Look Up Our Easy-to-cook Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Mediterranean food is not restricted to merely a country but an entire region encompassing nearly 15 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea such as Portugal, southern Spain, southern France, southern Italy, Malta, Greece, Crete and parts of Israel, Algeria, Syria, Lebanon and Morocco. There is growing interest in the Mediterranean diet since it has been observed that people from Greece and the Greek Island of Crete have longer life expectancy when compared to any other regional groups. There is lesser incidence of cancer and heart disease.

Diet is not the only factor that leads to good health. It is a combination of various lifestyle elements such as relaxed attitude to eating, regular physical activity and plenty of sunshine. You too can incorporate fresh, flavorful and healthy Mediterranean recipes into your meals. Look up our easy-to-cook Mediterranean diet recipes.

Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet corresponds well to the USDA food pyramid. Whole grain breads, pasta, couscous or rice can form a base for a meal. Including fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet has manifold benefits. Fresh tomatoes and tomato sauce are a rich source of antioxidants. From artichokes and zucchini to eggplant and asparagus, the Mediterranean diet is choc-a-bloc with colorful vegetables.

Fava beans, chickpeas, haricot beans, beans and lentils find their way into many a Mediterranean recipe.
Add fresh salads to all your meals. Consumption of garlic and onions helps the body fight infections and reduces blood pressure.

Yogurt is another essential part of many a Mediterranean recipe. You can eat it plain or topped with fruits and nuts, you can add it to marinades or even use it in savory sauces. Cheese is yet another favorite in a Mediterranean meal. From Feta and Mozzarella to Parmesan and Mizithra, cheese is used in ricottas, pastas and cheesecakes.

• Olive oil - rich source of monounsaturated fat
• Moderate consumption of wine
• Animal fats are not included
• Red meat and dairy products are consumed in small quantities
• Sea food and white meat is eaten more often
• Rich in vegetables, grains, legumes and fruit
• Garnished with fresh herbs and garlic

Consumption of oily fish such as tuna and sardines provide beneficial omega-3 polyunsaturated fats. This lowers the risk of heart disease by preventing blood clot formation in the arteries. Grilled or skewered meat basted with spices and herbs are popular.

Nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds and pine kernels are also added to some Mediterranean recipes. Seasonal fruits be it cherries or watermelon, pomegranates or figs are the ideal finale to a flavorful Mediterranean meal. A couple of glasses of red wine provide phytonutrients that are so essential for LDL oxidization and bioflavonoid, which helps to eliminate bad toxins from the body.

Mediterranean diet recipe

Healthy pancakes

Sift 1 cup white flour into a bowl. Gradually add combined egg and 1 cup soy drink and keep mixing until smooth. Use a non-stick skillet to pour out thin pancakes. Brown them on both sides with a hint of margarine. You can top up the crepes with chopped fruits, honey or a host of other healthy toppings.

Minestrone

The minestrone is typical soup of the Mediterranean and can be adapted for winter and summer with suitable ingredients.
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Diced bacon
3 garlic cloves chopped
Diced zucchini
Rosemary, bay leaf and thyme
Diced tomatoes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Chopped onions, celery, spinach and carrots
1 cup pasta
hot peppers (optional)
Parmesan cheese

Sauté chopped garlic, celery, onions and celery in olive oil. Add spinach and herbs and cook for a couple of minutes till soft. Add stock and vegetables. Add cheese if desired. Allow the broth to simmer for about 15 minutes on a slow flame. Add cooked pasta. Add garnishing and seasoning. If you are using bacon, sauté it till crisp and add it to the soup while serving.

Mediterranean recipe for Healthy soup

You can cook up healthy soup with haricot beans, fava beans and vegetables such as beans, onions, celery, carrots, cabbage and endive leaves. Seasoned with fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese and extra-virgin olive oil, this soup is sure to find favor with most!

Mediterranean recipe

Easy Lasagna

Cooked lasagna noodles
2 cups broth
Chopped spinach
Chopped onion, garlic
Tomato pasta sauce
Fresh herbs
Grated Mozzarella cheese
Feta cheese crumbled

In a thick pan, sauté onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil. Add broth and fresh herbs. Add spinach and cook on slow flame for a few minutes. Add tomato pasta sauce. Prepare a baking dish with a light coating of cooking spray. Spread cooked noodles and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over it. Add a layer of sautéed mixture and top with mozzarella cheese and Feta. Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy The Goodness Of Pandan Chiffon Cake At Home

Chiffon cakes have always been loved for their light and fluffy texture. Today, we have different versions of this moist cake and pandan chiffon cake is one among them. As the name rightly suggests, pandan leaf extract is one of the indispensable ingredients of this cake. Though, it is an Asian version of chiffon cake, it is truly delicious with the sweet fragrance of pandan leaves.

How to Make a Pandan Chiffon Cake

Now you know that pandan leaves are essential for making this cake. You may either use freshly-squeezed pandan juice or pandan paste with artificial flavor. As in case of any other type of chiffon cake, this version too does not use butter. Instead of that, oil is used in pandan chiffon cake recipes. Even coconut milk is an ingredient for making this cake. Another ingredient is eggs that have to be the freshest. This is because fresh eggs whip well, as compared to older ones. Use caster sugar instead of regular sugar, for best results. So, get the right ingredients and start preparing your pandan chiffon cake.

Ingredients

• Cake flour - 100 gm
• Eggs (large) - 5
• Caster sugar - 80 gm (20 + 60)
• Coconut milk - 100 ml
• Olive oil - 3 tablespoons
• Pandan juice - 2 tablespoons
• Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
• Cream of tartar - ½ teaspoon

Method of Preparation

❖ First of all, separate the egg whites and the yolks. Take the egg yolks in a large bowl and beat them well with 20 grams of caster sugar. As the sugar dissolves completely, add the coconut milk and pandan juice.

❖ You may use either fresh or frozen pandan leaves to squeeze out the required amount of juice. All you have to do is to cut the leaves (around ten) into small pieces and crush them in a blender with 1½ tablespoons of water. Now, transfer the crushed leaves into a small cloth bag (made of muslin or cheesecloth) and squeeze out the juice.

❖ Some people add 2-3 drops of pandan essence to the cake batter, so that the cake gets a light green color. This is because, cakes made with pandan juice are found to have a light yellow color. However, use of this essence is optional.

❖ Now, sift the cake flour and baking powder together and add them to the egg yolk mixture, along with olive oil. Combine well and keep aside.

❖ Take a clean bowl without any trace of water or oil in it. Now add the egg whites to this bowl and beat them (with an electric egg beater) till bubbles appear.

❖ Add cream of tartar and mix well with the egg whites, before adding one-third (20 gm) of the remaining caster sugar. Beat the mixture well and add the remaining caster sugar in two batches.

❖ You have to continue beating the egg white-sugar mixture, till it forms stiff peaks. Now, gently fold in the fluffy egg whites to the flour-egg yolk mixture. Make sure not to use force while combining them.

❖ Once they get combined, pour the cake batter into an eight inch round tube cake pan and bake the cake in the oven that is preheated to 340°F. Bake for around 30 to 40 minutes and your homemade pandan chiffon cake is ready.

So, now you have a fair idea about making pandan chiffon cake at home. You may come across other such recipes with slight variations. But, the basic method remains the same. You can prepare this cake without much difficulty, if you know the right methods and have the required ingredients. Apart from providing a sweet flavor to the cake, pandan juice is healthy too. So, try this recipe and enjoy the goodness of pandan chiffon cake.

Learn Various Buffalo Wing Hot Sauce Recipes You Can Try

Buffalo wing, also commonly known as chicken wing or hot wing, are chicken wing parts. They are deep-fried in hot oil without any breading and then coated in variety of hot sauces. The reason chicken wings are best known as buffalo wings because of its origin from Buffalo, New York. Many households organize barbecue parties on weekends and serve buffalo wings with hot dipping sauce or barbecue sauce for social gatherings. As one of the conventional appetizers served at parties, at times it gets a bit tough to top the recipe every time. So this weekend, for your barbecue event, learn various buffalo wing hot sauce recipes you can serve to the guests.

Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce Recipes

Instead of emptying store bought hot spicy sauce, why not surprise your family and friends with new recipes. Here's how to make hot wings sauce and dipping sauce, in several distinct ways.

Hot Spicy Sauce #1

Ingredients

• Butter
• Hot sauce
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder

Procedure

Take a non-stick pan and melt the butter. Before the butter turns brown, add hot sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder in. Mix everything properly till you get a smooth mixture. The quantity for the butter and hot sauce will depend on the quantity of buffalo wings you will be cooking. Once the wings are deep-fried and turn golden brown, keep them in a serving bowl and stir in the hot spicy sauce in. Mix everything completely and serve hot.

Hot Spicy Sauce #2

Ingredients

• 24 oz hot sauce, your choice of brand
• 1 small bottle Tabasco
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• Butter
• Garlic powder
• Worcestershire sauce
• Soy sauce

Procedure

To prepare this chicken wing hot sauce recipe, take a large non-stick pan and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Now add all the rest of the ingredients in and simmer it for about 10 minutes. Depending on how much thick you want the sauce to be, keep stirring and simmering the mixture. You can also add cornstarch to it, so that the sauce achieves its thick consistency. Make sure you dilute the cornstarch in cold water, so that it won't have any curdles. Once the wings are deep-fried and turn golden brown, keep them in a serving bowl and stir in the hot spicy sauce in. Mix everything completely and serve hot.

Hot Dipping Sauce #1

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup fat-free Greek yogurt
• ½ cup roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
• ¼ cup green onions, coarsely chopped
• ¼ basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• Salt and pepper, for taste

Procedure

This is a different kind of "cool" wing hot sauce recipe. In a blender, puree the Greek yogurt, red peppers, and garlic cloves. Blend everything into a smooth paste and then add onions and basil leaves in. Mix the ingredients well till the onions are finely chopped. Pour the sauce out, add salt and pepper according to your taste. There you have it, your red pepper basil hot dipping sauce is ready.

Hot Dipping Sauce #2

Ingredients

• 2 small green serrano chilies, seeded & chopped, finely
• 2 tablespoons cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup lime juice
• ⅓ cup chicken stock
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Procedure

In a blender, mix all the ingredients together till you get a smooth paste. If you want the sauce to be more spicy, then you can leave the seeds in the chilies. Take a non-stick pan, pour the paste in, and simmer it from time to time. Once the sauce is thick enough, remove it from heat and let it cool down. Serve the dipping sauce warm with hot buffalo wings.

There are many more wing hot sauce recipes you can prepare by making slight alterations to the recipes mentioned above. The choices are endless, as you can be creative in the kitchen and cook up something extraordinary for your family and friends.