Vegetarians Unite - GREEK STYLE!

Authentic Greek cuisine is rich with vegetarian options. I mean, Greek cooking is based on fresh seasonal vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, herbs, spices, and olive oil - perfect for vegetarians (and often for vegans as well). However, unless you speak or read Greek, it can be challenging to seek out the authentic spots and interpret their menus.

Image from Foodnetwork.com


Here are some of the most popular Greek vegetarian dishes:

• Greek salad (cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese and oregano)
• Spanokopita (flaky spinach and cheese pastry)
• Saganaki (a plate of melted cheese)
• Pasta Napolatina (pasta with tomato sauce)
• Cheese pastries
• Dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with dill-flavored rice)
• Olives, cheese and tzatziki (tangy yogurt…from where we got Ziziki‘s name from) plates

It is much more difficult to find completely vegan dishes (a diet eliminating all meat, dairy and animal products) as many of the meatless options contain cheese. However, hummus (chickpea spread) on pita bread is a naturally vegetarian AND vegan snack. Yigandes Plaki (gigante beans & tomato casserole) is a very popular dish during lent-Greek Orthodox observe several major and minor fasting periods throughout the year, including the Easter Lenten season. Meat (and products derived from meat), fish with backbones, dairy products, olive oil, and wine are not eaten.

You can’t forget about dessert, now! Baklava is a perennial favorite, a classic Greek pastry made with flaky phyllo dough that is layered with a cinnamon-spiced nut filling, and sweetened with honey or syrup. It’s sweet and very decadent AND vegetarian!

People in Greece, who eat a traditional Greek diet, have been known to live on average quite a bit longer than inhabitants of other countries. Greek food is tasty and good for your health and you won’t find a better combination than that. ZIZIKI’S RESTAURANT has a very healthy Greek cuisine, including many vegetarian dishes.

The Best Happy Hour In Dallas

Last week we posted about 'eating lean' and having a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Just because you’re wanting to 'eat clean' doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy what might just be the best Happy Hour in Dallas!  If you're eating healthy - you can splurge a little. A healthy lifestyle means you are eating right, exercising and 'doing the right thing' by your body on a regular basis. This sets the stage to be able to 'live it up a little' once in a while. You know what we have to say to that... OPA!

Come by and sip on our 100-calorie Skinny Margaritas. Subtract the calories without subtracting any of the taste and we’ll bet you’ll be coming back for more. Or - enjoy some exclusive craft beers or one of our other cocktails. OF course - the Greeks have always known that wine sports fantastic health benefits.

Have the best of both worlds at Zizikis - Make it your ritual! OPA!

Greek Yogurt: Better than Regular Yogurt?

Move over, regular yogurt. Going Greek is in! This exotic option has elbowed its way onto refrigerator shelves everywhere. Most give a big thumbs up to its taste—tangier and less sweet, as well as creamier—but is it healthier than its conventional counterpart?

Both Greek and regular yogurt, in their plain, nonfat or low-fat forms, can be part of a healthful diet. They're low in calories and packed with calcium and live bacterial cultures. But our Mediterranean friend—which is strained extensively to remove much of the liquid whey, lactose, and sugar, giving it its thick consistency—does have an undeniable edge. In roughly the same amount of calories, it can pack up to double the protein, while cutting sugar content by half. 

For someone who wants the creamier texture, a little bit of a protein edge, and a sugar decrease, going Greek is definitely not all hype. And it's really got a following: In the past five years, Greek yogurt sales nationwide have skyrocketed.

Here's a closer look at how the two stack up nutrition-wise.

Protein. Greek yogurt is high in protein, which helps promote fullness. A typical 6-ounce serving contains 15 to 20 grams, the amount in 2 to 3 ounces of lean meat. That makes it particularly appealing to vegetarians, who sometimes struggle to get enough of the nutrient. An identical serving of regular yogurt, on the other hand, provides just 9 grams.

Carbohydrates. Going Greek is a smart choice for low-carb dieters. It contains roughly half the carbs as the regular kind—5 to 8 grams per serving compared with 13 to 17. Plus, the straining process removes some of the milk sugar, and lactose. 

Fat. Be wary of Greek yogurt's fat content. In just 7 ounces, Fage's full-fat Greek yogurt packs 16 grams of saturated fat—or 80 percent of your total daily allowance if you're on a 2,000-calorie diet. Dannon's regular full-fat yogurt has 5 grams of saturated fat in an 8-ounce serving. If you're going Greek, stick to low-fat and fat-free versions.

Sodium. A serving of Greek yogurt averages 50 milligrams of sodium—about half the amount in most brands of the regular kind. 

Calcium. Regular yogurt provides 30 percent of the federal government's recommended daily amount. Greek yogurt loses some of its calcium through the straining process, but still packs a wallop. A 6-ounce cup typically supplies about 20 percent of the daily recommendation. 

Most experts agree that Greek yogurt has a nutritional edge. The key is sticking to plain, nonfat, or low-fat varieties.

When you do opt for Greek yogurt, take advantage of its versatility. Mix it with seasonings like garlic, dill, and parsley to create a unique dip for carrots, celery sticks, or cucumber slices. Toss in some berries or high-fiber granola. You can also substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream on tacos, for example, or for the eggs and oil in baked goods. It's an acceptable replacement for fatty ingredients like cream cheese, mayonnaise, and butter.

Snacks For School - Greek Style

Snacking can be a necessary way to obtain energy, or to provide sustenance on the go. As kids go back to school and young adults off to college - they need all the energy they can get to keep attention sharp. Same goes for adults in the work place!

Everyone knows Greek cuisine is one of the healthiest. So how do people snack in Greece? Ideal foods in the summer in Greece are the Greek snack foods that you can either purchase in a Greek store, (similar to here in the US and other countries) or whip up quickly in the kitchen.

A favorite quick, Greek snack are the Greek spinach pies (also know as spanakopita). Filled with healthy spinach, tasty onions, cheese and herbs - spanakopita is a versatile dish that ca be made with all different types of cheeses as well.

We all know olives are keen in Greece. Snacking on olives, here or in the homeland - is a true summer indulgence. Greeks love their olives - and they can be served up different ways if marinated in different herbs and oils. Soak your olives in olive oil and dried oregano - and you've got a true Greek favorite snack. Toss in some feta cheese, and add some warm bread and you have a well-rounded pick-me up snack.

More quick Greek snacks are simply an arrangement of favorite cheeses and yogurts. (ahhhh.. cheese... truly a Mediterranean cuisine favorite!) 

If sweet snacks are your weakness – the Greeks usually opt for healthy sweet nuts and local honey - also fantastic coupled with yogurt!

Greeks have their guilty pleasures, too - just like Americans - with their chips and sweet-tooth snacks. On the less-healthy side, you could always opt for chocofreta chocolate wafers with hazelnuts,or a bag of white salted chick peas. 

Leaving the kitchen – (and perhaps visiting the blue waters of the beach on the lovely coastline of Greece) - especially on the summer days - is the Greek’s favorite thing to do. So snacking on the go is essential. To indulge - they will typically eat at a little Greek tavern is their way to indulge then they return to the home to eat in the late evening when it’s cooler.