A taste of sunshine

One of the things I love about travel is being able to immerse myself into a new culture. The people, the traditions, the celebrations and most of all...the food! Sampling the local cuisine in the country you travel to, or a new region in your own country, can be the best part of a holiday. New dishes, new flavours and a whole new experience.

One of my favourite cuisines from around the world has to be from the small Mediterranean Island Cyprus. This Island itself is so rich with history and legends, it’s like stepping back in time. I remember the first time I visited Cyprus, which was actually for work. As I left the airport I could see the turquoise sea glistening in the sun. The bright colours of the bougainvillaea caught my eye and the warm Mediterranean sunshine took my breath away. My first impressions of the Island was, ‘Wow I want to live here one day’. And when I sampled the food, I knew I had definitely found a Country that I would like to move to in the future!

The popular and lively resorts of Cyprus cater for the tourists with a mixture of fast foods and pub grub, with seafood restaurants and the more traditional, but tourist friendly (served with a side of chips), Cypriot dishes. However, if you want to be more adventurous visit one of the lovely Cypriot villages and find a taverna loved by the locals to enjoy the real Cyprus experience.

One of our favourite tavernas is just outside of the village of Anarita. It’s been run by the same family for many generations and although it does attract some tourists it is also an absolute favourite with the local Cypriots. This is always a good sign that you are going to get a good dining experience! The hospitality of the family who run the taverna is both warm and generous. We have often been offered free olives, bread, fruit, Cypriot coffee, traditional Cypriot desserts and even a local Zavania, a Cypriot brandy. In fact the restaurant owner produced their own family Zavania which certainly has a kick!

We love the Island of Cyprus and try to visit at least once a year. The fact that meals are seen as family time and an opportunity to enjoy being together makes the restaurants, and the whole of the island, super family friendly! Sadly though with the onset of lockdown, we have been unable to travel this year. That’s why we have been trying to get creative in the kitchen to recreate and capture those precious moments.

So if you’re missing that holiday feeling and would like to experience Greek Cypriot cuisine and a taste of the Mediterranean, here’s how to recreate a traditional Cypriot meal. It is quick and and easy to prepare and cook. Anyone can make this (even me!) and it is one of my favourite’s too!

These two recipes go perfectly together and are ideal to eat on a hot sunny evening. Complement with a Cypriot beer (KEO is my favourite) or Cyprio wine like the lovely fruity and dry Aphrodite. You can now buy Cypriot drinks online and it will help make it feel like you’re really there!

Chicken Souvlaki Kebabs

These simple souvlaki chicken kebabs carry the taste of the Mediterranean. You can either cook under the grill or on the BBQ, the perfect summer dish and one of my favourites in Cyprus.

What you need:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tbs chopped fresh mint
• 3 tbs dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 5 tbs olive oil
• 1 tub tzatziki to serve
• Pack of pittas
• Lemon
• Chopped parsley

How to make it:

Add 4 tbs of the olive oil, oregano, chopped mint, ground coriander and paprika to a bowl. Mix it all together.

Cube the chicken and add them to the bowl, gently stirring so it covers and marinades the chicken.

Cover the bowl and put in the fridge for ideally 3 to 4 hours or overnight.

Turn the grill on or start your BBQ. Put the chicken cubes onto 4 x skewers. Grill for 20 minutes, turning half way. Top up the chicken throughout the grilling process with any marinade left in the bowl. For best results leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Lay the pittas on some foil on a baking tray and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. I like to add some dried oregano to get a real Cypriot flavour. Grill for a couple of minutes on each side whilst the chicken is resting.

Sprinkle the chicken with the chopped parsley. Serve the kebabs with the pittas, tzatziki, and lemon wedges. Delicious!

Halloumi Salad

This salad is the perfect accompaniment to the souvlaki chicken kebabs. Halloumi is a traditional Cypriot cheese that goes wonderfully in a Greek salad.

What you need:

• 250G Halloumi
• Bag of salad
• Handful of cherry tomatoes
• Half a cucumber sliced
• Half Red onion thing sliced
• 4 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Lemon
• Olives (either green, balck or both)
• Stick of celery chopped.

Slice the halloumi and lay on a tray on top of tin foil. Drizzle 1 tbs of olive oil over the halloumi and season with salt and pepper. Cook under the grill until both sides are golden and crisp (approximately 5- 7 minutes on each side).

Whilst the halloumi is grilling, whisk the olive oil and lemon and again add salt and pepper to season.

Add the salad to the bowl.

Once the halloumi is ready add it to the salad and it’s ready to go. A simple but delicious Greek Salad with halloumi.

So there you go! A taste of Cyprus from your own home. I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

Halloumi fun fact:

Halloumi was first made on Cyprus during the Medieval Byzantine period (AD 395 – 1191). Halloumi was a source of protein for Cypriot farmers and villagers would come together to make huge batches of halloumi together.