3 Mediterranean Diet Dinners

June 4, 2023June 4, 2023 By happyadmin Food / Healthy

These dinner recipes draw inspiration from the Mediterranean diet for a healthy and flavorful meal. Each recipe features ingredients favored in the Mediterranean diet, like whole grains, seafood and fresh vegetables.

Dijon Salmon with Green Bean Pilaf

In this quick dinner recipe, the delicious garlicky-mustardy mayo that tops baked salmon is very versatile. Make extra to use as a dip for fries or to jazz up tuna salad. Precooked brown rice helps get this healthy dinner on the table fast, but if you have other leftover whole grains, such as quinoa or farro, they work well here too.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ pounds wild salmon (see Tip), skinned and cut into 4 portions

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon minced garlic

¾ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard

½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided

12 ounces pretrimmed haricots verts or thin green beans, cut into thirds:

1 small lemon, zested and cut into 4 wedges

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 8-ounce package precooked brown rice

2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Brush salmon with 1 tablespoon oil and place on the prepared baking sheet. Mash garlic and salt into a paste with the side of a chef’s knife or a fork. Combine a scant 1 teaspoon of the garlic paste in a small bowl with mayonnaise, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread the mixture on top of the fish.

Roast the salmon until it flakes easily with a fork in the thickest part, 6 to 8 minutes per inch of thickness.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green beans, lemon zest, pine nuts, the remaining garlic paste and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, until the beans are just tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add rice and water and cook, stirring, until hot, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Sprinkle the salmon with parsley, if desired, and serve with the green bean pilaf and lemon wedges.

Dijon Salmon with Green Bean Pilaf
Tips
All wild salmon–and now some farmed–is considered a sustainable choice.

Roasted Gnocchi & Brussels Sprouts with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

In this quick vegetarian dinner recipe, you can skip boiling the gnocchi–they’ll cook through while roasting on the sheet pan with the rest of the ingredients. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, use 1 small regular lemon in Step 2 and use 4 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons orange juice in Step 4.

Ingredients

2 Meyer lemons (see Tip)
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 (16 ounce) package shelf-stable gnocchi
1 cup thickly sliced shallots
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
¼ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ cup slivered oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Slice and seed 1 lemon. Toss in a large bowl with Brussels sprouts, gnocchi, shallots, 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet.
Roast, stirring once or twice, until the gnocchi are plump and the Brussels sprouts are tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
Squeeze juice from the remaining lemon. Return the gnocchi mixture to the bowl and toss with sun-dried tomatoes, the lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Tips

Tips: Sunny yellow Meyer lemons have a distinctive sweet-tart floral taste. Find them in late winter and early spring in well-stocked markets. You can substitute for the juice with 2 parts lemon juice and 1 part orange juice.

Organic lemons are less likely to have traces of fungicides commonly used on citrus. So choose organic when cooking with lemon peel and zest.

Sheet-Pan Chicken with Roasted Spring Vegetables & Lemon Vinaigrette

This Greek-inspired chicken and vegetable sheet-pan meal is bursting with flavor. The chicken is coated in a mayonnaise and bread crumb mixture, roasted alongside asparagus, cremini mushrooms and grape tomatoes and then served with a lemon-feta vinaigrette.

Ingredients

Lemon Vinaigrette

1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese
½ teaspoon honey

Greek Chicken with Roasted Spring Vegetables

2 (8 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut in half lengthwise
¼ cup light mayonnaise
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Nonstick olive oil cooking spray
2 cups 1-inch pieces asparagus
1 ½ cups sliced fresh cremini mushrooms
1 ½ cups halved grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Snipped fresh dill

Directions

Prepare vinaigrette: Remove 1/2 teaspoon zest and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from lemon. In a small bowl whisk together lemon zest and juice and the remaining ingredients. Set aside.
Prepare chicken and vegetables: Place a 15×10-inch baking pan in oven. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
Meanwhile, using the flat side of a meat mallet, flatten chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap until 1/2 inch thick.
Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise and 2 of the garlic cloves; stir to coat. In a shallow dish stir together bread crumbs, cheese, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Dip chicken into crumb mixture, turning to coat. Lightly coat tops of chicken with cooking spray.
In a large bowl combine asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, oil and the remaining 4 cloves garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Carefully place chicken in one end of hot pan and place asparagus mixture in other end of pan. Roast 18 to 20 minutes or until chicken is done (165 degrees F) and vegetables are tender.
Drizzle chicken and vegetables with vinaigrette and sprinkle with dill.