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Potato Salad - Recipe from Mount Athos

Ingredients:1/2 kilo small potatoes2 medium carrots5 spring onions, chopped1 tablespoon chopped parsley3/4 cup of oil2 tablespoons lemon juiceSalt, pepper, oregano Instructions:Boil separately the potatoes with their skins and carrots. Then strain, peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces. Add the onions and parsley. Beat the oil with the lemon juice, salt, pepper and oregano. Drizzle the potatoes and carrots and mix well. Recipe from the book: Traditional Recipies of Holy Mount Athos by Monk Nikitas Agioreitis

Baked Apples in Oven

Ingredients:8 red apples or another variety8 tablespoons sugar1/2 cup liqueur1 small cup of brandy1/2 cup chopped walnuts1 teaspoon cinnamon1 cup vegan pastry cream Instructions:Peel the apples and with the special tool, open a hole in the middle removing their seeds. Spread the apples in the pan and add the liqueur. Mix sugar, nuts and cinnamon and with a teaspoon fill the holes of apples. Bake at 180 degrees for about an hour, covered with foil. Before you remove it from the oven, sprinkle with a small cup of brandy. After they are cool, whip the pastry cream, so it will become whipped cream (chantilly). Let it cool in the refrigerator. Then, garnish the apples and serve. In the same way, you can do quinces or pears. The only difference is that you cut into slices the fruit and pour the nuts when you garnish the whipped cream. The recipe can be done without the whipped cream as well. The recipe is from the book: Lenten Recipes Based on Tahini

Spaghetti with Sea Urchin Sauce

Ingredients for spaghetti:1 kilo spaghetti1 tablespoon butter1/2 cup oil1 tablespoon oregano Ingredients for the sauce:5 sea urchins2 onions, chopped3 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 tablespoon chopped parsley1 tablespoon chopped fennel1/2 cup oil1 tablespoon tomato paste1 hot pepper (optional)2 bay leavesSalt, pepper, cumin1/2 wineglass of red wine Instructions:Boil the pasta in salted water with a little oil. Strain and burn with butter and oil. Pour oregano and mix well. Saute garlic and onion in oil. Open the sea urchins and get their caviar and their juice. Pour all the ingredients into the pot with the onion and mix well. After it boils for 10 minutes, add the wine and turn off the heat. Serve the sauce over the pasta. Find here: Cookbooks and Pastry books for Monastic Gastronomy

Baked Fish with Wild Leeks

Ingredients: 1 kg of fish suitable for oven (bass, mackerel, sea bream etc.) ½ kilo wild leeks 1 cup of oil 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ½ tablespoon oregano Tomato slices ½ glass of lemon juice Instructions: If the wild leeks are fine, leave them whole, otherwise cut them along in two pieces. Wash them and place them in the pan. Then, clean and wash the fish. Spread the fish on the wild leeks and over the fish spread the tomato slices. Add salt, pepper, oregano, lemon and oil. Add water as much as not to cover the tomatoes. Cook the food in the oven at high heat, until all the liquids evaporate and only the oil is left.

Crabs with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients: 2 big crabs 2 onions, chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 bunch fennel, chopped 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped 1 cup oil 1.5 tablespoon tomato paste 1 wine glass of red wine Salt, pepper, bay leaves Instructions: Put the crabs in boiling water and leave for 40 minutes. In a pan, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil. Then, pour 1 cup of the broth of the boiled crabs and add all the ingredients, except for the wine. Let this sauce boil. Make an incision over the crabs with a sharp knife and put them in a saucepan. Pour the sauce and cook capped over high heat for half an hour. Pour the red wine and get the saucepan off the stovetop.

Sour Cherry Spoon Sweet

Ingredients:1 kg. sour cherries½ kg. sugar½ liter water Instructions:Remove the pits from cherries with the special tool. Put them in a saucepan with the sugar and water and boil until the syrup thickens. When the mixture is cool, put the cherries in glass jars and pour over syrup as much as needed. Store the rest in bottles, so you can make sour cherry juice. Find here: Cookbooks and Pastry books for Monastic Gastronomy

Monastic Recipe for Koliva

Ingredients: 1/2 kilo of wheat, not peeled 1/4 kilo of bread crumbs 1 /2 kilo of coarse-grained walnut 1/4 kilo of coarse-grained almonds 1 glass of coconut 1/4 kilogram of blonde raisins 100 g. black raisins Sesame Pomegranate Parsley Orange peel For decoration: Silver sugared almonds in various designs Sugar fine (not caster sugar) 1 toothpick 1 piece of paper 1 tray 1 deep basin 1 towel Instructions: Wash the wheat from the previous night and put it in cold water with a little salt in a saucepan to soak. In the morning, rinse the wheat and boil it for 40 minutes. Drain well in the strainer and keep the porridge in bowl. Spread it in a towel and let it dry. Rinse the raisins and dip them for 3 minutes in warm water to soften them. Strain them and dry them in a towel. Then, put the dried wheat and dried raisins in a deep bowl and add one by one the ingredients, except for the breadcrumbs and the sugar. Stir the coconut with the orange peel. Do not put any sugar in the filling of the wheat. Use a tray to lay a baking paper on its base, which is cut with the scissors in the shape of the base. Spread the ingredients in the tray. With the spoon, carefully add the breadcrumbs. The coconut is used to absorb the moisture of the filling, while breadcrumbs to prevent sugar from melting and sticking. Then, slightly sprinkle the sugar from the center of the tray towards the edges and "pour" the sugar on the other side. Avoid caster sugar because it cracks and spoils the decoration. It takes 3 times as much as the fine sugar to cover a tray, and once it is mixed, it immediately mows the wheat. Take a toothpick and slightly carve on the sugar, at the center of the tray, a cross. Right and left of the cross carve 2 cypress trees, 2 daisies and on the outline of the tray a garland. Put the silver sugared almonds in a shallow dish and place them on top. Click here for the book of Father Epiphanios ''The cuisine of holy Mount Athos''.

Mount Athos Recipe for Koliva

Ingredients: 1/2 kg. of wheat 2 tablespoons of walnut crushed grated 1 tablespoon of almond-white breaded and grated 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped 1/2 tablespoons of sesame roasted 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon 1 tablespoon of raisins 1 tablespoon of sugar 1 tablespoon of grated toast bread For the coating: powdered sugar and cinnamonInstructions: Boil the wheat, so that it does not become a porridge. Strain it and spread it on a clean towel to drain its water. Put in a pan all the ingredients (except for the powdered sugar) and mix them. Place them on a platter and press them over with a baking paper. Cover it with sugar. If koliva is for memorial, form a cross with cinnamon or almond or pomegranate seeds. If it is for the celebration of a saint, create the form of the saint with cinnamon or natural colors. Click here for the book of Father Epiphanios ''The cuisine of holy Mount Athos''.

Theotokos Prodromitissa at Romanian Skete of Mount Athos

The Acheiropoietos Icon of Our Lady Prodromitissa At the Skete of the Holy Forerunner, also known as the Romanian Skete of Mount Athos, which is administratively appertained to the Monastery of Great Lavra, the holy icon of the Theotokos Prodromitissa is located. It is one of the miraculous icons of the Virgin Mary on Mount Athos. The main characteristic of the icon is that it was not created by human hands, that means it is an Acheiropoieton icon, since the form of the Theotokos and Jesus Christ was miraculously imprinted on a piece of wood! The Miracle of the creation Around 1863 AD, the founders of the Romanian Skete, Fathers Niphon and Nektarios, wanted to place an icon of the Virgin Mary in the Skete, as is customary in all monasteries on Mount Athos. So, they went to Iași in Romania and found a devout iconographer, Iordache Nicolau. They asked him to create an icon of the Theotokos followed by prayer and fasting. He accepted the request and began the process with great respect and dedication. At the beginning of the iconography, Iordache tried to paint the garments of the Theotokos and Jesus Christ. Once he completed them, he continued with the holy faces but he was unable to achieve a satisfactory result. Find here: Icon with the Theotokos Prodromitissa. The appearance of the Holy Figures in a miraculous way Disappointed with his work and believing he was unable to complete the task, he covered the iconography with a cloth and locked his workshop. Then, he went to his room to pray and repent. The next day, fully determined, iconographer Iordache went to his workshop and removed the cloth from the icon to begin his work again. As soon as he saw the icon, he was amazed, as it was completed and the divine faces were perfected! Until today, the Acheiropoieton icon of the Virgin Mary remains in the same form. When is the Theotokos Prodromitissa honored After the miraculous event of its creation, the fathers reverently transferred the icon to the Skete of the Holy Forerunner, its intended destination. According to Orthodox tradition, the Acheiropoietos icon of the Virgin Mary performed numerous miracles during its transportation. Today, the icon is located in the Katholikon of the Skete with an oil-candle burning in front of it, on the left side, a short distance from the iconostasis, and continues to perform miracles. It is honored by our Church on July 12th.

Virgin the Joy of All who Sorrow - Miraculous Icon of Russia

How the icon of the Virgin Mary Joy of all was found The holy icon of the Virgin Mary Joy of All or Joy of All Who Sorrow, as it is also known, was miraculously found and saved in a small chapel in the village of Klotski, near Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was the early 19th century when a thunder completely destroyed the chapel, yet the holy icon of the Virgin Mary was miraculously saved. Strangely, coins from the destroyed charitable box adhered around the edge of the icon and remained unharmed until these days. Find here: Icon with Virgin Mary Joy of All. The miraculous event of the icon of our Lady the Joy of All The holy icon, besides its charitable messages, is also associated with a miraculous event. In 1688 AD, the sister of Patriarch Joachim (1674-1690), named Euthymia, who lived in Moscow, suffered for a long time from an incurable disease. Then, during her morning prayer, Euthymia heard a voice telling her: «Euthymia! Go to the Church of the Transfiguration of My Son. There you will find a small icon called 'Joy of All Who Sorrow.' Tell the priest to perform a petition and a blessing with holy water and you will be healed». Euthymia faithfully followed the instructions that were given to her by the Virgin Mary and was immediately healed. The event of Euthymia’s healing took place on October 24, 1688. When is the celebration of the miracle Every year on October 24, the commemoration of the miracle, that occurred in Saint Petersburg in 1688 by the Virgin Mary, is celebrated, according to the old calendar followed by the Russian Orthodox.

Unfading Rose of the Virgin Mary, the Amaranth Rose

What "Rose the Amaranth" symbolizes The Unfading Rose of the Virgin Mary, the Amaranth Rose also known as the "Rose of the Virgin" or the "Immortal Rose of the Resurrection," or "the Rose of Jericho" symbolizes eternity and incorruptibility, the immortal essence of the soul! The Apostle Paul mentions that «For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing» (2 Corinthians 2:15), meaning Christ is the «Rose the Amaranth» and those who come near to the Lord, experience a heavenly fragrance. How the Amaranth Rose is connected to the Virgin Mary and Christ Jesus Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for our salvation. He is the Rose of Salvation, the pure, undefiled flower that blossomed in the barren and sinful Earth. Despite humanity's pollution, He came to Earth and remained immaculate. This occurred because He originated from the Ever-Virgin Mary, without the hereditary defilement of the Fall. And the Theotokos is the Amaranth Rose, the unwithering rose. God distinguished and chose her among the multitude of people and sin. God sought to find fragrance and wonderful scent in the world and found it in the face of the Virgin Mary. For this reason, she is called “Rejoice, birth-giver of the aromatic balm of the King of all” , that is the fragrance of Christ. The Virgin Mary is the flower that does not wither and remains spotless and perfectly pure forever. Neither time can wear her down, nor the blasphemies of the impious people. What the icon of the Virgin Mary of Roses depicts The icon of the Virgin Mary of Roses depicts Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus in her arms and with her other hand, holding a rose. At the bottom of the holy icon, there are multiple roses, which are in shades of red and pink. How the icon of the Virgin Mary of Roses was found The way in which the holy icon of our Lady of Roses was found, was miraculous. According to residents in the area of Piraeus, Greece, the icon was discovered between 1890 AD and 1895 AD. It all began when a fisherman, during his fishing, found the holy icon near the cliffs of Piraeus. Once the news spread in the area, a devout family named Katsaros wanted to provide shelter for the protection of the icon. Thus, on their own initiative, they undertook the construction of a private chapel, which they named Theotokos Rose the Amaranth. Find here: Hand Painted Byzantine Icon with the Virgin Mary of Roses. The miracle with the infectious disease During the summer of 1895, an epidemic of smallpox broke out in Piraeus, which had very low recovery rates. This caused great distress among the residents and led them to relocate to other areas to survive. Those who found themselves in the unfortunate position to be affected by this disease, either did not survive or were transferred to the Kantharos Hospital. There, individuals with other infectious diseases, such as pestilence, were also hospitalized. As the number of deaths from the contagious disease increased, the faithful sought their only hope for salvation. They visited the Church of the Virgin Mary of Roses and prayed in front of the holy icon. As days passed, the residents of the area realized that none of them had been infected, nor had the neighboring areas. This news spread and led to a public invitation for the litany of the holy icon. Indeed, a multitude of believers gathered outside the church, praying and entreating for the disease to be removed. And it happened so. Deaths decreased and the disease was eradicated. This was a great miracle of the holy icon of the Virgin Mary of Roses. When our Lady of Roses celebrates The Synaxis of the Virgin Mary of Roses is celebrated on April 3rd every year. Find here: Icon with the Virgin Mary of Roses.

Miraculous Icon: Virgin Mary of Mount Athos

According to orthodox tradition, the Theotokos, accompanied by the Evangelist John and headed towards Corfu with the purpose of visiting Lazarus, found herself near the peninsula of Athos. Due to a great sea storm, they were forced to disembark at the place where the Holy Monastery of Iviron stands today. It is said that the Virgin Mary admired this place so much that she asked her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to grant it to her as a gift. For this reason, Mount Athos is also known as the 'Garden of the Virgin Mary,' and the Theotokos is regarded as the Lady of the Holy Mountain. Find here: Icons with Virgin Mary of Mount Athos. The words of the Virgin Mary to the two hermits Around 655 to 681 AD, the Theotokos, made her first appearance on Mount Athos to the hermit Saint Peter. Four to five centuries later, the Virgin Mary appeared to the hermit Nicholas, abbot of the Monastery of Great Lavra. The Virgin Mary spoke the following words to the two hermits: «Your dwelling and your rest according to God will not be anywhere else except on Mount Athos, which I received from my Son and God to be my present, in which those who they want to depart from worldly situations, to come to it and work in this orchard, to cultivate virtue, purity of heart and purity of soul, and from now on it will be called by all «Mount Athos». «Mount Athos is called from now on... my Garden.» Find here: Embroidery with Theotokos The promise of the Virgin Mary to the monks The Virgin Mary of Mount Athos, after speaking to the hermits, gave a promise. She assured them that her love would be so great towards them that it would serve as a shelter, a safeguard and protection against all temptations, evil, and dangers. Find here: Hand Carved Wooden Icon Theotokos Eforos. The Virgin Mary Protector of the Athonite monks One of the greatest miracles of the Virgin Mary of Mount Athos On October 3, 1948, in Karyes of Mount Athos, communist insurgents attacked the Military Police and the civil Governor of Mount Athos, Mr. Panagiotakis. On the same day, the insurgents began their attack on the Cell of Prophet Elijah, where the feast of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite was being celebrated. During the Divine Liturgy, 50 monks were present there. Before the end of the Divine Liturgy, the insurgents attacked with firearms, machine guns, and artillery. Unfortunately, one of the mortar shells reached the roof of the Cell. However, through the intervention of Divine Providence and the Virgin Mary, the mortar shell did not explode, resulting in no injuries to those that were present. Find here: Magnet with the Virgin Mary of Athos. The Virgin Mary of Mount Athos: Protector and Shelter of the monks to this day The presence and miracles of the Theotokos were evident on Mount Athos, especially during the time of the German Occupation and the insurgency. Although the trials were quite harsh for the monks and invisible and visible temptations continue to exist even today, they manage to overcome them with the help and protection of the Virgin Mary. Today, the Garden of the Virgin Mary continues its uninterrupted spiritual work, consistently preserving the Faith and the sacred struggle of the monks. Find here: Monastery Leather Belt Virgin Mary Eforos