Gemista (pronounced as yeh-mee-STAH), are Greek stuffed tomatoes and peppers filled with rice and herbs, baked with potatoes, in a tomato sauce.
Lenten Dishes
Revithokeftedes me Garides are Chickpea Patties with Shrimps. During Greek Orthodox fasting period seafood is allowed to be eaten, so I decided to incorporate some shrimps in the patties.
Shrimp Saganaki is an appetizer made with shrimps and tomato sauce. Saganaki takes its name from a frying pan with two handles called “sagani”.
These Honey, Peanut butter, Chocolate and Pastelli Cookies are nistisima (Lenten) made with peanut butter, honey, sunflower oil, dark sugar and flour. After making the dough, I made three different kinds by adding chocolate and two types of pastelli in them.
This Vegan Chocolate and Chestnut Cream Cake not only tastes great but is perfect when you cannot eat any dairy or eggs!
Falafels are street food sold in Middle Eastern countries and are made with dried legumes like chickpeas, fava beans soaked in water for many hours and then they are combined with spices and are bound together with flour or bulgur wheat and then they are shaped into small balls or patties and fried.
Tashi is a Cypriot vegan dip made with tahini, garlic and lemon juice. It goes well with almost any food and this appetizer is served in all Cypriot restaurants.
Daktyla, also called daktyla kyrion (meaning ladies fingers) is the most popular Cypriot dessert made with phyllo which is very crisp and very juicy, filled with almonds, cinnamon and sugar. They are fried and then drenched in syrup, scented with anthonero (orange blossom water), which make them irresistible.
Greek Orthodox Easter is just around the corner. For those who want to fast during the last weeks, I have compiled a list with over 100 Lenten Recipes (most of which are also vegan).
Pantzaria Xydata (pronounced pan-TZAh-rhia Ksee-DAH-tah) are beets preserved in vinegar, which are one of our favourite vegetables to preserve.