"What do you mean, you don't eat no meat"?

"That's okay. I make lamb". ~My Big Fat Greek Wedding

This past weekend was the Greek Festival here in Cranston, RI at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.  OPA!!  A day to celebrate Greek heritage and food, that would make most carnivores weep for joy.  I was, most likely, the only vegan for miles, but still managed to get my full share of Greek food and fun!

I have to say, the Greeks must be doing something right, because the line for the food tent curled right out past the church, and onto the street! We fortunately went during mid afternoon, and our wait was not long at all. 

While everyone else stood in lines for gyros, pastitsio, and roast meat on a stick, I searched for something a bit more vegan-friendly. L's mother was kind enough to pick up the tab for everyones food, so I went with Dolmades, 6 to and order. Dolmades are the young leaves of the grapevine stuffed with a lemon flavored mixture of rice and onion, usually served cold. These were made fresh, and were fantastic! The rice inside is short grain and creamy, something like the Greek version of arborio rice in Italy. They even had some for sale, right next to the ouzo table!

And, I picked up a bag of the most gorgeously fragrant oregano brought back from Greece! I see some pizza in my future...

After our snack, I was looking for a pick me up, so I thought a nice cup of Greek coffee would do the trick!

Traditional Greek coffee is a bold, full flavored shot of coffee, much like the Italian's espresso.  It is served with a luscious foam on top, and the grounds left in the bottom of the cup. Although it can be made in a different pot, the traditional small pot called a briki (shown in photo) is best because it allows the proper amount of foam, which adds to the unique taste. The coffee itself is finely ground, much like the consistency of cornstarch or powdered sugar.  You can see it in the container to the right of the stove, it almost looks like cinnamon. I was telling the nice gentlemen preparing the coffee that I prefer mine black, and he said that it was NOT traditional to add dairy to the Greek coffee.  Perfect!

This preparation is called sweet boiled coffee:

1 tsp ground coffee
2 tsp sugar
very cold water, about 1/4 cup

Stir until coffee and sugar dissolve.  Place the briki over the medium flame, and lift the briki up and down from the heat, allowing the coffee to come just to the boiling point THREE times.  This will make a lot of the precious foam that gives the Greek coffee its distinct taste.  Serve piping hot!

And do not forget!!  The GROUNDS ARE STILL AT THE BOTTOM!!  I'll know for next time...

I'll leave you with a little dancing, in the traditional Greek style!

Recipe Testing: Crispy Eggplant and Garlicky Potato Dip (Skordalia)

Another winning recipe test for Terry Hope Romero's  new cookbook that I wanted to share!


I think I may be conquering my eggplant phobia once and for alI; I absolutely loved this recipe! The breading was delicious, plain panko perfectly seasoned with oregano, rosemary and thyme.  The "glue" to hold on the crumbs is not a runny, raw egg, but rather vegan mayonnaise. I used a pastry brush to coat the slices with the mayo, because it was a little thick.  Overall, I thought this technique worked nicely


Now, for the garlic lovers...
I present to you: Skordalia - Garlicky, Greek Goodness!

I was first introduced to this garlicky dip at L's uncle's house, attending their annual Greek family reunion Summer picnic. As I turned my head away from the whole lamb roasting on spit on the front yard, I was politely escorted over to a table where a small dish of creamy white something sat. "THIS", they proudly proclaimed, "is vegetarian!  And if you like garlic, you will LOVE it"!  Well, it was garlic-y, all right!!  I proceeded to eat the dip with cucumber slices and kalamata olives for the rest of the afternoon... I later found out that L's uncle makes his skodalia with egg yolks. *sad face* (BUT, I was vegetarian when I first tried it, so Vegan Police, stay away) So, needless to say, I was beyond excited when I saw Terry's vegan version on her recipe testing list!


My review:  
LOVED, directions were perfect. Served with Crispy Eggplant (photo above), I actually had no zucchini on hand and Terry's original recipe was crispy eggplant and zucchini. I loved the amount of garlic, and actually used an extra clove because mine were small. Skorda is garlic in Greek, so go big or go home.

Definitely will make again, probably for special occasions or a weekend, or a Greek-themed dinner. We might make little Napoleons with the Crispy Eggplant/Zucchini next time as an appetizer for a party, as suggested by my better-half ^_^

Recipe Testing: Greek Creamy Lemon Rice Soup, “No”govlemano

"The Greek classic egg-lemon chicken soup gets a vegan makeover with the help both white beans... and a touch of arborio rice". 


Warm, comforting and delicious, with just the perfect amount of lemon!  This recipe is a winner, and I will be making it often.  When L walked in the house, she said it smelled just like when her mom made it, so I'd say this recipe definitely stands up to Greek approval There is a version of the recipe with asparagus here on Terry's blog, for anyone who might like to recreate this at home  ^_^ 


Cannot WAIT for Terry's cookbook to come out... !!

Recipe Testing: Greek Village Salad with Cashew "Feta"

Who doesn't love the tangy bite of a fresh Greek-style salad?  This recipe uses cashew pieces, marinated in a salty brine, as a stand-in for the feta cheese found in traditional Greek Salads.

I usually do a vegan feta that involves marinated tofu, so It’s nice to have another “feta” recipe that isn’t tofu based, for folks who can’t have soy.

Greek Salad With Avocado

Although far from traditional, creamy avocado adds a really nice touch to all the tanginess found in most Greek salads. I make this using my marinated tofu recipe in place of the feta cheese. Adding avocado the salad was inspired from a recipe I saw on Chuck's Day Off, MINUS the deep fried Kefalotyri cheese  cubes he put on his...

INGREDIENTS:

2 large tomatoes, cubed
2 lebanese cucumbers, cubed
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup kalamata olive, pitted and halved
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and cubed
4 cups romaine lettuce
1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped (oregano is nice too)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup tofu feta

DIRECTIONS:

1 Mix the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives, avocado and lettuce in a large bowl with the dill, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice.
2 Add salt and pepper to taste, toss.
3 Top with marinated tofu feta

Marinated Tofu - (In the Style of Feta Cheese)

Perfect for topping a Greek-style salad, or a spinach and olive pizza! Leftover marinade makes a great base for a Greek-style salad dressing.  This recipe for tofu feta, crumbled over a gigantic salad, is Greek-girl approved**  We ate two bowls.  Thank you, L, for letting me serve you tofu on your salad ^_^

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb firm tofu, drained and pressed
4 tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white miso
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 garlic cloves, smashed but left whole
dried oregano, to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste



DIRECTIONS:
1. Press the tofu between two plates, weighted down with some heavy cans or a cast iron pan, to drain the excess liquid out.
2. Slice into 1/2 inch slices.
3. Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade in a large container with a lid.
4. Add the tofu to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, preferably 2-3 days.
5. Flip the container every few hours to ensure even coverage.
6. Tofu pieces can be patted dry, and crumbled over your favorite Greek-style salad or pizza.

**L is half Greek, so making her a Greek salad with TOFU as the feta was one of my BALLsy-est moves yet. I made up the salads in advance on our plates, and her first reaction was: "OH, you bought cheese!!"  "No... this is marinated tofu, BUT it's gonna be really yummy!!" 

And, it was, yay! We both ate two bowls. Plus, adding avocado makes everything better...