Nov 07, 2007 - 04:04:53 CST
It’s good for you, a boost to longevity, and healthy for conditions from heart disease to cancer to obesity and diabetes. It’s versatile. It’s classic. And it tastes wonderful.The so-called Mediterranean diet — weighted toward whole grains, using lots of fresh vegetables, flavored with olive oil and accented with fish and poultry — has been gathering praise for the last couple of decades, as medical and diet research keeps turning up new ways that eating Mediterranean style promotes good health.
Karen and Duane Ehrens, of Bismarck, are in their third year of teaching “Cooking Mediterranean Style” through Bismarck State College’s Enrichment and Development series. Karen Ehrens is a dietitian and consultant with the State Health Department and Duane Ehrens is a chef at St. Alexius Medical Center.
In the first session of the two-part class Oct. 30, the couple introduced the Mediterranean-style food pyramid, which limits red meat to once a week, and keeps solid fats, such as butter, to a minimum. Fish and poultry get a wider slice of the pyramid, as do cheeses such as Parmesan, Romano and feta. The biggest portion of any plate should be filled with fresh in-season produce and whole grains, they said.
Other staples of a healthy Mediterranean lifestyle include an active lifestyle, getting enough water, eating nuts and flavorful cheeses in small amounts. Those who wish to avoid red wine, even in moderate amounts, can get the same benefits from purple grape juice, Karen Ehrens said.
People should not avoid fats altogether, she said. Some dietary fats are needed for a healthy nervous system and blood circulation, but they should be the right kinds of fats. To be avoided are those that are solid at room temperature, she said.
Mediterranean cuisine makes a circuit from Spain to France to Italy, Greece and North Africa, and each contributes unique flavors.
With a focus on fresh, locally-available ingredients, a “prairie Mediterranean diet” would incorporate Dakota-produced foods such as flaxseed, canola oil, milk and yogurt, lean meats, dried beans, peas and lentils, Karen Ehrens said.
The Ehrens’ students prepared half a dozen flavorful Mediterranean-style dishes during the class.
This Mediterranean Grilled Chicken from “Cooking Light” should be marinated with its rosemary-garlic rub for several hours for full flavor. Stem the rosemary leaves from the sprig by stripping them downward.
Rosemary-Garlic Rub
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Combine all ingredients. Makes about ¼ cup. Use with Mediterranean Grilled Chicken, below. Rub may be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Mediterranean
Grilled Chicken
6 bone-in chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds)
3 tablespoons Rosemary-Garlic Rub (above)
6 rosemary sprigs
6 thyme sprigs
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
Loosen skin from chicken by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub 3 tablespoons Rosemary-Garlic rub evenly over the six breast pieces (½ tablespoon per breast). Place 1 rosemary sprig and 1 thyme sprig between skin and meat of each breast half. Gently press skin down to secure. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.
Sprinkle chicken with pepper. To grill, place chicken, skin sides down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 25 minutes or until done, turning occasionally. To bake, place in 350-degree oven and cook until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees. Discard skin before serving. Yields 6 servings.
Nutrition per serving: 167 calories, 1.9 g fat, 34 g protein, 86 mg cholesterol, 151 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate.
Greek Salad
Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons fresh minced oregano leaves
½ teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium clove garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 teaspoon)
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salad
½ medium red onion, sliced thin (about ¾ cup)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)
2 hearts romaine lettuce, washed, dried thoroughly, and torn into 1½-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes (10 ounces total), each tomato cored, seeded and cut into 12 wedges
¼ cup loosely packed torn fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup loosely packed torn fresh mint leaves
6 ounces jarred roasted red bell pepper, cut into ½-by-2-inch strips (about 1 cup)
20 large kalamata olives, each olive pitted and quartered lengthwise
5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
Whisk vinaigrette ingredients in large bowl until combined. Add onion and cucumber and toss; let stand to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.
Add romaine, tomatoes, parsley, mint and peppers to bowl with onions and cucumbers; toss to coat with dressing.
Transfer salad to wide, shallow serving bowl or platter; sprinkle olives and feta over salad. Serve immediately.
— “Cook’s Illustrated”
Mediterranean
Vegetable Soup
Cooking spray
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped yellow squash
1 cup water
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (15 ½-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 ½-ounce) can vegetable broth
¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt
Heat a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 3 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash; saute 3 minutes. Add water and next five ingredients (water through broth); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Serve each with a dollop of yogurt. Yields 4 servings (1½ cups soup and 1 tablespoon yogurt).
Nutrition per serving: 185 calories, 2.1 g fat, 9 g protein, 1 mg cholesterol, 951 mg sodium, 6.2 g fiber, 35.5 g carbohydrate.
— “Cooking Light”
Couscous with Spiced Zucchini
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup plain couscous
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 pound zucchini, cut into ½-inch cubes
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Bring broth with ¼ teaspoon salt just to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over couscous in a bowl and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside until ready to use.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute onion with ¼ teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add zucchini and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low, then stir in coriander, chili powder, cumin and and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Gently stir zucchini mixture into couscous and cool to warm or room temperature. Just before serving, stir in mint and lemon juice. Makes 4 to 6 side-dish servings.
— “Gourmet Quick Kitchen”
(Reach reporter Karen Herzog at 250-8267 or karen.herzog@bismarcktribune.com.)
enrico wrote on Nov 10, 2007 4:48 AM:
Mmmmm wrote on Nov 7, 2007 6:42 AM:
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