[Food] Mediterranean diet

[jamie (not that one)]

Yes, it’s a struggle to find decent produce but I try and get the best I can. As you say though, stuff here is not a patch on the real local stuff.

Don't be shy on seasoning. You'd be surprised how good watery UK imported veg can be when roasted with some good olive oil (doesn't have to be extra virgin for cooking - just the right variety), salt, pepper and whatever protein you want. Throw in some fennel seeds or whatever and you're in for a taste explosion.

 

[jamie (not that one)]

Don't dismiss tinned food. Portuguese especially as well as the Spanish put us to shame, where the "best" is to be preserved.

Portuguese tinned tuna (for instance) is well worth tracking down.

You pay good money for some canned seafood in restaurants here. For us it's a bizarre concept, but tinned ventresca is absolutely incredible.

 

[Comrade Sam]

My Turkish mother in law cooks for us twice a week and my favourite is Kizartma (Ker zat ma). Not sure it's healthy, fry sliced aubergines, courgettes, carrots, mild long green peppers and lambe kofte in tomatoes and plenty of olive oil, then drenched in garlic yogurt.

Or have an Ìskender kebab - diced fried bread in butter, covered in Doner meat, reduced tomatoes, Then cover in yoghurt and melted butter.
A lovely Cypriot dish called Seftali (chef ta lee) or peach. Lamb mince and parsley wrapped in stomach membrane.
Midye dolma, mussels stuffed with rice and black pepper, served cold in their shells and a squirt of lemon.
I'm assuming the healthy bit is all the accompanying salads, like grated carrot in garlic yogurt.

 

[HeaviestTed]

Get a good salt like kosher diamond salt - it is a good all rounder, avoid any salt with added iondine as it gives the food a metallic taste - most “table salts” include it. Don’t be afraid of using salt, especially in vegetables you throw the water away so aren’t actually eating all the salt.

I’d recommend the book “salt acid heat fat” it will teach you how to cook rather than just recipes.

It can become addictive though cooking lovely meals!

 

[LamieRobertson]

On that topic, I have booked a week in Tuscany with an Italian speaking friend. Going to be driving through some of the region and check out villages, towns and property.

I’m very excited.

I feel that you should be looking for accommodation to house say ten plus land with a swimming pool ....so that you can invite people out from NSC land …for a small fee

 

[LamieRobertson]

I am dismissing that as fake menus, no mention of bloody wild boar. Every menu in Tuscany features it

Ah but this is not the British Boar (bore maybe) Corporation

 

[The Clamp]

I feel that you should be looking for accommodation to house say ten plus land with a swimming pool ....so that you can invite people out from NSC land …for a small fee

Of course.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Lunch most days, humous or Tsad, or Tarama, pitta, olives.........all from Tescos!

 

[clapham_gull]

I'm going to try that aubergine thing next time I do Aubergine parmigiana. It always takes me forever to bake the aubergines to the right level, particularly the smaller ends which tend to stay harder longer

And I agree the simpler the pasta sauce, the better. Carbonara - Pancetta, Garlic, Eggs, Parmesan, seasoning. Nothing Else.

It just works. You'll see the steam flying out the slices. They come out with a less than pleasant smell but I wish I'd learnt it years ago.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Greek salad just always feels so damn healthy - despite normally being topped by a giant slab of cheese

 

[clapham_gull]

You pay good money for some canned seafood in restaurants here. For us it's a bizarre concept, but tinned ventresca is absolutely incredible.

This is my favourite and it's a cheap brand. The oil also has a bit of highly reduced sun dried tomatoes floating about. Luckily I live near Vauxhall / Stockwell.

 

[clapham_gull]

Another favourite - basically a salad made with roast peppers and tomatoes and served with hard boiled eggs.

José Pizarro’s Zorongollo | Jamie Oliver recipes

Spanish chef José Pizarro shared his delicious zorongollo recipe on Jamie's 5 Ingredient Meals – a colourful brunch, lunch or dinner.

www.jamieoliver.com

 

[clapham_gull]

Greek salad just always feels so damn healthy - despite normally being topped by a giant slab of cheese

Roast Beetroot and Feta salad.

Get the cheap pre-cooked ones that come vacuum packed. Dry off a bit on kitchen roll and cut into well whatever and drizzle with olive olive, salt and pepper.

Roast in a hot oven then sprinkle over feta, like cheesy salt.

I'd drizzle the beetroot in balsamic first. If you do that after you end with brown Feta which isn't that appealing

Here is version with nuts that I'd leave out personally.

Roasted Beet and Feta Salad

Roasted Beet and Feta Salad with Balsamic vinegar is packed with flavor and works so good aside any holiday meal. Beet and Feta Salad

canadiancookingadventures.com

 

[clapham_gull]

Another personal favourite - Guindilla chillies

Waitrose & Partners

Buy quality groceries and wine from Waitrose Partners

www.waitrose.com

And these are NOT hot, irrespective of the what the jar says.

A particular type of mild chillies they grow in the Basque country but picked before ripe which they then very lightly pickle. This is NOT the aggressive pickle they throw onto a kebab, this is delicate fragrant thing of beauty.

In Valencia (and San Sebastian) they then do this, although I'd avoid the anchovy one like the plague.

Canned tuna, roast red pepper, good olive oil and Guindilla on a slice of bread.

.. and that's their basic pub food.

I think on a plate and due to it's simplicity that is my favourite Spanish dish, but I've just thought of another.....

“Pintxo” of Piquillo peppers stuffed with white tuna, anchovy fillets and basque guindillas Olmeda Origenes - Olmeda Orígenes

A delicious pintxo piquillo peppers, white tuna, anchovies and basque guindillas Olmeda Origenes.

www.olmedaorigenes.com

Always best to roast your own peppers. On the gas or under a grill until they blacken. Then place immediately in a plastic bag to steam and cool so the skins just rub off.

Use the thicker bell pepper, the trendy elongated ones (over here) have too thin a flesh really.

 

[clapham_gull]

Pan con tomate.

er bread with tomatoes....

Celebrate Summertime Tomatoes With Pan con Tomate

Pan con tomate is simplicity itself, with fresh-grated tomatoes, salt, and olive oil atop pieces of toasted bread rubbed with garlic. It’s a lazy summer recipe you can serve as an appetizer or side dish.

www.simplyrecipes.com

Didn't understand how they make it until I saw someone doing it in Spain.

They cut large tomatoes in half and skin side away, grate them into a sieve, the excess water falls away. The pulp that is left is spread on the bread.

You can add a bit of garlic, but always oil and salt. Incredibly simple and remember to burn the bread a bit.

 

[clapham_gull]

Bit left field, but I disliked fennel until I made this

Braised fennel with butter and parmesan recipe

This is a fabulous fennel recipe – it’s great with roast lamb or can be eaten as a vegetarian dish on its own.

www.bbc.co.uk

You can cut a lot of the butter out and use good olive oil instead. You do need vermouth though, I had a bottle of Cinzano in the cupboard just to make this.

 

[clapham_gull]

Huge favourite of mine I make all the time, Saltimbocca. Traditionally made with veal, but is so much better with turkey. Don't bother with chicken.

Turkey is cheap and very lean and this recipe calls for a lean meat. If you don't like turkey, try this it will change your mind.

Turkey Saltimbocca

This is a variation on the famous Italian recipe made with thin escalopes of veal – but turkey is usually easier to find. However, you can ring the changes by using veal, or even slices of pork fillet. The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch how to make Perfect Mashed Potatoes. Press the image to...

www.deliaonline.com

BUT I was here before Delia with this I'm afraid , it isn't the 70s and this recipe calls for a fresh reboot.

1) You don't need the Marsala, in fact I think it's better without.
2) Ignore Delia with the flour as well. That's just a mechanism to thicken the sauce.
3) Ignore the sauce completely, just fresh lemon juice at the end,

Turkey + Sage + some cured thin ham. I'd go for cheap Spanish serrano from Aldi or Lidl. Expensive ham is not required here, you are frying it.

It's the whole sage leaves that are doing the heavy flavour lifting tucked under the ham. I'd always grate lemon lest on as well on the Turkey before wrapping with the ham.

I made up a whole batch of this for a friend for Christmas and what the guests didn't eat / cook was all taken home. So simple.

Like a lot of Mediterranean meat dishes, you want to eat this with salad or vegetables and definitely not potatoes. Asparagus is lovely with it.

Please make this. Cheap ingredients, packed with flavour and easy.

If you haven't got a rolling pin, smash the Turkey with a saucepan between two sheets of foil.

 

[essbee1]

Fusili pasta, drained tin of tuna, a tomato-based sauce (onion, garlic, tomatoes and tomato puree), chilli to taste. Mix all together. Lovely.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Huge favourite of mine I make all the time, Saltimbocca. Traditionally made with veal, but is so much better with turkey. Don't bother with chicken.

Turkey is cheap and very lean and this recipe calls for a lean meat. If you don't like turkey, try this it will change your mind.

Turkey Saltimbocca

This is a variation on the famous Italian recipe made with thin escalopes of veal – but turkey is usually easier to find. However, you can ring the changes by using veal, or even slices of pork fillet. The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch how to make Perfect Mashed Potatoes. Press the image to...

www.deliaonline.com

BUT I was here before Delia with this I'm afraid , it isn't the 70s and this recipe calls for a fresh reboot.

1) You don't need the Marsala, in fact I think it's better without.
2) Ignore Delia with the flour as well. That's just a mechanism to thicken the sauce.
3) Ignore the sauce completely, just fresh lemon juice at the end,

Turkey + Sage + some cured thin ham. I'd go for cheap Spanish serrano from Aldi or Lidl. Expensive ham is not required here, you are frying it.

It's the whole sage leaves that are doing the heavy flavour lifting tucked under the ham. I'd always grate lemon lest on as well on the Turkey before wrapping with the ham.

I made up a whole batch of this for a friend for Christmas and what the guests didn't eat / cook was all taken home. So simple.

Like a lot of Mediterranean meat dishes, you want to eat this with salad or vegetables and definitely not potatoes. Asparagus is lovely with it.

Please make this. Cheap ingredients, packed with flavour and easy.

If you haven't got a rolling pin, smash the Turkey with a saucepan between two sheets of foil.

I've always made saltimbocca with veal. Tried with beef, pork, chicken, never the same. I have a specific sage plant in the garden for this dish, and much as I hate to argue with Delia, it has to be butter and some white wine, squeeze of lemon, nothing else

I will now try turkey (Mrs Wz will be right on board, turkey for veal) There's a pack of Prosciutto in the fridge, so I'll report back on the Turkey shortly

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

I don’t do recipes, just stir fry loads of different coloured veg and throw in some mozzarella at the end for a lovely Italian. It’s that flexible, just throw in some feta instead and you’ve got a lovely Greek dish.