Mediterranean Fruits

All the fruits listed below, the carob, fig, olive and pomegranate, are considered Mediterranean fruits which have been considered to be around since the ‘early times’ making them traditional. Mediterranean countries are well known for these fruits and included very well into the Mediterranean Diet. There are many other fruits that are included into the diet and encouraged to be eaten regularly. Citrus fruits are great to indulge in as well. Today we have a recipe which features the Kiwi. Kiwi is a fruit that the diet brags for. The kiwi contains lots of Vitamin C just like other citrus fruits founds in the Mediterranean diet, even more so than the orange does. Antioxidants, high fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E, you name it and the Kiwi have it. Check out the kiwi recipe below, but first let’s get into some of the other traditional Mediterranean fruits out there.

Because of the way the carob looks it wouldn’t necessarily be considered a fruit but because of its sweet taste we can make an exception. The carob has been around Greece, Italy, Morocco and Spain; the Mediterranean region is where the carob has grown by the form of a tree. Everyone has heard of the ‘fig Newton bar’ but other than that most people don’t really talk about the fig. The fig has been distributed widely around the Mediterranean area, they are fat-free and cholesterol free which is a major bonus. They are high in fiber and surprisingly have the highest overall mineral content of all common fruits. Now the pomegranate was cultivated (‘in Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt, Spain, and Morocco’) and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times. Other fruit variations that are considered Mediterranean include the olive (which we have discussed previously), mandarin, persimmon, pistachio, cactus pear and the loquat. If you want more information about these fruit crops and its history check out this website for extensive info: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/v3-416.html.

Fresh Kiwi Aperitif

(Copyright 2006, Maria Liberati, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking)

1/4 cup spring water or distilled water

3 tblsps sugar

Pinch of powdered ginger

3 kiwi peeled and cut in quarters

2 tablespoons crushed ice

Juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon

Place in saucepan- water, sugar, ginger. When mix comes to a boil, remove and let cool.

Place peeled, kiwi, ice , lemon juice, and cooled syrup in blender. Blend for 2 minutes.

Serve immediately over crushed ice.

Life of Lemons

When life gives you lemons, what do you do? You make Lemonade…right? Not only can you make lemonade but there is so much more that lemons have to offer, from beauty treatments to adding flavor to your foods and healthy benefits. Lets focus on the health benefits of lemons, since that’s what we strive for every day, to be healthy. Lemons have much nutritional value to offer you; we will focus on the greater sources such as an abundant amount of Vitamin C, Vitamin B (B6), potassium, iron and fiber. Just to freshen you up here is a quick guide of what these nutrients can offer you (note that these vitamins can do much more than I’ve listed):

• Vitamin C: has an impact on the amount of cholesterol in your body; can prevent heart problems
• Vitamin B6: the immune system needs this to function properly, a deficiency could lead to anemia
• Potassium: mineral that helps the kidney function normally
• Iron: not enough can also lead to a deficiency which would cause someone to have anemia
• Fiber: dietary fiber can lower cholesterol and even prevent cancer

Check out this website to learn a little more what mother nature has to offer within lemons: http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Ency/Index.cfm/Id/1809004. Lemons are a miracle fruit, not only can they prevent cancer and heart disease but they are very useful when it comes to bacteria and protecting against free radicals. They act as antibiotics and as an anti-bacterial. Lemons are found everywhere when you least expect them and they are always benefiting. The recipe below not only features our lemons but our very healthy extra-virgin olive oil containing a good amount of antioxidants which are fighting those free radicals in our bodies.

Stuffed Lemons

For 4

*4 fresh lemons

*16 ounce can of tuna in olive oil

*2 hard boiled eggs

*1 tablespoon of green olives

*1 tsp of capers

*1 tsp of extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

Wash lemons and cut in half. Scoop out pulp. Place in food processor- drained tuna pieces, capers, pitted olives, yolks of hard boiled eggs. Blend till consistency of a smooth paste. Place small bed of lettuce or baby spinach or salad greens on 4 small appetizer plates. Slice egg whites. Place 2 lemon halves on each plate. Fill with tuna mixture. Garnish with egg white slices and whole green olives. Drizzle olive oil on top. Serve

No time for Home Cooked? Try the Frozen Foods Mediterranean Style

We have another tasty appetizer for you to get your hands on. You can check out the clams recipe below but first let’s talk about all those people out there that don’t have the time to cook everyday. You may be busy, too tired or just bummed. Instead of going to a fast food restaurant or picking up carry-out why not try something different like buying a frozen food meal. You should still indulge on those healthy snacks during the day and get your fruits in but there is nothing wrong with eating a healthy frozen food once in a while. I’ve come across Bertolli; Bertolli has a new kind of frozen style called ‘Bertolli Mediterranean Style’ frozen food dinners which claim to be just like the restaurant experience.

Check out this website, http://www.villabertolli.com/mediterraneanstyle.aspx, to get a feel of what kinds of meals are made available at your local food stores. You have the option of choosing from meals like the Garlic Shrimp, Penne and cherry tomatoes or Rosemary Chicken Linguini and cherry tomatoes. Definitely give this a try if you’re on the go and don’t have time to cook a home cooked meal. You are still able to stick to the Mediterranean basics while enjoying something that doesn’t take too much time. For more information about coupons as well also give this website a look: http://www.villabertolli.com/registration_medstyle.aspx.

Now for your Home cooked Appetizer:

Clams Venezia

(this appetizer hails from Venice)

For 6 people

12 clams

1 small handful of fresh parsley

¼ cup of plain breadcrumbs

1 tblsp of plain breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons of freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

2 tblsps of extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and clean out any sand from clams. Take out the ‘meat’ inside and wash well with water. Pat dry with towel paper. Place in bowl and add pinch of salt, pinch of pepper.

In a separate bowl, add in ¼ cup plain bread crumbs, grated cheese, finely chopped parsley leaves. Add in oil and mix well with wooden spoon.

Drizzle some olive oil on bottom of casserole pan and sprinkle a tablespoon of plain bread crumbs on top of olive oil. Place in meat of clams. Cover evenly with bread crumb/cheese mixture. Place in preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve in washed clam shells or plain serving dishes.

Food Focus: Crema Di Carote the Carrot Cream Appetizer

We have a new appetizer here for you that taste great with Italian bread, let’s discover together the nutritional benefits of this dish before we proceed, shall we? The main food that we will focus on in this recipe is the carrot. The carrot contains carotene which is a chemical which then converts into Vitamin A in the body. This helps with vision which prevents night blindness. The carotene also serves as an antioxidant (beta-carotene) which helps to fight heart disease and cancer by attacking those free-radicals that contribute to these diseases. Eating Carrots regularly can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol and will regulate your blood sugar level. There are always benefits to eating well, and the Mediterranean Diet produces good food that will always have benefits to your everyday life. Enjoy!

Crema Di Carote (Carrot Cream Appetizer)

*2 lbs of carrots

*2 cups of vegetable broth or boullion

*pinch of nutmeg

*pinch of hot pepper

*4 tblsps of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

*1/3 cup of pitted black olives

*8 slices of crusty Italian bread

*1 tblsps of extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

*1 tblsps of unsalted butter

*pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Wash, peel and cut carrots into large pieces. Bring broth to a boil. Place in carrots and cook for 20 minutes. When finished, pour liquid and carrots into a bowl and mash carrots with fork and mix with liquid.

In a sauté pan, place in oil, warm on low heat for 30 seconds. Place in mashed carrots, add in butter and grated cheese. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, pepper, nutmeg. Cook for 2 minutes and mixing continuously with wooden spoon so mixture does not stick.

Remove from heat. Divide cream onto 4 small appetizer dishes. Garnish with black olives on side of dish. Serve with 2 slices of crusty Italian bread with each plate.

The Tasty, Thoughtful Tomato

The Mediterranean Diet prides itself in all things ‘tomato’; they are rich in flavor and also the key to a healthy heart. Individuals worried about heart disease or currently have heart disease could benefit greatly from including tomatoes into their diet because there are studies which show that individuals who consume tomatoes regularily have lowered their chances with chronic heart disease and are less likely to be prone to heart attacks. Tomatoes are filled with antioxidants, which we have discussed previously, defends your body of damaging free radicals which try to destroy your cells. The key antioxidant that tomatoes have to offer is Lycopene. Lycopene takes a good role in getting rid of the ‘bad’ cholesterol; the lycopene prevents oxidation of the LDL cholesterol.

Lycopene is classified as a ‘red carotenoid pigment’ which aren’t only found in tomatoes but other fruits and vegetables such as red peppers, watermelon and papaya for example. When it comes to processing, there are high levels of lycopene in the tomato products. The tomato itself is healthy but when its processed into tomato paste for example, there are much greater concentrations of lycopene within the product.

Processed Items which include Tomatoes:

• The infamous ‘Ketchup’
• Tomato Juice (V8 includes tomatoes in some of their juices)
• Tomato Soup
• Spaghetti Sauce (Prego tomato sauce for example)
• Pizza sauce (tomato)

By eating such products as what I have listed above, but not limited to, you can be on your way to reducing your blood cholesterol. Even better way to consume tomatoes regularily is with the ‘good fat’ olive oil; it just makes your food even better and healthier. I have included a recipe here that you might be interested in trying, a nice Mediterranean dish which includes a very special tomato. Enjoy!

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Antipasta in Rosso (Antipasto in Red)

For 4 persons

*8 thin slices of whole wheat, whole grain or white bread, with crust removed

*2 red peppers

*1 yellow pepper

*1- 8 ounce can of crushed plum tomatoes

*10 fresh basil leaves

*1 clove of garlic

*2 tablespoons of pignoli nuts

*1 -2 tblsps of extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

*pinch of salt

*pinch of hot red pepper

Clean and remove seeds from peppers. Cut peppers into small cubes. In saute pan place 1 tblsp of extra virgin olive oil and garlic clove. When garlic begins to be come golden, and oil is hot, place in cubes of peppers. Add in dash of salt and pepper. Cover and let cook over low heat for 20 minutes. When finished cooking, add in washed basil leaves. And let stand. When cool place in food processor until blended to the consistency of a spread.

Remove crusts from bread slices. Cut each slice in half, place on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil on top (about 1 tsp) and place under broiler until golden and crisp.

Place pignoli nuts in small dish and cover with ½ tsp of olive oil, mix with wooden spoon.

Divide slices of bread on 4 appetizer plates. Place 4 halves on each plate. Evenly divide tomato spread between bread slices. Top with pignoli nuts and serve.

‘Less Is More’ and Dessert

You’ve probably have heard this phrase a thousand times pertaining to different aspects of your everyday life. For example, when you head out for that important interview its better to appear simpler and less flashy as to not set out of the main focus which is you. You don’t want to show up wearing gold necklaces, bracelets, rings and a bulging ring to match. Just like you don’t want to eat a plate of pasta with 3 breadsticks; limit yourself to one instead. Another easy one to overindulge in is red wine for instance, which should be taken in moderation. If you’re drinking more than 2-3 glasses of red wine daily you’re just losing the benefits of what the red wine has to nutritionally offer you such as lowering cholesterol and improving heart health and even prevention of cancer. Now consuming too much red wine can lead to opposite results such as resulting in higher blood pressure. The key word is moderation! Even the healthy nuts that is strongly encouraged in the Mediterranean Diet need to be eaten in moderation. Yes, pecans, walnuts, and almonds can be very beneficial to your health but if you don’t moderate yourself while enjoying these healthy nuts they might just come to bite you from behind. Just because these nuts are qualified as being healthy fats they are also high in calories and could result in weight gain. Now when it comes to dessert it’s very beneficial for you to indulge in a dessert with plenty of fruits of some kind or for example containing low/fat free yogurt. We have a recipe for you, the very delicious Tiramisu, which lets you indulge in something sweet yet light and still able to fit into your Mediterranean Diet. Enjoy!:

Tiramisu (light version)
(copyright 2005-2007, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati)

*16 ounce package of savoiardi or ladyfingers
*1 cup espresso coffee with 1 tablespoon sugar or 2 packets of artificial
sweetener
*powdered cocoa
*1 tsp amaretto or anisette liqueur
*16 ounces of fat free coffee flavored yogurt
*small piece of dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)

Place espresso coffee with 1 tbsp. of sugar or 2 packets of artificial sweetener in shallow bowl. Wet each ladyfinger in the coffee mixture for about 2 seconds. Then arrange biscotti side by side on a plate. Place yogurt in bowl, place in liqueur (if desired) and blend with spoon. Spread about 3/4 of yogurt mixture on top of ladyfingers. Repeat again and top with ladyfingers and then top with remaining yogurt mixture. Place in refrigerator for at least one hour. Right before serving, dust with powdered cocoa and shave some dark chocolate on top.

The Wonders of Olive Oil

The Benefits of Olive Oil, which is also one of the main components in the Mediterranean Diet, has quite a serious effect on our bodies. If you care enough about your health you might just want to make olive oil your new best friend. Let’s start off by introducing the different kinds of olive oil:

• Pure Olive Oil: There is processing involved when making this kind of olive oil
• Virgin Olive Oil: The ‘second pressing’ in making this kind of olive oil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The ‘first pressing’ of the olives and the least processed and healthiest out of all the olive oils
• Extra Light Olive Oil: There is more processing involved than the pure olive oil and contains a light olive flavor

Olive Oil is a very important monounsaturated fat source, in fact, according to the American Heart Association; over half of the fat calories incorporated into the Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats. This is due to the olive oil in the Mediterranean Diet. Monounsaturated fat is classified as a ‘good fat’ and doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does. The key to staying healthy is to replace the bad fats with the good fats.

Bad fats, which include LDL cholesterol, leads to heart disease and certain types of cancer, monounsaturated fats, which are good, lower total cholesterol and increase HDL (the good cholesterol) which help with weight loss and has a significant influence on individuals with heart disease. Studies have shown that individuals who consumed virgin olive oil everyday showed less LDL cholesterol in their system and more antioxidants. This is definitely a good thing because antioxidants are molecules that protect your cells and help make your everyday life healthier.

All types of olive oil are beneficial to ones health but the cream of the crop is extra virgin olive oil. There are higher levels of antioxidants in extra virgin because they come from the first pressing of the olives which is pure of no chemicals. The main antioxidant that is present in olive oil is Vitamin E. The benefits of Vitamin E start from the inside out; According to the National Institutes of Health Vitamin E may help prevent coronary heart disease, Vitamin E is the antioxidant in Olive oil that may help prevent heart attacks due to its prevention of forming blood clots and Vitamin E is said to help protect cell membranes against “damaging effects of free radicals, which may contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer.” Even less serious situations that Vitamin E helps us with is in our beauty regimen. If you’re looking for clear skin, healthy bones, and strong nails, Vitamin E is your power antioxidant.

For more information on Olive Oil, check out this website: http://www.oliveoilsource.com/oliveoildr-heart.htm. Here you can for example get more information on heart disease and olive oil, effects on blood pressure, good fats vs. bad fats, information on how olive oil can have an impact on one who may be prone to heart attacks, and how they can take effect on your very own bones and prevent ulcers.