Try these vibrant recipes like savory yogurt bowls and an orange, beet salad

The new cookbook by the Tsakiris family is full of hearty, wholesome dishes.

July 7, 2021, 8:45 AM

Summer is in full swing and Mediterranean cuisine is the epitome of sun-drenched, seasonal food.

Nicholas Tsakiris, a Greek-American father, wrote "Sea, Salt and Honey" with his two daughters Olivia and Chloe Tsakiris to capture the charming culture and sublime food of Greek provincial life.

PHOTO: The cover of Chloe, Olivia, and Nicholas Tsakiris' new cookbook.
The cover of Chloe, Olivia, and Nicholas Tsakiris' new cookbook.
Harper Collins Publishers, Romas Foord

The cookbook is filled with recipes that are wholesome, hearty, healthy, and easy to make. They reinforce tradition and a celebration of the family's history and call to a simpler way of life.

The sisters joined "Good Morning America" to share a couple recipes and tips to nail these delicious dishes.

Savory Greek Yogurt Bowls

PHOTO: Savory Greek yogurt bowls with roasted carrots.
Savory Greek yogurt bowls with roasted carrots.
Romas Foord

Serves 2

Savory Greek yogurt bowls are so versatile, always delicious and best of all easy. You start with your base of a good-quality Greek yogurt and then top it with whatever you have on hand or are craving. Just make sure you include roasted or raw veggies, fresh herbs, a cheese if you’d like and maybe something crunchy—and always top off with lots of olive oil.

Roasted Carrot with Feta and Pistachio Yogurt Bowl

Ingredients
For the roasted carrots
1/3 cup (80 ml) honey
1 tablespoon harissa paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 pound (455 g) carrots, scrubbed (and peeled if you like)
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground
black pepper
For the yogurt bowls
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk Greek yogurt
1/4 cup (30 g) chopped pistachios
1/4 cup (40 g) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup (13 g) chopped fresh mint Extra-virgin olive oilSea salt flakes and freshly ground
black pepper

Directions
Make the roasted carrots: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the honey, harissa paste, cumin, garlic, olive oil, and orange juice.
Toss the carrots in the honey mixture to coat, then arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast 30 to 45 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Let cool.
Make the yogurt bowls: Divide the yogurt between two bowls. Top each with the roasted carrots, pistachios, cheese, and mint. Generously drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Herby Garden Vegetable Yogurt Bowl

Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup (90 g) chopped tomato
1/2 cup (70 g) finely diced cucumber
1/4 cup (40 g) crumbled feta cheese
Handful of your favorite olives (optional), pitted
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Divide the yogurt between two bowls. Top each with the herbs, tomato, cucumber, cheese and olives (if using). Generously drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Tips:
Use extra veggies and top with fresh herbs and olive oil for freshness and flavor.
You can turn this into a breakfast bowl by adding sliced, hard-boiled eggs.

Beet and Orange Salad

PHOTO: A vibrant beet and orange salad from "Sea, Salt and Honey."
A vibrant beet and orange salad from "Sea, Salt and Honey."
Romas Foord

This bold and beautifully colored salad is as pretty to look at as it is to eat -- delectably sweet and refreshing!

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 to 3 beets, cooked, cooled, and peeled
3 to 4 oranges, peeled, quartered, seeded, and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
1 clove garlic, pressed, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/3 cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste
Handful of hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 to 2 sprigs fresh mint, chopped

Directions
Place the beets on a plate (in order to retain all the juices) and cut them into 1-inch (2.5-cm) chunks. Put the beets and any juice from them in a bowl.
Add the oranges, garlic (start with 1 clove), salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar and stir gently until mixed well.
Let the salad sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. (This is a great salad to prepare a day ahead, as the longer the ingredients sit together, the more the flavors meld.)
Taste and add more garlic, salt, pepper, or vinegar if needed.
Top with pumpkin seeds and mint. Serve cold.

Tips:
Make it in advance and keep in the fridge to help allow the flavors to develop.
You can use precooked, packaged beets and add a splash of orange juice for extra flavor if your oranges are dry.

Recipes reprinted with permission from: "SEA SALT AND HONEY" by Chloe, Olivia, and Nicholas Tsakiris. Copyright © 2021 by Chloe, Olivia, and Nicholas Tsakiris. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.