Stuffed turkey or capon!

Let's start 2014 with a classic recipe that could not be omitted from this blog this festive period, stuffed turkey!
Or to be more precise, stuffed capon that we prefer, as it is tastier than turkey...
The tips for this recipe is to choose a capon instead of turkey and to buy it much earlier than the day that you will cook it and put it in the freezer. Enjoy!

Kadaif, oriental pastry

Let's continue this festive season with an oriental pastry that is typical in Greece. You will need a special oriental pastry that is called "kadaif" and you will find it in shops that sell oriental products. You can keep it in the freezer for several months, so if you like this recipe, just get double quantity for the next time :)  It has a syrup, so it's quite sweet, once again, be careful with calories...

Melomakarona (Honey Christmas cookies)

[Updated 11/03/2025]

Every country has a recipe for xmas cookies, find today here the greek way :)
It's full of honey, cinnamon and walnuts! You will be surprised how tasty they are although quite sweet and heavy in calories... Despite this, when I make them for Xmas, we tend to finish them so fast that I have to redo for Xmas once again :)
Not many succeed to make them in Greece, so do not underestimate my recipe as it is a sure one for success... and I share it today with you together with the small secret that goes with it ;)

Merry Xmas!

All the best to all of you! 

A big thanks to all the people out there from America, Australia, Africa, Asia, and of course Europe, that keep coming back to my blog and like my recipes ... 

Keep cooking! It makes quality of life much much better....

Vivian

Chicken with Exotic Okra (Kotopoulo Me Bamies)

[Updated 18/03/2025]

A Greek classic with a twist! Tender chicken is oven-baked with okra and potatoes in a rich tomato sauce, creating a flavorful, wholesome dish.

Vivian's quiche

I live in France for years, and when I ask a french friend for an idea on what to cook for dinner, very often I get the same answer: a quiche! So, here's a quiche a la Vivianne (that's how they write my name in french :)   

Red Chicken with Spaghetti (Kotopoulo Kokkinisto Me Makaronia)

[Updated 18/03/2025]

A comforting Greek favorite, this tender chicken is simmered in a rich tomato sauce and served over spaghetti. Simple, delicious, and perfect for the whole family!

Chocolate cake... yeah!

My favorite chocolate cake

This is THE chocolate cake that I chose for one of the first birthday cakes for my kids that became a very popular one among my kids AND their friends!
Given this success in taste, this is the one that I chose as base for several birthday cakes later on.
I only changed the decoration/topping to fit to the occasion and you will see how a humble cake can end up to such an awesome cake :) Trust me and try it, you will become addicted!
Special tribute to all my family (husband and kids) that helped me to decorate the following cakes. These were moments of pure happiness... I love you!
Let's start from the basics...

Summer break!

It's been a very productive year, so it is time for a summer break!
Enjoy your vacations all of you out there and meet back again here from September with fresh ideas and passion for creativity :)

Cheese balls/Gougeres au fromage

Today I will share with you a simple and delicious recipe that my polish friend Anneta does and that I really like. It's great for buffets like birthday parties, various celebrations at home, at work, at school of your children, etc. and it's so easy to make!
In french they call these cheese balls "Gougeres au fromage" and if you speak french have a look in the original recipe here: http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_gougeres-au-fromage_20095.aspx

For the ones, that cannot understand the french, I will try to translate :)
Thanks Anneta for sharing this recipe and please send a nice photo to us if you have one!

We are the champions :)

I have been pretty busy lately with various things so I was not so often blogging here, but I would like to share with you one of the reasons :)

My husband is a pilot and his club was organizing a treasure hunt and me with kids joined him in the team and guess what? we won THE FIRST PRIZE!

So we celebrated the event with a bbq organized at the club and it"s only today that i got back into cooking doing pasticcio :)

Jello dessert, for summer parties!

Want a summer dessert? Then a jello dessert is what will freshen your summer parties :) It is easy, quite popular and very tasty... See how you can do it :

Psari Plaki (Greek baked Fish with Tomatoes & Onions)

[Updated 26/02/2025]

"Plaki" is a way that in Greece we cook fish in the oven using tomatoes, onions and parsley. We can use whatever fish we like, but here I am using salmon just because I found nice fresh salmon today that it's the favorite of my husband. It's a recipe that I strongly suggest to try, as it tastes great!