Tag: Mediterranean Diet
Frozen Yogurt Bark
Wellllll, we’re on track to reach a balmy 90 degrees here on this first day of March in Mesa, AZ. I’m not sure whether it’s a brag or a complaint, but yesterday afternoon I actually got so uncomfortably warm sitting on our new backyard swing that I had to come inside to cool off. Friends of mine have already been swimming in their (unheated) pools. Is this real life? Does this mean the snowbirds will go home early? Are we seeing Al Gore’s dystopian prophecies fulfilled? I don’t know, but I’m already biting my nails wondering how we’ll be feeling come July.
Anyway, if this crazy heat is here to stay (and having lived in Arizona since 1985, I can pretty well attest that it is–I mean, we had a half dozen days under 60 degrees this winter, so hey, we had a good run!) at least I have a new healthy-ish frozen snack recipe to mitigate the unseasonable weather. This frozen yogurt bark is a novel way to try Greek yogurt, particularly if you have family members who turn their noses up at this protein-and-propbiotic-packed wonder food, or even if you just get bored with regular old yogurt cups. In our family, we apparently goes through Greek yogurt by the boatload, judging by the coupons my grocery store keeps sending me. (I literally got a 3-page leaflet of coupons JUST for yogurt. They are cashing in on my obsession. Soon I will be made entirely out of yogurt…and I will be delicious.) So since we–or maybe just I–am/are such ravenous yogurt consumers, using this recipe to turn it into something cold and crunchable was a fun diversion, both for my kids and me. The other great thing about this recipe is that it is endlessly modifiable to suit your tastes. Peach almond, strawberry chocolate, cinnamon pecan–just a few ideas of mix-in options. This time I went with a mix of cranberries, coconut, and chocolate for a combination of sweetness and crunch that did not disappoint.
So even if you live in a place that’s still freezing with snow on the ground, take heart! It’s March! And before you know it, a cold snack will actually sound good.
Frozen Yogurt Bark
(Inspired by My Fussy Eater)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp. honey, or more per your sweetness preference
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. dried coconut, plus more for sprinkling
1/3 c. mini chocolate chips, divided
Directions:
- Line a small jelly roll pan with wax paper.
- Mix yogurt and honey until well combined. Stir in dried cranberries, coconut, and about half the chocolate chips. Spread mixture in an even layer in the prepared pan. Top with remaining chocolate chips and an additional sprinkle of coconut.
- Freeze for at least 2 hours, or until totally firm. To make bark, remove entire mixture from the pan, holding the sides of the wax paper, turn over onto a cutting board, peel off paper, and cut into pieces with a sharp knife.
- Store in the freezer in an airtight container (using wax paper to separate bark pieces, if you don’t want them sticking together). These are best eaten when they have sat out about 5 minutes, so they’re not rock hard.
Pesto Tomato Salmon
I tell you what, this Nutrition internship is throwing me for a loop. I genuinely enjoy my work at the hospital–performing nutrition assessments and follow-ups, charting on interactions with patients, observing other nutritionists teach classes on healthy eating for various disease states, etc. But when you’ve been home raising kids for over 8 years, even going back to work for two 8-hour days a week is a real game changer. I told my husband I feel like I enter a time warp Monday night and get spat out Thursday morning rubbing my eyes going, “Oh yeah, this is my regular life.” Is this how all working moms feel? If they do (and even if they don’t), moms who work full-time certainly have my respect. I can only imagine myself as a hot mess of nervous breakdown when I ponder the possibility of adding even one more shift to my schedule. I know, I’m a big baby.
The operative concept on the days I do work is to make things at home as easy as possible, and that means quick and easy meals. If I want our family to continue to eat well and not fall into bad habits (like those delicious but terrible Costco cheeseburgers in my freezer–have you seen these? It’s an ENTIRE microwaveable cheeseburger, bun and all! Why did I buy these frozen temptations???), I’m discovering I have to be extremely strategic and intentional about planning workday dinners. If it takes longer than 45 minutes from prep to table, it’s out. Which leads me to this wonderfully quick, totally tasty, so-simple-a-cat-could-make-it pesto salmon. With only three ingredients, it’s really more of a dinner idea than an actual recipe, so you’ll have to forgive me for that, but in the end, you might also thank me–for a weeknight meal that saves your bacon when the going gets tough and you need something whole-food healthy that comes together fast.
Pesto Tomato Salmon
A Love Letter to Food Original
Ingredients:
1 lb. salmon, filleted into four pieces
1/4 c. purchased or homemade basil-based pesto
1-2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Place salmon fillets in baking dish. Spread 1 Tbsp. pesto over each fillet and top with sliced tomatoes.
- Bake 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Serves 4.
Mediterranean Turkey Burgers
Here’s a little scenario that recurs every time I meal plan over the weekend:
“Anthony, anything you want me to make for dinner this week?”
“Pretzel buns! Anything with pretzel buns…could you go to Costco and get some pretzel buns?”
The man is obsessed.
I get it. Pretzel buns are freaking awesome. Ever since they first showed up at our Costco a year or two ago, we have succumbed to their siren song of chewy, salty deliciousness on a semi-regular basis (though not as regularly as Anthony apparently would like). When we initially bought the mega-pack of a dozen or so buns, I figured I would freeze about half of them for future use, but no, we have consistently used the ENTIRE bag in a matter of days. We even took them on our recent trip to Disneyland to eat as snacks throughout our day in the park. And yeah, they were gone in the first 24 hours.
So when Anthony repeated his request for meals involving pretzel buns last week, I decided turkey burger sliders sounded like a tasty way to incorporate that all-important ingredient. But plain ol’ regular turkey burgers? Never! Special buns call for special burgers! Besides, unadorned turkey burgers can be pretty blah. That’s where this concoction of Mediterranean burger flair comes in. Yes, I am aware that “Mediterranean” + “burger” may be a contradiction in terms…I can’t think of any Mediterranean nations that are known for their signature burgers–the Lebanese Burger? the Croatian Burger?–but, you know, go with me on this one. You can’t go wrong with adding flavors like garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil to meat, in my opinion. (Additional evidence here.) Topped with a piquant garlic-feta aioli, these were a slice of Mediterranean meat heaven…or should I say a pretzel bun of Mediterranean meat heaven? Either way, I will absolutely be making these again, probably for company, and probably very often, if our bun consumption continues at its current rate.
P.S. These can be made into regular-sized burgers as well as sliders, of course.
P.P.S. Aren’t you proud of me for not making any jokes about buns throughout this entire post?
Mediterranean Turkey Burgers with Garlic Feta Aioli
(Burgers A Love Letter to Food Original; Aioli from from Cooking Light)
Ingredients:
For the burgers:
1 1/3 lb. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried parsley
1 egg
3/4 c. Panko bread crumbs
4 cloves garlic
1/2 c. sundried tomatoes (not in oil)
5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
6 whole wheat buns for regular-sized burgers or 12 pretzel rolls for sliders
For the Garlic Feta Aioli:
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat a grill for medium-high heat.
- In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, egg, and Panko until well mixed.
- Place 4 garlic cloves, sundried tomatoes, and thawed spinach in the bowl of a food processor. Process briefly until tomatoes and garlic are chopped fine. Add to turkey mixture and stir well to combine.
- Using your hands, divide the mixture into 6 large patties (for burgers) or 12 small patties (for sliders). Grill 3-4 minutes per side for sliders, 5-6 minutes per side for regular-sized burgers.
- Prepare the aioli: blend all ingredients with an immersion blender or in a food processor.
- Assemble burgers and top with aioli.
Serves 6.
Vegetable Feta Tart
Have you ever heard the quote, “I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals. I’m a vegetarian because I hate vegetables?” If it takes you awhile to get it, that’s okay. It took me awhile, too. I have a joke with my husband that’s kind of the inverse of this statement: that because I’m not a dog person–and I mean, like, I’m REALLY not a dog person–I would totally eat dogs if they tasted good. (And who knows? Maybe they do taste good. People eat them in other parts of the world.) To me, it’s no weirder than eating cows or pigs. I’ve never owned a dog, so in my view, they’re just another animal. Maybe it’s because my forebears are from Switzerland, where according to Wikipedia, “cultural attitudes toward slaughtering of animals for meat is traditionally liberal.” Oh, you kooky Swiss!
{If you’re a dog person, I’m sorry. I promise to not eat your dog. I’m not actively trying to eat dogs or anything. Feel free to invite me to your house knowing I’m not wondering what Scamper would taste like with ketchup. Can we still be friends?}
Being a half-time vegetarian, for me, is (obviously) less a moral issue stemming from a desire to do no harm to other creatures and more about my own health and the health of the planet–selfish beast that I am. (Check out my Half-Time Vegetarian post for more info on why it’s a great option for your health, the earth, and your wallet.) That’s why, with 2016 off to a running start, I’m still plugging away at reducing our family’s meat intake. This vegetable tart is a delicious example of a meal whose lack of meat doesn’t bother me one bit. In fact, it’s a meal that reminds me just how delectable vegetables can be when they are pan-roasted and seasoned with just the right blend of spices. When I made this for my kids the other night before my husband and I headed out for dinner at a restaurant, I had to hold myself back from spoiling my appetite by eating too much of it. Fork-tender red potatoes and delicately caramelized zucchini and cauliflower in a pastry wrapper–be still, my half-veggie heart!
So, even though you may chuckle at the thought of someone eating vegetarian because they want to end the natural lives of vegetables, I doubt anyone can eat this meal and claim they hate vegetables. I dare any veggie-hater to try it see what I mean!
P.S. While we’re here, I’ma throw in some more vegetarian humor…
Vegetable Feta Tart
(Inspired by Real Simple)
Ingredients:
1 store-bought or homemade pie crust
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 zucchini, halved and diced into half-moons
1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. cauliflower, diced into small florets
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1 medium red potato, halved and thinly sliced
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, shallot, and cauliflower and sauté until brown spots of caramelization begin to appear, about 6-8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, basil, and thyme and cook 1 additional minute. Stir in feta and potato and remove from heat.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimless baking sheet. Roll pie crust out on paper to a 12-inch diameter. Spoon the feta-vegetable mixture into the crust, leaving a 1.5-inch border around the outside. Fold the outer edges of the crust over onto the vegetables.
- Bake until crust is golden brown and potatoes are tender, about 50-60 minutes. (Check after 50 and return to oven if needed.)
Serves 4.
Pumpkin Pie Smoothies
With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming before we know it, we’re rounding the corner on the season of excesses. Some excesses delicious and worth it (PIE PIE PIE), others less so (canned-soup-soggy green bean casserole, perhaps?). And as we as a society chow down on a parade of turkey and casseroles and pies, we can also be sure another type of food will be paraded before us: so-called “detox” foods. You’ve seen them featured on Pinterest and the pages of magazines. Detox smoothies! Detox teas! Detox watermelon-broccoli salad! Having taken several classes on nutrition and biology, the idea of detoxing kind of drives me nuts. “Why, Sarah?” you may ask. “Shouldn’t we cleanse our bodies of unhealthy toxins? Shouldn’t we have squeaky clean colons that flap in the breeze?” Well, yes and no. (Yes to being healthy; no to flapping colons.)
Today I came across an excellent article that explains why the idea of detoxifying our bodies is essentially a myth. In it, Edzard Ernst, professor emeritus of complementary medicine at Exeter University, says there are two definition of “detox”: one, the medically respected term that refers to when people are treated for life-threatening addictions. The second: “the word being highjacked by entrepreneurs, quacks, and charlatans to sell a bogus treatment that allegedly detoxifies your body of toxins you’re supposed to have accumulated.” (Could I love that quote more? No, I could not.) In essence, say Ernst and other experts, our bodies already possess their own detoxification process—also known as your kidneys, liver, and lungs. These organs work constantly to filter and excrete the things we don’t need, can’t use, or are harmful. There is nothing you can do, eat, or drink to make already healthy organs function better. So the idea of a kale smoothie or cucumber water atoning for the epic helping of roast beast you ate is pretty silly. The smoothie might be good choice, containing some great fiber and nutrients, but it won’t wash anything away that your body’s organs aren’t already working their hardest to process—(and it won’t change the fact that you ate 38 gingerbread cookies on Christmas Eve). The best—dare I say only?—way to have a healthy body is to maintain healthy habits like eating well and staying active.
All that being said, I have a smoothie recipe to share with you. I could call it “detox.” I could call it “skinny.” I could call it “clean eating.” But for the sake of honesty, I’m just going to call it a really yummy (and pretty healthy) pumpkin pie-flavored smoothie. Made with wholesome ingredients like pumpkin, banana, and Greek yogurt, it’s a great way to enjoy the flavors of pumpkin pie on the lighter side. It might make a delicious healthy breakfast Thanksgiving morning, when you’re trying to save your calories for later in the day. I’ve even had it as part of a light lunch. It won’t flush your body of mysterious toxins or scrub out your intestines, but it will make for a cold, creamy, cinnamon-y snack or treat in the midst of seasonal excess.
Pumpkin Pie Smoothies
(Adapted from Gimme Some Oven)
Ingredients:
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 c. low-fat milk (or almond milk)
2 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey
1 frozen banana
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 c. ice cubes
whipped cream, if desired for topping
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.