Baked Banana Walnut French Toast, Diary Free

In the states we place a big emphasis on breakfast, and considering it is my favorite meal, I decided it was time to place more emphasis on morning recipes over the weekend. I will make two versions onfrench toast- the first, one with banana and coconut- two of Nikos favorite tastes.

This french toast was made last night and set to soak overnight in the fridge. This morning when I got up I took it out of the fridge for 20 minutes before putting it in the oven to bake, and then when done, drizzled with honey and another fresh banana. Turned out delicious!!

Baked Banana Walnut French Toast, Dairy Free

4 slices whole grain bread, high fiber

1 tsp non-dairy butter

2/3 cup almond milk

2 eggs (or 4 egg whites)

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 bananas

1/8 cup agave or honey

1/8 cup coconut, shredded

1/2 tsp cinnamon

dash of salt, nutmeg and allspice

(honey and banana for topping)

1. Combine almond milk, vanilla, and eggs and mix till creamy.

2. Arrange bread flat in a pan, spread a thin layer of sunflower spread (non-diary butter) and pour egg mixture over bread. Place in fridge overnight.

3. In morning mix last ingredients together and drizzle over bread.

4. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 180C. Take off foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

5. Drizzle with honey and fresh banana or coconut.

If serving for brunch, you could add dark chocolate chips, before you bake, to make the dish a bit naughty!

Hemp Omelet with homemade Ketchup

I have been feeling quite tired these days and I know this is a sign of two things: one, that I am not getting enough sleep, and two, that I need to incorporate more "whole" foods into my diet. Sometimes over the weekends Nikos and I tend to forage amongst sweets,
and my body can feel the difference. Today I made a point to start my week off right- with a nutritious meal.

Power Omelete

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or water)

1/4 cup chopped spring onions

handful parsley

corriander and cumin (my favorite spices and SO healthy for you!)

one large Myconian tomato

one medium organic bell pepper, diced

hemp seeds

Homemade Ketchup

1/3 cup tomato puree (fresh is best, but whatever you have will do!)

1 TBSP agave

dash of salt

I didn't use any oil in the pan, instead I allowed the juice from the tomato to wet the pan. I simmered all the ingredients together for about 5 minutes and then served with homemade ketchup and sprinkled with hemp seeds.

Irene's Chocolateria and Patisserie, Ekali, Greece

Nikos took me to one of his favorite dessert destinations in Northern Athens- Irene's. I was excited to check this place out, 1- because I LIVE for new adventures, especially food-related, and 2- my mom's name is Irene :)

We got a box full of nuts that were tossed in black sesames, tahini and black pepper, very interesting and unique. We also tried homemade truffles (dark, milk, praline)- the exterior was rather hard and the inside was a gooey chocolate ganache; simply divine. The praline flavor was my favorite- of course, I am always about the pralines :)

Nikos loves the profiteroles here- so that is a recommendation if you are able to make it to Irene's. Also, the gingerbread men looked delicious!

Most of all I loved the concept and feeling of the store, both fresh and serene. We will definitely be back for round two!

My first Greek Easter- Mykonos with the Family :)

EASTER, 2011

I had the full experience of the Greek Easter this year and it was FANTASTIC! We were in Mykonos with Nikos' family and spent most of our time, eating and relaxing. It was nice to see everyone

and to enjoy the festivities together. My favorite part of the weekend was the night we went to the church and lit the candles at midnight- it reminded me of a combination of July 4th (our independence day) and Christmas Eve. There were fireworks and the priests were singing, it was really beautiful.

The only part that was difficult was the strong wind, mainly beacuse Nikos and I have not been feeling 100% these days due to the fluctuations in weather.

Easter dinner (1AM on Easter)- The highlight was mageiritsa soup (intestine soup from the goat) and different kinds of meats, and salads. Also, there

were red eggs everywhere (the red signifies the blood of Christ and the egg, the rebirth as well as many other meanings). We played a game with the eggs, we all held one and tried to crack someone else's egg- the person with the last uncracked egg wins- although I am unaware what you win (obviously I lost!) There was also a lot of sweet bread, similar to challah bread, that had an egg baked in it (usually a red one). All the kids got new shoes, chocolates and a candle as a gift.

Easter Lunch (2PM on Easter)- There were three goats on the menu. One was put on a pit (this was difficult for me to see- as I used to be an avid vegan) and the others, well I am not sure what happened to the others. I suppose they were used for the soup and kokoretsi (meat wrapped in intestines and barbecued).

I loved Anna's Myconian pie the very best- it was made with homemade Myconian goat cheese and local greens. DELICIOUS. Thank you so much for making me feel like a part of the family :)

Vegan Seitan Salad- with savory sauce

While I am not a huge supporter of "fake" meat I do enjoy the taste of seitan from time to time. I used to eat a large amount of meat substitutes as a vegan and the high level of soy and gluten did not sit well with my body. Now that I have returned to a whole foods diet, consisting mainly of raw foods and some proteins and grains, I am able to eat some of these meat substitutes, but only on occasion. Seitan is made from wheat and is highly glutinous- so if you have any sensitivity to gluten this would be one of the worst dishes for you to eat. You can swap out the seitan for some organic meat or organic chicken if you wish.

Seitan Salad

One head romaine lettuce

4 carrots, shredded

handful of tomatoes

two onions, diced

300g seitan (or organic meat/chicken)

1 TBSP olive or sunflower oil

1/3 cup savory sauce, for topping

1. Chop seitan into quarter sized pieces and sauté with olive oil and onions for about 5 minutes.

2. Arrange romaine, carrots, tomatoes on a plate and top with seitan mixture.

3. Top with savory sauce, or dressing of your choice.

This is another version of the hot-cold salad that I enjoy so much. The hot food dampens the lettuce just a tad, which makes it easier to chew and yummier in my opinion. I allow my hot food to cool down just a bit so the salad I am eating still contains all the good for you nutrients.