This spring and summer I’m sharing a lot of classic recipes that satisfy and giving them a new twist. For this week’s episode I’m making this with classic summer tuna sandwich and turning it into Mediterranean Tuna Salad. We all love the classic version of tuna salad in our house. It’s makes for a great, easy meal no matter the time of day. My kids like it on toasted bread and served as a sandwich. It can also be served on a nice bed of lettuce or stuffed in an avocado. Somet

I love sheet pan dinners because they make a meal so efficient. The ingredients are cooked on the same pan and the clean-up is so incredibly easy! This Shrimp with Fennel & Chickpeas is one of those sheet pan meals that sounds like it would be complicated because to the multiple ingredients, but it’s actually simple because it’s made on one single pan.   This recipe begins with preparing the ingredients in their bowls. Make sure everything is tossed evenly with the marinade s

There’s something so satisfying about a cool, protein-rich salad in the warmer months. This Creamy Shrimp Salad with Crunchy Vegetables is one of those salads. When the days heat up, I am less inclined to make lots of hot food, especially mid-day. I find that my catering clients often prefer cool salads for lunches for the same reason. This is when I turn to make shrimp salads and chicken salads with lots of fresh vegetables.  I love this particular recipe because it’s a whol

When you’re looking for a great pasta dish that delivers year-round, look no further than Linguine with Clams. This is probably one of the most classic pasta dishes on the planet and it’s one of my favorites. Mediterranean cuisine incorporates a lot of seafood so I’ve eaten this since I was little. I loved it in the winter as a warm, comforting meal, and I also loved it in the summer with fresh clams on the Jersey shore.  These days I’m able to find fresh clams at the seafood

I love the new trend of bowl-style meals. The idea is that there are a lot of ingredients in one bowl and a beautiful dressing unifies all the flavors. Then, all the ingredients are mixed together and eaten bite by bite, instead of remaining separate on a plate. Bowl recipes typically have lots of ingredients and taste wonderful because the ingredients are picked to complement one another with each bite. I like to top them with a protein like chicken or shrimp to make them in

If you’re a fan of seafood, this recipe for Classic Fried Smelts (Atherina) with Caramelized Onions is bound to become a favorite in your kitchen. These tiny fish, with their delicate flavor and crispy texture, are a staple in Mediterranean cuisine, and when paired with sweet, caramelized onions, they create a dish that’s nothing short of divine. Whether you’re planning a casual gathering or just craving a taste of the sea, this recipe is sure to impress. Before You Begin: Pr

These Herbed Grilled Shrimp Skewers are the most flavorful way to eat and cook shrimp in the summer. I like to make them in the warmer months because I can very easily prepare them in advance during the day by placing them in their marinade in the fridge until it’s time for dinner. I typically soak the bamboo skewers before I’m ready to grill them and place the pre-marinated shrimp on the skewers while the grill is warming up. The nice thing about this marinade is that it’s m

Nothing screams summer in New England like a lobster roll! I know there are two sides to this, but we prefer ours made with melted butter instead of mayonnaise. To each their own, if you want to use mayo in this recipe it will work just as well.  I start with a pre-cooked lobster tail that I typically buy. However, this can also be made with any lobster you have leftover from dinner or a restaurant. Then, I toss it with melted butter and add it to the bread kone and top it wi

It’s so fun that bowl meals have become so popular. I’ve come to love making them because they’re a neat way to serve a meal with separate elements that mix together to make a unique flavor. This Spicy Salmon with Mango Avocado Salsa and Coconut Rice is truly one of my favorites because it brings the tropical flavors I love right into my kitchen. The best way to approach a bowl meal is to prepare each element separately and then bring it together at the very end. In this reci

We love a good sheet pan meal in our house. There is nothing better than really being able to make an entire meal in one fell swoop. Also, it always seems kind of amazing to me that the asparagus and shrimp cook perfectly evenly every single time. Roasting asparagus is one of my favorite ways to prepare it. I like how it tenderizes the vegetables without making it too watery. Similarly, when I use this method, the shrimp are always cooked to the perfect tenderness without bei

Salmon with Pesto & Pistachios is a fantastic weeknight meal that is a real crowd pleaser. This recipe is more of a method than anything too formal, which is the best kind of simplicity in the kitchen. I first learned how to make this from a friend of mine from college. We all have a fun text chain going, and when our kids were young we exchanged a lot of quick recipe ideas. This was one of them! This recipe has evolved over the years in our family and this is where it stands

I had a lot of fun making this episode because I was finally able to demystify how to make Grilled Octopus. Octopus is a very common food in Greece. It’s plentiful in the waters surrounding the country and is often able to be purchased inexpensively. I really love to order it as much as possible when I’m there! Octopus is more expensive in America, so I definitely understand that this is not a dish people will make weekly. However, when you are ready to splurge, here’s how yo

Today we are making Octopus Yiouvetsi, which is Octopus with Tomato & Orzo. You might recall that I made lamb version of this recipe ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZntItLVu50 ) last winter, because it is a great hearty dish for cooler weather. This is a similar recipe only with fresh cooked baby octopus as the main ingredient. This makes the dish a little lighter and more unique, and it’s a lot of fun to make. Baby Octopi are great for this recipe because they are easy t

This Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Board is the perfect savory appetizer to serve at your next party. It’s easy to make and super eye-catching. They key to making any board appetizer is to begin with a very clean, smooth board. If your board has cracks or deep scratches, I recommend lining it with parchment paper. First, spread the cream cheese all over the board in a thick, even layer. I use regular cream cheese from the grocery store that’s been set at room temperature for an

Fried Calamari is a classic summer dish. I’ve made Grilled Calamari ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkSBbpUMRIc ) on this show before, but today I’m making the fried version so you can see how to make this one too. Both versions are very popular, but I do find that children tend to like the fried version better because it’s more common in restaurants. A lot of people are unsure about home frying, but I promise it’s not as intimidating as you think! To begin the dish, I buy

As parents we all need a few back-pocket recipes. These are the dishes that are truly free of controversy at the dinner table. For my family one of those recipes is Shrimp Scampl. This is a classic recipe that I’ve worked on perfecting over the years and make several times a month. My kids will eat it and it always turns out beautifully. When I say it is simple and easy to get on the table, I really mean it. Just watch!. The key to shrimp scampi is to keep it simple. I start

I’m excited to share this recipe with you because it was incredibly popular at our Greek restaurant and it is very easy to make it home. Baked Cod with Spinach & Chickpeas is one of those dishes that works well on a weeknight, but looks beautiful when plated up for a more formal meal. You literally can’t go wrong. Like most of my favorite Greek recipes, the ingredients with this one are very simple, which is why it’s important to make sure they are very fresh. I always start

This is a cool new appetizer I made recently and I just had to share it. It’s a jumbo shrimp wrapped in shredded phyllo dough with a yummy olive aioli to dip it in. These are a blast to make and everyone who eats them loves them. I based this on the concept of a wrapping savory foods in phyllo, which is fairly common in Greek cooking. As you’ve seen, we often make triangles stuffed with all kinds of yummy savory fillings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrrncLx77CE The cool pa

This recipe for fried cod is absolutely delicious. It’s a great method for making fried fish that is light, tasty, and versatile. On Palm Sunday I serve this with potato dip, but I also make this other times of year. I often use it to make fish tacos in the summer, and it is great served with homemade french fries (link), for a true fish-n-chips meal. Since this recipe is so simple it’s important that the fish is very high quality. I usually get mine at the fish market, or a

Today I’m sharing my Greek Shrimp Wrap, a yummy sandwich we used to serve at our Greek restaurant that was extremely popular with our customers. The beauty of this sandwich is that it’s very easy to make fresh and it’s not too heavy. It is nice and hearty in the warmer months, which makes it a great lunch or light dinner. I serve it with a Greek salad or french fries (or both!) on the side To make the wrap you must first begin by marinating the shrimp. This step is critical b