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The Cretan cuisine at home

Three complete menus, nine preparations and a shopping list that you adapt to two to twelve people.

AI illustration from our magazine collection · artistic impression, no exact location or product view.

Creating a table

A successful table has variety in temperature, structure and taste. For example, put soft vegetables next to crispy bread and something fresh. Not every part has to be complicated. A bowl of fruit can form a full end of the meal.

The three menu finishes below are homemade operations inspired by the ingredients of the Cretan cuisine. The quantities are intended for four people as a complete meal. With the grocery help you scale the ingredients; the text of the recipes remains the basic recipe for four people.

Cooking & groceries

Choose a menu and number of people. Check out what you already have in your home. With another group size, the preparation remains similar, but a fuller oven dish may need longer. Taste salt, lemon and garlic in steps.

Choose your menu Persons

Summer table · dabos, briam & yoghurt

A vegetarian table for four people. The oven does most of the work.

Ingredients	For 4 persons
Barley rusks	4 pieces
Tomato	900 g
Courgette	500 g
Eggplant	400 g
Potato	500 g
Onion	200 g
Feta or soft mizithra	150 g
Olive oil	100 ml
Greek yoghurt	600 g
Honey	40 g

Stock cabinet: salt, pepper and dried oregano to taste. Oven and preparation times are guide values; assess the cooking.

Briam. Cut potato into thin slices and zucchini, aubergine and onion into bite-ready pieces. Mix with 500 g tomato, 80 ml oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Divide over a large oven dish. Bake for about 60.0.75 minutes at 190 °C; scoop halfway around. Add a splash of water when the dish gets dry. The potato should be completely soft.
Dakos. Grate the remaining 400 g tomato. If necessary, moisten four shelters very briefly. Divide tomato, cheese, the remaining 20 ml oil and oregano over it. Make this just before eating, so that the rusks keep structure.
Yoghurt. Divide 600 g of yogurt over four bowls and spread the honey over it. Fruit can be added, as a supplement to the shopping list.

Work Order

Start cutting and the briam. Then cover the table and set the yogurt ready. Do not make the roofos until the oven is almost ready.

Alternatives

No paximadi? Use solid roasted whole wheat bread. No mizithra? Take feta, or a mildly leaked fresh cheese. For a vegetable menu you leave the cheese and replace yogurt and honey with vegetable yoghurt and fruit.

Beans table · white beans, cabbage salad & orange

A vegetable menu for four people, with already cooked beans.

Ingredients	For 4 persons
White beans, cooked and leaked	800 g
Tomato cubes	600 g
Onion	200 g
Root	200 g
White cabbage	500 g
Lemon juice	60 ml
Olive oil	80 ml
Bread	300 g
Orange	4 pieces

Stock cabinet: salt, pepper and dried oregano to taste. Oven and preparation times are guide values; assess the cooking.

Bonen. Fruit the sliced onion and carrot in 40 ml oil. Add tomato cubes and a small glass of water and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the gare, leaked beans and allow for another 15.0.120 minutes to heat and bind. Seam on taste with oregano, salt and pepper. This recipe does not use raw dried beans.
Koolsalade. Cut the cabbage very fine. Mix with 30 ml lemon juice, 40 ml oil and a pinch of salt. Knead briefly with clean hands and taste. Add the remaining juice to taste.
Fruit and bread. Serve with the bread. Peel and cut the oranges before after meals.

Work Order

First make the cabbage salad, which may stand for a moment. Then put on the beans and prepare the fruit while the sauce boils softly.

Alternatives

Use large white beans or butter beans from pot or tin. Replace white cabbage with squirt. Take bread and any herbal mixtures into account in case of allergies.

Meze table · tzatziki, chickpeas & tomato salad

A table to share for four people; about 35 minutes of work.

Ingredients	For 4 persons
Greek yoghurt	400 g
cucumber	300 g
Garlic	1 toe
Chickpeas, cooked and leaked	600 g
Tomato	600 g
Red onion	100 g
Lemon juice	60 ml
Olive oil	70 ml
Bread	400 g
Dill	15 g

Stock cabinet: salt, pepper and dried oregano to taste. Oven and preparation times are guide values; assess the cooking.

Tzatziki. Grate the cucumber, squeeze out well and mix with yogurt, crushed garlic, 15 ml oil and a little bit of lemon juice. Add some of the finely chopped herbs and salt. Let cover cool until the food.
Kikkererwten. Heat the weak chickpeas with 25 ml of oil, a splash of water and oregano. Allow the moisture to evaporate to a large extent. Add a part of the lemon juice to taste. Serve warm or lukewarm.
Salade. Cut tomato and red onion. Mix with 30 ml oil, the other herbs and the remaining lemon juice to taste just before eating. Put everything on the table with bread.

Work Order

First make the tzatziki. Cut the salad but add the dressing later. Then heat the chickpeas and serve everything in small dishes.

Alternatives

Take lactose-free yogurt when appropriate, or an unsweetened vegetable variant. No dill? Petersley gives a different but usable taste. The preparation method is a home variant; there is no mandatory island recipe.

Plan smart, cook with attention

Cut vegetables with a similar cooking time on a similar size. Keep a cold yogurt dip chilled until serving. Create a tomato salad just before eating and put hot dishes in appropriate dishes on the table.

Check ingredients for allergens for your guests; cheese, yogurt and bread require attention. Replace an ingredient for taste or availability, but clearly explain to guests what you are using. For the background of oil, herbs and dips we refer to our existing guides.

Olive oil · Herbs & spices · Tzatziki

Sources & edition

Editorial edition · 21 October 2026. Commands, menu guides and selection aids are their own effects. For practical data, please refer to the mentioned administrators; check current access and facilities before your visit.

Region of Crete · ingredients and local products

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