My Christmas recipes for you to choose what to cook during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays!
Take the stress out of cooking this Christmas or New Year, with Greek and other festive recipes. With starters, mains, sides, salads and desserts, we have your Christmas menu all wrapped up!
At the end of the post you will find a lot of ideas to choose from.
We celebrated Christmas today!!
Hope you all had lovely Holidays.
I cannot say the same, as we had to spend a whole day in hospital on Wednesday, after my son had a stomach virus and then on Christmas day my husband caught it as well but thank God it only lasted for a few days and they are beginning to feel much better.
Our Christmas presents are still under the tree as no one was in the mood of opening them on Christmas day.
My son was planning to do his shopping the day he got ill, so he did not manage to buy all his gifts, so we have decided to open them on New Year’s Day.
I still brined and stuffed a turkey for Christmas although we had lots of leftover for the next day.
We sort of celebrated Christmas today as it was the first day the whole family was feeling like eating so I made a few special treats for them.
All the following recipes are my concoctions, except the tyropitakia, although they also had a tweak.
Before today’s recipes, I made this recipe Turkey Pie Roulade last weekend and have used turkey mince which I sauteed and you can see most of the ingredients I used in the collage. I then wrapped the cooked minced meat in a provencal galette pastry and baked it.
I decorated it with pastry Christmas trees and a pink peppercorn on top.
The ingredients used in my recipe is for two roulades. You can always add half the ingredients but I am of the opinion that if you can freeze food, as in this case, you save time and money by making it once and have more time for your family or for yourself.
I made a similar roulade today but I made a different phyllo similar to kourou which is a phyllo with butter and yoghurt. The minced meat was not cooked but as I said I usually make more quantities and freeze them and in this case I had some turkey burgers ready which I used.
Again I made a Turkey Roulade enclosed in Kourou phyllo but with a different approach as it was filled with boiled eggs, smoked turkey fouantre and some Greek cheeses.
I made more phyllo and used it to make kourou tyropitakia with two different cheeses (mini cheese pies).
Last but not least I made a special baklavas and I believe that no one else has made anything similar before. It has three kinds of nuts in it, the usual spices and after baking it I dipped it in chocolate.
There is nothing special to what I have described above but apart from the nuts I have used another unusual ingredient in the filling which makes all the difference and made a totally different syrup which you can see in the picture that it is pink.
I am not sure whether I will post again before the end of the year so I am sending you my best wishes for Happy holidays and all the best for the upcoming New Year, with lots of tasty food and good health to enjoy them!
Christmas Recipes
Here are some ideas for the Christmas table:
Main Dishes:
Wild Boar (Agriogourouno sti gastra)
Agriogourouno sti gastra (pr. ah-ghree-oh-GHOU-rhou-nho sti GAH-strah), is wild boar, marinated and slowly cooked in a "gastra" which is a Greek Dutch oven.
Roasted wild boar with sage and honey
Today I am posting another recipe, which is suitable for a festive occasion. Wild boar with sage and honey. Wild boar isn't something we cannot get everyday in Greece. We can, however, get it during the Christmas and New Year's holidays, so I plan to make it during the holidays.
Makaronia tou Fournou or Pastitsio (Cyprus style)
Makaronia tou Fournou means pasta baked in the oven and is a common dish in Cyprus, often served as a main course, with a salad but in Cyprus it is an essential dish during all celebrations.
Greek Sausage Lasagna
This Greek Sausage Lasagna is made with Greek leek sausages, with feta and goat cheese, topped with a Greek Bechamel sauce
Bogana (Greek Roasted Leg of Lamb with Tomatoes)
Bogana is a traditional holiday dish from Argolida, with Leg of Lamb, roasted with whole baby potatoes and tomatoes. What makes it different and more delicious from other roasted lamb is the addition of ewe's and goat milk butter which gives its wonderful taste.
Roasted Pork stuffed and wrapped in vine leaves
This Greek roasted pork is a twist to a classic dish made with lamb, which is perfect for any festive occasion.
Pork Tenderloin with Quince, Prunes and Chestnuts
The combination of quince with the sweet taste of prunes and the natural sweet taste of pork and the fortified Cyprio wine, called Commandaria, makes it a gourmet meal and I highly recommend it.
Beef Bourguignon
BÅ“uf à la Bourguignonne, also called Beef Burgundy is perhaps one of the most famous dishes of Julia Child.Â
Moschari Noua (Pot Roast Veal or Beef)
Moschari Noua takes its name from the Greek word "Moschari", which is veal and "Noix de Veau" which is the top rump, also known as silverside in many other countries.
Noua as we call it in short, is a pot roast beef or veal using the above cut.  It can be cooked in a pressure cooker, in a pot or Dutch oven.
Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Casserole)
Pastitsio is a Greek baked pasta dish with meat sauce between two layers of tubular pasta and topped with bechamel sauce.
Thyme Chicken Fricassee
Thyme Chicken Fricassee is a dish made with chicken breast cut into thin slices, stewed in chicken stock and served in a white sauce made with milk or cream.
Appetizers, Salads and Dips
Tyropitari
Tyropitari pronounced Tee-rho-pee-TAH-ree, is a homemade Greek pastry filled with feta cheese and deep fried, which is served as an appetizer.
Tyropita Strifti (Greek Cheese Pie)
Tyropita (pronounced tee- ROH -pee-ta) from tyri = cheese and pita = pie and Strifti (pronounced stri-FTEE), which means twisted.  It takes it's name from the way the cheese pie is shaped.
Tyropita with Kataifi, Feta and Four Cheeses
Tyropita (pronounced Ti-ROH-pee-tah) is usually made made with layers of buttered phyllo and filled with feta.  In this Tyropita I used Kataifi and five different kind of cheeses.  You can add only feta if you prefer and other cheese that melt well when baking.
Homemade Kourou Phyllo Dough with Olive Oil
Kourou Phyllo is a flaky dough for sweet and savoury pies, made with extra virgin olive oil, Greek yoghurt, eggs and flour. Fill with your favorite sweet or savoury pie filling.Â
Tyropitakia (Cheese Triangles with Feta)
These tasty cheese-filled triangles are finger foods which can be served as appetizers, mezedes, side dishes, and snacks.
Easy Feta Pie (Alevropita) in ten minutes
This Easy Feta Pie also called Alevropita, can't get any easier to make. It is made with a batter in which feta is crumbled inside and on top and it is ready in ten minutes.
Kolokythokeftedes (Zucchini Patties or Fritters)
Kolokythokeftedes (pr. ko-lo-kee-tho-ke-FTE-thes) are one of the best mezedes (or appetizers) you can find in any Greek taverna during summer.
Homemade Falafels
Falafels are deep-fried balls traditionally found in Middle Eastern cuisine, usually made from ground chickpeas, though some variants contain broad beans or fava beans
Tambouli Salad, Tabouli or Tabbouleh
Tambouli salad, also written as tabouli or tabbouleh, is a refreshing parsley salad, which is made with bulgur wheat tomatoes, onion, cucumber, fresh mint and dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
Dakos Savoury Greek Cheesecake
This Dakos Savoury Greek Cheesecake, is the perfect appetizer when you need to feed a crowd. A savoury cheesecake I made during Christmas, based on the Greek Cretan recipe for Dakos.
Tashi (Τahini) Dip
Tashi is a Cypriot vegan dip made with tahini, garlic and lemon juice. It goes well with almost any food and this appetizer is served in all Cypriot restaurants.
Grilled Halloumi and Fig Appetizer
Grilled halloumi, especially over coals, is amazing by itself and figs are among my favourite summer fruit.  When grilled, with the help of a little honey, they caramelize and the addition of mint pairs so well, making them taste out of this world.
Traditional Greek Tzatziki
Tzatziki is a traditional Greek appetizer, made with Greek strained yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, salt, vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, usually accompanying meat dishes.
Dakos Salad
Dakos is a Cretan salad made with barley rusk, finely chopped tomato, capers and olives, topped with Xinomyzithra (a local Cretan cheese).
Desserts
The Best Chocolate Honey Baklavas Tart
Baklavas Tart is a twist to the classic Greek baklavas dessert made with walnuts and topped with chocolate ganache.
No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Biscuit Fridge Cake
This No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Biscuit Fridge Cake is easy to make and delicious. It is made using three layers of Petit Beurre biscuits, dark chocolate pastry cream, chocolate ganache and hazelnuts.
Gingerbread Cookies with Carob Syrup
These classic gingerbread cookies are made with carob syrup instead of molasses and perfect to add to your Christmas cookies recipes.
White Christmas Fruit Cake
Ever since the British occupation of Cyprus, Christmas cake has been a big part of our holiday celebrations. Many families have a traditional recipe for a Christmas Cake and ours is no exception.
Black Lava Orange Gateau, A gourmet dessert made out of leftovers
This Black Lava Orange Gateau, is easy to make and was made out of leftover Christmas Cookies, nuts, whipped cream and chocolate.
Melt in your mouth Kourabiedes
Kourabies (pl. kourabiedes) are the Greek shortbread cookies made during Christmas. In the older times, before the use of the mixer, these cookies needed elaborate preparation and that was done by hand, so these were made for special occasions such as weddings, christenings and other celebrations.
Aromatic Kourabiedes
These aromatic Kourabiedes (Greek Christmas cookies) are flavoured with vanilla and citrus blossom water.
Chocolate Truffles from Christmas Leftover desserts
These easy Christmas chocolate truffles are a great way to make them with Christmas leftover desserts. You can use any leftover cookies or cakes you have to make them.
Stracciatella and Mocha Mars Chocolate Cake
This Stracciatella, Mocha, Cream Cheese and Mars Cake is made with chocolate sponge cake, wet with caramel espresso coffee, filled with a whipped cream and cream cheese filling and topped with a Mars Chocolate ganache.
Lemon Buttercream Vassilopita
This classic Orange flavoured Vassilopita cake pairs well with an orange or Lemon Buttercream.
Christmas Chocolate Carob Yule Log (Bûche de Noël)
This Christmas Chocolate Carob Yule Log is made with sponge cake, filled with chocolate mousse and covered with a chocolate carob flavoured buttercream.
Christmas Chocolate Wafer Coconut Roulade
This Christmas Chocolate Wafer Coconut Roulade is made with a biscuit base crust and is filled with pastry cream, topped with chocolate ganache.
Eggless Nanaimo Salepi (Sahlab) Bars
Nanaimo Bars are a classic Canadian Christmas dessert. They are made with a chocolate biscuit base, coconut, and walnut crust then topped with a layer of custard and topped with chocolate.
Galatopita with phyllo
Galatopita, which means milk pie, is a traditional sweet pie from Arcadia, Peloponnese. The original recipe was made during Easter.
Galaktoboureko (Greek semolina Pudding wrapped in phyllo)
Galaktoboureko, is a semolina custard dessert, baked between phyllo dough, then drenched in a scented syrup when finished.
Coconut Revani with Butter and Lemon Flavour
Revani (pr. Reh-vah-KNEE) sometimes also written as ravani, is a light semolina sponge cake made with olive oil and Greek yoghurt, decorated with almonds and bathed in syrup.Â
White Chocolate and Chestnut Nanaimo Bars
A twist to the classic Nanaimo bars featuring chestnuts in the biscuit base, the filling made with diplomat cream, topped with white and dark chocolate and served with a candied chestnut on top.
My original Dulce de Leche Banoffee Cheesecake with Greek Yoghurt
My first attempt on making Banoffee Cheesecake, inspired by Delia Online.
New Year's Vassilopita Tsoureki
New Year's Vassilopita Tsoureki is a brioche kind of Greek Sweet Bread made for New Year's Day.Â
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!
fimère
Monday 4th of January 2010
belles photos et des bonnes recettes à bientôt
tasteofbeirut
Friday 1st of January 2010
Glad to hear you nurse everyone back to good health! Wishing you a great 2010 filled with fun and good health!
fimère
Thursday 31st of December 2009
Happy New Year I will offer my best wishes for happiness and success next year
wizzythestick
Wednesday 30th of December 2009
I especially loved your roulade. I really must try it. All the best to you for the New Year
Karine
Wednesday 30th of December 2009
I hope everyone is feeling better!!
Your baklavas look sensational
Happy New Year to you and your family!