orthodox Easter, which is the one I culturally celebrate as a Greek, giving me enough time to experiment with an Italian Easter dish which originally dates from the 16th century, but with a few personal 21st century improvements, which I hope...
A slightly spicy blend of ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander and allspice to accompany a creamed soup combination of roasted carrots, sweet potato, onions and citrus and topped with a tahini drizzle & roasted seeds, warming your bodies & souls in this chilly weather ! It’s a very Mediterranean version of a creamy and blended carrot...
It’s a rarity but a personal favorite ! You are all mostly familiar with tiropita (only cheese pie) and spanakopita (spinach & cheese pie) and perhaps kremidopita (onion & cheese pie) but PIPEROPITA (sweet peppers & cheese pie) exists too, even though I didn’t know it myself but my love for peppers has no limits and it was...
Lamb belly, also known as breast of lamb, is rich and flavoursome, yet an underrated and thus inexpensive cut of lamb, due to its small size and higher fat content, yet providing excellent results when oven-roasted or barbecued with herbs, lemon and spices, if correctly prepared beforehand, so here’s a...
Here’s a clever and easy way to use up your salmon and/or mashed potatoes leftovers from a previous meal. Add a few extras for flavoring and texture, perhaps a little sauce and salad and the meal is ready ! The patties or fish cakes can be served as is, on plate for adults or even sandwiched in a bun for kids, using the same sauce and...
How could I resist the temptation to assemble a perhaps more delicate and subtle lasagna, by incorporating it with a recently prepared and published recipe, using an experimental and novel approach for preparing a creamier and chunkier «ragù bianco» white meat sauce for pasta dishes !? I talked a lot about...
And all of this in under 60 minutes, with enough for this weekend’s dinner and also enough to store in jars in the refrigerator for another dinner or two, because this is a simplified version of a 6-hour «ragù alla bolognese» that uses only one type of meat this time, but still packs immense flavour because of...
Fried fish evokes images and scents and thus memories of the summer season, alongside a bright sun, sandy beaches, crashing waves, warm breezes, clear and starry nights and easy-living and yet, anchovies are available all year long, so why not take advantage of this inexpensive delight all year long ? Anchovies, especially the smaller ones, are...
A modern reinterpretation of the famous Galician (north-western Spanish) and Portuguese tuna pie, prepared in a smaller hand-held individual format, called an empanada (like a turnover); combining a filling of cooked tuna, peppers, onions, tomatoes, olives and hard-boiled eggs and encased in crunchy flavourful pie crust. Historically the...
A pairing that occurred haphazardly because I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, combining the various textures and colors, as well as the delicate flavors, to create this particular loaf-shaped quiche; crunchy, buttery, creamy, yellow, pink and green ! I didn’t grow up eating salmon nor asparagus but living here in France...