Tzatziki & Keftedakia Recipe

Something that I have noticed over the past few years especially is that so many girls(& guys for that matter) have no idea how to cook anymore. I cannot tell you how many people I know tell me "I can cook macaroni & cheese & make a bowl of cereal & that's about it"...oh dear. Well if that's you don't worry this is Greek food made easy and its so delicious :)

I have been meaning to add a tzatziki recipe for a long time but never got around to it (or took pictures when making it) so today I finally am!

Tzatziki

4 cups plain Greek yogurt (I use fat free)

1-2 cucumber(s) seeded & graded

a large handful of chopped fresh dill

2 cloves of garlic, mashed(or pressed)

a good drizzle of olive oil

the juice of 1/2-1 lemon

2 leaves of fresh mint, chopped

a good pinch of salt

optional drop of Ouzo

Combine & serve!

Keftedakia

1 lb. ground beef &/or lamb mix

3 gloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. oregano, minced onion, & marjoram mix

2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt

pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl, make into small balls. Then cook/fry in a pan with heated olive oil.

Place on paper towels to collect grease, then serve with the tzatziki & some feta.

Keftedakia are pretty much "little meatballs" but don't underestimate them, they are delicious!

Books I'll be Reading this Year

Γεια σας(Geia sas) girls!

I received the following books for Christmas & am very excited to read them throughout the year. I say the year not because i am the world's slowest reader but because with school i study more than read for enjoyment. That's why getting books for Christmas is the perfect time because i am on break & can actually get through most of the book by the time school starts again. So let me introduce you to the books.

*Note i will be doing a review on each book when i am done reading so this is a short intro.  

Nefertiti

by Michelle Moran

I am currently about half way through this book.

Cleopatra's Daughter

(by Michelle Moran)

About Cleopatra Selini

(Κλεοπάτρα Σελήνη) .

(you'll also see it spelled Selene)

Lily of the Nile

by Stephanie Dray

Also about Cleopatra Selini but i hear its a very different take so i'm interested to see how different & which i like better; i will be sure to tell you!

Its amazing how books can take you somewhere else, outside of your own world & feel or become something or someone else; i love that about books.

Ancestry

Geia sas,

On Sunday November 7th i had an amazing discovery about my family.
 We have always had questions about our ancestors before my great-grandparents and there aren't many people alive to answer those questions so we never thought we'd know much more than we did. But we decided to join ancestry.com none-the-less. So as we began to add family to our tree we received hints & were able to take it quite far back through my maternal grandpa. We kept searching until we started getting into royalty & nobles, i had a small suspicion as we were finding things out since the records were so good for so long ago.
The more digging we did the more we found out that through multiple grandparents of my grandfather he had royal blood, amazed as we were. He didn't know much about his family and he wasn't born into wealth by any means.

We found out that my grandpa was not only Greek, but had Spanish, & even a little Armenian & Egyptian. Some of the names included Isaakios Komnenos Emperor of Byzantium (27th gr.grandfather) & of course his parents and their royal families.
There were various other European royalties throughout the tree as well such as García Ramírez King of Navarre (Spain) (28th gr.grandfather), Philippe III the Bold Capet (France) (was Spanish/French mixed ancestry)

 wife Isabella of Aragon(Spain) Queen of France (Greek, Spanish, Hungarian mixed ancestry).

By far the most exciting for me was the discovery that as far as can be told by the information discovered i am the 68th great granddaughter of Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator Queen of Egypt. I have always loved ancient Egyptian things & now i know why! I am descendant from her twice that i've found so far the closest is 68th so far the other is 72nd i believe.(through her daughter Cleopatra Selini both of the times). A few people are in there more than once.

Cartouche of Cleopatra

It has been an amazing discovery that continues to go on, i just wish we could find out more about my maternal grandmother's family because we don't know much more than where they were from in Greece & that they had an orchard there. That will take traveling to Greece to find out more about, which i will be more than happy to do if the money would fall in my lap lol. But it definitely amazing to find this out i wish my grandpa was still alive to tell him, he would have just laughed & been amazed.

Most people have at least one or two royals in their family somewhere they say, its pretty cool to find as many as we did from more than one grandparent though. And for all i have learned there is still so much more i want to know!
I encourage all of you to check out your family history, i think its so interesting!
On that note
 Καλή Χρόνια!
 Kali Xronia!
Happy New Year!

edit:
i just remembered this post, i feel like i'm qualified to make the choice now lol!

Greek Gods Yogurt Review

Geia sas filoi/φίλοι!

                           (friends)

                       So the Greek Gods company sent me coupons to try their yogurt & i'm excited since i'd seen it before but never tried it.

*For a litte background, the company was founded in Seattle, WA in 2003 by 3 Greek men.

The bummer is that most grocery stores near me don't carry their products, on the Sentry does & they have a very limited section. They carry 3 flavors only in the tubs plain, vanilla, & honey. So i was disappointed with my local stores for sure but i bought the honey yogurt never the less.

And all i have to say is WOW, talk about amazing!! The flavor & texture was incredible, now i know why it's a pricey item, this would only be an occasional buy for me because as i said the price is a little high.

The only other thing i don't like about this product is how much fat is in it, 14g!!! Aeeyyeehyy my heart skipped a beat when i read the label. But the flavor & quality is undeniable!

I will probably buy it again if they have it in single portions at my store.

Now if i thought that was amazing i can't imagine what i would think of this; pagoto ice krema...in Baklava!!!!!!!!!!....& Chocolate Fig!!!!! ...& Honey Pomegrante!!

Oh dear Lord i have gone to Heaven...i need to somehow get my hands on this..!!!

'

You might have noticed each item has it's own Greek God or Goddess on it, though the pictures are less than authentic the concept it really cute.

                                                                        

Three Greek Sisters

Geia sas filoi(friends)!

Today i introduce you to Three Greek Sisters, Betty, Eleni, & Samantha Bakopoulos are the 3 Greek(Canadian) sisters who wrote a cookbook together of all the recipes from growing up & named it Three Sisters Around the Greek Table.

So here is what they say about their cookbook(from their site):

"This is not the stuff of fast food Greek restaurants that has come to characterize Greek food in the minds of most. In these pages you will find dishes you may recognize – such as Spanankopita and Souvlaki – but you will also discover Stifado; a braised rabbit dish, Pastitsio; a baked penne with a creamy cinnamon and Béchamel sauce and Avgolemmono; a chicken soup with a lemon and egg finish. We have selected over 100 recipes that we believe will become a part of your regular repertoire once you have tried them. Delicious and fulfilling dishes like our mom’s Lemon Chicken and Potatoes will surprise you with the simplicity of their ingredients. You may also be surprised to discover that over half of the recipes in this book are vegetarian. This is real Greek cooking. The preparation of food in Greek culture is an expression of love. It says to those whom you prepare it for – you are worth the effort that this dish took. Like love, good food is comforting. For those preparing it, it is rewarding. For those who share in the feast, it is life affirming. Enjoy."

I am hungry just reading that!

 There is an article HERE where their recipe is posted for Yemista(stuffed tomatoes,peppers, zucchini flowers). And you also can see a picture of these beautiful ladies in the same article.

I'm re-posting the recipe for you all to see.

Yemista:
 stuffed tomatoes, peppers, & zucchini flowers
Yeh-mee-STAH

Serves 6

Bake at 425F

8 tomatoes, whole
4 yellow & red bell peppers
Zucchini flowers (optional)
¼ cup olive oil
2 yellow onions, minced
pinch of salt
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Using a sharp tomato knife, slice off the tops of the tomatoes to make a lid. If possible, try not to cut the lid off completely. Remove the tough inner core of the tomato.
Scoop the soft flesh of the tomatoes with a spoon and place in a large bowl. Puree the flesh with a hand blender or simply use your hands.
Make lids for the peppers and seed them.
If using, wash the zucchini flowers.
Arrange the hollowed vegetables in a roasting pan with a fitted lid so that the vegetables fit snugly and are holding each other up.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a sauté pan and add the onions and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 20 minutes over medium-low heat until the onions are soft and caramelized.
Add the onions to the bowl of the tomato flesh. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the rice, mint and parsley. This is the stuffing.
Completely fill the followed vegetables with the stuffing and place the lids back on the tomatoes and peppers.
Drizzle the remaining olive oil on top of the vegetables and into the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan, covered, in the middle of a preheated oven and cook for 60-75 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, remove the lid, and let the vegetables rest for 15-30 minutes before serving. Serve with some bread and a dollop of plain Greek of Balkan style yogurt.

I've seen some of their cookbook & think it looks fabulous, i may have to buy this one! You Bakopoulos girls did a great job!

Saveur Magazine: The Greece Issue Recipes

Geia sas se olous(hello everyone)!

So Saveur Magazine has their Greece issue out with some fabulous recipes & i want to share my favs from their list of recipes. (i will be using their photos)

Feta Tart(Alevropita)

6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp. vodka
1 egg
1 1⁄4 cups flour, sifted
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄8 tsp. baking powder
10 oz. feta, crumbled
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1. Heat oven to 500°. Put an 18" x 13" x 1" rimmed baking sheet into oven for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together 2 tbsp. oil, vodka, egg, and 1 cup water in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder. Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and whisk until smooth.
3. Brush remaining oil over bottom of hot pan and add batter, smoothing batter with a rubber spatula to coat the bottom evenly, if necessary. Distribute cheese evenly over batter, and dot with butter. Bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown and crunchy, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmades)

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated

1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
1 cup Greek yogurt
Freshly ground black pepper, 
to taste
5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. minced fennel
1 clove garlic, minced
1⁄2 medium red onion, minced
1⁄2 cup basmati rice
1⁄2 tsp. ground cumin
1⁄4 cup minced fresh dill
1⁄4 cup minced fresh parsley
3⁄4 tsp. dried mint
34 grape leaves in brine, drained
1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
1. Put cucumber in a strainer and sprinkle with 1⁄2 tsp. salt; toss; let sit 30 minutes. Squeeze out liquid; mix with yogurt in a bowl. Season sauce with salt and pepper; chill.
2. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel, garlic, and onions; cook until soft, 3–4 minutes. Add rice; toast for 3 minutes. Add cumin and 1 1⁄2 cups water; season with salt and pepper. Boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rice has absorbed water, 12–15 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp. oil along with dill, parsley, and mint. Let cool slightly.
3. Coat bottom of a 3-qt. saucepan with remaining oil and 3 tbsp. water; cover with 4 grape leaves. Set remaining grape leaves on a work surface, vein side up. Working with one leaf at a time, flatten leaf and place about 
1 1⁄2 tsp. rice mixture in center. Fold bottom of leaf over filling, fold in sides, and roll into tight cylinder. Transfer, seam side down, to pot. Repeat. Add lemon juice and 3⁄4 cup water to pot. Cover grape leaves with a small plate to keep submerged; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until rice filling is tender, 15–20 minutes. Serve hot or cold with the yogurt sauce.

Orange Cake (Portokalopita)

3 1⁄8"-thick orange slices

1 2⁄3 cups fresh orange juice
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
1 2" stick cinnamon
14 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil,
plus more for greasing
Flour, for pan
4 eggs
3⁄4 cup Greek yogurt
1⁄4 cup orange zest
1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract
1⁄4 cup fine semolina
1 1⁄2 tsp. baking powder
12 oz. country-style phyllo sheets,
cut in 1⁄2" pieces
1. Heat oven to 325°. Put orange slices in bottom of an 8" x 8" baking dish; pour 1 cup orange juice over top. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake until oranges are very soft, 40–45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
2. Meanwhile, bring 3⁄4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and 1 1⁄2 cups water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes; remove from heat. Pour syrup over orange slices. Let cool completely.
3. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish and dust with flour; set aside. Combine remaining sugar and eggs in a bowl; beat with a hand mixer until pale and thick. Whisk in remaining orange juice, oil, yogurt, zest, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together semolina and baking powder, whisk into egg mixture, then stir in phyllo. Pour mixture into prepared dish; bake until lightly browned, 35–40 minutes. Pour syrup evenly over cake; let cool. Cut cake into 12 squares and cut orange slices into quarters; top each square with an orange quarter.


Yummm yumm this is making me so hungry & that Portokalopita would hit the spot right about now! :)

Loving June; Birthday, World Cup, Yoga, & more

Geia sas!! So it's officially June; my favorite month! They say your favorite month is usually your birthday month, well i don't know about that but mine is for sure! My birthday is June 7th & i'm excited, though i'm sure in a few years i'll stop being so happy about it lol. (but i hope not!)

Also this month is the FIFA World Cup; June 11th. Now i must tell you i am a hugeee Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7/CR9 )fan, who usually plays for Spain's Real Madrid but for the World Cup since he IS Portuguese he plays for Portugal under # 7. (His # in Real Madrid is 9)

So the 3 teams i'll be watching are Portugal, Greece, & USA. (Though i fear our beloved USA won't win let's hope they get far!)

So another player i'm a fan of is Mixalis Sifakis, who will be on Greece's national team as goalkeeper & normally plays for Aris Thessaloniki. So here are a few pictures of them in action to represent the occasion.

I couldn't resist this one lol *insert cheesy grin*




Now onto yoga! This month i am working really hard on doing more of my yoga so to celebrate that here is a yoga pose i enjoy. This is Sphinx pose & its very relaxing i find & gives you a nice stretch. It is of course called Sphinx because you lay like a Sphinx, observe:

There are so many more great things about June that i'm looking forward to, like swimming & volleyball. Just being able to relax from college & knowing it's just the beginning of summer is really nice too!

Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of the week everyone!
Let me know who you want to win the World Cup or something you love about June!

Bring Them Back!

'Bring Them Back' is a campaign by Greece to return the stolen items from the Parthenon back to Greece from Britain's Museum. As you will see in the video below, 200 years ago a British Lord stole thousands of items from the Parthenon. The video explains it all:





They need people to 'sign' the petition by entering your email address. Also here is their facebook:Bring them Back. Please help bring our treasures home! Thank you to everyone who signs it!

Much love,

Let's talk Greek..Yogurt that is.

Geia sas everyone! The sun is shining & i am feeling so happy & blessed to be healthy; i found out as of late my cousin & sister both have some semi-serious medical issues which was very upsetting to me. But i know God is in control & he will take care of them. And speaking of health let's talking about Greek yogurt which is so good for you & how about 0% fat, gotta love that! We use it in a lot of different dishes as well as just eating the flavored kind. So i am going to talk about 4 different brands that are sold in most grocery stores. I'm glad the health world started to pick up on it because its now much more readily available, in more flavors, and some competition for prices too.
The 1st kind i'm talking about is Chobani. I like their yogurt alright but its not my favorite for a few reasons: it was kinda overly chunky i mean more than thick but it was literally chunks, & the blueberry had hardly any taste (its fruit on the bottom). It might have just been the one i tried but i'm not sure(i would still like to try the pomegranate). So my conclusion on Chobani; not the best but its ok. Personally not worth the higher price they charge for it. But i realize some people love it & that's fine, everyone has different preferences.

The 2nd is by Yoplait (i just ate the honey for lunch) its also the cheapest kind that i have seen so far. It was 99 cents. I do really like this one! It had flavor but not too much that it over-powered the yogurt itself, so i thought that was good. Over-all its good but still not my favorite.

Next up is Oikos by Stonyfield; first let's talk about how to pronounce this. I have heard many people say many weird/funny things in place of this like 'oy-kis' 'o-ik-os'. The correct pronunciation is 'ee-kos' (to hear it click on the pronunciation) it means 'house/home' in Greek. Now i for one can really appreciate them giving the yogurt a Greek name, so bravo to them. :) I also really do like their yogurt it is probably my favorite of the yogurts i'm reviewing. They have come out with 2 new flavors' caramel & CHOCOLATE; which for me is heaven!

Finally we have Fage pronounced 'fah'yeh', a Greek yogurt made by a Greek company. It's delicious yes. But the only thing i do not like about Fage is their flavored cups are not o% fat :( ...but they are still healthy & yummy! Some things you can do to spice up the fat free plain kind is add fresh berries or bits of granola to it. Mmm! They are kinda expensive unfortunately but if you can afford it they're great!

What's your favorite yogurt?

Once Upon A Time In Egypt

Hey its SassyAgapi with my 1st blog!
Today I just wanted to talk about something I love and a new book I've been reading; ancient Egypt & the book The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran. First I just want to say that I have a great love for all things ancient Egyptian & Greek, so when I heard of this book I was dying to read it! The book is centered on Nefertari, the orphan princess of Egypt & niece of Nefertiti who they call 'the Heretic Queen', because her husband (Pharaoh Ahkenaten) banished all gods except one(Aten) from Egypt. So many in Egypt have built up hate for her & her late family. You might know from history that she marries Ramesses(II) the Great, the book focuses on that a lot also. The only thing I don't like is that she has Ramesses with RED hair!??! Sorry but i cannot picture him without dark hair, but anyway... I'm not going to ruin the book for anyone but if you like Egypt, romance, & a good story I highly recommend The Heretic Queen.
So back to my love of Egyptian & Greek things, well first I am Greek & I love & am proud of my people's culture, history, & beauty, so that's a given. As far as ancient Egypt I have always been drawn to it, it fascinates me so much, just the mystery & adventure of it all. Oh & the clothes, jewelry, make-up, architecture, & decorations! :D Another thing I love about both are the names, here are some of my favorites:

Ramesses -Egyptian[male]
Asha-Egyptian[male]
Demetrius/Dimitrios-Greek[male]

Αlexandros-Greek[male]

Achilles-Greek[male]

Isis-Egyptian-'supreme throned one'
Iset-Egyptian-'(she) of the throne'
Nefertiri-Egyptian-'form of beautiful one'
Nefertari-Egyptian-'most beautiful'
Nefertirian-Egyptian-'another form of beautiful one' {nefer-teer-i-in}
Arsinoe-Greek(Αρσινη) [Egyptian Queen]- {arsin-o-ay}

Selini-Greek-'moon' (Σεληνη)

Briseis-Greek-(Βρισηις)

Eleftheria-Greek-'freedom'- (Ελευθερια)

Deianira-Greek-(Δηανειρα)

That's just a few lol!

*Note I did not add an accent to the Greek text*

But there are so many beautiful names its hard to pick just 1 or 2.

Here are some pictures of Greece & Egypt to end this post:

{Oh &  'Agapi Mou' means 'my love' in Greek, to anyone whos wondering}