Healthy Cooking Mediterranean Style

Every Mediterranean country has is own special dishes. Lamb is frequently the basic meat of Turkish, Greek and Spanish kitchens. Pieces of lamb or chicken threaded on a skewer and grilled over charcoal form are famous in many countries around the Mediterranean coast. Pork, chicken, rabbit, fish and beef are the succulent centerpieces of many French and Italian kitchens along the Cote d’Azur. The spicy sausages and salted Cod that are the favorites of Portugese chefs where the amazing taste of smoked paprika is added to dishes made with potatoes and other vegetables give everything a rich and wonderful taste. Strictly speaking, Portugal is not on the Mediterranean.  It is on the Atlantic, but the cuisine of Portugal is rich with the flavor of olives, lemons and garlic, and the fresh herbs that are the hallmark of all Mediterranean cooking. 

The centerpiece of all this delicious Mediterranean cooking is our own good health and good nutrition. Extra virgin olive oil, garlic and shallots add dimension to the stews, soups and pasta dishes. Tomatoes, onions, basil, thyme, cumin, cilantro and other fresh herbs flavor the broths and soups that are rich with cod, whitefish, salmon and other fish fresh from the sea.

Fresh vegetables used in a wide variety of dishes are fragrant with onions, garlic and tomatoes. Flaky pies are made with pastry stuffed with meat, cheese or potatoes. Sauces made with cucumbers in yogurt with garlic are refreshing and simple to prepare. Dishes cooked with olive oil, cabbage leaves, green peppers and tomatoes are stuffed with herbed rice rich with currants and pine nuts.

Soups can be light, or rich succulent and substantial. They are generally based on either a meat or fish stock and served at the start of the meal. Lentil soup is one of the most loved varieties. Lentils cooked until they are soft with garlic, a few stalks of celery and a little tomato paste are heavenly. A green soup made with some green onions sweated in a little olive oil until soft, a little cabbage, a handful of Aborio rice, a little spinach and a quart of rich chicken stock becomes surprisingly milky and delicious when some lemon juice and a little fresh chopped basil is added at the end. Pure heaven in a soup bowl.

Some other typical Mediterranean dishes are made of rice, but also of couscous, bulgur (cracked wheat) and vermicelli. Rice pilafs are mainstays of the Mediterranean tables. The rice should not be sticky but separate into individual grains. The pilafs may include all varieties of vegetables including squash, aubergines, chick peas, beans or peas.

The key is keeping your pantry supplied with the basics: garlic, lemons, fresh herbs, onions, olive oil, chicken stock and imagination.  A few sprigs of fresh rosemary will lend amazing flavor to some codfish, simply prepared with sea salt, pepper and a little olive oil.  Bon Appetit my friends!  Enjoy!