Those who are getting ready for “Clean Monday” or “Kathara Deftera” are probably looking for lent recipes, so here is a good one to try!

The Greeks celebrate Kathara Deftera which translates to “Clean Monday. This is the start of lent among the Orthodox Christians. This day is full of kite flying, and Greek picnics, if the weather is nice.

The tradition is to head to Filopapou Hill to fly kites, which I had the opportunity to do, and it was packed with many people. The atmosphere is very fun and full of beautiful kites. I highly recommend going to Athens and trying out this fun day of kite flying, and enjoying a nice picnic.

This recipe is so simple to make and it takes a matter of minutes to make. I hope you enjoy it and you can pair this meze with anything but it is so good with koulouria or pita bread!

Flavorful Beet Dip Recipe

Serving: 8

Ingredients:

• 5 medium beets- quartered cooked and peeled
• 5 tablespoons of Greek Fage yogurt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar or apple cider (see notes) 
• 2 garlic cloves
• Sea salt & black pepper for flavor
• Pinch of dried oregano ( see notes)
• Pinch of dried basil (see notes)
• Pinch of dried dill (see notes)
• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Prepare the beets and make sure to cook them until soft. Peel the skin off the beets and let cool.
2. Once the beets are cool add to blender. Add the rest of the ingredients minus the olive oil. Pulse until blended. Chill the dip overnight so the flavors come together.
3. Drizzle olive oil over the top and serve.

**You can pair this tasty dip with my Lagana bread recipe which happens to be featured on the first page of Google! Yay, and do check out the video here. It is an oldie but a goodie video. 🙂

Notes~

• You can make this dish vegan by omitting the yogurt.
• Of course, we’d love for you to use fresh herbs if you can, but we understand not everyone has them on hand. If you’re using fresh herbs, use one sprig of each herb listed in the recipe above.
• Serve with a couple Kalamata olives and a drizzle of olive oil.

Kali Orexi