I’m a fan of Mediterranean-style diets in general, and the Oldways website specifically (“Health Through Heritage”). Oldways has a great Mediterranean diet pyramid, as well as a ton of other resources on traditional diets. If I had more time, I could easily spend hours on their website. Seriously.
Anyway, since I don’t have time to seek them out as much as I would like, I welcome them into my email inbox. Their semi-weekly “Fresh Fridays” free e-newsletter is one of my favorites. The newsletter is now in its third year, and you can find the complete archives online. Check it out. If you want to subscribe, there’s a link on the archive page.
In the last newsletter, they had some great tips for adding quick, easy flavor boosts to recipes with these traditional Mediterranean Diet ingredients:
- Feta Cheese: Feta’s firm, crumbly texture and tart, salty taste beautifully complement fruits, as well as eggs and grains. Just a little bit goes a long way in a salad, omelet, or on a flatbread.
- Herbs and Spices: Oregano and basil might be the most familiar Mediterranean herbs on your spice rack, but don’t be afraid to experiment with others like cardamom, cilantro, dill, fennel seeds, ginger, rosemary, saffron, or turmeric.
- Olives: With the extensive variety of olives available, ranging from very bold dry Greek olives to mild black ripe olives, it is easy to find a variety that suits your palate. Try adding olives to salads, pasta dishes, and pilafs.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes have an intense flavor and pack 12 times more lycopene (an antioxidant associated with reduced risk of certain cancers and heart disease) than raw tomatoes! Use them in wraps and sandwiches, or pasta sauces and bean dips.
- Wine: Adding wine to cooking liquids can deepen the flavors in seafood and vegetable dishes. Try including a little white wine in a risotto or red wine in your next tomato sauce.
Yum!
