If you know anything about Greek food, you’ve probably heard of spanakopita, the classic spinach pie with feta cheese and phyllo (or filo) pastry. My Cretan neighbor’s recipe is especially rich in leeks, onion, herbs, and olive oil, which blend beautifully with the spinach and feta. You can buy your phyllo or make your own, like Arhontoula always does.
These don't have to be filled with cheese, and they can be baked or fried. Soft Greek cheeses and spanakopita fillings make wonderful miniature pies for everyday snacks, parties, and holidays, and many variations are possible. Here is a recipe from a Cretan mother.
A vegan recipe for spanakorizo, a Greek spinach and rice dish with olive oil, herbs, onion, and tomato that can be made with white or brown rice.
A very easy recipe, tastier than I could have imagined--a healthy favorite!
Extra virgin olive oil is crucial to this common, quick and easy Greek dish, making it tasty, filling, and healthy. It can also be made with green beans, but my family and I prefer the sweetness of the peas with onion and carrots.
This can also be made without any stock. Just add more olive oil and adjust seasonings as desired. Notice that many variations on the basic recipe are mentioned.
"These olive oil and roasted garlic mashed potatoes are creamy and absolutely delicious. Roasted garlic and fruity olive oil give these dairy-free vegan mashed potatoes their great flavor and texture, so there is no need for butter or cream."
A vegetable stir fry recipe with Greek extra virgin olive oil, my pseudo-Greek version of the Chinese-American restaurant classic, so tasty you don’t need MSG.
Another recipe that came with the Irish Times article on Ikaria. I think they mean "serves 4" and "200 grams frozen spinach." Of course you can use fresh spinach, too. The herbs are crucial for a lovely flavor. The pomegranate molasses are an unusual addition, although in Crete cheese pies are sometimes served with honey.
This easy, economical, healthy vegetarian (and vegan) chickpea recipe with extra virgin olive oil is a Greek classic commonly eaten by just about anyone.
A recipe that came with the Irish Times article on the diet and lifestyle of Ikaria, Greece (where people live longer than almost anywhere else in the world). Probably meant to say “serves 4,” and “6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil,” but I’m sure you could use more olive oil and bet they do in Ikaria! I found out that “Passata is made from ripe tomatoes that have been puréed and sieved to remove the skin and seeds”. I’d just purée the whole tomatoes, but you can find or make passata if you want to.
Accompanying a nice article about Greek food. Ironically, the amount of olive oil has not come through. My Cretan neighbor uses 1 cup of olive oil, an additional onion, and a half cup of red wine instead of the vinegar, but no red pepper flakes. She generally throws some fresh tomato chunks into a food chopper instead of using canned tomato.
This is a wonderful stuffing recipe in which I do not miss the butter one bit; good bakery bread and an excellent extra virgin olive oil make it perfect. The herbs do have a strong flavor, so you can use less than called for if you prefer. See the link at the end for my inspiration and enough suggestions for almost endless variations on this theme. Warning: the broth mentioned in the recipe is not necessarily vegetarian, but it certainly can be; the recipe appears here since I don't have a section for carnivors' side dishes.
This zucchini burger recipe comes from a grandmother (yaya) in a Cretan village. It differs slightly from the other courgette patties recipe linked on this site. Originally, this version called for pumpkin rather than zucchini, but it is so good with zucchini that I recommend it that way.
"The ultimate Thanksgiving side dish, maple sage roasted brussels sprouts pair the popular fall herb sage with sweet and buttery maple syrup." See the recipe under the article.
Black eyed pea salad with chopped tomatoes and cucumber, plus sweet pepper and corn for sweetness and extra virgin olive oil and vinegar for a tangy mix.
As the New York Times puts it, "These addictive seasoned 'fries' from Mark Bittman are actually baked, but we promise you won't miss the grease. The spice mix – garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper – can be used on regular potatoes as well (you'll just need to increase the baking time a bit)."
A really unique recipe, courtesy of the North American Olive Oil Association. Note that it is a savory cheesecake, not a sweet one.
Maria Verivaki's amusing discussion of, and recipe for, Zucchini (or courgette, or kolokithi) Patties from her wonderful Organically Cooked blog.
This recipe’s first name was my teenage daughter’s idea, and a UFO seems appropriate (like its orange color) for Halloween. The second name is closer to accurate, but not exactly. This is a Cretan mother’s variation on some wonderful carrot parsley bread sticks, and an invention so tasty everyone in my family likes it (hallelujah—a rarity for healthy food!).
