Mediterranean meals are served in courses, and time is taken over the meal, one of the courses is usually the vegetable, one the rice or potato dish, with the third or fourth course being the meat course (a serving of meat Mediterranean style would be about as large a serving as could be held in the palm of your hand), the dessert is usually a fruit of some kind, sometimes cooked or baked, sometimes not.  No course is as large as usually served in American meals. 

Slow eating and good conversation are the method in which Mediterranean meals are served.. and before you know it you are full, even on these smaller servings.

We don't want to eat four or five courses, so we eat three courses, the first is our salad (which is the largest of all the three courses), the second is the main dish and includes the meat served with a side of veggie, rice, or couscous cooked with onion and spices, the last is the dessert course.

List of spices and herbs used in Mediterranean cooking:


Dried Spices:
Cardamom - green, black and white pods
Cinnamon sticks
Coriander (ground and seeds)
Cumin Seeds
Nutmeg
Whole Bay Leaf
Thyme
Rosemary
Marjoram
Chervil
Basil
Dill
Mint
Saffron (whole and ground)
 

Fresh:
Tarragon
Thyme
Flat Leaf Parsley (I found curly leaf works in a pinch)
Rosemary

Anyone know what Harissa is?
 

Chicken Thighs With Lemon & Garlic

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

20 large garlic cloves

2 TBS butter

1 TBS olive oil

8 chicken thighs

2 TBS plain flour

Salt and ground black pepper

Chopped fresh parsley or basil to garnish

(I cut the recipe in half, after dinner I mixed in the rice and froze it for a dinner for two at another time)

1.) Put the stock in a pan and bring to a boil. Add garlic cloves and gently simmer for 40 minutes.

2.) Heat butter and oil in a good frying skillet. Add chicken thighs and cook gently till brown/golden on all sides.

          Transfer to a ovenproof dish with a cover.

Preheat oven to 375°

3.) Strain the stock and reserve it. Distribute the garlic among the chicken pieces.

4.) Add the flour to the pan the chicken was fried in.

              Add the wine, stirring constantly, scraping to dislodge the bottom of the pan.

              Add the stock, cook, stirring, until smooth and has thickened.

              Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5.) Pour sauce over the chicken, cover and bake for 40-45 minutes.  If a thicker sauce is desired, lift out the chicken and reduce the sauce by boiling rapidly, until it reaches desired consistency.

Scatter the chopped parsley or basil over and serve beside the new potatoes or rice.

I served this with our now favorite salad (recipe below) as the first course, the chicken and rice and a veggie as the second course, and fresh coffee and sugar free chocolate pudding made into a pie for dessert (Rick is still no willing to consider fruit a dessert lol).

I didn't have thighs so used two huge whole breasts, cut in half, which means reducing the cooking time considerably...

This sauce is sooo rich and tasty, and with just two tablespoons of flour the it is the perfect dish for diabetics. 

Marinated Tomato Salads

(from Cooks Country magazine)
 

Test Kitchen Discoveries:

* After slicing tomatoes into wedges, salt them and then place on paper towels for 15 minutes to get rid of excess moisture. The towels help to wick away liquid.

* After draining the excess liquid, the tomatoes are ready to absorb bold dressings—we let them marinate in the dressing for 15 minutes.

* To complement the tomatoes, add small amounts of potent ingredients like arugula, fennel, jalapeño, and olives. White beans, avocado, and soft cheeses such as blue cheese and queso blanco (a crumby, slightly salty Mexican cheese) add creamy counterpoints to the acidic tomatoes.

* Do not refrigerate tomatoes—the cold destroys valuable flavor components.
 

Marinated Tomato Salad with Arugula and Feta Cheese

Serves 4

To make the task of crumbling the cheese less messy, first let the cheese firm up in the freezer for 15 minutes.

1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges (I quartered them)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups baby arugula (I used a baby lettuce mix and some baby spinach with the spine cut out)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

One to two VERY thin slices of red onion, separated
1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese
 

Optional:
1/4 cup Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onion
1/4 to 1/2 (to taste) sliced Kalamata olives

We also mix in baby spinach, or mixed baby greens.

1. Toss tomatoes and salt in large bowl, then transfer to baking sheet lined with paper towels; let drain 15 minutes.

2. Return drained tomatoes to large bowl and toss with arugula, oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, and pepper (onion and beans too). Let marinate 15 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over salad.

Rick is used to seeing a full plate so unless I buy some smaller plates I have to come up with things that compliment the dish but aren't fattening... the Green Bean recipe below just fit the bill...

Mediterranean Green Beans - easy style

(Serves two)

1 can (good brand so they are a firm bean) Cut Green Beans, drained

1 Tomato, diced and salted (as for salad above), and placed on paper towel to dry

Two thin slices red onion, separated

1 to 2 TBS dried Basil (to taste) or 2 TBS FRESH Basil

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 TBS Olive Oil

1/2 c favorite flavored croutons

Put Olive Oil is stick proof skillet, add spices, stir and sauté until onion is transparent.

Add drained Green Beans, stir, cover and heat on low until beans have absorbed Basil taste (about 5 minutes).

Remove lid and let liquid evaporate.

Add tomatoes and heat until just warmed but haven't lost firmness.

Turn into a serving bowl and toss with croutons.

Mediterranean Green Beans - hard way

(Serves two)

1 lb Fresh Green Beans, washed and stringed, and steamed to desired doneness.

2Tomatoes, diced and salted (as for salad above), and placed on paper towel to dry

Two thin slices red onion, separated

1 to 2 TBS dried Basil (to taste) or 2 TBS FRESH Basil

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 TBS Olive Oil

1 TBS Butter

1/2 c favorite flavored croutons

In a medium saucepan melt butter, and combine tomatoes, onion, basil, salt, garlic powder and butter. 

Bring to a boil and heat and simmer 5 minutes, uncovered.

Toss in Cooked String Beans and heat five more minutes.

Turn into a serving bowl and toss with croutons.

This salad is filling enough to stand alone as a light dinner. Rick had it with broiled shrimp (he raved about how good it was) because shrimp is high in Omega-3's and they help combat depression. I ate it with no meat at all and I was full for the entire evening, Rick had a apple about nine. You might want to read my notes first.. my changes are in parenthesis.

 

Enjoy



* Paella Rice Salad


 

6 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (none)
1 1/2 to 2 cups oregano vinaigrette (see below)
3 1/3 cups water
1/2 tsp crushed saffron filaments (3 skinned and crushed whole saffron worked for me)
2 cups basmati rice (I used five minute rice)
Sea Salt
2 Bell Peppers (red or green) (1 green bell pepper), cut into 1/4-inch dices
1 Red Onion, finely diced (1/2 sweet red onion)
1 cup peeled, seeded, finely diced tomatoes (I seeded but didn't peel)
30 medium pre-cooked shrimp, thawed
Butter or oil for basting shrimp (or use the vinaigrette)
1/2 cup olives, for garnish if desired (black and Kalamata olives worked, green were bitter in comparison with the dish).

1.) Marinate chicken in 1/2 cup vinaigrette for at least 4 hours or overnight. Broil or grill for about three minutes each side. When cool cut the chicken into strips that are about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch 2 wide. Set aside.

2.) Mince veggies (see picture to see how small they should be)

3.) Put 1/4 cup water and saffron onto a small pan and bring to a boil, shut off immediately and set aside to steep.

4.) Wash rice, drain, and place in a medium sauce pan. Add three cups water and the saffron infusion and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt to taste, lower heat, and cover pan. Cook over low heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed.

5.) As rice cools put shrimp on skewers and prepare to broil or grill.

6.) When rice is cooked and still warm, (in a large bowl ) add bell peppers, onion, and tomatoes and toss with however much Vinaigrette you prefer.   Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7.) Broil or grill shrimp

8.) Place rice in a mound on plate, put chicken and/or shrimp on top, garnish with olives, serve while still warm.

Oregano Garlic Vinaigrette

3 TBS dried Oregano (I tried this... WAAAY too much - 1 TBS worked for me)
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar (1/4 cup BALSAMIC Vinegar - it's milder)
2-3 cloves, VERY finely minced*
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups mild, fruity olive oil (see note **)

I served warmed sour dough bread on the side, and iced water.
We had coffee and baked apple slices (no sugar added) for dessert.

*If you leave real minced garlic sitting in olive oil (even if refrigerated) salmonella can develop - so if you're mixing this marinate and won't use it all replace fresh garlic with garlic powder like I do - it's safer.

** I used the oil recommended and ended up throwing it out.. it completely overshadowed the dish. Then I tried a regular extra virgin oil and it was like trying to eat motor oil, even with the full amount of vinegar to cut it.. into the trash went the whole dish. So I settled on a tasting oil (Bertolli Extra Light Tasting Oil).. it lets the ingredients shine through.

*Recipe is from a book called "Mediterranean Fresh".