Day 29: Updated on May 3rd, 2013 - Great Websites with Greek Lenten Recipes - April 15, 2013

Updated on May 3rd, 2013: 

We have added another great website, http://stuffedveggies.blogspot.com,  to this page.  Please read below (near the bottom of the page).

___________________________________________________________

We subscribe to the old adage that "A rising tide brings up all ships".  Although we enjoy knowing that we have readers from all over the world (over 85 countries in less than 13 months!), we cannot deny the inspiration that we draw from other websites which promote Lenten recipes. Some of these websites (usually blogs) subscribe to fasting due to a Greek or other Eastern Orthodox Christian ethos while others are basically food-based websites.  In today's entry, we would like to highlight several of these noteworthy websites for those of our readers who have never, possibly, come across them.

Here are the first four, in alphabetical order:

_____________________________________________________________

Bananawonder.com:  This entertaining website is the creation of Bananawonder (Ana), originally from California. Her blog is always interesting and fun to read and she invariably creates original recipes which fuse Greek and American ingredients and techniques.

Bananawonder.com also has a large collection of Lenten recipes in their own seperate section. Please click here for these recipes.

_____________________________________________________________

Kalofagas.ca:  This outstanding blog that passionately and very capably promotes Greek food and Greek ingredients has truly resonated in North America and in dozens of countries all over the world. Husband and I look forward to his insights into Greek cuisine in each of his entries. This website is usually updated 2-3 times a week and includes a weekly overview ("Greek Food Gazette")  of Internet stories about Greek food.

Peter Minakis, Mr. Kalofagas.ca himself, has a very extensive set of Lenten recipes  on his website. Please note that some recipes are vegan while others may contain crustaceans, fish or dairy. Overall, these Lenten recipes offer a choice for those who observe Lent to a wide range of fasting.

_____________________________________________________________

Adventures of an Orthodox Mom (www.OrthodoxMom.com): This fascinating website by Sylvia Leontaritis, a Greek American, has a focus that is clearly focused on the Orthodox Christian household. Her outstanding website discusses Lenten food within the context of how it fits in a practising Orthodox family's life. Although we first discovered St. Euphrosynos as the Orthodox patron saint of cooks in TheGreekVegan.com (see below), Sylvia has an interesting biography on this important saint.

A noteworthy feature that this wonderful website contains is a printable planner for Lent which she calls Lenten Meal Plan. This very well illustrated guide is followed by numerous interesting vegetarian or vegan recipes which are suitable for those interested in observing Lent from a dietary perspective.

_____________________________________________________________

Thegreekvegan.com:  Kiki, the Greek-American creator of this elegant website, literally has so many yummy looking recipes that it is almost overwhelming where to start first. The interface of this excellent webiste is very clear, simple and very well organized. Each of the hundreds of recipes is, by definition, vegan and contains clear photos that help the reader decide whether or not to try making the particular recipe. 

One of the several unique features of this website is a gardening section - yes! a gardening section. Being gardeners ourselves and since we grow a significant percentage of our annual supply of herbs and vleeta (amaranth plants), we genuinely enjoy reading Kiki's blog entries each and every time.  We must also note that it is in TheGreekVegan.com that we discoverd that Saint Euphrosynos is the patron saint of Orthodox cooks. Thanks Kiki!

Next week we will review other websites which we believe may be interesting to readers who want to to review Lenten-friendly recipes.

_____________________________________________________________

Although not technically a Greek-food based website, Anna, the creator of this genuinely fascinating website writes from..."A Christian Worldview (Greek Orthodox to be precise), with ideas for Lenten menus, and occasional posts on Christianity."

She includes very well organized and helpful sections such as "Menu Plans & Bulk Cooking Plans", "Freezer Friendly Recipes" and "Mixes and Variations". Sections and posts include the useful Month of Vegan & Lenten Menus, with Recipes, Bulk Cooking Plans, Menu for the First Week of Orthodox Christian Lent. 

We genuinely appreciate her comprehensive approach to food planning while using principles of frugality, clear explanations and a dedication to healthy, vegan or vegetarian foods within the context of an Orthodox Christian way of living. 

Although we have only recently come accross Anna's stuffedveggies.blogspot.com website, we are already big fans!

_____________________________________________________________

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Jesus Christ - Luke 6:37