Mediterranean Diet Recipes for Healthy Meals
You can find our Mediterranean diet recipes here:
Mezze
Vegetarian
Side Dishes
Soups
Miscellaneous
Mediterranean Diet Recipes represent a large part of our way of home cooking. This type of cuisine is famous for its light, tasty and flavorful recipes and healthy benefits. Ingredients we use frequently, if not daily, are olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, other fresh vegetables and lemons.
The Principles
Before we jump to our best Mediterranean recipes it might be useful to explain the principles of this diet.
We learnt a lot about it going through many sites and books but the decisive move was when we visited South Crete in de summer of 2011. South Crete is well known as the area in the world where the original Cretan diet is still used the most and part of the everyday local routine.
So we visited the local markets in Chania and Rethymnon, discussed with the local vendors, tasted their products, went to local restaurants, even some upscale ones (but renowned for their use of local ingredients and their cuisine), where we had interesting chats with the chef. We also raved the area around Sfakia in search of local producers and small tabernas where we ate excellent dishes.
Where is the Mediterranean located?
Let’s focus first on its location: the Mediterranean Sea (easy one).
The following countries can be found around this spot (this is a rough sketch to give you an idea to start with): Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
The Mediterranean also includes island like Malta, Crete, Sicily, Cyprus and Sardinia. There’s a lot more of them but these are the most popular ones.
You would be amazed by the many similar habits, products and ingredients a lot of these different countries have in common! Even similar entire dishes exist under different names, prepared with local products and adapted to the nation’s culture and religion. I give you one example: Greek, Lebanese and Moroccan mezze. Take a look at them and you’ll find copies and variations on lots of them. This is not so surprising as it may seem: these countries share the same climate and geographical aspects. The trade and shipping overseas centuries ago still shows how influencing the contact between ancient harbors, people and cultures was on lifestyle, habits and food.
Climate & landscape
The Mediterranean climate is not on a constant level. The extremity
varies from sizzling hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter.
These temperature swings make it possible for rather difficult and
demanding plants, vegetables and fruits to grow like olives and grapes.
Landscape and soil composition are also closely related to this. The
current Mediterranean region is a result of volcanic activity
underneath the Mediterranean sea. Some volcanoes are still active even
to this day. We all know how destructive an eruption might be. This also
has a positive B-side: volcanic soil keeps the region fertile and
strong. Again few ingredients can survive and live in these harsh
conditions. Volcanoes not only spill lava and debris, they shift
continents and cause collisions between tectonic plates (we’re getting
very theoretical now). That’s how the mountains in quite a few countries
surrounding the Mediterranean were born. The landscape isn’t always as
flat as a pancake so large stocks of cows and pigs are sometimes hard to
keep (they are less resistant to high heat as well). Other livestock
such as goats and sheep are more evident. Well, this brings us
automatically to the next chapter!
Attention! The following Mediterranean Diet Recipes explanation is not always really in use nowadays. The Mediterranean diet recipes are based on how people lived and what they ate for centuries up until a few decades ago.
Modern transport, supermarkets and fast food restaurants slowly infiltrated the Mediterranean and changed the age-old healthy lifestyle. It is proven that the average health in the Mediterranean region has decreased gradually through the years.
What ingredients make the Mediterranean Diet Recipes so tasty and healthy?
Here’s a little scheme to visualize what ingredients of the Mediterranean Diet Recipes we talk about in the following topics.
Cereals
Whole grain bread, pasta, pizza and pastry containing any kind of cereals are the most important features in the Mediterranean Diet recipes as you can see on the food chart above. These products form the base of healthy living. You might think: cool, I eat them every week so I’m on the right track! Not. Look at how you prepare them and what you add. I don’t think a sizzling margherita pizza loaded with cheese or a butter and Nutella sandwich come even close. Bread is mostly accompanied by some fresh cheese, a vegetable dip, a fresh salad or simply sprinkled with some olive oil and dry herbs! Butter or other similar spread are out of the question because they contain saturated and unhealthy fats.
Pasta is a very simple meal as well but a delicious one! Topped with a vegetable sauce, some grilled tomatoes, zucchini or eggplant. There you go. One of my favorite Mediterranean Diet Recipes: garlic roasted pasta! Same thing for pizzas: drizzled with olive oil and topped with freshly sliced vegetables, fresh herbs and some fresh cheese. The trick is to add and consume ingredients in a moderate way. If you’re crazy enough you might start to make your own pizza and pasta dough.
Rice and couscous are healthy as well and very popular in the North African countries mentioned earlier. Cereals and whole grains are loaded with proteins and high carb. These meals are one of the main reason for the impressively low percentage of cardiovascular diseases in the Mediterranean region compared to other countries.
Vegetables & Fruit
Local agriculture is a treasure trove full of vitamins, energy, fibers
and natural minerals. The volcanic soil contains such richness it would
be a shame not to use it wisely. Maybe you have already experienced that
a tomato or orange from Italy is packed with flavor compared to their
sisters and brothers in our local supermarket. There’s one very
important element the Mediterranean also benefits: the sun! Fruits and
vegetables need the necessary heat to grow and develop natural sugars
and other important nutritional values. All these healthy buggers help
to maintain the healthy balance in your body.
Daily consumption
of fruits and vegetables decreases bad cholesterol and the risk of heart
disease or stroke. There’s such a wide variety of products: onions,
zucchini, garlic, tomatoes, eggplant, capsicum, mushrooms, cucumbers,
artichokes and lettuce. Same thing for fruits: peach, orange, lemon,
figs, apples, melons, plums and grapes. Let’s not forget a third group
of important and healthy flavors: fresh herbs! Rosemary, basil, thyme,
coriander, parsley, mint, dill, fennel, oregano… You name it! Add them
to your dishes of Mediterranean Diet Recipes for an extra flavor boost.
Nuts & Pulses
Nuts are a tasty snack or garnish for salads or pastas but overconsumption can harm you. Almonds, pecans, cashews or walnuts are full of unsaturated fats which is the good news but they also contain loads of calories. A handful of nuts daily is perfect. Again, moderate consumption is the key word for the Mediterranean diet. Roast the nuts to give them an extra smoky flavor. Don’t go for the salted or candied versions.
Pulses, fresh or dried, are a healthy source of protein and vitamins. They can be a nice variation on vegetables. Dried pulses can be stored for a long time and be kept for the cold winters. Perfect for stews of soups!
Olive Oil
The small population or lack of cows evidently means a low supply of
butter, milk and fat cheeses. Olive oil is one of the most essential
parts of the Mediterranean diet recipes. Mediterraneans hold the world
record if it comes to the use olive oil. Nowhere in the entire world is
the consumption of olive oil so high. To give you an idea: the average
Greek consumes over 26 liters of olive oil per year. Compared to the
USA, an American uses 40x less… Olive oil is perfect for marinating,
baking, grilling, roasting and preserving. Or simply drizzled on a piece
of bread! It’s a healthy alternative for butter of pork fat. Not only
olive oil is a good idea, other kinds of oil are good options too.
Canola, rapeseed or sunflower oil can also contribute to a healthier
lifestyle and diet. Vegetable oils contain limit saturated fats and
reduce the risk of heart disease and decrease high cholesterol.
Dairy
The presence of mainly sheep and goat cattle results logically in a wide
range of sheep and goat dairy products as (fresh) cheeses, milk or
yoghurt. Compared to cow milk, sheep and goat milk contain no lactose.
Sheep milk on the other hand is fattier and holds more calories. There’s
a difference in taste in both sheep and goat dairy some people are not
fond of.
Fish
The presence of the Mediterranean Sea makes it easier to retrieve and
consume fish and seafood. Fishing has been an essential source of
nutrition for centuries for the people living nearby the shores and
inland. Fish is very healthy, loaded with vitamins and very low carb and
low calorie. Can you think of any unhealthy fish? Of course there’s
some differences between fish. Some are a bit oilier but contain the
famous omega-3 fatty acids for example mackerel. Other fish and seafood
that can be found in the Mediterranean: sea bream, smelt, tuna,
sardines, sea bass, anchovy, octopus, sea urchins, oysters and so on…
Meat & Poultry
Mediterranean ‘meaty’ dishes mainly consist of chicken and quail. This
poultry is a light and easy digestible protein. It’s full of the
necessary vitamins but very low in fat and calories. This is the major
reason why the Mediterranean diet recipes are a very healthy way of
cooking and eating. Red meat (such as cows, pigs and horses) isn’t used
that often because of the landscape issues mentioned earlier which
results in low cholesterol. If red meat is available, you’re likely to
find goat, lamb, rabbit and some game. The Mediterranean diet recipes
limit red meat consumption to no more than a few times per month. Avoid
high-fat meats such as bacon and sausages.
Sweets
Sweet treats like candy, cakes, donuts or Danish pastries are not part
of the Mediterranean diet. Sugar is limited. The only source of sugar
comes from vegetables, fruits and surprisingly: honey. This natural
sweetener is very popular in countries like Morocco, Greece and Turkey.
Wine
Wine is easily forgotten in food charts but it plays a significant role
in Mediterranean diet recipes. There’s a huge variety of different sorts of
grapes in the Mediterranean that benefit the exotic sun and soil
consistency. The local wine production is an important source of income
nowadays. Everyone knows about the pros and cons regarding alcohol
intake. I’ll keep repeating it over and over again: moderate
consumption! There’s nothing better than a nice glass of wine while
enjoying a light meal. The opinions about how many glasses a day differ
quite a bit. If you ask me, 2 glasses are perfectly OK. Mediterraneans
not only embrace wine. Is it a coincidence that stronger spirits are
highly appreciated in these countries? Grappa, metaxa, ouzo, raki… These
shots help to digest a meal and start the afternoon siesta.
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