It comprises a whole philosophy of life and represents the lifestyle of the Cretan people. The unique Cretan Diet is a healthy and tasty diet with centuries-old recipes and modern creative versions, which are always cooked, of course, with the same top quality pure products of the blessed Cretan earth. This diet is not just a variety of dishes presented on the table; it embodies a whole philosophy of life, the quality way of life of the Cretan people. The lucky ones that will visit the modern restaurants in the cities or the small taverns and cafes in the country will have wonderful experiences, participating in the life of the local people.

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The instigator and creator was the famous American professor Ancel Keys, the Mr. Cholesterol in the way Americans called him as he was the first to connect “nutrition-heart” and started the research in the late 1940s and specifically in 1947.

In the research he included Greece after the initiative and the inducement of the Greek professor Mr Aravanis in 1954 when it was agreed to include Greece as it had some special nutritional characteristics.

In the research it was also included Italy, Holland, the Former Yugoslavia and now Serbia, Finland and Japan.

For Greece Crete and Corfu were chosen.

In Crete it was chosen a group of 620 residents in the rural area of Kastelli Pediados 50km away from Heraklion where their nutrition followed a typical diet of rural people with a big consumption of oil together with hard agricultural work that is body exercise on a daily basis and a year later a second group of other 620 residents in Corfu in a similar region 45km away from the Corfu city with almost the same diet habits.

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Photo By Jane Kotsiris

There is a notion that in Greece there is one cheese that rules them all. One cheese that is on every single dish, and that’s feta.

Every person associates Greek cheese as being feta, and while there are many other cheeses Greek’s eat, feta has risen to the top, especially in touristy areas.

I personally feel the rise of feta in Greece has some part to do with the influx of tourists each summer that ask for it and want to have it because it’s the “Greek cheese.”

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One Day Cookery Course

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Wine

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Greek vegetarian vegan tastes are simple, and when someone wants to sense their identity, then they need to visit Greece. If you’ve never walked under the warm and bright sun of Greece, nor sat under an olive tree, smelled fresh thyme, oregano, sage, experienced simplicity over complexity, then it would be difficult for you to sense and comprehend the superiority and uniqueness of Greek vegetarian vegan food, diet and lifestyle.

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Food & Wine

A Voyage into Crete’s Vegetarian and Vegan Tastes

I would like to introduce you to one of the most tasty and healthy cuisines in the world but also to a magnificent ancient civilization. Learn about the art of Cretan vegetarian nutrition and cooking.

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FASOLIA GIGANTES PLAKI STON FOURNO: Big / Giant or Elephant Beans baked in Red tomato Sauce:

A VERY COMMON DISH OF GREECE

 by.George Portokalakis

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A vegetarian diet is as good for humans’ health as it is for animals’. There is no nutritional need for humans to eat any animal product; all our dietary needs, even as infants and children, are best supplied by a meatless diet. The American Dietetic Association notes that a vegetarian diet reduces the risk of many chronic degenerative diseases and conditions, including heart disease, cancer, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.(1)

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by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP

People living in Crete and the Mediterranean have the lowest incidence of deaths from heart disease thanks to the traditional lifestyle and diet (Mediterranean diet). Cretan diet is not low in fat, but it contains powerful antioxidants that fight diseases. Foods mainly include fish, wild green plants, olive oil (used in raw salads and cooking), and whole grains (breads).

This recipe uses a traditional Greek oil-and-lemon sauce (latholemono) for the vegetables

and rice and egg-and-lemon sauce (avgolemono) is added to the soup. 

It's a delicious and substantial meal.

PSAROSOUPA AVGOLEMONO FISH SOUP WITH EGG, LEMON AND RICE: Here is a recipe for a wonderfully delicious traditional Greek soup (made throughout all regions of Greece). It is called "psarosoupa avgolemono" an easy but somewhat demanding meal, containing such a variety of ingredients that it will suit everyone's tastes. Psarosoupa means fish soup-avgolemono means egg and lemon sauce. 

Ingredients:

3 middle size fish (sea bream, grouper, gurnard (piper), blackfish, scorpion, sea bass, red snapper, gilthead) In this recipe we use 3 middle size  gilthead

2 onions

1 tomato

3 carrots

3 potatoes

Bunch of celery

½ cup rice (125g)

4 tbsp olive oil

2 eggs

2 lemons

Salt

Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Quarter the vegetables so that they can be served on the side as an accompaniment with the fish. Place the carrots, celery, tomato, onions, potatoes, along with the water in a large pot over a medium high heat. Season with salt and allow the mixture to come to boil and then simmer it on a low heat for approx. 20mins until the carrots and potatoes are just tender.

Take veggies out and place them on a large dish, each kind heaped on its own. Sprinkle with the  olive oil-lemon-and-salt dressing.

Looks beautiful. Isn’t it?

Place the fish, in the pot and let them cook till done (when the flesh is tender); it doesn't need a long time.

Take the fish out of the pot when done 

and  place them on a large dish, and sprinkle with the olive oil-lemon-and-salt dressing.

Or take the fish out of the pot when done and remove the skin, bones and innards, and place it on top of the veggies.

Pour the stock in a new pot.  Place half the veggies back into the stock and mash roughly.

add the rice and let it cook in the stock for 10-15 minutes before taking the pot off the heat

Beat the eggs, add the lemon juice and finally, 

slowly add a few ladlefuls from the soup, stirring constantly.

Pour the sauce back into the pot and stir: 

Soup is ready!

Enjoy!
Questions? Feel free to contact: info@portoclub.gr 

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SOFT WHITE CHEESE FILLED PASTRY HONEY SYRUP ROLLS:  (MPOUREKAKIA OR BOUREKAKIA)

Phylo puffs made with Anthotyro (soft white unsalted goat cheese)

Greek little soft cheese sweet pie with syrup! It’s really delicious

Soft white goat cheese the Cretan Mizithra. I believe is hard to find it.

The closest cheese to Cretan mizithra is the Italian Ricotta cheese

Place the cheese in a bowl. Add 1 egg, half a wine glass of sugar, 1 table spoon of cinnamon. Mix it well and the filling is ready

Buy from the super market 1 phylo dough and cut it as shown in the photo in 3 parts.

Follow the directions bellow and make as many as the phylo allows Around 25 pieces.

Put the pan in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes in hot oven until the phylo gets golden brown. By the time cooked the pastry, prepare a syrup. 3 wine glass of sugar, 2 wine glasses of water, 1 cinnamon stick and two pieces of lemon skin. Don’t pure the bourekakia with the syrup when both are hot. Leave bourekakia be a little cold and then pure with hot syrup  

Ingredients

1 package ready made phylo dough from the super market,

3/4 cup butter for the phylo,

For the filling:

3 tea cups soft white unsalted cheese,

1 egg,

1 tea spoon cinnamon powder,

2 tea cups sugar,

For the syrup:

1 ½  tea cup sugar,

1 tea cup water,

4 table spoons honey (if not available can skip it),

2 table spoons lemon juice 

1 tea spoon finely chopped mint or basil. 

Directions  

Remove the phylo pastry from the package and roll the pastry sheets on a flat area and cut each into strips of about 10cm (3,5 inches).

Melt the butter and remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the cheese, sugar,

egg, 

cinnamon and mint for the filling and set aside.

Cut it the short way into 5 strips, about 3x10 inches each.

Brush the sheet of dough with some melted butter.

Place one teaspoon of filling at the end of the strip and roll the pastry over the filling.

Brush the end of each roll with melted butter and place on a greased baking tray.

Continue until all of the dough has been cut, filled, and rolled.

Bake in moderate oven

until golden brown.

In the meantime simmer the ingredients for the syrup in a saucepan for 5 minutes and as soon as the bourekakia are cooked,

put the syrup over it

Can serve it hot, warm, cold, next day no matter when!

ITS SYRUPY AND DELICIOUS!!!

ENJOY!

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MARATHOKEFTEDES

They are delicious hot or cold, a fantastic super easy to prepare and make, a great vegan meal.

The key ingredient for this tasty fritter is Fennel

Veggies: A gift of mother earth! A rich palette of flavours and textures!

The Greek word for fennel is marathon.

Ancient Greeks believed fennel increased longevity, strength and courage.

Marathokeftedes or Fennel Fritters are an easy, traditional Cretan and Greek vegetarian Meze.

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped fennel.

1 cup onions, chopped finely (spring onions or dry)

1 1/2 cup plain flower.

1 cup water

1 cup olive oil for frying

Salt and pepper

Method:

Chop fennel and place in a bowl.

Combine flour and water until a sticky mixture begins to form.

Add chopped fennel, 

onions, 

season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine.

Place oil in a frying pan to coat the base of the pan and heat over medium heat.

Step 1:

Place heaped teaspoons of mixture, slightly flatten out 

Step 2:

They are easy to turn, even though the mixture is quite soft.

Step 3:

In 2-3 minutes turn them the other side live them for 2-3 minutes again and turn them over again.

Step 4:

Leave them for 2-3 more minutes until golden brown and turn them again.

Step 5:

3 minutes later take them out of the pan.

They are ready! Tender on the inside and delightfully crunchy on the outside. 

Served as they are or with some feta cheese or few olives, these fritters are irresistible!

ENJOY!

Questions? Contact Mr. George Portokalakis at: info@portoclub.gr

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