Celebrating Mediterranean Cuisine
May is Mediterranean Diet Month and we’re celebrating with our favorite recipes from the cuisine. Mediterranean recipes are often light and refreshing, making them perfect for spring. Enjoy these recipes all month long!
Grilled Yogurt Harissa Chicken Wraps: These Grilled Yogurt-Harissa Chicken Wraps features chicken tenderloins marinated in a zesty blend of plain nonfat Greek yogurt and harissa seasoning, then grilled to perfection. The grilled chicken is wrapped in sandwich wraps and complemented with fresh avocado slices, creating a satisfying dish.
Lamb Meatball Hummus Bowls These Lamb Meatball Hummus Bowls feature spiced lamb meatballs served over creamy hummus, topped with crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese, and fresh herbs. Often drizzled with tahini or yogurt sauce and paired with pita or rice, it delivers a balanced combination of savory, tangy, and fresh elements.
Greek Chicken Pitas with Dill Feta Sauce: These Greek Chicken Pitas with Dill-Feta Sauce feature grilled chicken seasoned with Mediterranean herbs, nestled in warm pita bread, and topped with a creamy dill-feta sauce. Complemented by fresh vegetables, it’s a satisfying dish that aligns well with the principles of the Mediterranean diet
Baked Kefta Zucchini Kabobs with Garlic Parsley Tahini Sauce: Baked Kefta Zucchini Kabobs with Garlic Parsley Tahini Sauce offer a flavorful and nutritious twist on traditional Middle Eastern cuisine. These kabobs combine spiced ground meat with tender zucchini slices, all baked to perfection. They’re served with a creamy tahini sauce infused with garlic and fresh parsley, adding a tangy and herbaceous touch. This dish is not only delicious but also aligns well with Mediterranean diet principles, making it a wholesome choice for any meal.
Chicken Shawarma Hummus Bowls: Chicken Shawarma Hummus Bowls are a flavorful and nutritious meal that combines marinated, spiced chicken with creamy hummus and fresh vegetables. The chicken is typically seasoned with a blend of spices such as cumin, paprika, turmeric, and cinnamon, then cooked until tender and juicy. Served over a bed of hummus, the bowl is often topped with ingredients like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and feta cheese, and can be accompanied by pita bread or rice.
Roasted Beet Salad: This Roasted Beet Salad recipe is a vibrant and wholesome dish that highlights the natural sweetness of oven-roasted beets. This salad combines the earthy flavor of beets with fresh greens and a tangy vinaigrette, creating a delightful balance of tastes and textures. It’s a perfect side or light main course that aligns well with Mediterranean diet principles.
Hummus Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes: These Hummus-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes are a delightful and healthy appetizer that combines the creamy richness of hummus with the juicy sweetness of cherry tomatoes. These bite-sized treats are perfect for parties or as a light snack.
Herbed Tahini Dip: A creamy, flavorful spread that blends tahini with fresh parsley, chives, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and a touch of honey. This versatile dip is perfect for pairing with crisp vegetables, pita chips, or as a sandwich spread.
Ellie Wilson
MS, RDN, CDN
Eye health is an often-overlooked issue (no pun intended) until something happens to impact or change vision. Loss of vision is a substantial health challenge with significant impacts on quality of life, and the most common diseases have a long, slow development timeline, leaving many not realizing they are headed for vision issues. Nutrition has been a target for research and consumer interest in this field. Research shows some important nutrient roles in maximizing vision functions, but connecting specific nutrients to specific roles in prevention and management of vision issues has been more challenging than expected.
The good news is that we can connect recommendations for eating more produce, managing blood pressure and blood sugar, and enjoying foods that are part of a Mediterranean style of eating to reduced likelihood of chronic vision challenges such as cataracts, macular degeneration, or glaucoma. There is a significant linkage between ensuring heart and artery health is maintained, because all nutrients that have a relationship with protecting vision also need to reach those tissues via a strong cardiovascular system.
Orange flags produce that offers significant amounts of Vitamin A, essential to ensuring eyes can see light and color – carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and apricots are on the menu for this critical nutrient. Vitamin A also protects against dry eye and has a role in the quality of tears. Antioxidant Vitamin C, found in red peppers, oranges, strawberries, and more, has been correlated with prevention or delay of macular degeneration.
Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids also have roles in eye health, along with bioactive compounds lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in leafy greens, tomatoes and eggs, and are critical to the health of the macula, which is the center of vision function in the eyes. Most of these vitamins and compounds are fat-soluble, meaning they need some healthy fats in food to be absorbed well, which opens the door for delicious foods like avocado, nuts, seafood and olive oil – hopefully, they were all on your grocery list already!
Supplements also have some supportive data and are most beneficial for those with macular degeneration or at risk for it. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 found supplements with specific amounts of the vitamins highlighted have positive benefits when used in conjunction with recommendations from your health care provider. Learn more about that here Vitamins for AMD – American Academy of Ophthalmology (aao.org).
Bottom line – plant-forward, nutrient-rich foods are important to eye and overall health throughout your life. Enjoy them as part of your vision of a healthy future!
Extra virgin olive oil is darker green in color, and can vary in flavor from sweet to peppery. The darker color means there
are more polyphenols and antioxidants, which contribute to the flavor elements and healthfulness of the oil. Great for cooking at lower temperatures, and for adding cold to salads and bread dips, extra virgin olive oil should be a staple in your pantry. The best study showed that up to 4 tablespoons of olive oil per day helped protect from high cholesterol, high blood pressure and stroke.
San Marzano tomatoes are a particular heirloom variety of tomatoes originating from the small Italian town of San Marzano sul Sarno, and have been grown since the 1700’s, when they were brought back from Peru. They have a strong, sweet taste and lower acidity than Roma’s, and make a wonderful sauce. They are so unique, they are certified by the Italian government. Lycopene, an antioxidant that also lends its red color to tomatoes, is more easily absorbed from cooked tomatoes, so these items are rich sources. Check out the Price Chopper and Cento brand canned tomatoes, great for sauces and salsa’s.
DeLallo brand began offering authentic Italian foods door to door in the 1940’s. Their pepperoncini and giardinera are wonderful – spice up cole slaw with thin slices of pepperoncini, or add it to a sandwich mixed with shredded lettuce. Giardinera is a jarred vegetable salad with cauliflower and carrots in a spicy vinegar, comes in mild and hot varieties, and is a savory, convenient vegetable side salad for lunch or dinner. Cento brand has brought over 1,000 authentic, premium Italian foods to the United States for over 40 years, and flavor makers like anchovy, clam juice and marinated artichokes are all highlighted this week.
Put it all together with fresh seafood (October is National Seafood Month) and you will enjoy the best the Mediterranean diet has to offer! An easy, delicious dinner can include your choice of fresh white fish (1 pound) like cod or haddock, broiled. Combine Price Chopper canned San Marzano tomatoes (28 oz.), in a sauce pan with two tablespoons each of dried basil and oregano, two cloves of minced garlic, and one anchovy filet, brought to a boil, then simmer and reduce until slightly thickened (about 15 minutes). Be sure the filet has dissolved into the sauce. Serve over the white fish, with a side of al dente pasta and a green salad with olives. Serves 3-4. You can also try our Create, Take and Bake fresh seafood meals at the seafood counter. Welcome to the Mediterranean!