Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary Time

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Moroccan Chicken Tagine

2020-02-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

Is it the end of February already? About the middle of the month, each year, I wonder why I am doing this to myself! But, then, as the month nears an end I say, “Slow down! I have more recipes than days left in the month!” I guess that’s the good news. It means that I chose the right category to develop yet again, right? At least I hope I did. What did you think of this year’s recipes?

So about now, I also start thinking about next February? What would you like to see a batch of recipes for? I have some ideas, but I’d love to hear from you about what you’d like to see we tackle.

Also, if you haven’t already done so, go digging around in my “attic” for this blog and explore some of the other February categories in past years. I have been doing this every year since 2012. Nine years of February recipes! Hmm. I should have a really special category for my 10^th anniversary next year, right?

Today’s recipe comes from North Africa. I cut the original recipe in half since I no longer feed a horde. DH and I are fine with leftovers; they make an easy, fast dinner another night. But we really, really don’t want LEFTOVERS, if you know what I mean.

Did you know the Crock-Pot goes back to 1940? I remember when I got mine in the early 70’s. It became this busy teacher’s best friend! Why am I bringing this up? Well, Irving Nachumsohn gave a modern spin to a millennials-old cooking method. Our great-greats back to forever ago, slow cooked food in earthenware pots. Nachumsohn wanted the same savory-ness of slow cooking but made easier for people who no longer had open fire cooking. From stews to beans to tenderizing cheap cuts of meat, the Crock-Pot offered some kitchen freedom to home cooks.

Of course, since those early days, many manufacturers have produced slow cookers. I have two, one large and one small, depending upon what I am preparing. And sometimes I am using both if cooking for a crowd. I also use a slow cooker to keep mashed potatoes hot for holiday meals when all the burners are burning!

In Morocco, a tajine or tagine is the name of the earthenware pot used for slow cooking the old-fashion way. This recipe for Moroccan Chicken Tagine translates the old recipe into today’s slow cooker instead. Here’s one type of tagine.

Slow cooker Moroccan Chicken Tagine (serves 4)

This is delicious with couscous and garlic sautéed spinach! I only made minor changes to the recipe from the “Mediterranean Living” site (like I changed water into wine!).

1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

½ cup raisins

1 sweet potato, cut into bite-sized pieces (I don’t peel mine)

1 bell pepper, cut into large pieces

1 onion, minced

1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons butter, melted

¼ cup white wine

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon turmeric

Add chicken, raisins, sweet potato, bell pepper, onion and chickpeas to the slow cooker.

In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, butter, wine, salt, pepper, cumin, ginger, and turmeric. Pour over chicken ingredients in slow cooker. Stir well to coat.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“What do you call this? A stew?” Umm. Maybe. It’s certainly chunky and has little liquid, but the liquid is, well, liquid, not thickened as in stews. “It’s got sweetness and heat. What’s in it?” The sweet potato and raisins give a sweet under-taste that is counterbalanced with the heat from the ginger-cumin-turmeric spices. Really interesting flavors that he liked.

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Lemony Shrimp with Spinach

2020-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Who doesn’t love shrimp? And while breaded and deep fried might appeal to some, it’s never been a favorite at our house except with Son One. When I make coconut shrimp, the “breading” is coconut with a bit of egg white and flour, and they are baked. Otherwise, we eat our shrimp “naked” or in a marinade.

I came across this Scampi-like recipe for an easy, lighter. and more healthful shrimp dinner at the “My Recipes” site. Simple and sophisticated at the same time, this is a pretty dish that is company-worthy. And you no doubt have all the ingredients on hand.

The change I made was to add ¼ cup of white wine and to reduce the broth to ¼ cup. I love scampi with wine! I served it with leftover Zucchini Rice Pilaf. A satisfying dinner all around with a Caesar salad and crusty bread.

Lemony Shrimp and Spinach (serves 4)

1 pound unpeeled, large raw shrimp (31/35 count)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup chicken broth

¼ cup white wine

1 teaspoon lemon zest

3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

6-ounce package fresh baby spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

Shaved parmesan, optional

Peel shrimp; de-vein, if desired.

Sauté shrimp and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp from skillet; keep warm.

Add chicken broth and next 4 ingredients to skillet, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.

Add spinach, and cook 2 minutes or just until spinach is wilted. Stir in shrimp. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add parmesan if using. Serve immediately.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“This doesn’t take as greasy as your usual shrimp scampi. I like this lighter version better. And the spinach is a nice touch.” “No butter,” I told him. “Only a bit of EVOO, wine, and broth. The spinach and the lemon make for a fresher taste, too.”

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Zucchini Rice Pilaf

2020-02-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

My family has always loved rice pilaf as a side dish with grilled fish or chicken, or as a casserole where I toss leftover veggies, animal protein, and cheese with leftover rice pilaf and bake in the oven with a splash of more broth for a super quick dinner.

I always make enough that I can serve rice pilaf in at least one other meal later in the week. I’ve even put it into soup for a different flavor profile. Very versatile. So cook up a big batch. You won’t regret it!

I like this recipe for Zucchini Rice Pilaf I found on the “Taste of Home” site. Though it’s called Zucchini Rice Pilaf, it is equally delicious with yellow squash or other squash you have on hand. Heck, put in broccoli or asparagus if that’s what you have on hand. Also, to control sodium, I used broth instead of bouillon cubes as in the original recipe.

Zucchini Rice Pilaf (serves 4)

½ teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons butter

2 ½ cups broth

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

½ cup shredded carrot

1 zucchini, halved and thinly sliced

In a large skillet, saute basil in butter for two minutes over medium heat. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add rice and carrots.

Reduce heat. Cover skillet and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add squash and cover again. Simmer another 5 minutes, or until rice is tender.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“This goes really well with the chicken. Lots of flavor and different vegetables.”

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Provençale Chicken Dinner

2020-02-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Let’s take a trip to France for this Mediterranean recipe. Since France has such a distinctive cuisine, we don’t typically think of foods from there as Mediterranean. All those delicious sauces! However, as this recipe shows, with the right ingredients, you can eat even French food more healthfully, the Mediterranean Diet way.

And, yeah, I know the picture shows five chicken thighs. The package had five, so I used them all. Plenty of liquid to cook the chicken. Two of the leftovers will be dinner another night, but the other flavor-infused leftover will become a tasty chicken salad for lunch!

Provençale Chicken Dinner (serves 4)

4 chicken thighs

3 teaspoons basil

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 small onion, diced

1 cup diced bell pepper

½ cup mushrooms, rough chopped

1-15 ounce can cannellini beans, undrained

1-14 ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, oregano

Fresh basil sprigs to garnish, optional

Put chicken thighs on the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle on basil, salt, and pepper.

Add onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, beans, and tomatoes.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

When ready to serve, put a chicken thigh in the middle of a bowl and ladle sauce on top and around it. You’ll need a fork and a spoon to eat the dinner. We both had naan. He had a salad; I had fruit.

There will be leftover broth with veggies. Serve for lunch with toasted cheese sandwiches. YUM!

NOTE: Next time, per DH’s suggestion, I’ll make a batch of couscous, quinoa, or brown rice to put in the bottom of the bowl, under the chicken. That will make an even more substantive meal.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up Way Up!

“This is really good! Put it in the rotation. But could you add some rice or something next time?” I have learned that when a recipe gets the “rotation designation”, I have fed him a winner!

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Green Beans with Pork and Potatoes

2020-02-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

I found another recipe to try on the “Mediterranean Living” site, this one from Crete. The site shares traditional recipes from Greece, Spain, and other countries that have been updated and are easy to prepare. Take a look.

I was having a leisurely lunch with friends the day I prepared this. It was nice to throw it all together before I left, knowing that dinner would be ready when we were that night. As usual, cutting up the meat and vegetables took the most time. Maybe 15 minutes. Then forget about it.

In this take on pork stew, the pound of pork is shared among six to eight people, so it’s fits the guidelines of limiting meat. I added the seasoning since it sounded too bland to me.

The meat to vegetable ratio gives a clear advantage to the veggies. To the original recipe I added more tomato, a sweet potato and some Greek Seasonin, but leave them out and prepare the original recipe if you’d prefer.

Since it is a stew, you can serve with naan or pita bread or serve over rice, couscous, or lentils to make it heartier and go further. I served this with chili-cheese cornbread. A nice fresh fruit salad cuts the heaviness.

Green Beans with Pork and Potatoes (serve 6-8)

1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons McCormick’s Greek Seasoning

1 pound lean pork, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 carrots, sliced in rounds

2 celery stalks, sliced in chunks

1 pound fresh green beans (can use frozen)

2 medium to large potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 large sweet potato, cut into bite-sized chunks

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix the Greek Seasoning with the tomatoes and set aside.

Add carrots, celery, green beans, onion, and both kinds of potatoes to slow cooker. Top with pork then tomatoes. Stir to combine.

Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours or until meat is fork-tender. Stir to combine and serve.

DH’s Rating: 3 Tongues Up

“This is different. I like it, but I've liked other dinners better.” Okay. I thought it was better than he did, but this wasn’t my favorite meal either. But, boy, is it nutrient packed and filling!

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes

2020-02-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Two Peas & Their Pod Cookbook is the origin of this interesting recipe. Just the title of it makes you feel healthier, right? And didn’t your saliva glands respond as well?

I made this as written, except I used sea salt instead of kosher salt, and so I’ll share it with you. If you don’t have the cookbook, and want to see the original, you can go to the Pure Wow site to find Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes. It’s a simple, 30-minute recipe with most ingredients you likely already have. I only made a few changes to the original.

We eat a lot of different kinds of pasta, and I encourage you to branch out from spaghetti and elbow macaroni if you haven’t already done so. Different pastas were created for specific qualities such as a wide flat surface for the sauce to adhere to, stuffed pastas, tubes to stuff, or shells to hide the sauce inside and out. There are also pastas specifically made for soups and specialty shapes for specific dishes.

Read up on pastas to see which ones suit your particular purpose in a dish. As a general principle, thinner sauces go better thin pastas and thicker sauces go better with thicker pastas. The pasta in this recipe, orecchiette, is a small shell-shape.

Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes (serves 4)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces dried orecchiette (or your favorite short pasta)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced shallot

4 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

Grated zest of 1 lemon

6 cups packed fresh spinach leaves

One 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

5 ounces (1 small log) goat cheese

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, optional, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the amount of water to cover the pasta about an inch above. [See NOTE]

Generously salt the water and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the pepper flakes and zest along with the spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Stir in the artichoke hearts.

Add the pasta to the spinach and artichoke mixture. Crumble the goat cheese over the top and stir in the lemon juice along with ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water.

Continue stirring until a creamy sauce coats the pasta. If the pasta isn’t creamy enough, add additional pasta water. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh basil. Serve with a salad and garlic bread.

NOTE: When a recipe calls for adding pasta water to help make the sauce, cook the pasta in less water than usual. That way the pasta water has a lot more starch in it which helps the formation of a creamier sauce.

DH’s Rating: 4 Tongues Up

While it was cooking: “It smells good. What’s in it?” After he’d eaten dinner: “This was good. Different. But it would be even better with a little chicken.”

It was a different flavor profile. I cook a lot with cheeses, but I don’t use goat or feta cheese much, so we noticed the difference.

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Quinoa "Fried Rice"

2020-02-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just have a hankering for some Asian tasting food, but delicious as fried rice might be, it’s never listed on a health food menu. But when you use quinoa as a su for rice, you are adding protein and more fiber than rice.

This versatile dish can be a side dish or vegetarian-with-eggs main dish. You can add more animal protein like shredded chicken or pork for an even heartier main dish. I found this on the delish.com website. Lots of good stuff there!

Quinoa “Fried Rice” (serves 4)

1 cup quinoa, rinsed (follow package directions to remove bitter coating)

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 large eggs, whisked

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Green onions, sliced diagonally, for garnish

Cook quinoa with two cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes until the water is absorbed. Salt and toss with a fork. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and frozen peas and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add soy sauce and stir until combined. Add in beaten eggs and stir quickly so that they scramble, about 1 minute.

Add cooked quinoa and stir to distribute. Let heat through, about 3 minutes.

Drizzle with sesame oil, top with green onions, and serve immediately.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“This is a really different texture than fried rice. It’s not mushy. I like the flavors, too.”

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Dessert Anyone?

2020-02-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

After all these savory dishes, are you hankering for a bit of sweetness in your diet? Yeah, us, too. And, yes, a traditional Mediterranean meal might well feature fresh figs (with or without cheese) and other fresh fruits. Of course, in a decadent meal you might savor baklava, lemon olive oil cake, or tiramisu.

But we’re not doing those this month, right? This month the focus is on delicious but nutritious, and while fresh fruit is nutritious, something in us wants more.

So here are a couple of ways to reward yourself at the end of your savory repasts. Try my Strawberry Fudge Frozen Greek Yogurt and my Balsamic Berries with Honey Yogurt. There are lots more of these types of recipes on the Internet. So don’t deprive yourself in the dessert realm of the Mediterranean Diet. It can taste decadent without being decadent.

As you can see from these recipes, I like Greek Honey Yogurt. I use it for breakfast with some granola or I make parfaits with fresh fruit and yogurt layers. Yeah, it’s sweet. I know that. But, Yum! However, you can make your own Honey Yogurt (to control the amount of sweetness) by mixing plain Greek yogurt with honey.

Strawberry Fudge Frozen Greek Yogurt (makes about 1 pint)

1 ½ cups Greek Honey Yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons strawberry jam or preserves

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

For serving: shaved chocolate and fresh strawberries

Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt until smooth.

Process in ice cream maker according to directions.

Five minutes or so before the mixture is fully processed, drizzle in strawberry jam and chocolate syrup just to swirl the flavors through the frozen yogurt.

Put in airtight container and freeze for 2-4 hours until frozen. Prior to serving, remove from freezer and let stand for several minutes to soften. Frozen yogurt freezes harder than ice cream.

While waiting, chop up strawberries and grate chocolate to serve on top.

I don’t stint on balsamic vinegar. I buy the expensive good stuff that is syrupy thick, not the very liquid stuff in the grocery store. If you buy really good balsamic vinegar, you can drizzle it on ice cream! This recipe may not even work with the watery stuff. I wouldn’t know since I haven’t tried it.

Balsamic Berry Trio with Honey Yogurt (serves 4)

1 cup strawberries

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup Greek Honey Yogurt

Coat berries with balsamic vinegar and let sit for ten minutes.

Distribute berry mixture among four ramekins or dessert dishes and put 2 tablespoons of yogurt on top. Serve immediately.

DH’s Rating: 3 Tongues Up for the Berries; 5 Tongues Up for Strawberry Yogurt

He’s an ice-cream kinda guy, so the Balsamic Berries didn’t ring his chimes. Did I mention how much he really, really likes sweet stuff? “They’re okay,” he conceded, but he really liked the frozen yogurt mixture. Given his druthers, he’ll go for frozen sweetness over cake or pie (though sometimes he combines them). But he always opts for sweeter over less sweet.

A Month-of-Medtierranean: Breakfast and Brunch

2020-02-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

I realize the focus has been on dinners with some attention to lunch, but today will focus on breakfast/brunch ideas that are Mediterranean Diet-compatible, like this baked egg in a bell pepper half. You can bake eggs in about any vegetable with an indentation—mushroom, avocado, hollowed out tomato, or a nest made of chopped kale and sprinkled with curry powder.

Of course, you can always stick with eating whole grains like rolled oats or old-fashioned oatmeal (no instant stuff!) topped with honey, nuts, and fruit. Or try out other grains like quinoa, barley, or farro as a stand-in for oatmeal.

Or you might caramelize fresh figs and top with Greek yogurt. I sometimes eat a banana and peanut butter.

A breakfast board with fruits, whole grain toast, hummus, and a spread of vegetables and cheeses could be breakfast for you. Or you might make a caprese whole grain toast (mozzarella/tomatoes/fresh basil/balsamic vinegar) topped with avocado. M

But for a company breakfast or brunch, or just to treat yourself, you might try one of these.

Quinoa with Eggs and Other Good Stuff (serves 4)

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup mushrooms, cut into chunks

3 green onions, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

½ cup tomatoes, chopped (or use sun-dried tomatoes)

1 large handful kale, chopped into chunks

8 eggs, sunny side up or soft-poached

4 tablespoons Asiago cheese

Rinse the quinoa per package instructions. [See NOTE; very important step]

Put rinsed quinoa in sauce pan with 2 cups of broth. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer. It should be done in 15-20 minutes. When done, the quinoa will have a gelatinous look, like tiny eyeballs.

While quinoa is simmering, melt the butter in a skillet. Add mushrooms, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. and stir until tomatoes are softening and the mushrooms are tender. Immediately add the kale and mix together thoroughly.

Remove from heat and prepare the eggs the way you like them. We like them soft and runny, but if you’re a hard egg person, cook them that way.

When the eggs are almost done, stir veggies into the quinoa. Stir together. Put one cup (or so) of quinoa mixture on a plate or large flat bowl. Sprinkle on a tablespoon of cheese on each dish. Top with eggs and serve.

This goes great with corn muffins and a fruit salad.

NOTE: It is really important to rinse off the coating nature puts on quinoa before you cook it or you will end up with a bitter dish.

Or how about Eggy Taco Cups for a really hearty brunch meal? Yeah, it has bacon, but just one piece per person. And you could leave it out if you are really restricting processed meats.

Eggy Taco Cups (serves 2)

2 slices of bacon

2 corn tortillas, warmed

8-12 leaves fresh spinach

2 eggs

2 green onions, sliced

½ cup Mexican cheese, shredded; divided

4 cherry tomatoes

1 small avocado, diced

¼ cup salsa

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook bacon and set aside. Crumble when cool. (I do mine in the oven)

Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 15 seconds to make them more pliable.

Place two oven-proof bowls (or large ramekins) on a cookie sheet. Spray the bowls with non-stick cooking spray. Then wrap a tortilla into each bowl, overlapping edges where necessary.

Put ½ of spinach into each taco bowl. Top with an egg.

Sprinkle a tablespoon of cheese on top of each egg.

Top each egg with onions. Add bacon to each taco cup. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes. Check eggs to see if you want them more done. (We like them soft, but not runny.) Bake in 5 minute increments to the doneness you want.

Top each eggy taco cup with tomatoes, avocado, salsa, and Greek yogurt. I didn’t have fresh cilantro, or I would have used it. Great served for dinner with black beans and corn.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

DH enjoys the occasional special breakfast or brunch even though he typically has cereal or toast with peanut butter and jelly. However, anytime we make one of these (or other) special meals, he is a clean plater.

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Lo Mein

2020-02-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

I think next February, I’ll take a culinary tour around the Pacific Rim for this blog series. What do you think? So many Pacific Rim dishes are nutritious and delicious. I’ve always liked a variety of Asian foods, but DH doesn’t really like many Asian cuisines except for some Thai foods. Odd, huh?

He’s not a picky eater, so I’ve never been able to understand why he doesn’t enjoy those tastes as much as other cuisines. And Asian foods are so varied. Chinese is different from Japanese which varies from Vietnamese and . . . The spices may overlap, but there are differences. And when meat is used, and it is used much less than in the Western Hemisphere, that can vary, too, from more pork to chicken to beef.

I love hunting down copycat recipes for favorite dishes at restaurants. My chicken lettuce wraps are an amalgamation of the various recipes out there. I wanted easy-to-make but close-to-the-real-thing lettuce wraps. I kept experimenting until I finally have my version. Same with lo mein. I always get lo mein when I eat Panda Express. I like it so much more than the fried rice. And, guess what, lots of people have been trying to recreate the taste of their lo mein. This is my take on Panda Express’ delicious lo mein.

Lo mein can be a vegetarian/vegan main dish or you can add bits of animal protein if that’s how you swing. It also can be served as a side dish alongside a main dish of chicken or pork.

The veggies and low fat content make this Mediterranean Diet-compatible. Another case of eating around the world can be healthful as long as you stick to the guidelines. An added benefit is that once the chopping is done, this cooks up fast!

Panda Express Copycat Lo Mein (serves 4)

¼ cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons chunky garlic (Garden Gourmet)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon ginger paste (Garden Gourmet)

¼ teaspoon freshly-ground pepper

1 7-ounce package Fortune Yakisoba Stir Fry Noodles, discard seasoning packet

1 medium onion, sliced

4 hearts of celery stalks, cut in small chunks

2 cups Napa cabbage, shredded (or use regular cabbage)

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup water

Mix soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, ginger, and pepper. Let sit while you chop vegetables.

Remove noodles from outer packaging and punch five or six holes in the plastic around the soba noodles. Do not open package yet. Microwave for 90 seconds. This will loosen the noodles.

Cut up all the veggies before pouring olive oil into the skillet. Heat skillet on high to get it hot, then turn to medium high for cooking.

Dump celery and onions into the skillet and stir to coat. When onion start to soften, add cabbage. Stir for a couple of minutes more to wilt the cabbage.

Pour noodles onto the vegetables and add sauce over the vegetables and noodles.

Add water. Stir to combine and heat through. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Next time I’m using regular cabbage. It is thicker, so the texture will be different, but more importantly, regular cabbage has more flavor, and more nutrients. Napa cabbage was okay, but we wanted more cabbage flavor.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

Yay! He liked this Asian dish! Lots of veggies which always pleases him, and the sauce is tasty, too.

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Pork Posole

2020-02-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Here’s another one of those recipes I make a lot that is from a non-Mediterranean region. Mexico, in fact is very far away from the Mediterranean, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat more healthfully with foods from their region.

Pork Posole is a satisfying dish with a high flavor profile. I cut the amount of meat usually in traditional posole to make it more healthful and you never miss it! I sometimes use chicken instead of pork. I suppose most any animal protein could be used, but I’ve only used pork and chicken.

It was only after I moved to Arizona that I started making posole, so I’m late to the party. My version of Southwest chili (3 meat/3 bean) is much older.

DH, who grew up in Arizona, knew posole well, but I had never eaten it until the move. Once I tried it, I knew I had to do my own version, and this is what I devised based on flavors that I like, traditional or not.

Sharon’s Pork Posole (serves 8)

1 T olive oil

½# pork roast, cubed, (fresh or cooked leftovers)

2 cups diced onions

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

4 cups poultry stock or broth

1 cinnamon stick

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon cumin

2 cans (15.5 oz) yellow hominy

2 cans (15.5 oz) white hominy

small can (4 oz) diced green chilies (adding other kinds of chili peppers can up the heat level)

If the pork is fresh, put in freezer for ½ hour to stiffen it up, then cut into cubes.

Brown the cubes in heated olive oil over medium heat. Remove.

Add onions to the pot and bring to translucence. Add garlic slices. Cook for two more minutes, continually stirring.

Add in pork and stir around to coat the meat with the onion and garlic flavors.

Add broth, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cumin. Stir. Add in white and yellow hominy and chilies. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and cool until ready to serve. Remove cinnamon stick and re-heat. Serve with corn muffins or tortillas.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Way Up

He loves my posole. It is great on the first day and even better for lunches later in the week.

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Baked Eggplant with Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions

2020-02-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Does this picture look familiar? Yep. I served the eggplant alongside yesterday’s orange chicken. Wow! Did they ever go together well! This couple of recipes becomes your next easy company dinner!

We love eggplant. Babaganoush or baked with marinara or stuffed eggplant rollatini. Yum! Eggplant takes on the flavors added to it, so it’s a great palette to showcase savory tastes. Sauteed, baked, grilled, or fried, eggplant is versatile. And good for you! Naturally low in calories and sodium, eggplant is a great source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, B vitamins and more!

"Mediterranean Living" is a wonderful source for some authentic Greek Mediterranean tastes. I followed their recipe pretty closely (for me!). I swapped out the oregano for Greek Seasoning and I used Garden Gourmet’s chunky garlic paste instead of my own minced garlic so I could spread it more evenly on the eggplant. But you can do the original recipe and it will be delicious, too!

I did get a bit impatient (Who? Me?) and I more kinda like fried the onions (as you can see) than caramelized them. They were delicious anyway, but next time, I’ll plan ahead better and sweat the onions slowly and then caramelize them. I promise. I’m sure caramelizing will deepen the onion flavor. I give you the caramelizing directions I skipped. Allow time for this step.

Baked Eggplant with Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions (serves 6-8)

2 medium eggplants, cut into slices ¼” thick

2 medium onions, sliced into rings

1-4 cloves of garlic, minced (1 used 3 tablespoons)

3 tomatoes, diced (I sliced)

1 tablespoon McCormick’s Greek Seasoning, divided

About ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

Slice eggplant and arrange on a paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and let sit.

Slice onions. Put a skillet on medium heat with 2 tablespoons oil. Add onions and stir often for about 30 minutes until caramelized. Remove from pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 13”’x9” baking dish with one tablespoon oil on the bottom.

Pat the eggplant dry and make a layer in the bottom of the pan with half the eggplant. Spread on half the garlic. Add half the onions and half the tomatoes. Drizzle on olive oil. Repeat layers finishing with olive oil.

Bake covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve as a side dish or as a vegetarian main dish on top of pasta.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

This is another one to “put into the rotation”. I usually serve baked eggplant, as you know from an earlier recipe, with marinara sauce. So, no sauce in this one, but eggplant, tomatoes, garlic and onions is a combo that cannot fail no matter the final form. This did make a lot! So, I’m after serving as a side one more time, I’m going to make the rest into a blender with V-8 Juice and make soup. Presto bingo! Lunch is served along with some croutons on top!

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Orange Chicken with Crispy Green Beans

2020-02-17T06:50:00.003-08:00

Okay, so this has some sugar. And, as we know, we are trying to limit sugar while eating in the Med-Diet style. But, sometimes, a dish is so tasty that it is worth it. In fact, as you read the ingredients list, can’t you just imagine the bursts of varied flavors?

And, sugar once in a while is not the problem. It’s the regular consumption of bad fats and sugar and processed foods that will get you. In this recipe, the Mediterranean Diet principles are adhered to with the exception of the orange marmalade. But if it bothers you, just skip this one.

I make a similar marinade/sauce for our grillled pork tenderloin. Fruit and pork just go together, but we don’t usually think of chicken with fruit. Sometimes, but not usually.

I pretty much followed the recipe from the “My Recipes” site, with just a few modifications. I did halve the recipe since we weren’t having company, and the original served eight people. I used olive oil not canola. I didn’t cook the orange sauce before using. I added more or less of the sauce ingredients to fit our taste. Also, I didn’t use the chili-garlic sauce on the beans as called for in the original recipe. I brushed on the orange glaze instead. Hmm. I guess I did make quite a few changes.

Next time I’ll only use the chili-garlic sauce and brush it on both the chicken and the beans. And then a THIRD time I’ll do the original recipe with both orange-glaze and chili garlic. And maybe a fourth time, I’ll mix them together for both chicken and beans. And maybe a fifth time . . . well, that’s just the way my brain works. Below is my first modified recipe.

Orange Chicken Crispy Green Beans (serve 4)

4 chicken thighs

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ cup orange marmalade

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon hot mustard

½ teaspoon sesame oil

Salt and pepper

8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub chicken thighs with olive oil and place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Wash and trim the beans.

Bake chicken for about 35 minutes (meat thermometer 165 degrees).

While chicken is baking, mix together marmalade, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot mustard, and sesame oil. Reserve a tablespoon of the sauce in a separate small bowl. Brush ½ the remaining sauce on the

green beans.

Remove chicken pan from oven and put beans on all sides. Using the remaining sauce from the green beans brush it on both tops and bottoms of the chicken. Sprinkle on more salt and pepper on green beans and on glazed chicken.

Put the oven on broil (500 degrees) and return baking pan to oven. Broil about three minutes to get beans tender and a nice brown crust on the chicken.

Serve the reserved sauce alongside to put on plated chicken.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“Put this into the rotation!” I agree. This is a company-worthy chicken dish. Tons of flavor that gives chicken, as DH said, “a distinctive taste.”

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Souvlaki and Spinach Salad

2020-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Here’s a very heart-healthy and easy to fix dinner for you. This dinner also has the advantage of not only using up some of those leftovers in an interesting way, but the remaining ingredients are likely on your pantry and refrigerator shelves.

Souvlaki is a Mediterranean region staple that made its way to this continent and was an instant hit. Real souvlaki is a Greek fast food. Meat is grilled on a skewer and usually eaten right off the stick with tzatziki, but sometimes it is tucked into pita (gyro) and eaten sandwich-style, like we’re doing today. I am also using leftover game hen meat, so I am not cooking this on a skewer. Thus easier to prepare, but it won’t have the grilled flavor of traditional souvlaki.

Of course, if you want a different taste, you could skewer your meat (chicken, beef, pork, lamb), season with Greek Seasoning by McCormick, and grill it if you have the time.

Easy Chicken Souvlaki (serves 2)

1 cup leftover cooked chicken, cut in chunks or shredded

2 teaspoons Greek Seasoning by McCormick

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

½ small cucumber, grated

1 tablespoon dried dill

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 small tomato, diced

2 pita bread halves

Toss the chicken pieces with Greek Seasoning and set aside for an hour.

In small bowl mix together the yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic powder, and lemon juice. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to eat, divide chicken between pita halves and add ½ of tomato to each pita. Top with cucumber sauce (a kind of tzatziki).

Spinach-Quinoa-Bean Salad (serves 2)

2 cups baby spinach (or arugula if preferred)

1 cup beans (black, cannellini, white, pinto)

1½ cups leftover cooked quinoa

2 tablespoons Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

Put 1 cup of spinach in each of two bowls. Drizzle dressing on top.

Warm up beans and cooked quinoa. Put quinoa on top of spinach. Top the quinoa with beans.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up for the salad; 3 Tongues Up for the Souvlaki

“That was really good salad.” Pause. “And the souvlaki?” “That was cucumber, right? I just don’t like cucumber.” FYI, despite his comments the souvlaki with tzatziki was delicious! I keep trying him with cucumber and he just won’t change his mind!

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Greek Chicken Stifado

2020-02-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

Oh. My. Gosh. I am giving this recipe 5 Tongues Up! You can read DH’s rating at the bottom. This is tender chicken in a mulled red wine sauce. And it is company-worthy!

I love Coq au Vin (in fact that’s what I made for my wedding supper), and this is reminiscent, but flavored with spices that bring a distinctiveness to the chicken.

In the original Greek recipe, stifado is made with rabbit. Not really available at my grocery store, but if you find it in yours, give it a try. Instead, I substituted chicken thighs. Some recipes (they’re all over the Internet) show chicken breasts as a substitute for rabbit. We use a lot of thighs, however, because the meat is tastier.

I served it with buttered noodles, ladling the sauce and onions onto the chicken. A salad made this a very filling meal. Next time I will probably prepare orzo with broth to be a bit different.

Greek Chicken Stifado: (serves 4)

4 chicken thighs

1 package frozen pearl onions

2 bay leaves

1 orange peel, torn into pieces

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups red wine

½ teaspoon allspice

1 cup water

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cinnamon stick

10 whole peppercorns

Salt and pepper

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

Place four chicken thighs in bottom of slow cooker. Salt and pepper them generously.

Place orange peel pieces and bay leaves on top of chicken, then put pearl onions on and around the chicken.

Mix together extra-virgin olive oil, red wine, allspice, water and tomato paste. Add in cinnamon stick and peppercorns. Pour over the chicken in slow cooker.

Turn slow cooker to low and cook for six hours.

Serve with sides. Add extra salt and pepper at the table if needed.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

He said how different it was with the spiced wine sauce. He wants me to make it again, always a good sign.

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Salmon on Asparagus

2020-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

What could be heart-healthier, on this day of the heart, than another salmon recipe? There are so many preparation options, thank goodness, since this is the fish we eat most often. The sheet pan dinner makes clean-up easier for you and your sweetie, too.

Top the meal off with a dessert with a kick, Chocolate Chia Pudding.

Salmon on Asparagus (serves 2)

2 salmon steaks

2 small potatoes, cut in chunks

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound of asparagus, woody ends trimmed off

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Sea salt

½ lemon

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Toss the potatoes with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Toss again with salt and garlic powder. Place on one end of baking sheet. Put in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven.

Massage remaining olive oil onto asparagus spears and place on other end of baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Place salmon steaks on top of asparagus and drizzle on lemon juice.

Put back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until salmon flakes.

Salt and pepper to taste at table.

Yep, dessert is another one of those recipes that isn’t from the Mediterranean region but is consistent with Mediterranean Diet principles. Honey or maple syrup as sweeteners are acceptable in the Mediterranean Diet and are preferable to white sugar.

Chia seeds are tiny black seeds from the plant Salvia hispanica, which is related to mint. Chia seeds were an important food for the Aztecs and Mayans back in the day. They prized them for their ability to provide sustainable energy. In fact, "chia" is the ancient Mayan word for "strength."

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding (serves 2)

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons honey

1/3 cup chia seeds

2 strawberries

In medium bowl, mix milk with cocoa powder, and honey.

Blend thoroughly. Add chia seeds and blend well.

Refrigerate overnight (or at least 8 hours) in bowl or in individual serving dishes. If you want a smoother pudding, process in your blender until you get the texture you like.

Cut strawberries into fan shape and top the pudding before serving.

DH’s Rating: Fish—4 Tongues Up; Chocolate Chia Pudding—3 Tongues Up

“This was good, but kinda bland. I like your other salmon recipes more.” The pudding got a different response. “This was too bland, too. You know I don’t like chia pudding. Why do you keep serving it to me?” Uh, because you like chocolate, and because this is good for you. Next time I’ll put in cayenne pepper and cinnamon. I’ll bet he’ll like it then.

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Heart-Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

2020-02-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Another apology for picture quality and lack of pix for prep steps. I just forget, sometimes, that I’m supposed to be documenting. Especially if it is a dish I make often.

But, the good news is, here’s another chance to use your homemade marinara sauce in a Meatless Monday meal. I LOVE traditional eggplant parmesan, however, there aren’t too many foods that are so calorie laden. Thus, years ago, I went searching for a more healthful alternative. After combining parts of various recipes, I came up with one we eat on a regular basis. A small side of spaghetti with a little olive oil, salt and pepper accompanied by a side salad, and we have a delicious and filling dinner.

Instead of breading and frying, the traditional way of prepping that is sooo tasty, instead I bake and use a little Panko to stand in for the breading. I use my own marinara sauce, but jarred would work, too. A few simple ingredients is all you need.

Heart-Healthy Eggplant Parmesan (serves 2)

1 eggplant, cut in half length-wise

1 cup marinara sauce, divided

½ cup herbed panko crumbs (or put Italian seasoning in plain crumbs)

½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (can use grated cheese)

Butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Cut the eggplant and spray the cut side with butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray and place, cut sides down, on the baking sheet. Pierce the skin side of the eggplant four or five times with a fork.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and flip over the eggplant halves.

With a fork, “rough up” the surface a bit so the sauce can get down into the meat. Put ¼ cup marinara on each eggplant half.

Divide panko crumbs between the two, patting them down into the marinara a bit. Add the rest of the marinara and top with the mozzarella.

Return to the oven for another five to ten minutes to melt the cheese. Serve with a small side of spaghetti and with a salad.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

He really likes this dish when I make it. As I said, it’s a regular at our house. It’s filling, but relatively low-cal and low-carb. I buy small- to medium-size eggplants, so we don’t have any leftovers. I’m not sure how good these would be warmed up the next day. It you do, let me know how it worked.

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Cacio e Pepe

2020-02-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

I needed to use more light here. Sorry. Cheese and pepper pasta? Yep. A classic Italian dish. How the heck do you pronounce it? Sorta like this: cah-cho a pa-pa. You can go to this YouTube video to hear it, too.

The name of the dish gives a big clue to the ingredients: cacio e pepe is cheese and pepper. Five ingredients are all you need and you probably have them already in your kitchen: Pecorino Romano cheese, garlic, black pepper, butter, and spaghetti. How easy is that for a weeknight meal?

There are tons of cacio e pepe recipes out there. Chrissy Tiegen brought a new level of awareness to this dish with her version of cacio e pepe with lemon and arugula. Those ingredients would help with the heaviness for sure.

If you don’t like my version, try another. But, I’ll tell you, they vary little from one another. Maybe a different cheese. Maybe butter instead of olive oil. Or no added fat at all. Maybe greens, maybe not. But the basics are the same: cheese and pepper tossed with pasta. Yum! Serve with a big salad so you put less pasta on your plate.

Cacio e Pepe (serves 2-3)

8 ounces pasta (spaghetti, linguine, bucatini)

3 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper

1 1/3 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Cook pasta in a large skillet with enough water to cover the pasta, no more. This will create the extra-starchy water you’ll need in the sauce. Heavily salt the water before adding pasta to boiling water. [see DH's Rating below]

Cook pasta to almost al dente. You want it firm.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and garlic and cook for one minute.

Carefully put ½ cup boiling pasta water in the melted butter. It will bubble up, so be careful. When the bubbling settles, whisk to combine.

Remove butter mixture from heat and let rest for three minutes. Add cheese slowly, whisking as you do so. Remove from heat to keep from clumping.

When the pasta is done, drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water. Let rest for 2-3 minutes.

Let drained pasta rest for a couple of minutes to cool down. Then add half the pasta to the butter mixture skillet. Toss to combine. Then add remaining pasta and toss to completely combine.

If the pasta is too dry, add as much of the pasta water as you need until you get a saucy texture. Serve immediately with extra cheese and pepper.

NOTE: You will get a clumpy sauce, not a smooth one, if you don’t freshly grate as fine as possible your own parmesan cheese (NO green can!). It will also clump if you have pots too hot or don’t wait for the food to rest before combining.

DH’s Rating: 3 Tongues Up

“Too salty.” Point well taken. It was saltier than we are used to since we cut way back on salt years ago. The other issue he had was with the texture. He’s not a gloopy sauce Mac&Cheese guy, so the sauce of this dish was not a favorite either. All in all, he said, “You’re not making this again, are you?” Nope, I won’t. Or maybe I will for me when he’s gone on one of his trips. I like gloopy sauces, and I will cut back on the salt in the water.

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Tuscan Farro Soup

2020-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Many soups are Mediterranean Diet compatible. No doubt you’ve eaten a number of Italian soups over the years: pasta e fagioli, minestrone, tomato basil, or tortellini.

I wanted something a bit different you might not have tried. I came across Mark Bittman’s Tuscan Farro Soup. Farro was new to me, and I thought it might be new to you. Of course, I modified the recipe slightly, because, you know me, I can’t follow a recipe straight! I don’t know if I improved it (since I never had the original), but you can try them both and see if I did. Mark Bittman's recipe is at:

Farro is made from a wheat grown only in certain areas in Italy, Tuscany being one, thus the name of the soup. It is an ancient grain and high in protein and fiber. You can also fix it as a side dish alongside fish and you will have a great meal.

Since you can’t make a little bit of soup, I decided to try this recipe out on some friends yesterday. I used their ratings (inferred from comments) instead of DH’s this time, but just so you know, he was a clean plater. I served my soup with my famous beer bread, Gouda, and fresh fruit compote.

Here’s my version:

Tuscan Farro Soup (10 + servings)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 cup farro (or sub in spelt or barley)

28 ounce can of diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons Italian seasoning

6 cups vegetable stock, more as necessary

Parmesan rind

2 cans white beans (cannelini are best)

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Freshly grated Parmesan for the table

Put oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; a minute later add onion, celery, carrots, a large pinch of salt and lots of pepper. Cook until vegetables are glossy and onion is softened, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add garlic, and stir. Add farro, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and stock. Stir.

Bring to a boil, then adjust heat so mixture is at a low simmer. Add the parmesan rind and stir every half hour to distribute the melting cheese.

If the soup is too thick, add more vegetable broth to make soup-like or don’t add broth and serve it as a stew. You can eat the soup any time after the farro is cooked through. You want it a bit chewy, not mushy.

An hour before serving add the beans and basil. Continue the slow simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve with lots of shaved Parmesan and a basil leaf for garnish.

NOTE: I cook my soups a long time to allow flavors to develop. Bittman’s recipe says this should be ready in less than an hour and a half. So after I got it mixed together, sans beans and basil, I let it simmer for a few hours. You could put it in the slow cooker and let it sit for five hours on low. Add beans and basil and cook for another hour.

Roz and Diane’s Rating: 5 Tongues (Inferred)

“I suppose I have to go to your blog for the recipe.” They liked it! They really liked it! Yep, this recipe is a keeper!

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Rock Cornish Game Hens

2020-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

We eat a lot of poultry and have for years. I even did a February Month-of-Chicken a few years ago. Check the archives on the right hand side to find the recipes for February 2013. You’ll find recipes for Mother and Child Reunion (chicken quiche), Mae West Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Popeye Chicken Casserole (with spinach of course), and Rule-of-Four Sweet Garlic Chicken, among others.

Mediterranean Diet Guidelines say to limit poultry. Not as much limitation as other meats, perhaps, but limiting portions of animal protein and upping plant protein is a principle that we are trying to get used to. To that end, today’s recipe serves 4 with two game hens split.

Even though you may be used to eating a whole game hen, you don’t really need that much meat to get the RDA of protein you need in this meal. When you surround that half game hen with brown rice or quinoa and a great big salad, you will feel very satisfied. I promise.

My recipe is a simple classic with orange and rosemary. I use rosemary because I have a bush right outside my kitchen door, but any favorite fresh herb will do.

Easy peasy. Quick to fix and pop in the oven. Then just wait for the aroma to fill your kitchen!

Rock Cornish Game Hens (serves 4)

2 game hens

½ medium orange, cut in half again

Handful of fresh rosemary

Butter-flavored non-stick spray

Sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray pan with non-stick spray.

Clean out the inside of the game hens. Rinse with water and pat dry.

Put into pan and squeeze orange sections over the top of each hen.

Stuff each game hen with 1 squeezed orange section, then the rosemary, then the second orange section.

Spray top of each hen with butter-flavored non-stick spray. Sprinkle coarse sea salt on top of each game hen.

Bake for one hour and twenty minutes or until meat thermometer registers 165 degrees.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Baste with pan juice.

From the top of the game hen, slice through the middle to the backbone to separate each bird into two pieces. Remove rosemary and orange sections.

Serve immediately, basting with additional pan juice.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“We haven’t had this in a while. That was tasty!”

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Citrus Grilled Salmon with Spinach

2020-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

We have not always been big fish eaters. DH grew up with fish on Fridays, and as his parents often went out on Fridays, he remembers, quite un-fondly, eating fish sticks. It took a while to convince him that we could go beyond fish sticks. So I make fish tacos with sea bass or halibut, cod fish casserole, the lovely sea bass dish in this series of posts, baked salmon on asparagus, and our all-time favorite Grilled Citrus Salmon on Spinach.

DH grills it perfectly, and it looks so pretty on the plate atop its bright green bed of spinach. The citrus flavor is subtle but distinctive. I often serve it with an herbed quinoa or rice pilaf. A simple but rather elegant meal.

Grilled Citrus Salmon on Spinach (serves 4-6)

4-6 salmon steaks, skin on

½ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons minced ginger (fresh or Gourmet Garden)

1 tablespoon minced lemon grass (fresh or Gourmet Garden)

1 package baby spinach

Put orange juice, olive oil, soy sauce, ginger and lemon grass in a large zipper bag. Mush around to mix it well.

Add salmon. Let marinate for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator, turning every half hour to coat all sides.

Remove salmon from the refrigerator. Discard marinade. Cook on a medium high grill, flesh side down, for 7 minutes.

Turn and finish cooking, skin-side down. Total cooking time is 10-20 minutes (depending on thickness). Check flakiness. It’s done when salmon easily flakes.

Steam the spinach to make a bed for the salmon and plate it up!

DH’S Rating: Five Tongues Up

This is the method of salmon cooking I use most often. It is one of our two favorite fish recipes. If I didn’t get so bored eating the same recipe so often, he’d ask for it once a week.

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Spaghetti Squash with Marinara

2020-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Decades ago, when we were just out of graduate school, we were really poor. No debt, but absolutely no money coming in until that first paycheck in a month. The tiny bit of money we had left from savings was strictly for necessities. No fancy meals in those days.

One of my slightly-better-off friends suggested a number of vegetarian meals as it was pretty cheap to buy lentils, and you could eat off a pot of them for a week. She also told me to buy spaghetti squash instead of pasta. So I did.

I should have queried her a bit more about how to prepare it. I knew I was supposed to “fluff up” the fibers in the cavity of the baked squash half, but I didn’t know I was supposed to have cleaned out the seeds first. Very unpleasant texture. It was our worst “spaghetti” experience EVER! It took me decades to try it again.

Now, spaghetti squash is one of my go-to meals. Filling but low in calories and fat while high in fiber. Topped with homemade marinara and cheese, you’re talking comfort food!

Sometimes, as in the picture above, I put a little leftover taco meat on top. But usually, we eat it as a vegetarian meal with a salad and garlic bread. We eat it from the squash rind, but to be fancy you can scrape it out and put the squash strands on a plate and add your sauce (or just butter and cheese).

I make my own marinara sauce, but the jarred stuff will work, too. Just watch the ingredients to keep it as nutritious as you can! My rule: if I can’t pronounce an ingredient, I don’t buy it!

Spaghetti Squash with Marinara (serves two)

1 medium to large spaghetti squash

Olive oil to rub on squash

1½ cups marinara sauce

¾ cup Asiago cheese (or romano or parmesan)

I make a big batch of marinara so I can prepare a quick meal. Next time you boil spaghetti, save some of the pasta water for this recipe.

Marinara Sauce (best made day ahead; can freeze leftovers)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cans diced tomatoes (or use 12 Roma tomatoes, mashed)

1 can tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons dried basil

½ red wine

½ cup pasta water (after cooking pasta)

Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat in a pan. When just turning translucent, add garlic. Cook about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and basil. Stir together. Simmer for five minutes.

Add wine and pasta water. Simmer for about 2 hours. Even better made the day before.

[Note: After sauteeing, you can put all ingredients into a slow cooker, mix together thoroughly and cook on low for four hours.]

To bake the squash:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a pan with parchment paper or Silpat sheet.

Cut a spaghetti squash from the stem end to root end. Remove all the seeds.

Brush the cut side lightly with olive oil. Put cut-side down on the baking sheet and pierce the back of the squash skin several times.

Bake in oven for about 30-40 minutes. Remove. Allow to cool somewhat. Then shred the meat of the squash with a fork to make spaghetti-like strands.

Remove some of the shredded squash strands and put in a bit of marinara. Put squash back in and add more marinara. (If adding meat, put it on top.) Repeat with the other squash half. Top with cheese and put back in oven, cut-side up, until cheese is melty. A nice salad makes your meal complete.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“I feel so healthy!”, he says with a smirk. He makes fun of me for trying to keep us eating well, but I know he’s only teasing. In our family, HE is the health freak! (she says with a smirk)

A Month-of Mediterranean: Asiago Turkey Couscous

2020-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you saved a couple of cups of Fruity Couscous for today’s recipe. Couscous, though a pasta, technically, is so light that it doesn’t fill you the same way linguine does. Not too filling, but definitely filling nevertheless. It makes a satisfying meal.

Here is a little dish I concocted when I had leftover turkey and fruity couscous. The low amount of turkey makes it Med-Diet guidelines compatible, and the amount of fruit and veggies definitely fit the profile. Leftover chicken instead? Sure. Sub it in!

This dish could be a go-to on those nights you get home late. Especially if you do all the veggie chopping in advance, you’ll be eating this meal in 15 minutes after putting the skillet on the stove. Even with the chopping, you can toss this dinner together faster than ordering delivery pizza!

Asiago Turkey Couscous (serves 4)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ bell pepper, diced

2 green onions, sliced

½ cup celery, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 packed cup spinach, rough chopped

2 teaspoons dried basil

2 cups fruity couscous

½ cup water

½ cup walnut pieces

½ cup Asiago (or other Italian cheese)

1 cup cooked turkey, cubed (or other poultry)

Salt/pepper to taste

Heat large skillet over medium heat, saute the bell pepper, onions, and celery until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, spinach and basil. Stir to combine.

Add in couscous and water. Mix thoroughly over heat.

Add walnuts, cheese, and turkey. Mix well for one minute, then remove from heat.

Serve immediately.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“Put this in the regular meal rotation! I really like the different textures. The walnuts add a nice crunch.”

A Month-of-Mediterranean: Fruity Couscous

2020-02-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Let's go to Africa for our next Mediterranean dish. Couscous is considered the national dish of Algeria. In Algeria, they steam the hard rolled pellets of semolina wheat until they make a fluffy dish. It is served as a base with stews or as a side dish to meat or fish. While they serve savory couscous, they also enjoy couscous with fruit.

A couple of decades ago I discovered couscous. Knowing rice proportions, I read the directions and thought, “This is not going to be enough for my family”. All those tiny beads of hard dough couldn’t be enough. So I doubled the recipe.

Hooboy! We were eating couscous with every dinner all week long. My kids never wanted to see the stuff again. It took a long time before I introduced it into another meal! That stuff GROWS when it gets wet!

One way I serve couscous these days is mixed with sauteed mushrooms and onions cooked in broth. Another popular style is with dried fruit and nuts, and that is what I am sharing today. I use this as a side dish with a meat, but I suppose you could serve it alongside stew, too.

Couscous is really versatile. And FAST to prepare. You can make it savory or sweetened. We love fruit with pork and chicken, so I will often “fruit up” our couscous for dinner. Oh, be sure to make extra so you have some for tomorrow's dish!

Fruity Couscous (serves 6 as a generous side)

1 ½ cups broth (more if needed later)

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup mixed dried fruit (in the picture I used cherries, blueberries, cranberries, and raisins)

1 cup couscous

½ cup walnut pieces

¼ cup olive oil

Bring broth and fruits with butter to a boil. Add couscous and stir in.

Remove from heat, add nuts, and let sit for a few minutes. Add in olive oil and stir. If still too dry when ready to serve, add ¼ cup broth and stir all together again.

Serve immediately. We had this particular couscous as a side with orange marmalade-marinated pork tenderloin and green beans.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

He’s not wild about plain couscous. Too bland. So I always make it either savory or fruited. Then he almost licks the plate!

Month-of-Mediterranean: Honey Lemon Chicken with Vegetables

2020-02-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Soy sauce in a Mediterranean-themed diet? Yep. But that’s because . . . See the February 1^st post where I explain what we’re all about this month. Mediterranean diet principles: lots of veggies—check; low fat—check; small amount of animal protein—check; high flavor—check.

I modified this recipe from BEST BITES on AOL.com by adding in parmesan potatoes and switching to regular carrots from baby ones. I used olive oil instead of sesame, and I subbed basil for the cilantro. Other than that, I mostly followed the recipe below. Oh, and don’t let the number of ingredients faze you. You’re making one sauce and one rub. The rest of the ingredients are the meat and veggies.

Honey Lemon Chicken and Vegetables (serves 4)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup honey

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon basil paste (I use Gourmet Garden)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 pound of green beans

4 carrots, cut in quarters long ways

20 baby potatoes

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Olive oil for coating carrots, potatoes, and beans

8-10 chicken tenders

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400º F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper or Silpat sheet.

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, and basil paste.

In another small bowl, combine smoked paprika, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder and chili powder. Coat chicken tenders in seasoning.

Rub baby potatoes with olive oil and then roll in parmesan cheese.

Cut carrots into length-wise quarters. Lightly coat with olive oil.

Trim the beans and lightly coat with olive oil.

Place potatoes and carrots at opposite ends of the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and place the chicken tenders in the middle. Paint on half the sauce mixture. Reserve the remainder. Put the green beans on the

other two sides of the chicken.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the baking pan from oven and flip each tender to the other side. Drizzle chicken, green beans, and carrots with half of the remaining sauce and a pinch of salt to taste.

Bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove sheet pan and drizzle chicken with the remaining sauce.

Set the oven to broil. Place pan back in oven and broil for 2 minutes.

DH’s Rating: 3 ½ Tongues Up

“Too sweet. The flavors are good otherwise, but I don’t like the sweetness.”

I thought it was more like a 4, but he’s the rater. My objection was that the rub and the sauce didn’t seem integrated. Two distinct flavors going on with the chicken. And he loves my Honey Garlic Chicken and Fish Sauce Chicken, both sweet. So what gives?

Sharon’s Note: Next time I make this, I’m going to make a marinade of the sauce and rub and let the chicken sit in it for a half hour. I’ll baste with the mixture, too, as the recipe directs. But this will make for a more even flavor.