Beef Stifado

I love Greek food - it’s one of my favorite cuisines. This beef stew reminds me of when we were holidaying in Cyprus. Beef and shallots are simmered in red wine and seasonings until meltingly tender. It takes a little while to make, but it’s worth the wait.

We enjoyed it with roast potatoes and Greek salad, yumz! It’s also delicious with crusty fresh bread.

Spaghetti Bolognese

This is a dish that’s wonderful for a week-day dinner. It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish, and if feeding two people, it has over six portions of fruit and vegetables per serving.

My method of cooking this dish probably strays far from the traditional way, but I'll live with that.

Meat Burgers

I can’t believe that we used to eat such revolting burgers (patties) or “meat” cutlets. As kids, we used to think that having those Dalepak lamb grills, were such a treat – ugh. Now, that I’ve grown up, my tastes are more refined and I’m more educated with food and nutrition – there’s no way, I’ll go near those alien things again.

Meat & Rice Dolmades - Greek Stuffed Vine Leaves

On one of our first dates, J took me to a Turkish restaurant in London. At that time in my life, my only real experience with food was traditional Chinese. I was skeptical about almost everything that arrived at the table, dolmades was one of them.

The only Chinese, leaf-stuffed dish is lor mai gai - chicken and rice, steamed in a lotus leaf wrap. You don’t eat the leaf wrapper in this dish. I was so inexperienced with eating other Worldly cuisines, that I assumed you shouldn't eat the vine (grape) leaf around the dolmades. It makes me laugh thinking about it now... there was me scooping out the filling of the dolmades, as J watched on, making weird faces. It makes me laugh even harder, when I recall seeing the waiter's face, as he took away the plate.

Succulent Steak & Gravy Pie

This savory pie is extremely indulgent for us to eat on an every-day basis, so I save it for special meals.

This steak pie is full of tender, succulent steak, surrounded by a thick and flavorsome (flavorful) gravy, which is encased in a rich and buttery pastry (crust). It’s a true delight!

Chili con Carne Soup

Chili con carne is what we used to make as students, only there was less carne, and more of the frijoles. That was because we had very little money and beans were cheaper than meat!

One of my favorite quotes from J is “the only difference between a stew or a soup, is the amount of water added”. It’s very true! To water down chili con carne would give you chili con carne soup!

English Beef Stew with Herby Dumplings

Winter is a wonderful time for beef stew. There’s something about this warming comfort food that makes all your troubles melt away…

The beef in this stew is tender and succulent, the vegetables cooked to perfection and the herby dumplings are exquisite - they simply are the icing on the cake. There’s nothing better than dabbing up the remaining gravy with a good ole herby dumpling!

Kefthedes - Greek Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Kefthedes is a popular dish served during a meze dinner. They are lamb meatballs, which are lightly spiced with cumin. Here they are served with a thick tomato sauce, and although they don’t look like much, they are bursting with flavor and have an exceptionally tender texture. This dish is wonderful with tabbouleh or a simple cous cous side dish.

Although traditionally made with lamb, you can use minced (ground) beef instead. The kefthedes are good without the tomato sauce, so feel free to try them on their own if you wish.