Tomato-mozzarella-oregano cake

Summer is coming soon and I would like to urge all the fanatic ones with cakes like me to calm themselves down by doing salty cakes ! I start the sugar banning :) today by proposing to you a tomato-mozzarella cake that has my favorite oregano to boost it. Easy, fast and excellent starter for a nice dinner or a fancy aperitif.
I would add feta cheese instead of mozzarella to be honest, but I live far from Greece and feta is a precious cheese at home, especially for my daughter :)
As far as it concerns the sugar banning... it was a joke ! I am addicted to sugar, so it's not easy to ban it, for the time being, I can only lower my daily intake ...
Ready? Let's go for it then!

Bugs Bunny's cake or Carrot cake :)

If you want to change from the classic chocolate cake then this tasty carrot cake would do :)
It's simple to do, just mix the ingredients, bake and taste! Try it and you will be addicted as it tastes really nice.
The problem is, that I am not very concentrated these days and although I did 2 times this recipe I made a mistake with the ingredients :)
In the first version (as I call it in the photos :) I added one more cup of flour. Taste was amazing but texture was not very good I have to admit ... We ate all of it in a few hours though! No-one could resist to the smell of cinnamon and the sweet touch of the carrots.
In the second version, I forgot to add the sugar and I came up with the idea to add a light syrup (made by boiling for 5 min 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water) and add it once the cake has cooled a bit down after baking.

See photos of both versions and judge for yourself. Imagine still, that if I am persisting so much in doing this cake it has to be very good in taste :))) I am still working the looks though and once I have a better one I will keep you informed !   

The greek focaccia with feta ("tyroklouri")

Want to try a different focaccia, this time with feta? Actually it is a traditional greek recipe from my region Thessaly, that looks like focaccia but more to the crunchy side.
It is very tasty and for the ones that like focaccia style breads, you will love this one!
It takes time to make it, so choose a cold day that you will stay at home, as you will have to wait for the dough to rise.
The result will reward your patience :)

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 :)