https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/ Traditional Greek recipes straight out of Yiayia Kalliopi's kitchen: the Greek name, the reason behind every step, and the detail you need to get it right first time. en-gb https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/moussaka/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/moussaka/ Greek moussaka is a baked casserole of sliced aubergines and potatoes layered with cinnamon-spiced lamb or beef mince and topped with a thick bechamel enriched with egg yolks and cheese. It bakes for about an hour and must rest before slicing.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/tzatziki/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/tzatziki/ Tzatziki is a Greek dip of strained yogurt, grated cucumber, raw garlic, olive oil and vinegar. The key step is salting the grated cucumber and squeezing it completely dry, otherwise the cucumber releases water and the dip separates within hours.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/greek-salad/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/greek-salad/ A real Greek salad, horiatiki, contains tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, olives and a whole slab of feta, dressed with olive oil, oregano and a little red wine vinegar. It contains no lettuce, and the feta is never crumbled.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/spanakopita/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/spanakopita/ Spanakopita is a Greek pie of spinach, feta, herbs and onion baked between layers of buttered or oiled phyllo pastry. The filling must be squeezed completely dry before assembly, or the steam released will make the bottom pastry soggy.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/souvlaki/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/souvlaki/ Souvlaki is small cubes of meat, traditionally pork shoulder, marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano and grilled on skewers over charcoal. In Greece it is served either on the skewer with bread, or wrapped in a pita with tzatziki, tomato, onion and chips.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/pastitsio/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/pastitsio/ Pastitsio is a Greek baked pasta dish of long thick tubular pasta layered with cinnamon-spiced minced meat sauce and topped with a thick bechamel set with egg. It is baked until golden and must rest for at least thirty minutes so the layers hold when cut.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/avgolemono-soup/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/avgolemono-soup/ Avgolemono is a Greek soup thickened with a mixture of beaten eggs and lemon juice rather than flour or cream. The egg mixture must be tempered with hot broth a ladleful at a time, off the heat, or it will scramble instead of emulsifying.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/baklava/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/baklava/ Greek baklava is layered phyllo pastry filled with chopped walnuts and cinnamon, baked until golden and soaked in a honey and lemon syrup. The critical rule is temperature contrast: pour cold syrup over hot baklava, or hot syrup over cold, never hot onto hot.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/gigantes-plaki/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/gigantes-plaki/ Gigantes plaki is a Greek dish of large white beans baked slowly in a tomato and olive oil sauce with onion, garlic and herbs. It is a ladera dish, meaning the generous quantity of olive oil is the sauce rather than the cooking medium, and it is naturally vegan.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/melitzanosalata/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/melitzanosalata/ Melitzanosalata is a Greek dip of aubergines charred whole until the skin blackens, then peeled, drained and mashed with olive oil, garlic, vinegar and parsley. The smoke from charring over a direct flame is the defining flavour and cannot be replicated in an oven.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/greek-lemon-potatoes/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/greek-lemon-potatoes/ Greek lemon potatoes are roasted in a shallow bath of lemon juice, olive oil, stock and oregano. The liquid steams the potatoes soft in the first stage, then evaporates so they roast and crisp in the remaining oil and lemon, forming a glaze.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/horta/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/horta/ Horta are wild or leafy greens boiled until tender and dressed simply with olive oil and lemon. Greeks use dandelion, chicory, amaranth, wild fennel and beet greens, and the mineral-rich cooking water, called zoumi, is traditionally drunk rather than discarded.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/loukoumades/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/loukoumades/ Loukoumades are small Greek doughnuts made from a wet yeasted batter rather than a dough, deep fried until crisp and hollow, then soaked in honey syrup and dusted with cinnamon and walnuts. They must be eaten within minutes of frying.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/galaktoboureko/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/galaktoboureko/ Galaktoboureko is a Greek dessert of semolina custard baked between layers of phyllo and soaked in a lemon syrup. The custard is thickened with fine semolina rather than cornflour, which lets it set firm enough to cut into clean squares.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/greek-coffee/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/greek-coffee/ Greek coffee is made by heating very finely ground coffee, water and sugar together in a small pot called a briki over low heat until foam rises, without ever letting it boil. It is poured unfiltered and the grounds settle at the bottom of the cup.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/dakos/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/dakos/ Dakos is a Cretan dish of hard barley rusk moistened with water and olive oil, topped with grated fresh tomato, soft mizithra cheese, oregano and olive oil. The rusk must be dampened just enough to yield without turning to mush.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/gyros/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/gyros/ Gyros is meat stacked on a vertical rotisserie, roasted slowly and shaved into thin strips. At home you can reproduce it by stacking marinated pork slices on a vertical skewer, roasting it, then slicing thin and crisping the strips in a hot pan.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/gemista/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/gemista/ Gemista are tomatoes and peppers hollowed out and stuffed with raw rice, herbs, onion and olive oil, then baked slowly until the rice cooks in the vegetables' own juices. They are filled only two thirds full because the rice swells substantially.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/keftedes/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/keftedes/ Keftedes are Greek fried meatballs made from minced beef or lamb bound with bread soaked in water rather than breadcrumbs, seasoned with grated onion, mint and oregano. The mixture is rested in the fridge before shaping so the flavours settle and the meatballs hold together.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/fasolada/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/fasolada/ Fasolada is a Greek soup of dried white beans simmered with onion, celery, carrot, tomato and a generous quantity of olive oil. Often called the national dish of Greece, it is naturally vegan and is thickened only by the starch of the beans themselves.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/saganaki/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/saganaki/ Saganaki is a slice of firm Greek cheese, usually kefalotyri or graviera, dusted in flour and fried until crisp outside and molten inside, then finished with lemon. It takes about three minutes and must be served immediately.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/melomakarona/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/melomakarona/ Melomakarona are Greek Christmas cookies made with olive oil, orange juice, semolina and warm spices, baked until dry and then soaked in honey syrup. They are naturally vegan, contain no butter or eggs, and improve for several days after making.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/briam/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/briam/ Briam is a Greek dish of sliced summer vegetables, usually courgette, aubergine, potato, pepper and tomato, baked slowly in a generous amount of olive oil until completely soft and caramelised. It is a ladera dish and is naturally vegan.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/sofrito/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/sofrito/ Sofrito is a Corfiot dish of thin veal escalopes floured, browned and braised slowly in white wine, vinegar, a large quantity of garlic and parsley. It contains no tomato, which distinguishes it from most Greek meat dishes and reflects Corfu's Venetian rather than Ottoman history.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/fava-santorinis/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/fava-santorinis/ Greek fava is a puree of yellow split peas simmered with onion until they collapse, then whipped smooth with olive oil and lemon. Despite the name it contains no fava beans. The Santorini version uses a protected local variety of split pea.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/tiropita/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/tiropita/ Tiropita is a Greek pie of feta blended with a softer fresh cheese and eggs, baked between layers of buttered phyllo. The soft cheese is essential: feta alone makes a filling that is both too salty and too dense once baked.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/kleftiko/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/kleftiko/ Kleftiko is lamb sealed in a tightly closed parcel of paper or dough and baked very slowly for three to four hours. The seal is the whole technique: it traps every drop of steam so the meat braises in its own juices and falls off the bone.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/grilled-octopus/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/grilled-octopus/ Greek grilled octopus is simmered gently in its own liquid until completely tender, then finished briefly over hot charcoal and dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar and oregano. Grilling raw octopus without the simmer produces something inedibly tough.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/garides-saganaki/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/garides-saganaki/ Garides saganaki is a Greek dish of prawns cooked in a tomato sauce with ouzo and topped with feta, finished in the oven or under a grill. The prawns are added near the end because they need only three or four minutes and overcook easily.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/strapatsada/https://www.kalliopiskitchen.com/recipes/strapatsada/ Strapatsada is a Greek dish of eggs scrambled into a reduced fresh tomato sauce and finished with crumbled feta. The tomato must be cooked down until almost dry before the eggs go in, or the dish turns watery.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:20:28 +0000