Christmas is not the biggest holiday of the year in Greece (it's Easter), but it is an occasion to enjoy a traditional "holiday table" with friends and family. Preparing a "holiday table" means a soup, two or three main dishes covering the major meats and cooked in different ways, several salads, a couple of side dishes, lots of bread, cheeses, and of course, olives.
Pork is a traditional meat at the Christmas meal, and if we make a turkey or chicken, it's stuffed - generally with a stuffing that includes ground meat.
It's all followed up with a selection of traditional sweets, Greek coffee and spirits, and Christopsomo (literally, Christ's Bread}, a sweet bread decorated with walnuts.
Menu
Soup & Starter
Chicken and Rice Soup
Stuffed Cabbage (Yiaprakia)
Salads
Tzatziki
Beet & Garlic Salad
Cabbage Salad
Greek Country Salad
Main Dishes
Lemon Pork with Celery
Roast Lamb with Sage & Thyme
Stuffed Turkey or Chicken with Lamb & Rice Stuffing
Cheesy Baked Pasta (for a meatless dish)
Side Dishes
Fried Potatoes
Spinach & Cheese Pie
Cheeses
Slices of feta cheese
Slices of another table cheese