A Holiday Retreat at Home

Four Cozy Greek Recipes to Feed the Soul

It’s this time of the year again — the season when I love sharing some of my favorite recipes with you. After last December’s (2024) blog a lot of you emailed me back letting me know how you loved making the suggested dishes. Your gratitude and love made me want to devote this month’s blog to more winter fun healthy recipes! After all this is the time to share with your loved ones! This year, every dish is inspired by Greek cuisine. Food is how a lot of Greek people connect, how we celebrate, and how we stay close to our culture — especially during the holidays.

Sharing these recipes with my XPLOREFIT community truly feels like offering a little piece of home. Consider this my holiday gift to you. Your comments, your messages, your emails — they mean so much to me.

I’d love to know if you’re planning to try any of these dishes…

Here are this year’s cozy, healthier version Greek holiday favorites:

Last week’s batch

✨ Rizogalo (Greek Rice Pudding)

Inspired by Hungry Happens Recipes

This rizogalo is one of those quietly magical Greek desserts — creamy, comforting, lightly scented with orange and cinnamon — the kind of sweet that brings everyone into the kitchen. It’s simple, warm, and feels like a walk back in my childhood, especially during the holiday season.

Ingredients

• 5 cups (1.22 kg) whole milk

• ½ cup (100 g) arborio rice

• ¼ cup (50 g) sugar

• ¼ large orange, with the peel on if you like lemon you can replace with the zest of a lemon

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cinnamon stick

• Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. In a large pot, add the milk, rice, sugar, orange slice, vanilla, and cinnamon stick.

2. Bring the mixture just to the edge of boiling, then lower to a gentle simmer.

3. Cook on low heat, stirring often — this part is cozy and slow — until the rice softens and the pudding thickens, about 30 minutes.

   • Stay close to the pot; rizogalo loves attention and can bubble over if left alone.

   • Use a skimmer to remove the milk “skin” that forms on top as it cooks.

4. Once thick and silky, remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel.

5. Scoop into four small bowls and finish with a generous sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

6. Enjoy warm, or let it cool to room temperature before covering and chilling in the fridge.

A cozy tip:
Warm rizogalo on a cold evening is my favorite treat. Save a bowl for yourself before it disappears — it always goes fast.

✨ Briam, Mediterranean Roasted Veggie & Feta Bake

Colorful, nourishing, and incredibly easy — a beautiful holiday side dish.

Ingredients

• 1 large potato, cubed

• 3 zucchini, sliced

• 1 eggplant, cubed

• 1 yellow onion, sliced

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes optional I often replace with can diced tomatoes

• olive oil to your liking (I use 1/3 of a cup the Greek in me :))

• 1 tbsp oregano

• 1 tsp thyme

• Salt & pepper

• ½ cup feta, crumbled

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. Toss all veggies with olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper.

3. Spread on a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, stirring halfway.

4. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with feta, and top with pomegranate seeds for a festive touch.

A cozy tip: Serve this family-style in the center of the table with warm pita it’s delish

We made these two weeks ago for Pano’s Friendsgiving at Middle College and they were a hit!

✨ Spanakopita Triangles

Crispy, golden, and full of cozy Greek flavor — perfect for the holidays or any little family gathering.

There’s something so comforting about making spanakopita triangles. They’re simple, beautiful, and honestly a little meditative once you get into the rhythm of folding. Highly recommend to watch a You tube tutorial if you have not worked with the phyllo before. They always disappear fast — so make extra!

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh spinach, chopped (or frozen, well drained)

• 1 bunch green onions, sliced

• 1 cup feta, crumbled

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp dill, chopped

• ¼ cup parsley, chopped

• Salt & pepper

• 1 package phyllo dough, thawed

• ½ cup olive oil (or melted butter), for brushing

Instructions

1. Make the filling

In a large bowl, mix the spinach, green onions, feta, egg, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

2. Prepare your phyllo dough

Phyllo can be a little delicate, but once you get used to it, it’s so fun to work with.

A few tips to make it easy:

• Make sure the dough is completely thawed — overnight in the fridge works best.

• Keep it covered with a slightly damp towel so it doesn’t dry out.

• Don’t worry if a sheet tears — phyllo is very forgiving once layered and folded.

• Brush lightly with oil or butter; you want it crisp, not soggy.

3. Form the triangles

1. Lay one sheet of phyllo on your surface and brush lightly with olive oil.

2. Cut the sheet lengthwise into three long strips.

3. Place 1–2 tablespoons of filling at the bottom of each strip.

4. Fold the bottom corner up into a triangle, like folding a flag.

5. Continue folding the strip up the whole way, keeping the triangle shape.

6. Brush the outside lightly with oil.

(Don’t forget …If folding triangles is new to you, watching a quick YouTube tutorial can be really helpful — just search “how to fold spanakopita triangles” and you’ll see the motion right away.)

4. Bake

Place the triangles on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Cozy Tip

These freeze beautifully! Make a batch, freeze them raw, and bake straight from the freezer whenever you want something warm and delicious.

Last but definetely not least and a personal favorite….

We made this yesterday it was perfect on a cold winter night.

✨ Vegetarian Avgolemono with Chickpeas, Carrots & Celery

A bright, comforting bowl with all the classic avgolemono flavors — now heartier, cozier, and completely vegetarian.

Ingredients

• 6 cups vegetable broth

• 2 can chickpeas (15 oz), drained and rinsed

• 3/4cup orzo (or quinoa for gluten-free)

• 1–2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 2 eggs

• Juice of 2 lemons

• Salt & pepper

• Optional: chopped dill, or parsley

Instructions

1. In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a gentle simmer.

2. Add the diced carrots and celery, cooking until they begin to soften (about 8–10 minutes).

3. Stir in the orzo and cook for half the cooking time suggested.

4. Add the chickpeas and let them warm through.

5. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and lemon juice.

6. Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the hot broth into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper it.

7. Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot on low heat, stirring gently.

   • Do not boil — this keeps the soup silky and creamy.

   • Let it rest for 30 min so the orzo will be al dente

8. Season with salt and pepper, If you prefer you can add salt an pepper in the beginning before you add the orzo

9. Stir in dill, or parsley if you’d like a little extra color and freshness.

Cozy note:

The carrots and celery make this version extra nourishing and perfect for chilly evenings. So good….the original version of this soup is with chicken so if you like chicken you can replace the chickpeas with chicken.

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As we wrap up this little holiday gift from my Greek kitchen to yours, I truly hope these recipes bring warmth, connection, and a touch of Mediterranean comfort into your home. They were created with so much love, and sharing them with you feels like inviting you to our family table — something that always means the world to me.

If you do try any of these dishes, I would love to hear from you. Your comments, your photos, your sweet messages… they’re the heart of this community, and they inspire me every single time. So don’t be shy — let me know what you made, how it turned out, or what you’d love to see in a future post.

Wishing you a season filled with nourishment, creativity, and moments that feel like home.

With love, always

Katerina

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See you on your mat!