Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes
The Mediterranean diet meal plan has helped thousands of people lose weight and stay healthy, all while enjoying a huge menu of rich, delicious foods from Italy, Greece, Spain and even France!
Mediterranean diet recipes are also fun and easy to make since they were created over hundreds of years by the common country folk of the Mediterranean and not a bunch of dieticians or professional chefs.
With the right staples and ingredients on hand, you can whip up easy Mediterranean recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner in minutes. Here's how.
Mediterranean Diet Recipes For Breakfast
Mediterranean Recipes to Start The Day
Breakfasts on the Mediterranean diet are very low key compared to what most of us are used to. The important thing is to have enough fat to keep you going until lunch.
Take some plain, whole fat yogurt (low-fat won't stay with you long enough) and stir in fresh or packaged berries, unsweetened granola and honey. If you prefer cereal, try a hearty authentic European muesli instead of a bowl of 'O's.
In the Mediterranean diet, eggs are a perfectly healthy breakfast option. Vegetables such as sun-dried tomatoes, onions, peppers and olives really wake-up scrambled eggs. You can even add a little Greek flavor with some nice crumbled feta cheese
Sweet Couscous with Nuts and Dates
This Tunisian dish adds a sweet twist to semolina. It is enjoyed as a breakfast dish or afternoon snack rather than a dessert.
2 2/3 cups couscous (about 1 lb)
2 2/3 cups water
1/4 cup sugar or honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped and toasted mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc.)
1 8-ounce box pitted dates, cut into pieces
2 cups hot milk
Additional sugar
Place couscous in large bowl. Bring 2 2/3 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar and oil to boil in large saucepan stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour the mixture over couscous and stir until well blended. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with fork. Mix in nuts and dates. Transfer couscous to 13Ã9x2-inch baking dish. Cool and cover with foil. Serves 8.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake couscous for about 20 minutes or until heated through. Spoon into bowls. Serve, passing hot milk and additional sugar separately.
Mediterranean Diet Recipes For Lunch
Easy Afternoon Mediterranean Recipes
In the Mediterranean diet, a salad can be a very satisfying and healthy lunch. Choose fresh greens and load them up with healthy goodies like vegetables, grilled chicken or fish, nuts, crumbled cheese, chopped egg, etc. Fat helps to digest vegetables, so avoid fat-free or low-fat dressings.
If you can only take a short lunch, extend your meal throughout the afternoon with the right snacks. Take your time to nibble a few bites of high-quality cheese. The small bit of extra fat will help give you a little extra energy. Then work your way through a small square of dark or bittersweet chocolate. Wrap it up with a small cup of coffee to help avoid the dreaded late-afternoon crash.
Mediterranean Spinach and Fig Salad
A Cool Mediterranean Recipe for a Hot Summer Day
3 cups baby leaf spinach, raw
1/2 cup canned chick peas (drained and rinsed)
4 walnut halves
2 organic Turkish figs, sliced
5 grape tomatoes
1 Kirby cucumber, sliced
4 tbsp vinaigrette dressing
Toss all ingredients and enjoy.
Mediterranean Diet Recipes For Dinner
Easy Mediterranean Recipes For Busy Days
Grilling is an essential part of the Mediterranean diet, and a perfect solution for dinner—the one meal of the day most of us have the least time for. Vegetables are delicious grilled or broiled with a just olive oil, salt and pepper. Salmon, chicken and pork can all be grilled or broiled in less than ten minutes.
You can also create hundreds of Mediterranean recipes with just pasta. Toss out stringy spaghetti and treat yourself to hearty penne or fusilli. You can make a satisfying pasta dinner with just olive oil and grated cheese, or you can add combinations of vegetables, chicken, fish, herbs and spices.
Chicken Marsala
This dish arose during the boom of the Marsala wine industry in the 19th century.
Two large chicken breasts, thinly sliced (turkey or veal may be substituted)
One bottle of Marsala wine (dry or sweet according to taste)
Whole or white flour
Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup capers
Juice of one large lemon
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Warm olive oil in a large pan over medium heat being careful not to burn the oil. Coat chicken with flour and place in pan, turning occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Add juice of one lemon. When the chicken is cooked, carefully pour half of the bottle of Marsala wine over it, stirring the mixture gently. Allow alcohol to evaporate as sauce thickens over about two minutes or so. Add the parsley. If you prefer a thicker sauce, add a little flour. Add capers last or sprinkle them over the chicken as a garnish.