Greek Recipes

Greek and Cypriot recipes

Bread or Rusks with Vinegar, Olive Oil, and Salted Sardines from Lefkada

RIGANATHA APO TIN LEFKADA This is another simple bread snack that was the traditional afternoon meal among field hands and farmers in Lefkada. Islanders will tell you proudly that riganatha isn’t made anywhere else in Greece, and they are right. Unique to this dish is its dressing—rose water vinegar. For the rose water vinegar: The traditional way of making this was […]

Syrup-Drenched Nut and Spice Cookies with Olive Oil

MELOMAKARONA ME ELAIOLATHO This is one Peloponnesian version of a traditional Christmas cookie. The region’s telltale ingredient, olive oil, replaces butter in this recipe. Sometimes, Greek cooks will do that—replace butter with oil, that is—to transform a sweet into something permissable for fasting. In the Peloponnesos, though, the use of olive oil is the norm rather than the exception. Ingredients: For […]

Stovetop Rosemary Chicken with Capers & Olives

This is an easy dish to make, using a whole cut up chicken or selected pieces. The recipe calls for chicken, carrots, capers, white wine, rosemary, kalamata olives, salt, and olive oil. Serve over rice for a great meal. Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes Ingredients: 3 1/4 to 3 3/4 pound chicken, […]

Lamb Burgers with Olives – Biftekia Arnisia me Elies

In Greek: μπιφτέκια αρνίσια με ελιές, say: beef-TEK-yah ar-NEES-yeeah meh ehl-YES This recipe for lamb burgers with olives is quick and easy to make, and the tart taste of black Greek Kalamata olives  gives the burgers an unexpected taste. The recipe makes 8 to 9 small burgers and serves 4. Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: […]

Cure Your Own Olives

With the exception of Throubes (an olive from the island of Thassos that’s picked when fully mature), olives straight off the tree are hard and bitter. Curing is what removes the bitterness. Once cured, olives can be stored with flavorings (lemon, oregano, garlic, and others), but the first step is the curing. Ancient Greeks cured olives by […]

Stuffed Roasted Rabbit with Olives & Caper – Kouneli Yemisto

In Greek: κουνέλι γεμιστό, pronounced koo-NEH-lee yeh-mee-STO Olives, capers, and rosemary mark this fabulous recipe for whole roasted stuffed rabbit. Prep time includes 4 hours of a vinegar bath to remove any gamey taste, and the final dish is fabulous! Prep Time: 4 hours Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Total Time: 5 hours, 30 minutes Ingredients: 1 dressed rabbit, about 4 – […]

Fried olives

Ingredients: 300gr stuffed green olives 200 g flour 1 small glass of beer 2 egg whites 1 lemon (peel) 3 spoons of grated cheese 3-4 spoons of grated rusk salt For frying Olive Oil Method: In a big bowl whip the egg whites, then beer and slowly add flour, while whipping the mixture till it’s […]

Marinated Mixed Olives

This is a nice way to serve olives. The marinade is a delicious and colorful combination. It’s served as a “mezé,” which in Greek means something to nibble on: An appetizer to be served with an aperitif before dinner. Ingredients:  1 cup Kalamata olives 1/2 cup oil cured olives 1/2 cup green olives Zest of 2 lemons 1 tablespoon […]

Ancient Greek Cuisine – Olive oil

There is no doubt that olive oil is the most typical Mediterranean staple. It is the first ingredient that comes to the mind of laymen and nutritionists whenever mention is being made of the Mediterranean eating habits. The latter occurs because only in the region of the Mediterranean is olive oil so omnipresent in the […]