Tag: Mediterranean Diet
Rice with Almonds and Golden Raisins
Some restaurant meals are nothing short of mythical in their unattainability. You eat them and think, “This is why I eat at restaurants. Because I could never make these delicious truffle oil-infused french fries/bacon-wrapped seared scallops/whole grain pancakes with farro and spelt” at home. (That or “I could never take myself seriously buying ingredients like truffle oil.”) It’s part of why I’m willing to pay good money to eat out. Cause, folks, I enjoy interesting foods, but ain’t buyin’ no truffle oil at my local Fry’s Food and Drug…or farro and spelt. Or sparrow and felt. (P.S. Just so you know, another term for spelt is “dinkel wheat.” Take that, fancy foodies.) Plus, I don’t know how to wrap scallops with bacon, nor am I sure that I could get through doing so without eating all the bacon.
Sometimes, though, you eat a really exceptional restaurant meal and you think, “Huh, I bet I could make this at home without much difficulty.” Like this Mediterranean-inspired rice with almonds and golden raisins. This side dish has always been a favorite of our family’s at a local Middle Eastern restaurant called Flaming Kabob…a place which, I should mention because it’s bizarre and hilarious, was originally a 50s-themed 5 & Diner and the interior of which has never been altered one iota since the change of ownership.
Anyway, despite its atypical appearance for a Middle Eastern restaurant (and the fact that we’ve never seen the place more than about 25% full, even on a Friday night) their food rocks, and after our last “Combo for Two” that fed our family of five with leftovers, my husband asked if I could try making the rice they serve with their chicken shawarma.
Well, sure! Why not? It didn’t seem like it could be that hard, since I didn’t taste anything super fancy in it and the ingredients seemed pretty straightforward. Rice. Almonds. Golden Raisins. Doesn’t sound too convoluted. And it isn’t! There really isn’t anything unexpected in this recipe, except for the lovely combination of flavors that gives it sweetness, crunch, and just the right savory versatility to accompany a variety of Middle Eastern (or other) dishes. For beef kofta, chicken shawarma, or even any plain dinner meat that needs some livening up, it’ll be my new go-to for a snazzy but simple side dish.
Restaurant meals, beware! I’m coming for you! (As long as you don’t involve truffle oil.)
Rice with Almonds and Golden Raisins
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. butter
1/3 c. diced onion
pinch cinnamon
1 c. jasmine rice
1 3/4 c. chicken broth (or vegetable, to make vegan)
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/3 c. golden raisins
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add pinch cinnamon and stir.
- Add rice, chicken broth, almonds, and golden raisins. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4.
Mediterranean 7-Layer Dip
Awhile back, I read a Buzzfeed article called 24 Things You Know If You’re Always Hosting Dinner Parties. (Be warned, if you read it, there’s quite a bit of unnecessarily foul language in the article.) Some of the items on the list were so true that I wondered if the Buzzfeed author had been spying on my house recently as I prepared to host events. As is probably obvious from the fact that this blog has an Entertaining section, we throw a lot of parties at our house–not just dinner parties, any parties! White Elephant Christmas parties, Nacho Libre parties, Butterfly Tea Parties, Beatles Singalong Parties! With dreams for the future to host a Murder Mystery Dinner, Talent Show, and Grown-Up Prom, just to name a few. Anyway, as a frequent party hostess, I can tell you, like the Buzzfeed article, that certain truths are universal to hosting large number of people in your home. Like the fact that you always buy a ton of alcohol, thinking there’s no way people will drink it all, and they always do, or that you shouldn’t bother to vacuum your carpet before a party, only after.
BUT…the one truth that prevails above all else when you host any event that serves food–yes, the one tried and true guarantee is this:
Someone will ALWAYS bring hummus and pita chips.
When did this happen? I feel like the general American public was only introduced to hummus, like, ten years ago. How did this rookie food item rocket up the ranks of party appetizers to become El Capitan of potluck takealongs? My theory is this: it’s classier than a bag of chips but just as easy and only slightly more expensive. But psssst…I have a secret up my sleeve. If you really want to impress with your contribution to a party spread (and you just gotta have that hummus), there’s a better way than the Trader Joe’s grab-and-go standard. This richly flavored 7-layer Mediterranean dip starts with a hummus base, but builds on it with cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper, feta, artichokes, and Greek yogurt for a truly unique party dip. Layering with fresh ingredients adds vitamins, flavor, fiber, and crunch, along with bright colors that make for a visually interesting and much more substantial side than hummus alone. I served it at a recent house concert we hosted and it went over beautifully.
So give it a whirl when your next “heyyyyy, we said we’d bring something to that party this weekend” moment hits. Your friends will thank you.
(The other option, of course, besides taking it as an impressive dish to a party, is to use it as a head-’em-off-at-the-pass menu item when hosting potlucks.
“Hey, we’re coming on Saturday! How about I bring pita chips and hummus?”
“Actually, I’ve already got that covered. How about something else?”)
P.S. No hard feelings if you’re reading this and you’ve ever brought hummus to one of our parties…I still love you. 😉
Mediterranean 7-Layer Dip
(Adapted from Cookin’ Canuck)
Ingredients:
8-10 oz. container regular hummus
1/2 c. cucumber, diced
1/2 c. tomato, diced
1/2 c. roasted red pepper, diced
1/2 c. Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. salt
2-3 canned artichoke hearts, chopped
1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, minced
Directions:
- In the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch pan, spread hummus in a smooth layer. Sprinkle with cucumber and tomato.
- Drop yogurt by tablespoonfuls over the vegetables. Smooth with a spatula or the back of a spoon and sprinkle with paprika and salt.
- Top with artichoke hearts, feta, and parsley. Refrigerate or serve immediately. Goes great with pita chips, crackers, or raw vegetables!
Chicken Souvlaki
I’m baaaaaaack! Did you miss me? Well, first, I guess I should ask, did anyone notice I’ve been gone? I haven’t actually been gone, just so busy with school, a nutrition internship, parenting, wife-ing, friend-ing, and hosting a house concert and dinner for 40 people (more on that in a future post) that there has been zero time left in the recent past for blogging–blogging of any kind of quality, anyway–if I wanted to, like, sleep and eat. But all that’s changed now! Okay, the parenting, wife-ing, and friend-ing will probably continue. But the school is mostly over for the next month, the hospital internship is definitely done, and the house concert is checked off the list until my husband decides on which weird musician he wants to invite to perform at our house next.
With all that behind me, I actually have time to post a recipe! A really good recipe at that! For some reason I’ve been on a Greek/Mediterranean kick lately. Could be because of attending the 2016 Nutrition and Health Conference last month, where the primary takeaway from Dr. Andrew Weil and other distinguished presenters always seems to come down to “stick with the Mediterranean diet.” Or it could be that in my nutrition internship at the hospital, I ate lunch with a group of dietitians every day and felt a wee bit of peer pressure to bring healthy lunches. Those ladies are the High Queens of Salad Land, I tell you. Or it could just be that Mediterranean ingredients like olive oil, lemon juice, feta cheese, and tomatoes are the John, Paul, George, and Ringo of flavors–destined for greatness together.
This chicken souvlaki really lets those flavors shine…like the Rubber Soul of Mediterranean food. (Taking the analogy too far? Sorry.) It turns out that in Greece, “souvlaki” refers to meat that has been grilled on a skewer, but this version calls for searing the chicken on the stovetop before serving it on warm pita, smothered in a fresh tomato-feta salad and garnished with cool tzatziki sauce. I could eat meals like this for days. In fact, I have been eating meals like this for days, or maybe weeks now.
So, since I’m done with all the responsibilities of the semester…when do we leave for Greece?
Chicken Souvlaki
(Adapted from Real Simple)
Ingredients:
2 medium tomatoes, diced, or 1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 c. feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c. sliced black olives (or halved kalamata olives)
5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar, divided
1 Tbsp. + 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
1/4 c. cucumber, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
4 pieces naan, flatbread, or pita, warmed or toasted
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, feta, red onion, and olives.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 4 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, oregano, and black pepper until well combined. Pour 2 1/2 Tbsp. of this vinaigrette over the tomato salad and toss.
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and add them to remaining vinaigrette, tossing to coat. (You can leave the chicken in the vinaigrette to marinate for a few hours for deeper flavor, if desired.)
- Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces (but not the marinade) to the skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, make the tzatziki sauce: in a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic salt, remaining 1 tsp. red wine vinegar, and remaining 1/2 tsp. lemon juice.
- Assemble: warm pita + chicken + tomato salad + tzatziki, any which way you like!
Serves 4.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon with Mint Vinaigrette
Being married to a New York Italian, I have slowly become familiar with the unique vocabulary this special culture uses to describe its food. When we first met, I had no idea that when Anthony’s mom said “mutzadel,” she was referring to what I would call “mozzarella,” or that “gabagool” meant “capicola.” (Not that I knew what capicola was, anyway. It wasn’t exactly a staple in my German-Swiss upbringing.) For years I thought my husband’s family simply had their own strange ways of pronouncing these Italian foods, but apparently, it transcends just his family. I eventually found out that ALL New York Italians use these words. This satirical video of a Brooklyn spelling bee pretty well sums it up:
I can only assume it’s one of those linguistic phenomena where words from a mother language get altered in trickling down the generations and become almost unrecognizable, like a game of Telephone.
Now that we’ve been married almost 12 years and I’ve figured out the lingo, every time I make the appetizer pictured here, I can’t help but think of it as calling for “brahjzoot,” the New York Italian pronunciation of “prosciutto.” This must be some kind of rite of passage–if we ever go to Brooklyn, I’ll fit right in! (Ha.)
Even if it’s pretty unlikely I’ll ever pass for a New York Italian, at least I have this delightful recipe for a variation on a classic Italian appetizer: prosciutto-wrapped melon. I especially love this version for its tangy vinaigrette that combines fresh mint and golden balsamic vinegar. (Another food I never knew about until recently! The “golden” aspect of this balsamic allows the melon to keep its own attractive color.) With warmer weather upon us, this 5-ingredient, light and refreshing starter would work well for an outdoor gathering, paired with a Chardonnay….
…and perhaps (why not?) some “mutzadel” to go with it.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon with Mint Vinaigrette
(Adapted from Fine Cooking)
Ingredients:
1 ripe cantaloupe
2 Tbsp. thinly-sliced fresh mint leaves
1/4 c. Tbsp. golden balsamic vinegar, depending on sweetness of melon (the sweeter the melon, the more vinegar you can use)
1/2 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
6 oz. thinly-sliced prosciutto
Directions:
- Slice the cantaloupe into chunks or thin wedges, removing the rind.
- In a medium bowl, stir together golden balsamic vinegar, mint leaves, and black pepper. Toss cantaloupe slices in this mixture until coated.
- Slice or tear the prosciutto into 1 to 2-inch wide strips and wrap around each melon slice. Place on a serving platter and serve immediately.
Serves about 6-8 as an appetizer.
Whole Wheat Granola Muffins
Have you ever heard one of those pop song mashups, where they take two songs with similar chord progressions and meld them together? It probably just goes to show how similar all pop music is, but I still get a kick out of how cool it sounds to layer one song on top of another. (Don’t tell my husband, who is all about music being unique–have I mentioned his website, MakeWeirdMusic.com?) There are a few mashups I’ve heard and really enjoyed, though, like one that matched Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night” with “Stand by Me”:
or this one that layered Beyonce’s “Halo” with “Walking on Sunshine”:
Anyway, the point is that sometimes two things can go together in unexpected ways that just work…
…which brings me to these whole wheat granola muffins, which I like to think of as a Breakfast Mashup. Take two breakfast items that don’t seem to go together–granola and muffins–and meld them into one! It’s a breakfast pop hit! But wait, you might say. Isn’t putting the crunch of granola into a soft-and-chewy baked good kind of counterintuitive? Won’t the granola create an unpleasant harshness? That’s certainly what I would have thought, but having made these muffins twice now, I can attest that is not the case. The magic of baking softens the granola just enough to add a crunch that is pleasantly noticeable, but not tooth-breakingly obvious. Plus, the warmth of cinnamon and heartiness of whole wheat flour go hand in hand with just about any pre-made granola you can name. I chose an apple-cinnamon variety with great results.
To ensure these muffins don’t turn out dry (as can sometimes happen with whole wheat-based baked goods), I’m going to let you in on a little secret I’ve found helpful: break out the food scale. Accurately measured flour always makes for better baking, and measuring cups can be deceiving. The white whole wheat flour I used was 120 grams in 1 cup, and my measuring cup weighs 26 grams, so this is what an accurately measured 1 cup of flour looked like for me:
So, what breakfast mashups can we come up with next? Egg-flavored cereal? Sausage smoothies? Just kidding. Stick with granola muffins for a sure bet for a delicious, whole grain-packed breakfast mashup to start your day off right.
Whole Wheat Granola Muffins
(Adapted from King Arthur Flour)
Ingredients:
2 c. whole wheat (or white whole wheat) flour
2/3 c. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. prepared granola
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 c. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 c. milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- In large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and granola.
- In a separate bowl, combine vanilla, vegetable oil, yogurt, and milk. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly between muffin cups and bake 18-20 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.