Mediterranean recipes?

Quoted message said:

We're starting the mediterranean "diet". i really like the idea of
fresh veggies and fruits, sees, lean meats, etc.
My little guy and I went shopping today and got a ton of stuff. Anyone
have any good recipes?
Right now we have lean chops, peppers, onions, and garlic in the
crockpot:-) Smells awesome and the colors are wonderful!

I ordered this cookbook a couple days ago:

www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471262889/sr=8-1/qid=1142924017/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-8500237-2352948

I expect to have plenty of good "Mediterranean" recipes whenever it arrives.
In the meantime, here are a few recipes which might be considered
"Mediterranean".

Broiled, Butterflied Chicken with Gremolata

1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lemon, zested
Extra virgin olive oil
Onions, carrots and celery cut into 3 to 4-inch pieces
3 to 4-pound broiler/fryer chicken
1 cup red wine
8 ounces chicken stock
2 to 3 sprigs thyme
Canola oil

Position the oven rack 8 inches from the flame/coil and turn broiler to
high. Crack peppercorns with a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Add
garlic and salt and work well. Add lemon zest and work just until you can
smell lemon. Add just enough oil to form a paste.

Check out your refrigerator for onions, carrots and celery that are a little
past their prime. Cut vegetables into pieces and place in a deep roasting
pan.

Place chicken on a plastic cutting board breast-side down. Using kitchen
shears, cut ribs down one side of back bone and then the other and remove.
Open chicken like a book and remove the keel bone separating the breast
halves by slicing through the thin membrane covering it, then by placing two
fingers underneath the bone and levering it out. Turn chicken breast-side up
and spread out like a butterfly by pressing down on the breast and pulling
the legs towards you. Loosen the skin at the neck and the edges of the
thighs. Evenly distribute the garlic mixture under the skin, saving 2
teaspoons for the jus. Drizzle the skin with oil and rub in, being sure to
cover the bird evenly. Drizzle oil on bone side of chicken as well.

Arrange bird in roasting pan, breast up, atop vegetables.

Place pan in oven being sure to leave the oven door ajar. Check bird in 10
minutes. If the skin is a dark mahogany, hold the drumstick ends with paper
towels and flip bone-side up. Cook 12 to 15 minutes or until the internal
temperature reaches 165 degrees. Juices must run clear. Remove and place
chicken into a deep bowl and cover loosely with foil.

Tilt pan so that any fat will pool at corner. Siphon this off with a bulb
baster. (This fat is great in vinaigrettes). Set pan over 2 burners set on
high. Deglaze pan with a few shots of red wine and scrape brown bits from
bottom using a carrot chunk held with tongs. Add chicken stock, thyme, the
remaining garlic paste and reduce briefly to make a jus. Strain out
vegetables and discard. Slice chicken onto plates or serve in quarters.
Sauce lightly with jus and serve.

Mike Edelman's Greek Chicken

Put some chicken parts in a casserole, add some quartered or eighthed
potatoes, and throw in as much crushed garlic cloves as you like. Add a
good sprinkling of Greek oregano, mint, salt and pepper. Squeeze lots lemon
juice all over and drizzle with olive oil. Bake an hour or so until
potatoes and chicken are browned and tender.
[BOB'S NOTE: You can add rosemary too.]

Macaroni with Spicy Lamb Ragout
Serves 6

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 cup diced, peeled onion
1/2 teaspoon minced, peeled garlic
1 pound lean ground lamb or beef
1 15-oz can (2 cups) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 pound macaroni or ziti
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1. In a large skillet, melt the 1 tablespoon of butter over moderate heat.
Add the onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until onion is soft and
yellow. Add garlic and meat, increase heat to moderately high and cook 5
minutes, breaking up meat with a spoon, until it loses most of its red
color. Start pasta water.

2. To meat mixture, add tomato sauce, oregano, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer 15 minutes,
stirring often to prevent sauce from sticking.

3. While sauce is cooking, boil pasta for required time.

4. Add parsley to sauce and turn heat off, but leave pan on burner for a
moment. After about a minute, remove the pan from the heat. Beat the
yogurt smooth, add to the sauce, and stir to blend.

5. Drain pasta and put into large bowl. Toss with the remaining butter or
margarine.

6. Divide pasta among heated soup plates or dinner plates. Spoon sauce over
pasta and serve. Good with toasted French bread and a salad of escarole,
cucumbers, beets, and black olives.

Tracy Karachi's Moroccan Lamb with Potatoes and Olives
[as found in RFC]

2 lbs Lamb (I use the shoulder/blade steaks)
one sliced onion (about a cup)
sliced celery (about a cup)
a chopped tomato
some chopped parsley
salt
pepper
ginger
cumin
paprika
garlic
saffron
4 Idaho potatoes cut into wedges
1/2 cup or more of green olives -spanish stuffed is fine.(You can use peas
if you don't like olives.)
olive oil
water

Heat a large dutch oven--add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and add
the meat. It is not necessary to brown it--just toss it around a bit
till it doesn't look raw. Add the onions and celery and put a cover on the
pot. Let it cook on med/low till onions and celery are soft. Add the tomato
and repeat--let it cook till the tomatoes have softened.

Add spices and parsley

I did not give measurements because I don't measure. But
approximations would be--about 1/4 tsp ginger, a tsp of cumin, a
tablespoon of paprika-I recently started using Penzys half sharp--it's
awesome, but makes the dish a bit hot--use what you like) For garlic
I sometimes use both chopped garlic and powdered, about a 1/2 tsp dry
and a couple cloves. Salt and pepper to taste. I tend to salt and
pepper throughout--at each stage--ends up tasting better.

Once you are all seasoned--add enough water to not quite cover the
meat. This is tricky--because you do not want a lot of water left
when it is done but you need some to cook the potatoes. Maybe 2-3
cups. Turn down the heat to low put the cover on and simmer very
gently for about an hour or more. (Moroccans will let this go for
hours.) The meat should be very tender-fork tender. Add the olives
and the potatoes. There should still be enough water in the pot so
the potatoes will be mostly submerged. I force them down and put the
meat on top. Put the cover on and simmer for about 20 minutes until
the potatoes are almost done. Take the cover off and let it cook
about 10 minutes more. A skin should appear over the top--this is a
good thing!

We eat this Moroccan style--everyone eats from one big platter--no
forks, just bread.

Mediterranean Salad
Posted in RFC by Trudy T

This simple salad makes a delicious side dish for any type of Mediterranean
cuisine - including Greek, Italian, Spanish, Provencal, Moroccan or Turkish.

(2 serves)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 clove garlic - minced (crushed)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 handfuls roughly torn romaine (Cos) lettuce leaves
2 fresh Roma tomatoes - cut into 1/2-inch rounds (you can also use regular
tomatoes and cut them into wedges)
1/2 green pepper (capsicum) - julienned
1/4 small red onion - thinly sliced (you can vary this amount depending on
how much you like raw red onions)

MIX together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small
bowl. PLACE the salad ingredients in a large bowl. POUR the dressing over
the salad and toss gently to combine just before serving.

Variations: There are lots of possible additions to this basic salad, but
keep in mind that it should remain a simple and light salad to accompany a
meal. Toss through some garlic-rubbed croutons or a handful of chopped
toasted nuts (like walnuts, pine nuts or hazelnuts), finely chopped capers,
olives, sun-dried tomatoes or chopped anchovies, or a small amount of shaved
or crumbled cheese.

Salad Nicoise with Seared Tuna
from foodnetwork.com

Vinaigrette:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:
1 pound small red new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
8 large eggs
1/2 pound haricots verts or French green beans, stems trimmed
2 pounds fresh sushi-quality tuna
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint teardrop or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup nicoise olives
16 anchovy fillets
16 caper berries with stems
1/2 bunch fresh chives, snipped in 1/2

To make the vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a mason jar. Screw the
cap on the jar and shake the vinaigrette vigorously to emulsify. Set the
dressing aside while preparing the salad so the flavors can marry.
Cooking the potatoes, eggs, and green beans in the same pot cuts down on
prep time and clean up. To do this, put the potatoes in a large saucepan,
add water to cover and a nice pinch of salt; bring to a boil over medium
heat. Simmer the potatoes for 12 minutes to give them a head start, and then
add the eggs. Place a steamer basket or colander on top of the simmering
water. Put the green beans in the steamer and cover with a lid. Steam the
beans for 5 minutes until crisp-tender while continuing to cook the potatoes
until fork tender. Drain out the water and put the potatoes, eggs, and green
beans in a colander; rinse briefly under cold water. Peel the shells off the
eggs and cut them in 1/2 lengthwise.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rub the tuna on all sides with
olive oil, and a bit of the vinaigrette; season with a fair amount of salt
and pepper. Lay the tuna in the hot pan and sear for approximately 2 minutes
on each side; as the tuna cooks, the red meat will become whiter. Transfer
the tuna to a cutting board and slice.

To assemble the salad: combine the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, olives,
anchovies, capers, and chives in a large mixing bowl. Take the vinaigrette
and give it another good shake to recombine. Drizzle the salad with enough
vinaigrette to fully moisten and toss gently to coat; season with salt and
pepper. Take care not to mush up the ingredients - the important thing about
salad nicoise is that it is arranged nicely on a platter with all the
elements keeping their individual integrity. Put the tossed salad down the
center of a serving platter and lay the seared tuna attractively across the
top and the eggs around the rim. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and
serve.

Paul Bertolli's Ratatouille

Salt and pepper
4 Japanese eggplants (10 ounces), skin left on, sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 cup pure olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 large yellow onion (10 ounces), sliced
4 bell peppers (14 ounces), mixed colors, cut into 1/4" strips
2 tablespoons fruity red wine vinegar
4 mixed green and yellow squashes (12 ounces), such as zucchini,
crookneck, or scallopine, sliced crosswise 1/4" thick
4 medium yellow and red tomatoes (1 pound), peeled, seeded, diced, juice
discarded
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons pitted green or Nicoise olives, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Salt and pepper the eggplant lightly and toss in a bowl with 3
tablespoons of the olive oil. Transfer to a baking dish just large enough
to contain it and add the water. Cover and bake for about 40 minutes, or
until soft to the touch.

While the eggplant is cooking, saute the sliced onion in a large saucepot
in 3 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil, until it softens and begins
to brown lightly. Add the peppers, season with salt and pepper, and cook
over high heat, stirring often until the peppers are cooked through and
both the onions and peppers are well browned. Add the vinegar and cook 1
minute. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons
olive oil to the saucepot and in it saute the squashes. Turn them
carefully so that both sides are a dark brown, then put them in the bowl
with the onions and peppers.

Remove the eggplant from the oven and combine it with the other
vegetables. Discard any liquid left in the baking dish. Put all of the
vegetables back in the saucepot and add the tomatoes. At this point the
vegetables should not be stirred any more than is necessary or they will
break up and spoil the presentation. Bring to a simmer and cook over
medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Ratatouille should not be swimming in its
own juice. If the vegetable appear too juicy, pour the excess liquid into
a saute pan and reduce it until it thickens. Then pour it back over the
vegetables. Remove the pot from the heat and let the ratatouille cool.
Then add the capers, chopped olives, parsley, basil, and garlic. Correct
the seasoning, if necessary, with more red wine vinegar, salt, and
pepper. Before serving, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over each
portion.

Bob

On 21 Mar 2006 15:41:02 -0600, "Bob Terwilliger"

virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz said:

I ordered this cookbook a couple days ago:

www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471262889/sr=8-1/qid=1142924017/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-8500237-2352948

I expect to have plenty of good "Mediterranean" recipes whenever it arrives.
In the meantime, here are a few recipes which might be considered
"Mediterranean".

I have this book and it is very good!

Christine

"justme" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1142966498.657075.322890
@j33g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

We're starting the mediterranean "diet". i really like the idea of
fresh veggies and fruits, sees, lean meats, etc.
My little guy and I went shopping today and got a ton of stuff. Anyone
have any good recipes?
Right now we have lean chops, peppers, onions, and garlic in the
crockpot:-) Smells awesome and the colors are wonderful!

Take a can of garbanzos and blackeyed peas with both their liquids and
add to pan, heat to boiling, turn off heat. Cool, drain and rinse.
Refrigerate beans. Add in chopped red onion, chopped parsley, add some
red wine vinegar (or balsamic) with some good olive oil. Stir well and
enjoy.

--

Charles
The significant problems we face cannot be solved
at the same level of thinking we were at when we
created them. Albert Einstein

I like any book by Clifford Wright or Claudia Roden on the subject of
Mediterranean food.

Here's a page with links to Arabic food recipe sites (and many
countries of the Arab world are on the Mediterranean; also the olive
tree originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, long before the Arabs
natch)

http://bedouina.typepad.com/doves_eye/2004/07/arabic_food_rec.html

Here's my personal page collecting my fave Mediterranean recipes
online:

http://bedouina.typepad.com/doves_eye/2004/11/doves_collected.html

Note the inclusion of Brian Mailman's famous roasted eggplant souffle
recipe.

Hope this helps.

Leila