Non-Fasting Recipes

Middle Eastern Non Fasting

Mansaf — Jordanian Lamb with Yogurt and Rice

The national dish of Jordan and a signature Bedouin celebration meal — lamb slowly cooked in jameed (tangy fermented ...

Serbian Non Fasting

Riblja Čorba sa Pavlakom — Fish Soup with Sour Cream

A Vojvodina-style fish soup from northern Serbia — freshwater fish, tomatoes, and paprika simmered into a rich broth,...

Middle Eastern Non Fasting

Basbousa — Semolina Yogurt Cake

Dense, fragrant semolina cake soaked in rose-and-orange-flower syrup, topped with blanched almonds. Basbousa appears ...

Romanian Non Fasting

Papanași — Fried Cheese Dumplings with Sour Cream and Jam

Romanian dessert royalty: fried dumplings made from fresh sheep's cheese or urda, shaped like a ring with a small bal...

Russian Non Fasting

Сельдь под Шубой — Herring Under a Fur Coat

A showpiece Russian layered salad — salted herring at the bottom, then onions, boiled potatoes, carrots, and finally ...

Russian Non Fasting

Шашлык из Свинины — Pork Shashlik

Summer in Russia means shashlik — cubes of marinated meat grilled over wood coals and eaten outdoors with bread, raw ...

Serbian Non Fasting

Karađorđeva Šnicla — Karađorđe's Schnitzel

A Serbian restaurant classic — pounded veal (or pork) rolled around a log of kajmak, breaded, and deep-fried. When cu...

Romanian Non Fasting

Ostropel — Romanian Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce

A rustic Romanian dish of chicken stewed in a punchy tomato-garlic sauce, seasoned with smoked paprika and plenty of ...

Serbian Non Fasting

Slavski Kolač — Slava Bread

The ritual bread of the Serbian slava — every Serbian Orthodox family celebrates their patron saint day with a prescr...

Georgian Non Fasting

Tolma — Georgian Stuffed Grape Leaves with Meat

The Georgian version of dolma: tender grape leaves wrapped around a filling of spiced meat, rice, and a generous hand...

Romanian Non Fasting

Supă de Găină — Romanian Chicken Noodle Soup

The classical Romanian chicken soup — an old hen (or rooster) simmered slowly with plenty of vegetables until the bro...

Georgian Non Fasting

Chikhirtma — Georgian Chicken Soup with Egg and Lemon

A silken, golden chicken soup thickened with egg yolks and sharpened with lemon or vinegar — Georgia's answer to avgo...

Romanian Non Fasting

Mămăligă cu Brânză și Smântână — Polenta with Cheese and Sour Cream

The simplest Romanian peasant supper and also one of the most beloved — thick golden cornmeal polenta topped with cru...

Russian Non Fasting

Бефстроганов — Beef Stroganoff

Named for the Stroganov family in the 19th century, this dish of tender beef strips in a creamy mushroom and mustard ...

Georgian Non Fasting

Mtsvadi — Georgian Pork Shashlik

Mtsvadi is Georgia's grilled meat — large chunks of pork marinated simply in salt, pepper, and fresh herbs, then gril...

Romanian Non Fasting

Salată de Boeuf — Romanian Beef and Vegetable Salad

A layered holiday salad found at every Romanian Christmas, New Year, and Easter table — diced boiled beef, carrots, p...

Georgian Non Fasting

Chakhokhbili — Chicken Stew with Tomatoes and Herbs

Named for its original version made with pheasant (khokhobi), chakhokhbili is now made with chicken in every Georgian...

Serbian Non Fasting

Prebranac sa Kobasicom — Serbian Baked Beans with Sausage

Classic Serbian prebranac is fasting-friendly (just beans and onions), but the celebration version adds smoked sausag...

Middle Eastern Non Fasting

Warak Enab bi Lahmeh — Stuffed Grape Leaves with Lamb

The Levantine version of stuffed grape leaves — filled with a hot mix of lamb, rice, and warm spices (unlike the cold...

Serbian Non Fasting

Podvarak — Braised Sauerkraut with Smoked Meat

A Serbian comfort dish: slow-braised sauerkraut with smoked meats — bacon, sausage, pork ribs — baked until the cabba...

Greek Non Fasting

Gemista Kalamari — Stuffed Squid

Fresh squid tubes filled with a rice-based stuffing enriched with feta, tomato, and pine nuts, then braised slowly in...

Greek Non Fasting

Kokoretsi — Lamb Offal Wrapped in Intestines

A Greek Paschal delicacy that polarizes — organ meats (liver, heart, lung, spleen) threaded onto a spit and wrapped w...

Greek Non Fasting

Kotopita — Greek Chicken Pie

Chicken and leek pie wrapped in phyllo — the Greek version of chicken pot pie. Cooked chicken bathed in a béchamel-li...

Greek Non Fasting

Magiritsa — Paschal Lamb Offal Soup

The traditional soup eaten at midnight after the Paschal Liturgy, magiritsa breaks the forty-day Lenten fast with lam...

Romanian Non Fasting

Cozonac — Romanian Easter Sweet Bread

Romania's Paschal sweet bread — a tall, rich, twisted loaf swirled with a walnut, cocoa, and rum filling that becomes...