On Xenia Street is where I fell in love with food. I experiment with traditional recipes & modify some of my Greek favorites in order to make them ketolicious!
Have you ever had halva made from semolina? This is the recipe that my mother would make when I was a child. Halvas Simigdalenios - or Semolina Halva. It is studded with nuts like pistachio, pine nuts or almonds, and dried fruit like raisins. Spiced with cinnamon & flavored with orange or lemon zest. It’s … Continue reading Greek Semolina Halva
Pasteli (or pastelia) is a Greek ancestral food. We have been eating this since antiquity. It is made with two rather supercharged superfood ingredients, honey & sesame seeds. I love to add a little grated citrus peel & a pinch of salt to enhance the flavors. We refer to it as an Ancient Greek energy … Continue reading Pastelia
Two of the most popular pites (pies) are the spanakopita (spinach pie) and the tiropita (cheese pie. Every region in Greece has their own regional variation and every famly has their own special recipe for these. I grew up eating and loving both. Now, you may ask why I would publish two difference pites in … Continue reading Traditional Spanakopita & Tiropita
Greeks love tahini halva. And when Lent comes around, it truly becomes a staple sweet in our homes. Traditionally, it is made with sugar, because it is technically a candy. It is made all over the Middle East and Balkans. In Greece we call it “halva tou bakali” or the halva from the grocer. The … Continue reading Tahini Halva Fudge with Pistachios
One of my favorite breads to bake during my pre-low carb lifestyle days was no knead Kalamata olive & oregano bread. Today, I make this on a very rare occasion as we avoid wheat. Since my favorite way to eat it was toasted, I now create Kalamata olive & oregano crisps instead. These olive crisps … Continue reading Kalamata Olive & Oregano Crisps
The first time I went to Greece as a married woman, one of the pites (pies) my mother in law had prepared for us was her famous galatopita. Galatopita means milk pie. It is a sweet dessert pie that is made with milk custard and a semolina base. Regionally, it can be made with or … Continue reading Galatopita – Grain-free Greek Milk Pie
It’s Tsiknopempti today for the Greek Orthodox Christians & it’s our traditional meat feast right before the Great Lent. Tsiknopempti literally translates to "burnt, charred, smoky meat Thursday". Its basically the Eastern Orthodox version of Fat Tuesday. Apokries (abstaining from meat), our carnival season is made up of three themed weeks. Prophoni (preannouncement of the … Continue reading Beef Liver & Heart Souvlaki
Most people outside of Greece are familiar with a tiropita (feta cheese pie) that is wrapped in crispy phyllo dough, whether as individual hand pies or as one large pan sized pita. Tiropita without phyllo, as a quick bread. Here is another popular version that is made without the phyllo. It is a bit more … Continue reading Tiropita (Feta Cheese Pie) without Phyllo
Pana Cotta is a refreshing molded Italian dessert made with heavy cream and gelatin. It is served chilled and topped with syrup and fruit. It is one of my favorite desserts! And it is very easy to make. I flavored this one with fresh strawberries, vearing away from the traditional flavor of vanilla. The usual … Continue reading Keto Strawberry Pana Cotta
My wonderful friend Elainee picked blood oranges off of her tree the other day and I decided to keep the last few for a dessert. As I brainstormed on what to make, I thought of this variation on the traditional karydopita, which is a walnut cake full of warm spices like cinnamon and clove, soaked … Continue reading Blood Orange Karydopita
