From Morocco to Spain, from Italy to Turkey, from Israel to Greece, the Mediterranean region boasts some of the most delicious foods in the world. What makes Mediterranean food so special?
Here are 5 reasons to start! The Mediterranean diet pattern is:
Flexible -- You can easily swap and substitute ingredients to your liking.
Fresh -- It’s based on delicious, often locally grown and raised foods.
Filling -- The foods are packed with fiber and allow small amounts of healthy fats like nuts, olives, and olive oil, which are very satiating.
Flavorful -- The diet is never boring, encouraging generous amounts of herbs, spices, nuts, and seeds to season the signature dishes.
Festive -- From Spanish tapas to Greek meze, Mediterranean cuisine is a celebration of life and love of food.
Not to mention, this diet is easy to follow and super healthful! Want to learn more? Get a newsletter, learn the science, start a new meal plan, and more here at Oldways, a fabulous resource for health and nutrition with an emphasis on cultural food traditions.
Here are a few of my favorite Mediterranean-inspired, all vegan dishes. Bon appetit!
White Bean and Tomato Salad
This is one of the simplest yet tastiest ways to enjoy white beans – the beans made popular by the cuisine of Spain and Italy.
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped flat Italian parsley, loosely packed
4 large (or 5-6 medium or 6-7 small) ripe fresh red tomatoes, chopped
juice of 1 large lemon, or more to taste
1/4 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (if you can’t find white balsamic, use apple cider vinegar)
salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss until well blended.
Variations:
Add chopped bell pepper
Add chopped celery and carrots
Add spices and herbs of your choice
Basic Polenta with Portobello Mushroom Topping
Polenta is a simple cornmeal porridge: all you need is cornmeal and water. This makes it one of the most versatile dishes you can make. Polenta has its origins in Northern Italy and was known as “the food of the poor” in Roman times, but it has somehow transformed itself as a gourmet dish in fine restaurants everywhere.
For the polenta:
3 cups vegetable broth or water
1 tsp. salt (less if using broth)
1 cup fine cornmeal (sometimes also called “polenta”)
For the topping:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 oz portobello mushrooms, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tbsp. chopped)
3 tbsp. red wine (balsamic vinegar may be substituted)
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ cup vegetable broth
Bring water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Gradually add the cornmeal while stirring. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently while it thickens. Pour into an 8 inch pan, press down, and let cool (an oiled spatula may help). After polenta solidifies, bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or fry in a little olive oil until golden brown on both sides.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté for about 10 minutes, or until onions become translucent. Add the wine, thyme, salt, and pepper and continue sautéing. When mixture is dry, add the broth and stir until moisture is absorbed. Taste a mushroom; if it is still not tender, add some more broth and cook until the liquid is absorbed.
Spoon the mushroom mixture on top of the polenta. Slice and serve. (You may find it easier to slice the polenta before spooning the mixture on top.)
Variations:
Add ground pepper and other spices to the polenta as you stir.
Add in one or more vegetables just after adding the cornmeal. Try sun dried tomatoes (reconstituted), garlic, finely chopped bell pepper, scallions, or fresh herbs. In place of the mushrooms in the topping, you can substitute with frozen or canned and drained artichoke hearts.
For a special treat, brush polenta slices with olive oil and grill for a few minutes on each side. This is nice for leftover polenta.
Fool Madamas
The main ingredient in this dish is the fava bean, also known as the broad bean, popular in many parts of Europe as well as middle eastern countries such as Lebanon, where this dish originates.
1 14-oz can fava beans
juice of 1/2 lemon or more to taste
0 to 4 tbsp olive oil (per your preference and diet goals)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
salt to taste
Place entire contents of can of fava beans (including liquid) in a saucepan over medium to high heat. Add remaining ingredients, stirring occasionally. With the back of a spoon, mash some of the beans and keep some whole. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, mashing more if desired. Final consistency should be like a very thick, chunky soup. Serve hot or warm. This is wonderful with fresh, warm whole wheat pita.
Variations:
Add 1/2 cup whole, cooked chickpeas at the end up cooking; heat through
Add some finely chopped onion on top just before serving
Tahini Sauce
Tahini is simply pureed sesame seeds. It comes in a jar or can, and is very creamy in consistency. Like natural peanut butter, the solid mass tends to separate from the oily liquid, so mixing it up takes a little effort. Bitter by itself, it lends a wonderful flavor to many vegetable dishes. Tahini’s most popular use is in hummus. My friend from Jordan told me, “We put tahini sauce on everything.” I can see why!
4 tbsp. tahini
Juice of 1 medium lemon (3 tablespoons)
2 tbsp. water
½ tsp. salt
Whisk all ingredients together. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Serve with:
Mixed green salad (may want to add some water to thin it out first)
Raw or steamed vegetables
Falafel
Eggplant or bean dishes
Chick Pea Sauté
So simple and satisfying! This dish can be whipped up in a jiffy. Throw together a salad and some whole grain bread or quick brown rice, and you’ve got a meal in minutes.
1 14-oz can chick peas
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 tsp. sumac (or you can substitute paprika)
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt or more to taste
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes or ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 6-8 plum tomatoes)
Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Sauté onion for 3-5 minutes over medium heat. Add sumac and cumin; stir until onions are coated. Add the chickpeas and seasonings. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes are hot.
Mixed Greens with Nuts and Raisins
This dish was inspired by an amazing spinach side dish served at Ristorante Marino in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While Marino’s uses spinach, garlic, olive oil, and raisins, I add other greens (for a nutritional boost) and nuts (for added omega 3’s and a nice crunch).
One 1-pound package of mixed chopped cooking greens (available at Trader Joes and large grocery stores), or 1 pound (about 10 cups) chopped, washed, rinsed mixed greens of your choice (including spinach, collards, chard, escarole, kale, mustard greens, and turnip greens)
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. minced garlic
¼ cup raisins
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup chopped walnuts or pine nuts
Unless you’re using only spinach, lightly steam the greens for 1-2 minutes, or until they begin to get bright green and tender. (Spinach does not need steaming in advance.) Heat the oil and add garlic; sauté over high heat for 1 minute. Add the greens and raisins. Sauté until greens are tender and raisins are plump. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the nuts and serve immediately.
Snacking Perfection
12 Mejool dates, pits removed
3 whole walnuts (or 6 walnut halves, each sliced in half)
Stuff each date with a walnut piece. Or use almonds. What could be easier?
