This chicken and chickpea salad layers lean chicken breast with creamy Greek yogurt, nutrient-rich chickpeas, and bold Mediterranean seasonings. It’s as delicious as it is satisfying and just gets better the next day! Photo Credits: Kathrine Irwin Chicken and chickpea salad is your answer to simple, healthy meals you can make ahead and enjoy all week long. I made it one afternoon to give new life to leftover chicken in my fridge....
If ever there was an iconic Italian-American dish, it has to be chicken parmesan, a.k.a. chicken parm! It’s a pan of tender breaded chicken cutlets bathed in tomato sauce and topped with gooey melted mozzarella. Every bite of this easy chicken parmesan recipe is pure comfort, and it’s not difficult to make! Photo Credits: Ali Redmond When I was growing up, our parents would take us to dinner at the Italian American Sportsmen’s Club, a gathering spot for Trenton, New Jersey’s Italian-American community....
Wonderfully crispy potato stacks bake in a muffin pan, an easy way to transform this humble vegetable into an elegant dish that is sure to impress. Photo Credits: Ali Redmond It’s my firm opinion that every holiday dinner needs a fancy potato side dish. For years, my go-to was traditional French potato gratin, but it’s an over-the-top-rich dish and labor-intensive, not to mention challenging to serve. This year, I’ll be serving these elegant potato stacks instead!...
This luxurious dairy-free eggnog gets its creamy richness from tahini and natural sweetness from Medjool dates, creating a vegan holiday drink that tastes just as indulgent as the traditional version. Photo Credits: Ali Redmond I don’t drink alcohol, but I’ve never wanted to miss out on the magic of a holiday toast. There’s something so special about raising a glass with friends and family during the festive season. For years, I’d watch others clink their eggnog-filled mugs while I sipped on something that felt like an afterthought....
This easy calamari recipe ditches the usual heavy batter and deep frying in favor of a light and flavorful Mediterranean twist. Calamari rings are quickly sauteed with garlic and finished with a zesty sauce of fresh lime juice and white wine. A sprinkle of fresh dill herbs seals the deal. Comes together in less than 15 minutes! Most people’s experience with calamari is limited to heavy-battered fried calamari rings that are served at many American restaurants (nothing wrong with those, I love them too....
15 minutes to the perfect oven baked spicy salmon! The secret to this spicy fish is the tantalizing sauce (or marinade) made of fresh lime juice harissa , garlic, and honey. This easy salmon recipe is next level delicious! Perfect spicy baked salmon you’ll make on repeat! There are many ways to jazz up a salmon fillet for a quick fish dinner any night of the week. Because it’s a rich, fatty fish, it takes well to delicious sauces and bold flavors....
This healthy soup recipe is the one I return to when I need an easy, healthy, low-stress meal. Photo Credits: Ali Redmond Why I Make this Chickpea Spinach Soup on Repeat If someone were to dare me to make a kick-butt Mediterranean dinner using pantry scraps, this vegetarian soup would be it. No special ingredients! It turns pantry ingredients and spice cabinet staples into a gorgeous dinner. Canned chickpeas and baby spinach are the stars, supported by onions, fresh garlic, a few spices, and the all-essential fresh lemon juice....
These grilled pork chops are tender, juicy, and packed with warm Mediterranean spices and bright citrus flavor. A simple brine and quick lemon-oregano sauce take this easy grilled dinner to the next level! When it comes to pork chops, I’ve found that just a little extra effort—like a quick homemade brine—makes all the difference. Grilled pork chops sometimes get a bad rap for turning out tough, bland, and dry, but brining is a transformative technique that can help you achieve tender and juicy grilled pork chops every time....
This easy homemade vegetable soup is a textbook Mediterranean diet recipe and a delicious way to amp up your veggie intake! It’s loaded with zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, chickpeas and fresh herbs. It’s cozy, comforting, vegan and gluten-free, but trust me, meat eaters will love this vegetable soup as much as veggie lovers do. Photo Credits: Caitlin Bensel As a child I didn’t appreciate Mom’s homemade vegetable soup, but now as an adult I am all about a hearty bowl of vegetable soup and the bigger the bowl the better!...
Did you know you can taste and grade extra virgin olive oil like a fine wine? Maybe you’re curious about the regional characteristics of Greek versus Californian olives. Or, perhaps, you’re looking for the best-tasting olive oil to use in your fav Photo Credits: Ali Redmond As a true daughter of the Mediterranean, extra virgin olive oil is practically a food group in my family. I use it morning, noon, and night....
If you’re looking for a satisfying and delicious no-lettuce salad, this Mediterranean kidney bean salad with fresh cilantro and Dijon vinaigrette is your ticket! Video and meal-prep ideas included. Beans are a big part of Mediterranean cooking. Thankfully, they are cheap and easy to use! I keep all sorts of beans in my pantry for when I need to put together something quick an hearty. Here are a few bean recipes that readers love: Mediterranean bean soup with tomato pesto ; Greek Fasolada ; Vegan Quinoa Chili ; Balalela ; 3-bean salad ; creamy bean dip....
This bright and crunchy bell pepper salad with juicy tomatoes, briny olives, and bright fresh dill takes just 10 minutes or less! Photo Credits:Caitlyn Bensel I think of this bell pepper salad recipe as a bit of a love letter to those candy-sweet bags of mini peppers that live next to the lettuce at the supermarket. I often snag a bag on a whim with little plan for when I get home....
Strapatsada, a Greek dish of perfectly scrambled eggs with tomatoes and feta, is a simple, one-pan meal that comes together fast. With just a few pantry staples and a good skillet, you can recreate this traditional Greek Strapatsada recipe in no time. Photo Credits: Bella Karragiannidis Strapatsada is a perfect example of Greek culinary philosophy—celebrating fresh, seasonal ingredients and transforming them into something greater than the sum of their parts....
A refreshing strawberry sorbet recipe that combines sweet, ripe strawberries with fragrant rose water. A dash of this unusual ingredient adds a heady, floral note and an irresistible flavor to this easy, dairy-free frozen dessert. Photo Credits: Miriam Novoa Juicy, sweet strawberries are one of my favorite summertime treats. When they are in season, I often buy them by the flat and incorporate them into smoothies, cheesecake-inspired yogurt parfaits , and even green salads ....
This Greek salad recipe is easy, authentic, fresh, and absolutely delicious! A handful of simple ingredients, extra virgin olive oil, oregano, and a splash of vinegar is all you need. Photo Credits: Mariam Hamdy This simple Greek salad was inspired by a trip to the islands of Patmos and Kos, where every little family-run taverna served their own version. It opened my eyes to how uncomplicated a true Greek salad should be!...
This vegan chili recipe gets a boost with fluffy quinoa and a fragrant homemade chili spice blend. It’s hearty, healthy, and even better the next day! Photo Credits: Ali Redmond The secret to this cozy and comforting vegan chili is the big, bold flavor. I added a bit of Mediterranean flair with warming allspice, ground cumin, and Spanish paprika. It’s so vibrant and full of protein that you won’t miss the meat!...
Not your basic tomato chicken thigh recipe! This easy one-dish dinner gets upgraded with juicy baharat and turmeric-spiced chicken thighs on a bed of pearl couscous and vegetables. No pre-boiling required, the pearl couscous cooks perfectly in the oven in a deeply savory tomato, tarragon, and lemon sauce. Photo Credits: Katherine Irwin This tomato chicken recipe was inspired by the many one-dish chicken dinners that came before it. I love roasting chicken thighs with something to soak up all the flavor—be it potatoes, orzo, rice, or couscous....
In this refreshing mezze, a bed of cool creamy Greek yogurt is topped with a warm aromatic zucchini, onion and tomato mixture. It’s a lovely appetizer served with pita or enjoyed as a vegetarian main with rice. Photo Credits: Ali Redmond Borani Kadoo is a decadent mixture of yellow summer squash and zucchini, roasted until lightly caramelized and then simmered in an aromatic tomato sauce until meltingly tender. This vibrant mixture is spooned onto a bed of yogurt flavored with garlic and fresh lime....
Crispy gnocchi with jammy cherry tomato sauce is a 30-minute, skillet dinner recipe packed with pan-seared gnocchi, juicy tomatoes, and roasted red peppers, then topped with fresh basil and Parmesan. Photo Credits: Mark Beahm This one-pan weeknight dinner comes together in just 30 minutes, and celebrates simplicity in all the best ways. Cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, onion, and fresh herbs combine to make a flavorful and easy sauce for this crispy gnocchi recipe....
Easy homemade fish sticks that are perfectly tender on the inside, crispy on the outside. And you’ll love how flavorful they are, thanks to a little seasoning and the Parmesan crust! Be sure to watch my video below. You can make these with a white firm fish or even with salmon for a little more Omega-3! Fish dinners are a fairly frequent thing around here–no surprise to those who follow the Mediterranean diet....
