Favorite Recipes for the Lenten Season

Stifatho (stifado) dishes are stews made with a lot of onions, in a tomato and oil sauce. This is a delightful main dish that also meets dietary requirements.

Another deceptively simple dish, potatoes are stewed with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and seasonings to create a hearty and warming dish.

Fava is made with yellow split peas (or yellow daal), and puréed to create an light appetizer or meze that, during Lent, goes exceptionally well with salty dishes as well as dark leafy greens. This is a great dish for vegetarians and vegans as well.

This version without cheese is as popular with Greeks as the version with cheese, and is a popular Lenten and fasting dish. Although the name for this dish is often used for the spinach pie with cheese, traditional spanakopita does not include cheese. Made with other greens, this pie is called hortopita.

If you aren't familiar with bulgur (also spelled "bulghur"), it is partially hulled wheat that has been soaked, steamed, dried, then crushed - and it can basically be used wherever you might use rice. It cooks quickly - like rice - and it has a wonderful nutty flavor. Bulgur is one of my favorite grains, and if you haven't tried it, this might be the perfect opportunity.