vegan

Fanouropita (A Cake for Lost Things)

Published: Aug 31, 2018 · Last updated: Aug 31, 2018 by Marissa

In Greece, fanouropita is made on August 27th to honor Saint Fanourios, the saint of lost things. His name comes from the Greek word “fanerono” which means “I reveal.” The tradition of baking this cake is that it will help you find something that is lost, whether it’s a thing, person, or maybe even peace of mind! It’s an orange-olive oil cake made with warm spices (vegan-friendly).

Happy last day of August, friends! Before we dive into today’s scrumptious recipe, I’d like to remind you all that summer is not over yet. The last day of summer is on September 22nd, which means we still have time for more beach fun and all that goodness. K!? K.

Moving on, let’s talk about cake! Today’s recipe is a tasty Greek cake called fanouropita and it’s known as the cake for lost things. There’s a religious aspect behind the story linked to this cake, which you can easily Google if you want to know more than what I’ll explain below! I don’t consider myself to be all that religious and won’t dive into too much detail here (but it is important to me that I stay connected with my Greek-American culture)….

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Melitzanosalata (Greek Eggplant Dip)

Published: Oct 16, 2016 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

Melitzanosalata is a Greek dip made with eggplant, crushed garlic, grated onion, chopped parsley, and extra virgin olive oil. It can be flavored with red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, depending on preference. It’s typically served as a meze with crusty bread.

Happy Monday, friends!

I’ve missed you. How are you doing? I’ve been super busy lately, but in a good way, I think!

If you caught my last post where I reviewed Rumiano Cheese, I talked a little about how I picked up a part-time job and it involves working with lots various cheeses! The plan for the Rumiano review came before I found the job, but it seemed rather fitting the two ended up tying in together in some way. In addition to the cheesy part-time deliciousness, I also picked up some freelance work. It’s all been very awesome and exciting because it’s nice to work again. You know what else is nice? Making some money. Now, instead of ripping all of my hair out, I’m only ripping out a small portion. Things are still slightly stressful, but only slightly at this point. So you know. Progress!

With all of this excitement going down, I should have more stability and consistency in my life, which hopefully means more recipes for you! I’ve been so sad about not being able to share as much as I’ve wanted to on the blog lately and I really, really want to change that. Thanks for always coming back to my little home, especially when my schedule gets so ridiculous and I don’t publish anything for a whole month. You’re insanely awesome and I wouldn’t be doing this without you. I appreciate you. <3…

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Za’atar

Published: Jun 16, 2016 · Last updated: Oct 23, 2018 by Marissa

Za’atar is a blend of herbs and spices that’s popular throughout the Middle East. There are many variations of za’atar, with thyme, toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and salt commonly being the staple ingredients used.

Oh, heyyyyy.

Happy Thursday to you, friends! It feels like it’s been forever since I shared a new recipe. I’m glad to be back at it today! It seemed like such a mission to get here.

I took photos for this post well over a week ago and I ran into the most ridiculous issues all over the place since.

My computer decided it would just overheat and crash when I was using Photoshop and Lightroom to work on said photos. Jason fixed it because he’s a friggen magician (or maybe he just knew what to do because he built this PC for me in the first place, but I’m still going with magician).
I forgot how to edit photos, I guess? On average, a blog post takes me 4-6 hours from cooking to publishing, but this post had me working for days. The problem was I overexposed these photos like whoa during the shoot and it was a bit of a struggle to edit post-shoot. I ended up retaking some photos a few days ago to balance it out. That said, I’m pretty sure they don’t look quite right, but sometimes you just gotta stop being a perfectionist and move on.
My blog broke, but just for me. I started to write up this blog post on Tuesday and ran into issues trying to upload the photos. Seriously. These photos had already given me so much trouble and now I couldn’t even upload them? They quickly became the bane of my existence (but then I remembered za’atar is so delicious and stopped being mad at the photos). I tried a couple of things to troubleshoot and proceeded to upload again. Apparently, I pissed something off because I quickly lost access to my own site. And I panicked. I thought it was down for everyone and I broke it somehow and it was the end of the world. Turns out, all of my friends had no problem accessing the site and I didn’t have an issue as long as I wasn’t connected to my home network too. I spent yesterday doing more troubleshoot fun and figured maybe my internet provider blocked my IP address, so I contacted them and nothing. Then I contacted my host last night and they were the ones who blocked my IP, but they quickly unblocked it and fixed the error I was getting on file upload all in about ten minutes. Apparently, the firewall decided to become strict for no reason, causing the error to occur. And me being a stubborn Greek trying to overlook the error by repeating failed uploads caused the IP block because my host was basically all “BAD NEWS BEARS.” Great story, right?

Thanks for indulging me by “listening” to my rants. You’re the best. Let’s move on to tastier subjects, yeah?…

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Chocolate Espresso Pie Bars

Published: May 24, 2016 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

These no-bake chocolate espresso pie bars are made with an almond and walnut crust and a creamy filling of chocolate and coconut milk. They’re paleo and vegan friendly!

Updated on May 24th, 2016: New content, new recipe instructions, and new photos. Get hype!

Originally published on March 11th, 2015.

Chocolate > everything else. True story.

I have a sweet tooth. It’s a problem. I want to eat cakes, cookies, and anything with chocolate all the time. ALL THE TIME. It’s why I try, and I really emphasize the word “try,” to keep sugar out of the house a lot of the time. Because if I always have it on hand, I will bake a dozen of cookies and eat all of them and love and hate myself at the same time for it. I’m not saying that’s something I did recently. But I’m not saying it’s something I didn’t do either.

You know what I always keep in the house, though? Maple syrup, honey, and a variety of chocolates. So really, who am I kidding here?

Oh, is this why I haven’t been losing much weight? LOLOL….

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Spicy Shredded Cabbage

Published: Mar 9, 2016 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

Raise your hand if you love cabbage! *raises hand*

I do. I friggen love cabbage and it’s become a staple in this house. My usual go-to for something quick and easy has been unstuffed cabbage because it’s so tasty! One of my other favorites is actual stuffed cabbage, which isn’t on the blog yet, but that will change one of these days.

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for spicy shredded cabbage! A Greek inspired braised dish spiced with cinnamon and cloves! It’s super easy to make, healthy, and delicious!

…

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Skordalia (Greek Potato and Garlic Dip)

Published: Dec 1, 2015 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

Skordalia is a traditional Greek dip made with a potato base, lots of garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt. It pairs really well with fried fish and/or vegetables.

Opa!

Are you planning on kissing anyone today? I’m asking because I got a delicious, garlicky treat for you and I just want to make sure you plan accordingly. I got your back.

Today, we are talking about skordalia (skor-thal-YAH)! When pronouncing it, you want to make a hard “th” sound, as if you are saying “the,” but with the letter L at the end of it. Now, you try it. See? Greek is easy.

Skordalia is a Greek dip that has a few variations when it comes to the base of the dish. Some are made with potatoes (which is the recipe I’m sharing with you today), others are made with bread, almonds, or walnuts. And some variants call for a combination of the ingredients. You might be asking how a dip with a bread-base works: it’s made with stale bread that has been soaked in water. I plan to explore different variations in the future, but I’m happy to share the potato one with you today!

Whether the recipe is made with potatoes, bread, nuts, or a combination, the remaining ingredients don’t differ all that much. It’s made with raw garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, wine vinegar, and salt; a combination that marries together so well.

I’ve had both the bread variant and potato; my yiayia always made it with potatoes growing up, so that is the flavor and texture I remember and enjoy the most. When I first tried skordalia, I was probably about six or seven years old and I didn’t love it. I remember my dad had some as a side with some fish and I wanted to try it. It’s made with a decent amount of raw, crushed garlic; maybe not a young kid’s favorite….

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Spanakorizo (Spinach and Rice)

Published: Nov 11, 2015 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

Raise your hand if you love giveaways! *raises both hands*

This giveaway has ended. Congrats to Michelle K!

I’m really excited, you guys. Like, SUPER excited. Because of giveaways! I love them. I teamed up with some bloggers a while back for the first giveaway on the blog and this time, I teamed up with even more bloggers to give away an even awesomer prize. How does a $650 Amazon gift card sound?

The holidays are coming up; there’s no denying it. This giveaway will be running up until the day before Thanksgiving, which means one of you lucky people will get to shop in your pajamas while stuffing your face with Thanksgiving leftovers. You animal.

If celebrating the holidays isn’t your thing, that’s cool. Cause you could still use this gift card to buy things for others if you’re feeling nice. Or you can just treat yo self.

To celebrate this awesome giveaway, I’m sharing a classic one pot Greek dish called spanakorizo (spah-nah-KOH-ree-zoh), which is a tasty dish made of rice, spinach, onions, dill, and lemon. I like to include leeks in mine because leeks are the best. Some variants call for some tomato sauce, which is also good, but I admit this way is my favorite and how I grew up eating this classic Greek dish….

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One Pot Greek Eggplant and Rice

Published: Oct 15, 2015 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

You guys!

Sunday was a big deal for me. And I didn’t even realize it was a big deal until a couple of days ago! I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t paid much attention to the dates.

Sunday marked the four year anniversary of me quitting smoking. I last bought a pack of cigarettes on October 11th, 2011, smoked maybe a couple cigarettes from that pack, and got rid of the rest. And I haven’t looked back since. Yay for smoke-free living!

I think I missed it because I was too busy playing catch-up on blog stuff along with everything else. With working overtime the last couple of weeks, it’s been a little tough keeping up with life!…

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Tourlou Tourlou

Published: Sep 25, 2015 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

I love when healthy tastes good. I don’t mean just good, but goooooood. You know what I’m saying?

Today, I’m sharing a tasty recipe called tourlou tourlou! It’s one of my favorite things to say. You gotta know how to roll those Rs to say it properly. It’s basically pronounced like “toodaloo,” but a little quicker than you might say toodaloo and also, you would say it twice because reasons.

Actually, tourlou tourlou basically means “all mixed together” (in Greek, duh) and it’s a medley of vegetables roasted in the oven long enough for them to soften and sweeten. And I find it tastes even better the next day. Whenever I visit home and my dad happened to make this, he offers me a bunch to take home and I never say no. Cause it’s too good to say no to. <3

…

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Horta Vrasta (Boiled Dandelion Greens)

Published: Sep 21, 2015 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

Okay, guys. I have a confession to make. I’m slowly re-branding my blog.

I don’t know; does that really make it a confession? A little dramatic, maybe? Either way, tiny changes are happening and I’m excited!

First: the bigger change: I’m going to start focusing more on Mediterranean food, especially the Greek stuff! I’ll still share recipes outside of that because really, I love all food (duh), but I can’t deny how passionate I am towards Mediterranean cuisine. Being a first generation American, I grew up in a typical old school Greek household and had a strong connection with the food and culture. So while you’ll see recipes like homemade marshmallow sauce and bacon and egg lo mein from time to time, you’ll be seeing a lot more Greek food and such, like this psari plaki! I hope you’re hungry. I know I am….

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Kale and Avocado Salad

Published: Jul 10, 2015 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

Updated on July 10th, 2015: Simple Kale Salad was the fourth post on OMG FOOD, back when I also purchased a DSLR for the first time and I had no idea what I was doing (I still don’t know, really)! I’ve updated this post with a new photo, new title: Kale and Avocado Salad, and a “new” recipe with instructions that make better sense.

Originally published on February 26th, 2014.

Kale has become a staple in our kitchen the last few months. If you were to look in my fridge each week, you are almost guaranteed to find some in there. I can’t guarantee that 100% because there’s always the chance it will all have been eaten before the next trip to the grocery store.

Anyway, I’m trying to tell you here that I’m really into kale and one of my favorite things to make with kale is this kale and avocado salad. Moving on.

Sound boring? Only if you make it so! Whenever I cook with kale or make salads, I make sure to dress it include properly. Because, yeah. Kale as is? It is kind of boring in my opinion! It can also be a tough and bitter to eat raw without preparing it the right way. How do you prepare it for raw foods such as salads? You massage it!…

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Maple Roasted Pecans

Published: Mar 24, 2015 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

I attempted to make sweet potato pancakes on Sunday, but they just didn’t work out. I think I put too much leftover sweet potato in the batter. It wouldn’t cook in the middle and I was really sad about it. I should have taken photos for another OMGFAIL post, but I was too hungry to think about that at the time.

My plan was to have tasty sweet potato pancakes topped with tasty maple roasted pecans, but since that was a bust, I trashed the batter and started over, making good ole’ fashioned buttermilk pancakes instead. Thankfully, those did not come out terrible and I was able to enjoy them with the pecans. I also made a browned butter amaretto maple syrup, which was off. the. hook. Seriously, it was deeeee-licious. I’ll get the recipes for the buttermilk pancakes and syrup on here eventually. I promise….

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Chocolate Avocado “Milkshake”

Published: Mar 5, 2014 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

Chocolate Avocado "Milkshake"

OMGCHOCOLATE. This chocolate avocado “milkshake” is more of a smoothie (there’s no dairy in it), but the avocado adds a delicious, creamy texture; it reminds me of having a healthier milkshake.

Are you weirded out by chocolate and avocado being in the same sentence and food? If so, that’s okay; I thought it was weird at first, too! If someone came to me five years ago and said, “Someday, you will have an avocado smoothie and LIKE IT,” I think I would have laughed? Maybe? Okay, probably not. I’m always up for trying new things, but I was not about eating “healthy” for a very long time. These days? I embrace it!

As long as it also tastes good, that is….

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Chocolate Chip Banana Hazelnut Ice Cream (Paleo)

Published: Feb 28, 2014 · Last updated: Jan 7, 2018 by Marissa

chocolate-banana-ice-cream

It’s Cheat Day Friday and omgfood has been live for one week. To celebrate both events, we’re having paleo ice cream!

Did you know you can turn just frozen bananas into ice cream? I had no clue until a few months back when my friend, Emily, gave me the scoop. See what I did there? I’m not going to apologize for that joke. I’m owning it….

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