Tag: greece

Back with a Fresh Perspective and New Inspiration

Sometimes a change of scenery is just what you need to kickstart your creativity and breathe new life into your businesses. I recently adventured to the beautiful Greek island of Crete with my *mom and business partner at Better Than Yia Yia’s Mediterranean Catering.

We spent one food and adventure-filled week exploring the island, sampling local cuisine, and seeing some of the most incredible natural phenomena imaginable. Crete is one of the most unique places in Greece and, in my opinion, the island produces some of the most delicious food in the whole country. They are probably best known for their mountain honeys, olive oil, and local cheeses, which are always featured in their traditional dishes.

I will be posting more details about our trip, including where to stay, how to get around, and (most importantly) what to eat when you are there. For now, here are some highlights of the Better than Yia Yia’s Tasting Tour #btyytastingtour.

*Special applause to my mom who, at 58 years of age, decided to launch her own catering business, and at 59, joined me to travel across the largest island in Greece; jump off pirate ships; walk across rock landscapes and climb mountains.

The Essential Travel Guide to Tinos, Greece

Tinos is part of the Cycladic grouping of Greek islands on the Aegean Sea. Known for the Panagia Evangelistria Church and the famous Evangelismos Icon stored inside, the island boasts naturally beautiful landscapes, great food and epic beaches.

Tinos is quieter than its famous neighbour, Mykonos, but just as beautiful and less touristic. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing Greek island getaway. Download The Essential Travel Guide to Tinos to help you explore the island.

DIY Facials with Greek Yogurt Face Masks

I love finding natural beauty treatments and remedies that work just as well (if not better!) than store bought cosmetics. Earlier this year I experimented with the effects of Raw Honey Face Masks and was blown away by the results! It made me think about other simple, natural products and I remembered my experience with Greek Yogurt.

I learned about the skin healing and beauty benefits of yogurt years ago in Greece. Back then, a local brand called Korres was being sold in pharmacies and specializing in natural and holistic remedies, creams and cosmetics.

The first Korres product I tried was their Yogurt Face Cream. It was supposed to soothe the skin, help minimize breakouts, and have anti-aging effects. Lucky for me, the cream delivered on everything it promised.

(More than a decade later, Korres is now available all over the world and they are still using unique ingredients and plants in their lines. Check them out on Amazon.)

Korres was definitely on to something, but you do not need to visit a cosmetics counter to benefit from the effects of yogurt – instead, shop your refrigerator for some plain Greek yogurt.

Yogurt is full of proteins and enzymes that help soothe, heal and treat your skin.

Gently apply a thin layer of plain Greek yogurt to clean skin for 10 to 30 minutes 2 to 3 times per week. On its own, it will moisturize, exfoliate, minimize acne, soothe sunburns and brighten your skin. For more intense all natural masks, try the following:

  1. Intense Moisture
  2. Exfoliator and Acne Healer
    • 2 tsp Greek Yogurt + 1 tsp Organic Raw Honey + 1/2 tsp Organic Coconut Oil
      • Yogurt is Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Fungal which helps destroy acne-causing bacteria.
      • The Alpha-Hydroxy Acid gently exfoliates by dissolving dead skin cells to give you a youthful, glowing appearance.
  3. Sunburn Soother
    • 1 tbsp Greek Yogurt + 1 tbsp Aloe Vera Gel
      • The Zinc in Yogurt helps heal the skin and removes the sting.
  4. Skin Brightener
    • 1 tbsp Greek Yogurt + 1/2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice

Which is your favourite Greek Yogurt Mask? Do you have any special concoctions of your own for other skin concerns?

Travelling to Athens? Here are the Essential Sights!

If you are travelling to Athens, Greece this summer, here is my list for the essential sights, stops and landmarks.

Having visited Athens around 20 times in my life, this list was designed in a way to see the best parts of Athens with only one day and one night to spend there.

Download The Essential Travel Guide to Athens Greece and keep it with you for reference! Plus, check out my travel tips for a relaxing, safe and fun vacation!

You CAN Win Friends with Salad

1 Comment

In recent years, it seems like the risk and frequency of various illnesses and diseases caused by poor diet has been rapidly increasing. As a result, celebrity chefs, doctors and personal trainers, among others, have been trying to communicate healthier lifestyle and eating habits to the masses.

Chef Jamie Oliver has been one of the most prominent personalities in the healthy eating movement for years. One of his newest shows, Jamie’s Super Food, explores cities and islands with the healthiest, longest living populations, and creates inspired healthy dishes.

In the first episode of Jamie’s Super Food, he ventured to the wild Aegean island of Ikaria, Greece. There, he “uncovered” what many of us know, yet we choose to ignore: to live long, full lives, we need to eat clean, vegetable-based diets, with smaller portions of meat, and exercise every day! For most Canadians and Americans, our portion sizes and waist-lines continue to expand at alarming rated, and we have not stopped to do anything about it.

As Jamie explained about the Ikarian diet, they eat tonnes of fresh greens and vegetables every day – dressed with healthy Greek olive oil – along with fresh cheese from healthy goats, and consume smaller portions of meat. It is the essence of the Mediterranean diet and something we should all aim to do more often.

To get you started with your Mediterranean diet, I am making a quick and easy Fennel Slaw. This is a great addition to your Meze (Greek appetizer and dip) spread, or served as a sweet and sour burger topping in place of fatty, sugar-loaded coleslaw. This Easy Fennel Slaw is a great dish to make in advance since it just continues to meld together the longer it sits.

Whenever I am creating recipes with CleanWorkout.com, we come up with fast, simple and healthy dishes that can be prepared early in the week and that keep well in the refrigerator. Most salad greens are too delicate to last for more than one day, but the fennel and carrot in this slaw are robust and will not break down.

TIP: Serve your Fennel Slaw on top of quinoa and wilted spinach, and with crumbled feta cheese for a balanced, light lunch.

Bon Appetit!

Easter has Arrived!

The Countdown to Easter is over! The lamb has arrived and even though there is still one more day of fasting, the cooking and excitement have started.

The best way – and only – way to start an Easter meal is with a light lamb soup. Magiritsa is full of romaine lettuce and lemon. On Easter, we have it as an appetizer, but when it is made throughout the year it makes a great light meal.

Tip: Talk to your local butcher and ask them for bones the next time you are making a soup (be it chicken, lamb, pork or beef). In my experience, when they are made available on the shelf, they sell out quickly!

Wishing you all a Happy Easter. Christos Anesti, Alithos Anesti!

Countdown to Easter: Part Four

For Part Four of my Countdown to Easter series, I am making delicious, versatile and healthy vegan Stuffed Peppers, or “Gemista.”

Ingredients:
6 Bell Peppers (or Whole Tomatoes)
1 Leek, Thinly Sliced
2 Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
1 Shallot, Thinly Sliced
4 Small Garlic Cloves, Chopped
1 Celery Stalk, Sliced Thinly
1 Carrot, Sliced Thinly
1 cup Arborio Rice
Water
4 or 5 Potatoes, Chopped into 3/4 inch cubes
3/4 cup Tomato Puree + 1/4 cup Water or Stock (for Rice Mixture)
3 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Large Handful Chopped Mint
2 Large Handfulls Chopped Parsley
1 cup Tomato Juice (or 1/2 cup Tomato Puree + 1/2 cup Water or Stock) for topping peppers and potatoes
1. Sautee the leek, green onions, shallot and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent.
2. Toast your rice in the leek mixture for a few minutes to absorb the flavour.
3. Add your vegetables and 1 cup of water or stock to the leek and rice mixture (try carrot, celery, tomato, eggplant, zucchini or squash). Simmer the rice for 8 minutes.
4. While your rice is simmering, peel and chop your potatoes. Season them with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Set aside.
5. Carefully slice the tops off your bell peppers (or tomatoes) and clean out the seeds and ribs. Keep the tops so you can cover the rice for cooking.
6. Place your potatoes into the pan between the peppers.
7. Season the inside of each pepper with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano.
8. Before filling your peppers, add 3/4 cup of tomato puree, 1/4 cup water and 3 tbsp tomato paste to your rice. Fold in fresh parsley and mint, and taste for seasoning.
9. Fill your peppers with rice and top each one with roughly 3 tbsp of tomato juice. Cover the peppers with their tops and drizzle the remaining tomato juice over the pepper tops and potatoes.
10. Bake at 350 F for 75 Minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.
11. Enjoy immediately or as leftovers… Gemista are even better the next day.

If you Have or Know a Yia Yia…

Growing up with a Yia Yia, enjoying a cup of Greek coffee always meant that she had to tell you your “fortune” when you finished.

No matter what the cup looked like to you, she always saw the same things: money, a ‘good luck’ bird, a stenahoria (aka something bad, like the ‘mati’/evil eye) that she always “took away,” and a Greek boy.

This is for all the Yia Yias and their magic coffee-reading abilities to whom we owe hours of dinner-table conversations.

Countdown to Easter: Part Three

I love finding new ways to enjoy chickpeas – they can be used for so much more than hummous!

For Part Three of my Countdown to Easter Series, I use chickpeas two different ways – first as delicious crunchy, spiced chickpeas (warning: these are addictive and healthier than chips!), and second as a spicy vegan soup that is loaded with superfood spices.

Keep up the fasting!

Sweet Easter Bunny and Chick Shaped Buns

Everyone loves receiving homemade goodies during the holidays – impress your friends and family members with these adorable Bunny and Chick Shaped Sweet Easter Buns!

Inspired by the traditional Greek sweet bread recipe for tsoureki, they can be enjoyed after your meal, or, the best way, eaten for breakfast with butter and honey.  Wrap them up in pretty bags to delight everyone around you, or place them on your holiday table for a tasty centrepiece.

Happy Easter!

Countdown to Easter: Part Two

How are you doing with your lenten fast? Things are about to get a lot easier (and tastier!) with my recipe for Beets and Skordalia.

This simple salad features three main ingredients: beets, potatoes and garlic. This dish will keep you full, energized, and keep the vampires at bay.

Stay tuned see what is next on my Countdown to Easter Series.

Countdown to Easter: Part One

Easter is one of my favourite holidays and not just because of the food (which is epic!). It is a time of year to be thoughtful and to make small sacrifices during lent.

The Orthodox calendar is fairly strict when it comes to fasting, and while it is not good to make excuses, I am just terrible at following it. Aside from certain days when I try to avoid meat and dairy altogether, instead of exactly following the rules, I simply try to eat more vegan and vegetarian meals and limit eating red meat during lent.

I will be showcasing some of these delicious, hearty and simple veggie-based meals over the next few weeks. To kick off my Countdown to Easter series, here is a recipe for Spanakorizo (translation: Spinach Rice).

This dish can be a filling meal, or can be served as a side dish. I like to load it up with lots of spinach to make it extra healthy. Use the biggest pot you can find – it will make wilting down your greens a lot easier. Throw in as many onions, green onions, leeks, or shallots that you have – they will make it even more delicious!

Be sure to check back for more on my Countdown to Easter series. Enjoy!

 

The Ultimate Greek Dinner

I love gyros but I refuse to eat them anywhere other than Greece. I created this recipe to satisfy my craving and for a healthy spin on the traditional street food. Do not forget to check out my recipe for Fresh and Easy Tzatziki (below)! Perfect on the gyros, as a dip, or as a snack.

Happy cooking!

Mouth-watering inspiration from the popular spot, Obelisk in Fira, Santorini.

Mouth-watering inspiration from the popular spot, Obelisk in Fira, Santorini.

Holiday Gifts from Better than Yia Yia’s

A HUGE thank you to better than yia yia’s for the beautiful (and delicious!) Gingerbread Cookies and Baklava. I have been gifting plates to clients and friends this past week and the reaction has been tremendous.

So good. So addictive. So festive!

The baklava is flaky and nutty, with the subtle sweetness of honey. It is not too sweet or dripping in syrup like most Greek pastries from the store. Large pieces of almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are wrapped in the delicate spice of cinnamon, complimented by the buttery pastry. I challenge you to limit yourself to one piece.

The Gingerbread Friends are the perfect type of gingerbread cookie – soft and chewy, and filled with festive holiday spices, they taste just like the holidays. Again, they are not too sweet and have a perfect texture. Almost like a cookie mixed with a cake – dense with a good chew. For the gingerbread lovers on your list, there is nothing better.

Check out better than yia yia’s website and their holiday menu here. Best of all, you can make any of their sweets into a beautiful gift platter! Beautifully wrapped and even topped with a bow.

Better than Yia Yia's Festive Gingerbread Friends are even better to eat than to admire. Soft, chewy, and full of holiday spice, they are a must for everyone on your list!