BRING THE MEDITERRANEAN INTO YOUR PANTRY

[Guest guest]

I found this article in an old veg kitchen newsletter.

made me hungry.

 

BRING THE MEDITERRANEAN INTO YOUR PANTRY

 

The value of Mediterranean-style eating has been borne

out by years of research. Numerous studies have shown

that the lifestyle and dietary habits of Greeks and

Italians, among other regional nationalities,

contributes to long life expectancy and low rates of

heart disease, cancer, and other chronic disease.

 

Now that the value of this kind of lifestyle is well

known, how do we make it a reality in our kitchens?

The national cuisines that comprise the Mediterranean

diet have many elements in common with one another.

Olive oil and garlic lead the way and are

characteristic to all the cuisines; vegetables,

fruits, grains, breads, legumes, and fresh herbs

round out the basic pantry. Here are some of the best

known of Mediterranean cuisines and some of their

characteristic ingredients and dishes that are so easy

to apply to the vegetarian kitchen:

 

NORTHERN AFRICA (Morocco, Egypt)

Ingredients: Chickpeas, lentils, nuts, carrots,

pumpkins and other squashes, rice, fava beans, dried

fruits, sweet spices, flatbreads, mint

 

Well-known dishes: Couscous, tagine (vegetable

stew)—Morocco; foul (fava beans with red lentils),

koshary (macaroni with rice and lentils)—Egypt

 

ITALY

Ingredients: Pastas, semolina breads, beans, cornmeal,

Arborio rice, artichokes, asparagus, fennel,

mushrooms, eggplant, tomatoes, olives,

green leafy vegetables, fresh herbs (parsley, basil,

rosemary, and others)

 

Well-known dishes: Risotto, polenta, focaccia,

minestrone, pasta e fagioli (pasta and bean soup),

pesto sauce

 

GREECE

Ingredients: Rice, lentils, feta cheese, olives,

eggplant, tomatoes, lemon, spinach, yogurt, dill

 

Well-known dishes: Spanakopitta (spinach pie),

moussaka (eggplant casserole), dolmathes (rice-stuffed

grape leaves), yaourtosoupa (yogurt

soup)

 

MIDDLE EAST (Israel, Lebanon)

Ingredients: Fresh fish, chickpeas, tahini (sesame

paste), cracked wheat, olives, tomatoes, eggplant,

yogurt, flatbreads, fresh fruits (apricots, dates),

parsley

 

Well-known dishes: Hummus (chickpea dip) baba ghanouj

(eggplant dip), tabouleh (cracked wheat and parsley

salad), jalik (cucumber soup)

 

SPAIN

Ingredients: Peppers (both sweet and hot), potatoes,

rice, beans, seafood, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes,

oranges, saffron

 

Well-known dishes: Piperade (sautéed peppers), paella

(rice, vegetables, and seafood), Romesco sauce (with

hot red peppers)

 

FRANCE (specifically Provence)

Ingredients: Goat cheese, potatoes, tomatoes, onions,

leeks, olives, eggplant, squash, sweet peppers,

fennel, grapes and other fresh and dried fruits, fresh

herbs (thyme, marjoram, sage, basil, etc.)

 

Well-known dishes: Ratatouille (vegetable stew), soupe

au pistou (vegetable soup with pesto sauce), salade

Nicoise (tomatoes, green beans, olives, artichokes; I

like to substitute baked tofu for the

traditional tuna).

 

source: www.thevegkitchen.com

 

 

 

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