Free Mediterranean Diet Recipes
Enjoy these free Mediterranean diet recipes and experience satisfaction on every level! The Mediterranean diet is rapidly becoming the most popular diet on the planet! In this case, the word "diet" refers not only to weight loss, but a style of eating that has proven to reduce the risk of cancer, Alzheimer's, and heart disease!
October 2009: News Flash! The focus of your eating will center around an abundance of fruits and vegetables, olives, nuts, extra virgin olive oil, lean protein, especially fish, low-fat dairy, and whole grains in the form of bread, pasta, brown rice, etc. What's not to love? The following free Mediterranean diet recipes come from a variety of sources. Some were shared with me by friends, some came from Mediterranean diet cookbooks or other sources. If I know the source, I'll give credit. They're all easy so don't be afraid to try them. If I can do this, you can too! In most cases, you won't have nutritional information, but the Mediterranean diet isn't about counting calories, fats, etc. It's about eating and enjoying certain nutrient-rich foods and selected fats, until satisfied. If losing weight is your goal, as always, you must pay attention to portion sizes and not overeat. If you don't spend much time in the kitchen cooking and you're not sure how to get started, see my meal ideas for the Mediterranean diet.
Free Mediterranean Diet Recipes: Meat and FishFilet Mignon (4 servings) (from The Mediterranean Prescription) 1 T. each of salt and black pepper Combine salt, pepper, thyme, and oil in a small bowl. Make 8-10 slits in the meat and rub the spice mixture into the slits and over the surface. Let the meat sit for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator. Then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 475 and roast meat for 20-30 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 120 for rare and 130-135 for medium. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Striped Bass in a Pouch (4 servings) (Substitute your favorite fish!) 4 pieces of parchment or aluminum foil, 18x18 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Fold the paper or foil in half and open it up like a book. Place the fish in the center of the right side and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 2 garlic cloves, a thyme sprig, and lemon slices on each fish. Top each with olives, tomatoes, artichokes, and fennel. Drizzle with white wine and close the pouch by folding like a book. Pinch and roll the edges until the calzone-shaped parchment or foil is sealed. Bake for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, add the lemon juice and parsley. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and add salt and pepper. Once the fish is plated, drizzle the fish with the oil-lemon mixture. Tuna and Cannelloni Lg. can tuna, drained Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add olive oil and vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Chicken and Potato Casserole (4 Servings) (This recipe came from my friend, Marian, who uses it whenever she needs to take food to a friend. It is easy and delicious!) 1 lb. small potatoes (red, white, or purple) Cook potatoes in 1 T. salt until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. When cool enough to touch, cut potatoes in half. While potatoes are cooking, shred the chicken and place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine mustard, vinegar, garlic, honey with a whisk. Add remaining salt and pepper. Gradually add oil while whisking. Put spinach leaves on top of the chicken and add hot potatoes to help wilt the spinach. Add capers. Pour vinaigrette and toss lightly. Serve warm. Pork Tenderloin with Apple Succotash (Serves 4) Coarse salt Preheat oven to 425. Combine 4 T. salt with chili powder and rub over pork tenderloins. In a large, oven-proof skillet,set over medium heat, brown the pork in 1 T. olive oil. Sear until brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add 1 T. olive oil or canola oil and broth, and heat over medium heat. Add lima beans and cook for 5 min. Add corn and apples and cook for 2 min. more. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the pork from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with succotash on side. Janie Jacobson's Soy Lacquered Salmon (Serves 4) 4 6-oz. salmon fillets In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, add all ingredients except canola oil. Marinate salmon for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours in the fridge. Preheat oven to 400. Heat an oven-proof skillet with oil, over medium-high heat. Sear salmon, skin side down, for one minute. Place in oven 12-14 minutes until done. Baked Salmon with Island Jewels (Serves 4) 1/4 cup chopped red onions In a bowl, combine onions, scallions, mangoes, diced pineapple, pimientos, and black beans. In a blender, combine chopped pineapple, lime juice, and oil and puree for one minute. Coat a baking dish with Pam. Arrange salmon in the dish and spoon vegetable/fruit mixture over the fish. Then pour the blended juice over all and bake for 15-17 minutes at 350. Scallops with Mushrooms, Leeks, and Tarragon (Serves 4) 1 cup sliced leeks In a large nonstick skillet, saute leeks in oil over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute 3-4 minutes. Stir in tarragon and lemon juice and remove from heat. Drain pan juice into small bowl. Coat baking dish with Pam. Spoon mushrooms and leeks into the bottom and arrange scallops in a single layer on top. Spoon reserved pan juices over all and sprinkle with Parmesan and then paprika. Broil scallops 4-6 inches from heat for 6-8 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown.
Free Mediterranean Diet Recipes: PastaPasta Puttanesca(6-2 cup servings) This is one of Ellie Krieger's recipes. It is so wonderful that my husband didn't even notice that he was eating whole wheat pasta. 16 oz. whole wheat pasta While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook about one minute. Add parsley, olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano, and red pepper and cook for 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the arugula and simmer for another minute, just until the greens wilt. Drain the past and toss it with the sauce. Bow Ties w/ Tomatoes, Feta, and Balsamic Dressing (shared by my friend and neighbor, Pat, who is not only a great cook, but also a great gardener) (Serves 4) 6 ounces uncooked whole wheat farfalle (bow tie pasta) Cook pasta, drain, set aside. Combine cooked pasta, tomatoes,grapes, and basil in a large bowl. Combine vinegar and next 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil to vinegar mixture, stirring constantly with the whisk. Drizzle over the pasta mixture, toss well to coat. Add cheese and toss to combine. Pat's Spaghetti with No-Cook Sauce (Serves 4) (Pat brought this recipe and a bowl of this delicious pasta to my house for me to sample today. Now that's a great neighbor!) 4-5 large, red tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch cubes While salted water is boiling for the pasta, put cubed tomatoes in a large bowl. Cut basil pieces into slivers and add to bowl. Crush garlic cloves into the bowl and add olive oil. Add salt to taste. Let the mixture sit and macerate so that all the flavors come together. Cook pasta al dente. Add drained pasta directly to the bowl and mix. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese on top. Yummy! (Note: Pat prefers to use Barilla PLUS Penne as the "plus" provides more protein and nutrients.) Spaghetti Squash with Chunky Tomato Sauce (6-8 servings) 1 2-pound spaghetti squash Preheat oven to 400. Pierce squash with fork. Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 for one hour or until tender. Cool, cut in half lengthwise, and discard seeds. Scrape the inside of the squash with a fork and remove the spaghetti-like strands to measure 4 cups. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook garlic for 2 minutes, stirring frequently (do not let brown). Add salt, pepper, red pepper, tomatoes, oregano, and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Combine Parmesan and ricotta. Spoon the squash into a baking dish sprayed with Pam. Cover with sauce and finally with cheese mixture. Bake at 400 for 50 minutes. Pasta with Walnuts and Arugula (Serves 4-6) 3/4 cup drained, chopped sun-dried tomato halves, packed in oil. As pasta is boiling, place the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl with 1/2 cup hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper and saute for 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add arugula and lemon juice to the skillet and toss to coat. Drain cooked pasta and reserve 1/4 cup hot pasta water. Add pasta to the skillet and toss with cheese, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and enough pasta water to melt the cheese. Serve with sprinkled walnuts and additional Parmesan.
Free Mediterranean Diet Recipes: VegetarianRoasted Zucchini(4 servings) (from The Sonoma Diet) 1 T. extra virgin olive oil In a small saucepan, cook the garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Stir in rosemary, pepper, and salt. Place zucchini in a baking pan, add the oil, and toss to coat. Roast, uncovered, at 425 for 20 minutes, stirring once. Sheila's Indonesian Rice Salad (serves 6) (I made a few changes to make it more "Mediterranean-friendly.") 2 cups brown rice, cooked In a large bowl combine dressing: 1/3 cup olive oil Add hot rice to dressing and mix well. When cooled to room temperature, cover tightly and refrigerate until cold. Shortly before serving, stir in: 3 scallions minced (white and green parts) Note:This seems like a labor-intensive recipe but it’s great and you can make a large amount and eat it for a week! You can add or leave out any ingredients that you wish and it will still be delicious.
Gail's Bean Salad (8 servings) This salad is fantastic! I made it up for a tailgate party along with the tapenade potato salad below. For the bean salad, I mixed about 1 1/2-2 cups of edemame beans (soybeans, shelled) with one can of dark red kidney beans and one can of garbanzo beans, both drained and rinsed. I added about 1/2 cup of chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper,and 1/2 chopped (or sliced) onion. I added 3 cloves of garlic, minced, salt and pepper to taste. I added 2 tablespoons of olive oil with about 4-5 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. I like mine tangy. Mix it up well and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before serving. Gail's Tapenade Potato Salad (8 servings) This potato salad was an experiment that turned out wonderfully, so I'll do my best to describe it. I boiled about 2 pounds of small red potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes. (Just wash the potatoes and cut the larger ones in half.) While the potatoes are boiling, chop 2 stalks of celery and one half onion. In a blender or processor, combine one jar of mixed, pitted olives, drained, (green, Greek, and black) with 4 cloves of garlic, sliced. Add about 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 T. of honey, and 4-5 T. of white wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the vinegar to your taste. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and add to the celery and onion. Add the olive mixture and stir until mixed well. Let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving, or even overnight. (Note: Store bought tapenade should work well too.) Gail's Roasted Mushrooms and Peppers This is so delicious that I just wanted to share it! I went to Sam's Wholesale Club and purchased a container of white button mushrooms and a bag of mini bell peppers (red, yellow, and orange). I washed the mushrooms and cut off the stems. They were large, so I cut them in half. I washed the peppers, cut off the stems, cut them in half, and pulled out the seeds. I then put the peppers and mushrooms in a large bowl and added olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I added salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I mixed them well and poured them onto a large, foiled cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. I roasted them for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. They were fantastic! They will be good in the fridge for most of the week!
Free Mediterranean Diet Recipes: SoupsGreen Soup(I love soup! This recipe is simply scrumptious!) 1 T. olive oil Cook first four ingredients until veggies are tender (about 15 minutes). Add remaining ingredients, except spinach and simmer for 30 minutes. Add spinach before serving to wilt. Judy's Gazpacho 1 pepper Cut up and add all ingredients in a blender or food processor along with 2 oz. of vinegar and 2 oz. of olive oil. Blend to desired consistency.
Free Mediterranean Diet Recipes: MiscellaneousSummer Berries with Almond Sauce(from The Sonoma Diet) (Serves 6) 2 cups fresh blackberries Divide berries evenly among six bowls. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and spoon over berries. Traditional Hummus (Yields 3 1/2 cups. Better if chilled overnight and served at room temperature.) (from Nov. '08 issue of Cooking Light Magazine) 2 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained Place beans and garlic in a food processor or blender until chopped. Add water and remaining ingredients and blend or pulse until smooth. No Guilt Guacamole (Yields about 1 1/2 cups) (from June '02 issue of Prevention Magazine) 1 avocado Scoop avocado flesh into a blender or food processor. Add the remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend or pulse to desired consistency. White Bean-Basil Dip (Makes 4 servings) 1 19 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree. Let stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours for flavors to blend before serving. Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Makes 4 servings) 2 red bell peppers Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Place the peppers on the baking sheet and broil, turning frequently, until the skin is lightly charred on all sides, about ten minutes. Transfer the peppers into a closed paper bag and let steam for ten additional minutes. Place a strainer over a small bowl and peel the peppers over the strainer, discarding stems and seeds, and allowing the juice to fall into the bowl. In a food processor or blender, combine peppers and juice with remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. In addition to being a great dip, this is also good on a baked potato, asparagus, fish, etc. Marian's Cowboy Caviar 1 can black-eyed peas or black beans Mix together:2 T. red wine vinegar Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pea Salad 1 can Leseur peas Drain above ingredients and mix well. Combine with1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup red wine, salt and pepper. Chill before serving. Red Cabbage Slaw 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice Combine all ingredients, except cabbage in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Place cabbage in a large bowl and toss with vinaigrette. Chill for 30 minutes before serving. Please visit Free Mediterranean Diet Recipes again. More recipes will be added as I find them or they are sent to me. If you have a favorite recipe, send it to me using my "contact me" page!
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