Yogurt, Spinach, Parsley & Beet Salad (borani)

Wednesday March 9th, 2022Tuesday May 3rd, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

In this recipe both cooked spinach and fresh parsley and cilantro are mixed together. It is my adaptation of an Armenian dish.

In Israel you will most often find the vivid pink ‘borani’, made with beets and beet greens instead of spinach (see variation).

beet-yogurt

As an alternative to the traditional pita bread, I prefer to spread it on toasted whole wheat or multi-grain bread, rubbed with a clove of garlic.

It can also be a side dish, accompanying poached or grilled fish or chicken.

Makes about 3 cups. (more…)

Irresistible Plant Based Pasta Dishes

Wednesday March 2nd, 2022Wednesday March 2nd, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

While in most parts of the world pasta is closely associated with butter and cheese, in Greece we have lots of traditional plant-based pasta dishes, without a trace of animal components. They were the staple of the numerous Lenten days, almost half the year –according to the old Orthodox calendar.

A humble leftover lentil soup becomes a delicious vegan pasta with complex flavor, while in my Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts I created the Lebanese-inspired Linguine with Spicy Lentils and Caramelized Onions.

Our plant-based, vegan dishes are not contrived, but created by the women who had to bring a delicious, filling dish to their family’s table.

(more…)

Potato Salad with Tahini-Lemon Sauce and Green Onions

Tuesday March 1st, 2022Tuesday March 1st, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

The creamy tahini-lemon sauce is the delicious plant-based, vegan version of mayonnaise, and complements beautifully the boiled potatoes.

I prefer it warm, but you can always re-heat the potato salad you store in the refrigerator.

Serves 4-6 (more…)

Olive and Greens Pasta with Garlic and Lemon

Tuesday March 1st, 2022Wednesday March 2nd, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

I often make pasta with greens and lemon. Recently I found a recipe for pasta with green olives and feta in the NYT which was very close to what I often whip up.

But I wanted to try and make a completely plant based dish, with no cheese at all.

I was intrigued by a vegan pasta with greens and lemon in Food and Wine: It had white miso to add umami, but this ubiquitous Asian component is not part of our everyday ingredients, so I decided to use sliced Kalamata olives, the Mediterranean umami equivalent…

The resulting pasta is truly delicious, even for non-vegans like us!

See also my humble leftover lentil soup and the Lebanese-inspired Linguine with Spicy Lentils and Caramelized Onions.

Serves 4-5 (more…)

Apples Baked in Sweet Wine with Dried Fruits, and Spices

Tuesday March 1st, 2022Tuesday March 1st, 2022 aglaia Leave a comment

I remember the baked apples my mother used to make all the time, back when the fruit we got in Athens was not wonderful as Fuji apples are today. Costas who grew up in Volos, remembers the exquisite heirloom apples from Pelion he loved. They have now disappeared as the trees are grafted to uniformly produce big red apples with little taste or aroma.

Fuji are grown in Greece the last few years and they are by far the best –and more expensive. For this simple, plant-based (vegan) dessert I loosely follow my mothers recipe.

Unlike northern Europeans and Americans we don’t add butter to baked apples. I would serve these as dessert, but I know that some people would like to compliment game, poultry or hearty winter meats with baked apples.

6-7 Servings (more…)