Roast leg of lamb

I didn't like to eat lamb. I didn't like the smell of lamb... until... I invented my way to cook it and it became my favorite and the dish that my kids like and my friends are asking me to cook for them :)
It's a simple, very simple recipe that just needs a covered dish for the oven and one orange and one lemon!
The orange juice covers the smell of lamb and perfumes it in a delicate way. If you add also potatoes around the meat, they will be caramelized in a surprising way. And if you cannot resist and want to add some herb, just add oregano, the ultimate seasoning herb for the oven in my opinion.
Another tip, is to buy one week before cooking the meat, to put it in the freezer and unfreeze it the day before cooking. That way, the meat will be tender. Enough with secrets, let's pass to action!

Nefeli's breads

This is a very important recipe for me that I will share with you, today 2 of May. It is a recipe that my grand-mother used to make and I have so many sweet memories and makes lots of small breads that have a sweet topping. These breads are soooo delicious and fluffy that will touch directly your soul!
In Greece, those breads very often are made to commemorate someone dear that you have lost and we distribute them to people at the church.
As there is no name for this recipe (my grand-mother used to call them small breads) I decided to give my first daughter's name to this recipe...
For my amazing grand-mother and all the stories that was telling me when I was a child... she would be very proud for me seeing me making this recipe!
For my father, the best father ever, that is watching over me... and would be very surprised that his little girl is not only good in maths but has finally learned to cook :)  

Liver with Spätzle

Easy recipe, this one, for a fast and tasty dinner. The oregano and the lemon juice will make the liver sooo tasty that you will start dribbling from the smell...
In addition, for the ones that have open issues with their body iron like me, it will increase your iron intake.

Vivian’s Pudding (Walnut Cake from Tyrnavos)

[Updated 08/05/2025]

A rich, moist walnut cake soaked in syrup and topped with velvety cream. Perfumed with cinnamon and clove, known in Tyrnavos as "Poutigka, it’s a show-stopping Greek dessert, perfect for festive occasions.

Traditional Greek Easter Eggs (Kokkina Avga)

A staple of Greek Easter celebrations, these vibrant red eggs symbolize renewal and the blood of Christ. They are traditionally cracked against each other in a fun game called "tsougrisma."

This special technique, passed down from my mother, uses leaves and flowers to create beautiful natural patterns. It’s a fun and creative activity, especially for kids! 

(the ones in the photos are made from my kids 8 and 10 years old, in an extreme hurry before a school show)

Greek easter cookies

For Easter, in Greece, we make cookies that we call "koulourakia" and as Easter is approaching, find today the recipe that I like and I make together with my kids. It's so much fun for kids as they can use the dough as play-doh and use their creativity to shape the cookies. Even you will feel better after playing/doing these cookies :)
I will give you half of the dose that I made, as it makes so many cookies that fun will turn into torture otherwise :))))  

Moussaka, authentic, traditional recipe (Baked layered eggplants)

Moussaka, the king of Greek dishes, is a rich, layered casserole with eggplant, ground meat in tomato sauce, and creamy béchamel. The procedure is similar to the pasticcio, only that you replace pasta with vegetables, mostly eggplants.

It’s not the quickest recipe, but it’s soooo worth it! Set aside time or plan ahead—you’ll need to prepare the meat sauce, veggies, and béchamel.

Alternatively, cut the vegetables in small cubes like in my Easy and light version of moussaka.

Mug cake, pleasure in a cup!

Are you in a diet, are you living alone or simply you are lazy and a big cake is not for you?
Discover the new trend: the MUG cakes!
Made inside a mug and cooked in a microwave oven in only a few minutes you can enjoy a chocolate cake. Sounds too good to be true, no?  And still, it is possible... Have a look for yourself. The result is quite impressive, at least for me. Would I replace my classic chocolate cake? Probably not... but still...

Happy Birthday!

It's been exactly one year since I have started to blog here, one year of "Vivian is cooking"!

Happy birthday dear blog,
you can pass from crawling to walking little by little like babies now :) That explains the publicity part that was added.

Happy birthday with a mug cake (recipe will follow soon...). Come on in and share!

French chocolate cake (Gateau au chocolat - with bananas?)

[UPDATED] Gateau au chocolat is the french chocolate cake that is more liquid in the center than a sponge cake. I started to make this cake for a friend that could not eat gluten and my kids loved it, so I keep doing it often :)
I update today this recipe by adding 2 sliced bananas and some cinnamon inside that I believe will add a sparkle to this recipe and change from the classic version. You can do the same by adding pears instead of bananas. Up to you ...
Once in a while, you have to play a bit with classic recipes, that's the fun with cooking :) 

Meat with pasta

Lazy cooking recipe but still delicious! You can cook easily in the oven any kind of meat with pasta in the following way:

Ingredients
any kind of your favorite meat red or white (like veal or chicken, but a part that is still adequate for the oven :)
2 tomatoes for the red meat, can tomato sauce for the white one
salt, pepper, oregano and olive oil
any kind of pasta that you like or is left in your cupboards :)

Fruit salad, the best desert!

If you want to stay fit and eat healthy, if you are busy or lazy with cooking and do not want to try my delicious cakes, then the fruit salad is for you!
I use apples, pears, bananas and strawberries. You could add kiwis or any other fruit that you like. You just peel them, cut them pieces, present them in a nice way and your desert is ready in a few minutes.
If you want to add some exotic touch, pour some honey over them and sprinkle them with cinnamon. But we said that we will stay fit so simple today and then it's up to you for the rest. Enjoy!  

1st of april or Poisson d'avril!

So, spring is here and in various countries they have weird ways to celebrate it.
In Greece, where I come from, we try to fool someone by saying a harmless lie. Being a person that I despise people that tell lies, the least to say, I do not like much this custom....
In France, where I actually live, that make "poisson d'avril" (april's fish) and kids try to fool someone by sticking a paper-fish in their back. I prefer this custom by far, not to say that I really enjoy it :)
Give me feedback from your country customs from 1st of April to change a bit from cooking today.
May a productive month is waiting ahead!

P.S: Fish generously provided by my personal artists, my kids ;)