Mediterranean food recipes: a myriad of tastes

If you are a health nerd then you must have been familiar with the Mediterranean diet. It is on top of the healthiest diets that you can list; it has been nominated the best diet for four years in a row by U.S News and World Report.If you are someone who is native or who has been living on the shores of the Mediterranean for a while, then you must be in love with this regimen, consuming its wonders for long enough to cherish its value and deliciousness.However, if you have never heard of the Mediterranean diet then need to keep following us to find us more because you have been missing a lot.The Mediterranean food recipes are highly valued today and they make up the body of several fancy cookbooks. It never hurts to sum up a few of them in a light manner. Besides, being of Tunisian origins and living on the riches of the Mediterranean I should know better about this.

Easy Mediterranean diet recipes for beginners:

Cooking Mediterranean food should be an easy task, but if you are still taking your first steps in the kitchen then join us for a quick tour during which you will be guided to perfect your dishes. Here are two recipes to add life to your cuisine for now.

Kale-and-Chickpea Grain: a vegan-friendly dish

Ingredients:

• water
• a cup of bulgur
• unsalted chickpeas
• 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil
• chopped carrots
• chopped lacinato kale
• sliced shallots
• fresh parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 peeled and pitted avocado
• 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1 garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

How to prepare it?

You should first of all boil the water, and then add the bulgur; leave it for about 10 to 15 minutes.Dry the rinsed chickpeas. Put a pan on the heat and pour your canola oil; then add the chickpeas and the carrots. Leave the mixture to cook for about five minutes and then add the kale and leave them on the heat until both vegetables are cooked well. Add the shallots, parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Now for the dressing, you will need to process the avocado, garlic, turmeric, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, and a bit of salt in the electric processor.There you have your kale and chickpea dish with avocado dressing, a tasty and healthy dish. It can be served either for dinner or lunch. It is full of fiber, sodium, calcium, and potassium.

Stuffed chicken breasts:

I love stuffed dishes; growing in a traditional family in Tunisia I have witnessed a dozen of different stuffing ways for meat, fish, and other things.

Ingredients:

• Crumbled cheese
• chopped red peppers and chopped spinach
• salted and pitted olives
• parsley
• garlic
• salt, pepper, and olive oil
• fresh chopped basil
• lemon juice
• chicken breasts

How to prepare it?

First of all mix the cheese, roasted red peppers, spinach, olives, basil, garlic, and parsley in a bowl of your choice.Make small splits in the chicken breasts and stuff them with the blend. Using anything at your disposal to close the breasts and drizzle some salt and pepper on top.In a preheated oven leave them to cook until they change color. Take them out of the oven, drizzle a bit of lemon juice and serve them with salads.

Mediterranean food recipes for rice:

In the Mediterranean diet, there are several ways of cooking rice. Generally, the difference occurs in geographically remote countries.One way of cooking rice is as follows: white riceIn a pot, pour a bit of olive oil, add chopped onion, chopped carrots, and chopped peppers. Season with salt, oregano, turmeric, and you can add other spices for more flavors if you wish so.Pour water in the pot, once it boils add the rice, make sure it is rinsed first. Leave the blend to cook until all water is gone.For more flavors add two to three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, and lemon zest to the pot. Mix the blend well, put some chopped fresh parsley, sliced cucumbers, and salted olives, leave it on the stove for a few minutes and you will have a white tasty rice dish.You can serve it alone, or with fish or meat. It is a dish loaded with nutrients and makes a healthy meal.

Mediterranean chicken and rice:

Ingredients:

• butter
• onion
• white rice
• garlic
• turmeric
• cumin
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• Parsley, cheese, and salted olives

• olive oil
• dried oregano
• coriander
• Kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• chicken thighs

Season the chicken thighs with salt, oregano, black pepper, and coriander; heat olive oil and put the thighs for about 10 minutes, until they turn red. Put them on a plate aside. Now for the rice, put the butter in a skillet on the stove; once it melts add the chopped onions, let it heat for a while until they dissolve, and then add the garlic and let them melt slowly.Add the rice and keep stirring while seasoning with turmeric, cumin, and chicken stock. Now put the chicken thighs back into the skillet and put them in the oven for about 40 to 50 minutes.When it is cooked add the salted olives and the chopped parsley. Fill a plate and enjoy the incredible taste.