At Prinos Farm&Deli, we are committed to helping you eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, using our top quality food products. Which is where these monthly recipes come in. And this month, we’re going for Brian, a traditional Greek and Mediterranean recipe that makes the perfect winter meal to keep the February cold at bay.

In essence, the recipe is packed full of healthy roasted vegetables such as potatoes, courgettes and tomatoes. But it’s not only nutritious. Briam is also warm, comforting, easy to make and totally delicious. In fact, this briam recipe takes hardly any time at all to prepare, and then you can sit back and relax, while the oven does most of the hard work.

But What is Briam?

Briam is basically a traditional Greek recipe that roasts seasonal vegetables in the over together with tomato and olive oil. This totally plant-based dish is great for the fasting season, as well as for vegetarian and vegan. And although it’s a simple dish that requires very little preparation and minimal ingredients, Briam is one of the most flavour packed traditional recipes around!

Moreover, briam falls into the category of a ‘ladera’ dish, which means it is made using a generous amount of high-quality olive oil. And we all know that olive oil is a superfood that is packed full of essential nutrients and health benefits. For starters, olive oil is rich in Healthy Monounsaturated Fats, which means its packed with omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids and has potent anti-inflammatory properties.

In addition, olive oil is a good source of Vitamin E and K, as well as powerful antioxidants that fight disease in the body and can lower cholesterol. This also makes olive oil great for the heart and blood pressure. Then when you add in all the goodness from the vegetables, you’ve got a seriously well-balanced meal. The courgettes – or zucchini as they are also known – are full of beneficial plant compounds such as the potent antioxidant Vitamin A, as well as iron, calcium, zinc, and B Vitamins.

Then there are the potatoes and tomatoes. Potatoes are also high in antioxidants and make a great plant-based source of vitamin C, B6, and potassium. While the tomatoes are one of the best plant sources of lycopene – a potent antioxidant that helps to reduce the risk of certain diseases. Tomatoes also contain Vitamin C, potassium, folate, and Vitamin K.

This dish can be enjoyed alone, with a sprinkle of feta and some fresh bread. Alternatively you can have it as a side dish along with your favourite roast lamb, poultry or pork.

So now let’s get on to the recipe itself. All of which can be made using the premium ingredients available from the shelves of our favourite food shop in Cyprus.

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg of potatoes
• 4 large courgettes
• 4 small red onions
• 6 ripe red tomatoes
• ½ cup of olive oil
• Fresh parsley
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Feta (optional)

 METHOD

1. Firstly, you need to preheat the oven to 200°c. While the over is heating, chop the potatoes, courgettes and onions into thin slices, then grate or puree the tomatoes if using fresh.
2. Next, spread the potatoes, courgettes and onions evenly across a large baking dish, before covering with the pureed tomatoes and the olive oil.
3. Now season with the chopped parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper, stirring to coat all the vegetables.
4. Put the dish in the oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir and then cook for another half an hour, or until the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are cooked through and soft.
5. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes before service up with an extra sprinkle of parsley.

And as we are almost in fasting season for 2023, this is also the perfect plant-based recipe for those cutting meat and dairy for lent. You can find an endless selection of other fasting recipes online. But this Briam is one of our favourites. It’s ideal for a quick and easy winter meal, without needing much prep time. And the end result is always hearty and comforting. So pop down to Prinos Farm&Deli in Larnaca or Nicosia. Or place an order using our online e-shop today.