Mediterranean recipes that will fuel your body Healthy Options

By Shannon Serpette

For many people, eating a healthy diet is a constant struggle. But your diet can be both delicious and nutritious when you adopt a Mediterranean eating style. Widely recognized as one of the healthiest diets to follow, there are many tasty Mediterranean recipes that come with a wide array of heart-health benefits, like lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.

Stocking your cabinets with a few Mediterranean essentials, like good quality olive oil, lemon juice, and canned or dried beans and lentils, will help you be prepared when you need a quick, healthy meal.

Easy Pesto Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 can of corn

1 English cucumber

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or cashews

1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives

1 bell pepper of any color, chopped

1/4 cup diced red onion

Homemade or store-bought pesto

Directions

Put the drained corn, cucumber, walnuts, olives, pepper, and onion in a bowl. Add three or four tablespoons of the pesto and stir around or shake vigorously in a covered bowl to mix.

Baked Garlic and Lemon Cod

Editor’s note: While white flour and butter aren’t components of the Mediterranean diet, this fish recipe does require a small amount of each. Due to its many other healthy ingredients, it’s still a great recipe that has a ton of flavor.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 lb cod fillet pieces

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

For the Lemon Sauce

5 Tbsp lemon juice

5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp melted butter

5 garlic cloves, minced

For Coating

1/3 cup white flour

1 tsp ground coriander

3/4 tsp paprika

3/4 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir together the lemon juice, melted butter, and olive oil in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix the flour, coriander, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Set next to the lemon sauce.

Pat the fish dry, and dip each piece into the lemon sauce and then the flour mixture. When done coating the fish pieces, save the lemon sauce for later.

Heat another two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and sear on each side for about two minutes. Take the skillet off the heat.

Take the leftover lemon sauce and add the minced garlic, mixing well. Drizzle all over the fish.

Bake in the oven for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley before serving.

Hot Lentil Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion

3 Tbsp olive oil, plus a little more for dressing

1/2 tsp paprika

One 15 oz can of drained lentils

1 and 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half

4 cups uncooked spinach

1 and 1/2 Tbsp of lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Cut the onion into thin slices and sauté on medium to low heat in a skillet with three tablespoons of olive oil. Season them with paprika and a small amount of salt and pepper. Stir occasionally and continue cooking for about 15 minutes. Add the drained lentils and halved cherry tomatoes, and sauté for another three minutes.

Put the spinach in a bowl and dress it with a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice, according to your taste. Place the warm lentil mixture over the spinach and add an extra drizzle of lemon juice, as well as salt, paprika, and pepper, according to your preference.

Chickpea and Mozzarella Salad

INGREDIENTS

One 15 oz can drained chickpeas

6 oz of mozzarella, cut or torn into pieces

3 chopped green onions

2 Tbsp diced red onion

1 Tbsp parsley

1 and 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Zest from one lemon (optional)

1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir around to mix completely. It can be served at room temperature or chilled first.

White Bean Tuscan Soup

INGREDIENTS

6 cups vegetable stock

Two 15 oz cans of drained white beans

2 cups of spinach, shredded

2 cups of cabbage, shredded

2 cups of diced celery

2 cups of diced carrots

2 Tbsp of tomato paste

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a big saucepan and cover. Boil over medium-high heat until carrots are tender. Serve hot.

Breakfast Quinoa and Berries

INGREDIENTS

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups coconut or almond milk

1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

2 Tbsp of walnuts

Honey for drizzling

Directions

Stir the berries, quinoa, milk, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium pot. Bring to a boil and cover. Stirring the mixture occasionally, cook it for approximately 20 minutes over low-to-medium heat until most of the milk has been absorbed. Set aside for five minutes before serving. Top with walnuts and drizzle a little honey over the top, serving while it is warm.