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Nistisimes Syntages – Food for the Soul (Lenten Recipes)

Nistisimes Syntages –  Food for the Soul (Lenten Recipes)

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“Nistisimes Syntages” are the Lenten recipes the Orthodox can eat during fasting periods.   The Orthodox religion has a lot of fasting periods.  The period of the Great Lent starts on Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday) and this period is called Saracosti. 

Collage Lenten Recipes image

Octopus and shell-fish are allowed, as is vegetable margarine, shortening, and vegetable oils, gelatin, olives, as well as honey are allowed.

collage Nistisima image

During the period of Saracosti  the faithful fast for a period of 48 days and not 40, as it is falsely believed: the six weeks of Lent and Holy Week.  This is not obligatory and most people fast for a couple of weeks before Easter.  

The fasting period of Easter ends after the resurrection of Jesus.  

The Christmas fasting period starts on the 15th November and ends on the 24th December.  From the 15th November till the 17th December, fish is allowed to be consumed but not on Wednesdays and Fridays, which in any case all Wednesdays and Fridays of the year are fasting days.

The fasting period before the Assumption of the Virgin, starts on the 1st of August and ends on the 14th of August and of course there are many other days when fasting is part of our religion.

Meat and animal prod­ucts (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard), fish (meaning fish with backbones), olive oil and wine (all alcoholic drinks) are not consumed during the weekdays of Great Lent.   

On weekends, olive oil and wine are permitted. Fish is permitted only on two Sundays during the Lenten period: on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) and on Palm Sunday (one week before Easter).

The purpose of fasting is to cleanse the body as well as the spirit in preparation for accepting the Resurrection at Easter, which is the most sacred of all observances in the Greek Orthodox faith.

Through fasting, we also learn to feel compassion for the poor and hungry and to save our own resources so that we can help those in need.

During this period I shall try and post mainly Nistisimes Syntages (Lenten recipes).   However,  I do have lots of recipes I have prepared before Lent, which I shall also post.

If you exclude the recipes with seafood, gelatine and honey all other recipes here are vegan:

I apologize if in some of the links you do not find some of my Cypriot “nistisimes syntages”.  This means that they have been included in my cookbook and had to be removed.

However, feel free to email me and I will send you the recipe.

100 Lenten recipes image

Nistisimes Syntages (Lenten Recipes)

Yield: 100
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 1 minute

During the Greek Orthodox Fasting period, meat and animal prod­ucts (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard), fish (meaning fish with backbones), olive oil and wine (all alcoholic drinks) are not consumed during the weekdays of Great Lent 

Octopus and shell-fish are allowed, as is vegetable margarine, shortening, and vegetable oils, gelatin, olives, as well as honey are allowed.

Below you will find a list of more than 100 Greek Lenten Recipes.

Ingredients

  • I have listed down for you a number of best Greek Lenten Recipes, which are mostly vegan:
  • Main Dishes
  • Seafood
  • Soups
  • Snacks / Bread
  • Dips / Appetizers
  • Desserts

Instructions

    1. Choose any Lenten recipes from the list below.
    2. Click on the link below to get the full recipe and instructions.
    3. Try any of my Lenten recipes and share your photo on any of my Social Media!
    4. Kali Saracosti!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tried this recipe? Tag me @ivyliac and use the hashtag #kopiaste!

    Nistisimes Syntages (Lenten Recipes)

    Main Dishes:

    Arakas Laderos (Peas with carrots in tomato sauce)

    Agginares (artichokes) a la Polita

    Ampelofassoula or louvi (fresh black-eyed peas salad)

    Aromatic Blackeyed Peas with Wild Greens and Quinoa

    Black-eyed peas with spinach and Swiss chard in tomato sauce

    Black Giant Beans with Spinach and Pasta

    Briam (vegetable medley)

    Chickpea Burgers

    Chickpea Salad with Quinoa and Tahini Sauce

    Gemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers)

    Gigantes Plaki (Baked Giant beans)

    Koupepia (Dolmadakia) Gialantzi (stuffed vine leaves with rice and herbs)

    Fasolada (White beans in tomato sauce)

    Fakes Moutzentra (Cypriot lentils with rice)

    Koukia (Fava Beans) with Lemon  Sauce

    Kounoupidi me Patates Kapamas (stewed cauliflower with potatoes)

    Lahanoryzo

    Mpamies Giahni (stewed okra)

    Koukia (Broad Beans, peas and artichokes à la Polita)

    Fasolia Mavrommatika (Black-eyed peas)

    Fassolia Piaz (Greek White beans salad)

    Fasolakia Giahni  (Braised Green beans in tomato sauce)

    Fasolia Feneou

    Lentils with Carrοts, Orzo and Caramelized Onions

    Lentils and Bulgur Spicy Salad/Pilaf

    Patates lemonates (oven baked lemony potatoes)

    Patates Antinahtes (whole potatoes with red wine)

    Penne with Mushrooms, Roasted Garlic, Cilantro and Marinara Sauce

    Penne Skordalia (garlic dip) with Courgettes and Olives

    Pilafi pourgouri- (without the meat) Bulgur wheat pilaf

    Pommes Lyonnaises (potatoes with onions)

    Revithia (stewed chickpeas with spinach)

    Revithokeftedes me Garides (Shrimp – chickpea patties)

    Revithokeftedes (chickpea patties)

    Rice pilaf with vegetables and vermicelli

    Spanakoryzo (Spinach with rice)

    Spinach Risotto

    Veggie burgers

    Seafood:

    Garides (Shrimps) Saganaki

    Htapodi me makaronaki Kofto (Octopus with pasta)

    Htapodi (Octopus) Salad

    Kalamaria Gemista (Stuffed Squid)

    Octopus Risotto

    Shrimp Risotto

    Shrimp Risotto (2)

    Stewed Thrapsala (squid) with Mushrooms 

    Three recipes with Thrapsala (Short fin squid)

    Soups:

    Borscht (beetroot soup)

    Coconut Red Lentil Soup

    Fakes (Lentil Soup)

    Fava and Pumpkin Soup

    Hoummous Soup (chickpeas soup)

    Vegetable puree soup with pasta

    Bread / Snacks:

    Aladoti Eliopita (No Oil Olive Bread with Tahini)

    Bourekia me manitaria (turnovers with mushrooms)

    Eliopita, elioti, eliopitakia (olive pies)

    Eliopsomo (Olive Bread)

    Eliopsomο (olive bread) with Pesto

    Elioti (Olives Roulade)

    Focaccia with Kalamata Olives

    Kolokotes (Squash Turnovers)

    Koulouri Thessalonikis

    Koupes with Mushrooms

    Ladenia (Greek style pizza)

    Lagana with Garlicky Olives, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Rosemary

    Lagana (a flatbread)

    Olives and Carrot Bread Sticks and rolls

    Tahninopita (Tahini filled pastry)

    Tahinopsomo (Tahini Bread)

    Tahinopita me Mila (Tahini Bread with Apple Filling)

    Dips / appetizers / mezedes:

    Black-eyed pea patties

    Elies tsakistes (green crushed olives)

    Elies Kalamon (kalamata olives)

    Falafel

    Houmous (chickpeas dip)

    Melitzanosalata (Eggplant dip)

    Mpiftekia Revithion

    Pantzaria Xydata (Beets preserved in vinegar)

    Skordalia

    Spanakopita nistisimi (vegan spinach pie)

    Revithokeftedes (Chickpea Patties)

    Snails Stiffado Saganaki (without the feta)

    Taramosalata (Roe dip)

    Tahini Sauce (Tashi)

    Desserts:

    Acquafaba (vegan meringues)

    Almond and Strawberry Halvas

    Akoumia (Symian Doughnuts)

    Biscotti

    Bougatsa (a vegan custard filled pastry)

    Butternut Squash Mandarin Cake with Butternut Squash – Almond Glaze 

    Carrot cake with chocolate

    Carrot and Banana Cake

    Cherry Olive Oil Cake

    Chocolate Avocado Cake

    Chocolate Cake

    Chocolate Carrot Cake with Chocolate-Tahini Glazing

    Chocolate Orange Cake and Muffins

    Chocolate Puddings

    Coconut Whipped Cream

    Daktyla (almond filled lady fingers)

    Fanouropita (olive oil spice cake)

    Halvas (store bought) and Bourekia me Halva

    Halvas with Chocolate, Nuts & Dried Fruit

    Halvas with fruit and almonds

    Halvades:  Creative Pot Halvades

    Kattimerka

    Ladlokouloura (Olive oil biscotti)

    Loukoumades (Doughnuts)

    Mini Apple Turnovers with Homemade Apple Sauce

    Meringues with Acquafaba

    Moustalevria (grape must pudding)

    Moustokouloura 

    Pischies (Pastry bathed in syrup)

    Pastelli (Sesame Honey Candy with Peanuts)

    Roxakia (Orange Dough Cookies)

    Rosotto (Rose flavoured lactose free rice pudding)

    Ryzogalo (Rice Pudding) Gluten and Lactose Free

    Samali (semolina cake with mandarin and coconut)

    Shiamishi (pastry filled with semolina pudding)

    Strawberries with Chocolate

    Tahinopita (Tahini Bread) with Apples

    Tahinopsomo (Star Shaped Tahini Bread)

    Vegan Butternut Squash Mandarin cake

    Vegan Dessert with Store Bought Halvas

    You can find my Greek recipes in my cookbooks «More Than A Greek Salad» and«Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!» both available on all Amazon stores. Read more here.

    Lenten Recipes (mostly vegan)

    During the Greek Orthodox Fasting period, meat and animal prod­ucts (cheese, milk, butter, eggs, lard), fish (meaning fish with backbones), olive oil and wine (all alcoholic drinks) are not consumed during the weekdays of Great Lent  Octopus and shell-fish are allowed, as is vegetable margarine, shortening, and vegetable oils, gelatin, olives, as well as honey are allowed.

    Seafood

    Seafood

    Collage Lenten Recipes image

    Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!

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    Fiona

    Thursday 10th of September 2015

    Amazing Recipe and excellent experience of Cooking . This recipe seems easy to me i will try this within this week :)

    tanaya

    Wednesday 18th of March 2015

    looking so delicious and easy to make, thanks for sharing such a wonderful article.

    Sophia

    Tuesday 5th of August 2014

    Nice collection of recipes. The shrimp risotto looks really good. I will be preparing some meals for lent as well.

    Mercina

    Tuesday 31st of March 2009

    This is absolutely wonderful, Ivy. Thank you posting these lenten dishes. I'm going to make fakes soupa tomorrow. Take care!

    giz

    Friday 6th of March 2009

    Wow Ivy - and what will you cook for tomorrow (hahahaha). I love these customs and how people can change and do things they don't normally do when they feel purpose. Beautiful array of yummies.

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