Hi Everyone,
I just noticed this Mediterranean forum and thought I'd check it out. Over the past several years, I have unconsciously changed my eating habits to align with Med. countries. I just naturally gravitated toward fruit, veggies & whole grains, etc. without really thinking about it. One thing I have figured out is that if I eat pasta, even the whole wheat kind, it's a guaranteed 2 pound weight gain. I don't know what it is, but pasta and me...we don't get along
So, I went looking for a pasta salad substitute and came up with a WONDERFUL recipe for Lentil salad. I thought I'd share it. It's easy and uses ingredients you probably already have.
All I do is boil up some lentils, whole barley (and any other whole grain you like). While they are cooking, I chop up the veggies. You can use any combo you like, but I use celery, onion, cucumber, green peppers, black olives, artichoke hearts, etc. I rinse the lentils/barley in cold water (I like the salad to be cold) and mix in with the veggies. For a dressing I have used bottled italian, in a pinch...otherwise, I drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil, some red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic and basil. Toss it all up with some feta cheese, if you like it. Serve on a nice bed of fresh spinach.
It is hearty enough to be a whole meal. But it's also really good with a side of steak or chicken...ooh, shrimp would be good too!
I've never thought about the calories, but it's so healthy! I think if you keep the olive oil to a minimum, the calories are pretty low.
Greek tzatziki is one of my favorite sauces, it goes with almost anything from bread and potatoes to salad to meat and poultry.
You need:
1 cup thick (low fat) yoghurt
1 cucumber, rasped and pressed so it isn't wet anymore
1 or 1 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
fresh dill (optional)
1 or more fresh crushed garlic cloves (be careful at first, the real taste takes about 2 hours to develop!)
salt pepper
Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Golden Garlic, Tomatoes, and Sage
ingredient list
Serves 6
1/2 lb. whole-wheat spaghetti
3 Tbs. olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, peeled, halved, and sliced (3 Tbs.)
1 1/2 lb. ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped (6 cups)
3/4 cup cooked chickpeas
2 Tbs. fresh chopped sage, plus more leaves for garnish
2 Tbs. chopped kalamata olives
Directions
1. Cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water 10 to 11 minutes, or until al dente.
2. Heat oil and garlic in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until garlic is browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, sage, and olives, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
3. Drain spaghetti, and return to pot. Add sauce, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Divide among 6 serving bowls, and garnish with sage leaves.
Nutritional Information
Per :
Calories 258
Protein 9g
Total fat 9g
Saturated fat 1g
Carbs 40g
Cholesterol mg
Sodium 148mg
Fiber 8g
Sugars 5g
Chili Mint Burgers with Green Bean and Tomato Salad ( wave 2 but sounds really good)
Prep: 15 minutes
Grill: 14 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 fresh serrano or jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped,* or 2 tablespoons canned diced green chile peppers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint, crushed
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 teaspoon minced) or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound lean ground beef or uncooked ground turkey breast
2 whole wheat pitas, halved
1/4 cup Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce
Directions
1. In a medium bowl combine onion, chile pepper, mint, cumin, garlic, and kosher salt. Add the meat; mix well. Shape into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.
2. For a charcoal grill, place patties on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 14 to 18 minutes or until meat is done (160 degrees F for beef; 165 degrees F for turkey), turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place patties on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.)
3. Serve each patty in a pita half with 1 tablespoon of the Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce. Makes: 4 servings
*Note: Because hot chile peppers contain oils that can burn your skin and eyes, wear rubber or plastic gloves when working with them. If your bare hands do touch the chile peppers, wash your hands well with soap and water.
Broiler method: Place patties on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 14 to 18 minutes or until meat is done (160 degrees F for beef; 165 degrees F for turkey), turning once halfway through broiling.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 361, Total Fat (g) 19, Saturated Fat (g) 7, Cholesterol (mg) 77, Sodium (mg) 407, Carbohydrate (g) 22, Fiber (g) 3, Protein (g) 25, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
1 15- to 19-ounce can beans, such as chickpeas, black-eyed peas or kidney beans, rinsed
2 5- to 6-ounce cans water-packed chunk light tuna, drained and flaked (see Note)
1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
4 teaspoons capers, rinsed
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup lemon juice, divided
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 cups mixed salad greens
Combine beans, tuna, bell pepper, onion, parsley, capers, rosemary, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl. Season with pepper. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil and salt in a large bowl. Add salad greens; toss to coat. Divide the greens among 4 plates. Top each with the tuna salad.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 326 calories; 17 g fat (2 g sat, 11 g mono); 17 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrate; 22 g protein; 10 g fiber; 652 mg sodium; 681 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (160% daily value), Vitamin A (100% dv), Folate (42% dv), Potassium & Iron (20% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 1/2 lean meat, 2 fat
TIP: Note: Chunk light tuna, which comes from the smaller skipjack or yellowfin, has less mercury than canned white albacore tuna. FDA/EPA advice recommends no more than 6 ounces of albacore a week; up to 12 ounces canned light tuna is considered safe.
Sweet couscous with nuts and dates
Ingredients Serves 8.
2 2/3 cups couscous (about 1 pound)
2 2/3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped toasted mixed nuts (such as walnuts, blanched almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and pine nuts)
1 8-ounce box pitted dates, cut into pieces
2 cups milk, hot
Additional sugar
Preparation:
Place couscous in large bowl. Bring 2 2/3 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar and oil to boil in heavy large saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour mixture over couscous and stir until well blended. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with fork to separate grains. Mix nuts and dates into couscous. Transfer couscous to 13×9x2-inch baking dish. Cool. Cover with foil. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake couscous until heated through, about 20 minutes. Spoon into bowls. Serve, passing hot milk and additional sugar separately
Vaselopita – “Traditional Greek New Year’s Day bread.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
6 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk, lukewarm
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a round 10 inch cake pan.
In a medium bowl, cream butter and 2 cups sugar until light; add flour and stir until mixture is mealy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
Stir baking powder into milk then stir into flour mixture. Mix soda and lemon juice; stir into batter. Pour batter into greased pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with nuts and 1 tablespoon white sugar, then return to oven for 20 to 30 minutes longer, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and gently cut a small hole in the cake. Place a quarter in the hole, then sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over cake, making sure to cover the hole. Cool cake on a rack for about 10 minutes, then place a dish over the top of the pan and turn over.
Serve warm.
Cinnamon Breakfast Toasts
- makes 30 to 32 toasts -
Ingredients
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling the dough
1/4 cup fine cornmeal or instant polenta
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Optional toppings
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon raw or demerara sugar
Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the eggs, sugar and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat them together on medium speed for one minute, until light and foamy.
3. While the egg mixture is beating, whisk together 2 cups of the flour with the cornmeal, salt, baking powder and cinnamon until thoroughly blended. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and beat them together until a thick dough is formed. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and discard the whisk. Use a spatula to fold the remaining 1/4 cup of flour into the dough. Let the dough sit for five minutes so the flour can absorb the moisture from the eggs.
4. While the dough is sitting, lightly grease a cookie sheet with non-stick vegetable spray, line it with parchment paper, and lightly grease the parchment.
5. Flour your work surface and fingers, and divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a log, about 1 1/2 inches wide and place the logs on the prepared cookie sheet, evenly spaced. The dough will be tacky, but easy manage; you can continue to shape the logs them after placing them on the cookie sheet.
6. Use a pastry brush to brush away any excess flour. If you want add a bit more sweetness to the toasts, brush them with the milk and sprinkle the raw or demerara sugar on top.
7. Bake the logs for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are puffy, golden brown and firm to touch. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and turn the temperature down to 300 degrees. Let the logs cool for 15 minutes on the tray.
8. Use a serrated knife to slice the logs on the bias about ½ of an inch thick and lay them flat on the cookie sheet. Return the slices to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the slices are browned and toasted. Allow the toasts to cool completely and store them in an air-tight container.
I always struggled cooking brown rice, until recently - after I found this amazing 'baked brown rice' recipe.... its so easy and so good.
1 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 heaping tbs vegetable (or chicken broth)
1 tbs of any oil or butter (it doesn't matter which)
preheat the oven to 375. heat the water, broth and oil to a boil, then add rice, stir. pour everything into a casserole dish, cover, and place in oven for app. 1 hour. take out and let it sit for 10 minutes.
(posted by bonnnie in the whole foods forum 6/27/10)
I'm a big proponent of this way of eating, but I can't do the bread/pasta/potato thing. I've had to modify the diet for myself because of my personal health isses with PCOS/Insulin Resistance. I get most of my carbohydrates from vegetables, and I've been eating veggies for breakfast for years.
I love veggie fritattas. I'll shred zucchini, chop peppers and onions, cook down fresh tomatoes, or any vegetables, and mix them with eggs and a little feta for breakfast. I recently switched to a mix of a single whole egg and added egg whites to cut back on my animal fat. Asparagus, artichoke hearts, broccoli, mushrooms. Love them all with eggs.
Some days I want a poached egg, but don't care to put it on toast or an English muffin. Instead, I will cook some wild dandelion greens, amaranth greens, collards, kale, spinach or Swiss Chard, then place the poached egg on top of that, dress it with some good Kalamata olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Yum!
Braised greens are very easy to make. In many markets you can find bags of collards, mustard and turnip greens in bags, already washed and chopped. I'll chop an onion and some garlic and saute them in a deep pot until soft. I throw in the whole bag of greens, splash in a little chicken or vegetable stock, or even just water, put a lid on it and turn the heat down to simmer. I let them cook down for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the greens that are in there. If I cook the whole bag, then I eat some right away and save the rest for the next day.
I also love savory oatmeal. I use the extra thick rolled oats or the steel cut oats. Cook according to the instructions on the package. Then I'll saute some spinach in a little olive oil and poach an egg and layer all those on top of my bowl of oatmeal, dress it with a little olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Also yummy!
Cooking Tips, Recipes And More
