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Meals in Under 20 Minutes with Palirria

March break is fast approaching, and we have some amazingly easy meal ideas using Palirria products that will become favourites for months to come!

With no artificial flavours, additives, or preservatives, Palirria products (imported by Krinos) use Authentic Greek Recipes and are Ready to Serve, right out of the packaging. Plus, they boast a clean and understandable ingredient list, which means you can feel good about what you’re eating.

Speaking of goodness, Palirria’s Greek Style Dolmas, Greek Island Chickpeas, Greek Style Eggplant and Gigantes Beans can be enjoyed straight up or prepared in endless recipes.

Here are a few of our favourites you can use for quick, easy dinners (and lunches!):

Deconstructed Dolmas Bowl: It doesn’t get any easier than this! Remove dolmas from the can and pat dry. Cut each dolma in 3 pieces and top with cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta and pepitas. Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Tip: this is great to pack for lunch, too!

See the recipe

15-min Bean & Sausage Stew: Simply add can of white buttery Gigantes beans to pan-fried sausage and wilted kale for a healthy and hearty, protein-packed meal made in minutes.

See the recipe

Chickpea Fritters: Who doesn’t love a fritter? Chop Greek Island Chickpeas in a food processor until chunky. Add 1 cup of flour, freshly chopped herbs, lemon juice and Krinos olive oil and create small patties. Fry for about 3-4 minutes per side and serve warm with tzatziki.

See the recipe

Eggplant Shakshuka: Greek eggplants are the base of this shakshuka dish. Great for breakfast or dinner, all you need to do is heat the Greek eggplants in a pan and crack 3 eggs while they simmer. Continue to cook on low heat covered for 5-8 minutes until eggs are cooked but still runny. Drizzle with olive oil and top with salt, pepper, and parsley.

See the recipe

Fast food doesn’t have to mean junk food. Palirria products are a handmade taste of home; all products are Vegan and can be stocked in your pantry for meals at your fingertips.

To learn more about Palirria and where to find a store that carries the products, visit the product page and enter your postal code.

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KRINOS HALLOUMI – Your New Favourite

Hello, Halloumi! If you’ve never tried this traditional semi-hard cheese from the island of Cyprus, put it on the list! Its versatility is endless – as an appetizer, atop a salad, on the grill – and we promise, Halloumi will be your new favourite thing.

Halloumi is made from a blend of cow, goat and sheep’s milk, seasoned with mint leaves and then soaked in brine. And you could say it has a split personality – uncooked, it’s a salty, robust cheese, but once it’s grilled, fried or even BBQ’d, Halloumi melts to a creamy consistency with a crunchy shell. Often compared to paneer, Halloumi has no acidity, yet it’s high in protein – perfect for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike.

Here are 3 ways we love to cook and serve Halloumi:

Krinos Grilled Pesto Halloumi Skewers: Love vegetarian skewers on the BBQ but looking for a new protein option? –OR– Love skewers on the BBQ but looking for a new protein option? Layer halloumi cubes with ribboned zucchini and cherry tomatoes, baste in basil pesto and grill for a couple minutes on each side for a heavenly Halloumi appetizer on a stick. Quick and easy to prep the skewers in advance and then pop them onto the grill when your ready to go.

Krinos Smoky Halloumi Tacos: Seasoned, spiced and fried Halloumi takes centre stage in these smoky, vegetarian tacos. Coated in smoked paprika, cumin and coriander, cubed, fried halloumi acts as the main protein and is then combined with a colourful cabbage and carrot slaw and topped with a chili lime crema. Light and fresh, these tacos are ideal for a summer fiesta. Tip: assemble a small buffet and allow everyone to customize their own tacos.

Krinos Rainbow Buddha Bowl with Grilled Halloumi: The Rainbow Buddha Bowl packs a punch – of flavor, colour and protein. For those who want a filling, but healthy salad, we love this combination of lemon couscous with baby bok choy, pink pickled onions, carrots, avocados and edamame. Topped with 2 inch slices of Halloumi (pan-fried) and tossed together with a creamy, tahini dressing made with Krinos tahini, Attiki Greek liquid honey, garlic, cumin, lemon juice and mustard, and you’ve got a salad that hits all the notes: salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami.

Hungry for Halloumi? We can’t blame you! For more Halloumi favourites, visit www.krinos.ca

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2020 Meal Planning

If you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution and commitment to healthy eating and living a healthier lifestyle, you’re not the only one.

Krinos wants to help kickstart your 2020 in the right direction with some recipe ideas you’ll love – and it all starts with meal prepping. Meal prepping or planning will help you save time and still allow you to eat many of the foods you and your family enjoy.

Chicken & Green Apple Wrap with Spicy Mayo: This may be your next go-to meal and we’ll tell you why. Firstly, it’s so simple! Grilled Chicken is amped up with a kick of cayenne heat and tangy green apples and served up in a wrap. Want to go Gluten Free? Ditch the wrap and enjoy as a salad. Make-ahead tip: batch cook the grilled chicken and store for a variety of meal ideas.

Lentil & Feta Tabouleh: Lentils are a meal-planner’s best friend. You can use them in salads, as a side dish, or in a soup. Dress lentils up with a variety of herbs and spices to always get a different flavor profile. Our Lentil & Feta Tabouleh can be a snack, a salad, or a side dish.

Honey & Nut Chewy Squares: Healthy eating doesn’t mean you can’t have healthy sweets. Our Honey & Nut Chewy Squares are made with all-natural sweeteners like Liquid Attiki Honey. And because they’re loaded with protein and nuts, it’s a sweet indulgence you never have to feel guilty about. Make 36 squares in one shot, and freeze for convenience.

Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese & Olives: Prep it once, enjoy it all week. This delicious pasta salad, complete with artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, hearts of palm and crumbled Feta gets better day after day. Full of flavor, it’s a perfect lunch choice or an excellent complement to a protein for dinner.

Salad Dressing Trio: Speaking of salads – did you know there are all kinds of hidden sugars in store-bought salad dressing? Control your sugar and maximize the taste with our favourite 3 dressings that you can make in minutes. They pair well with quinoa, rice bowls or salads.

Happy New Year! What are your favourite meal-prepping recipes?

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Back to School Lunchbox Idea

Hands up if you silently (or not to silently) dread making school lunches? You’re not alone, and we’ve got you covered with a healthy, back-to-school lunch that kids will love: easy to make, tasty, and fit perfectly in a lunch box.

Introducing the 2oz Mini Twisters – they’re the same great taste and crunch from the original size, only in a perfectly proportioned 2oz size, and available in two flavours.

Krinos Mini twisters are super simple to prepare: defrost, bake and pack for lunch or snack. It’s a lunch box idea even your toddlers will love, because it’s hand held and doesn’t require any utensils to serve and enjoy.

Does your family participate in after-school activities and sports? These 2oz mini twisters also make an ideal snack on the way to dance class or hockey practice, and as a healthy alternative to an after-school snack while dinner is being prepared.

Keep an eye out in your grocery store freezer section for this brand-new back-to-school product – it’ll make your life that much easier.

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Must Know Tips For A Stress-Free Holiday Party

Hosting a holly jolly holiday party isn’t as as simple as it looks on Instagram or Pinterest, but with our tips, it IS entirely possible to throw a stress-free festive function that’ll wow your guests.

PLAN: Think big picture and nitty gritty. Overall plan and details. They key to any event is to plan, and plan properly. Set aside a date and stick to it. Make lists of what you’ll need from food to drink, decor and activities. Don’t forget to think about set-up and clean-up, and what will make YOU enjoy the party just as much as your guests.

In order to create an atmosphere that’s comfortable for everyone, it’s important to be organized. Where do coats and boots go? Do you have enough seating? Where will the main serving area be? If you think about all these elements in advance, the party will be seamless from the start.

ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE OR SILENT NIGHT?: What’s the atmosphere of your party? Once you nail down the theme or feel, you can begin shaping the party.

INVITES: Formal printed invites may not be completely necessary, but a beautifully created online invite definitely makes your event stand up against the rest. Think about reflecting your party theme through the invite design (think: Katerina’s Kris Kringle exchange, or The Anderson’s Holiday Open House). Indicate the guest arrival time, or if it’s a drop-in party. Mention if kids are welcome and any other special notes, like parking locations or if Santa is visiting, for example.

FOOD & DRINK: What’s a party without good food? Not much of a party IMO. Planning a menu can be time consuming and the most stressful part of planning. Whether you’re having a sit-down dinner, buffet, or cocktail party, it’s important to have a variety of Christmas Party food. We love the Krinos Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Mini Rolls. These little morsels of crunchy fillo are the perfect holiday app that will save time and also taste great. They’re crispy on the outside and warm and creamy on the inside with a hint of jalapeño spice, plus, they’re super simple — just bake for 30 minutes from frozen — and they are great for munching while chatting with other guests.

When it comes to bevvies, offering a custom Christmas Party drink is a beautiful stand-out detail — a candy cane cocktail or a mistletoe mojito perhaps. To save time the day/eve of your celebration, premix the drink and serve in a large canister or drink dispenser. Remember to offer both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, and ensure there is a safe way for all of your guests to get home by offering up taxis or an uber service.

DECOR: Time to put all those hours surfing and scrolling to use. Plan your decor in advance; think table cloths and napkins, garland and jingle bells. The best Christmas party decor is noticeable and deliberate, but not over-the-top (unless that’s your theme of course!) Arrange small vases with fresh flowers, or use poinsettias or sweet little Grinch firs as centre pieces you can pick up in advance at your local florist or grocery store. If you’re feeling ambitious, try tying in your party theme into the décor (i.e. Rosemary Christmas trees for a festive foodie soiree).

MUSIC: Don’t forget about Christmas party music! Using a ready-made playlist will give you hours of Christmas carol favourites in minutes. If you’re hosting a dance party, take that into consideration and find a separate playlist.

LITTLE ELVES: Don’t forget the kids. Think about your specific Christmas party and its guests. If you have lots of children coming to your party, reserve an area for easy arts-and-crafts, colouring or cookie decorating. Gingerbread men and women (and houses) are also tons of fun.

GIFT GIVING: Sending your guests off with a party favour is a welcome reminder of the celebration. Again, think simple, ready-made, stress free: A beautiful Christmas ornament, a holiday mug or a sample of your favourite winter tea or hot chocolate mix, a chocolate Santa or even a pair of cozy socks. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, just from the heart.

THE CLEAN UP: No one wants to think about the clean-up after a Christmas party, regardless if it’s a big or small one. Think about cutlery and dishes: rent or purchase recyclable plates, cups and cutlery — there are endless options for good quality and design. This will eliminate a lot of clean up time. Also, ensure there are enough visible disposal areas so guests have a place to throw their tableware. If you can afford it, plan ahead and arrange for a cleaning service to help you out, and don’t discount the value of hiring bartenders and servers for the party itself. This will allow you to mingle and enjoy your guests and they take care of all the clean-up throughout the event.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN: A happy host or hostess is a great one. If something doesn’t go entirely as planned, let it go and enjoy the party.


Happy Holidays!