5 Delicious Mediterranean & Metabolic Diet Recipes
Living in the Med provides instant access to the Mediterranean Diet , a plant-based diet of abundant fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts, plus a preference for fish over red meat for healthy fats and protiens - now recommended by many health professionals for reducing the risks of heart disease. And it's popular! “Mediterranean Diet” is one of the most searched key words on Google.
“Med” Diet for me also means “Metabolic Diet” - choosing a combination of foods that aim to reset and maintain healthy metabolism. This might resonate for all of us fighting to stay fit in middle age. Metabolic diets emphasize reducing your carbohydrate intake, but also increasing proteins and nutrient rich foods. The overall goal of metabolic-centered diets is to create lasting changes in your diet and lifestyle.
Find a list of metabolic diet foods here.
These are my go-to recipes when I am craving fast food like pizza and hamburgers, or comfort food like Asian or Mexican dishes - but don’t want to stray from my Mediterranean and Metabolic healthy eating routine.
The Hack? These recipes focus on the flavours we are craving in those fast or comfort foods - and build in Mediterranean and Metabolic diet inspired ingredientents that turn our guilty pleasures into healthy alternatives that are fast and easy to prepare, for every Med inspired home chef!
5 MEDITERRANEAN & METABOLIC DIET RECIPES
For Comfort Food & Fast Food Cravings
#1. No Bread Pizza - 2 Ways
PIZZA, Our beloved Italian pleasure food. Definitely Mediterranean food, but not so metabolic or low-carb in its original form.
When we are craving pizza, we are actually craving the flavours of tomato, oregano, sometimes the hot spice of the “pepperoni” sausage, and ok, the cheese.
I think I’ve perfected a way to get those flavours with less fat and no carbs - but you be the judge, please comment below.
Ingredients:
- Protein instead of pizza dough: Eggs or slices of cooked chicken / turkey
- Tomatoes (fresh, canned diced tomatoes, canned or bottled tomato puree - try to stay away from store bought pre-made pasta or pizza sauce)
- Oregano (fresh or dried)
- Chili (fresh or dried) - instead of pepperoni
- Garlic (fresh or powder)
- Onion (fresh or powder)
- Cheese (try lower in fat cheese like fresh mozzarella - no processed cheese - or if you have a fav cheese, try to use it sparingly with thin slices)
- Your fav pizza toppings (sliced onion, spinach, broccoli, pineapple, etc - or go margarita just with the tomato and basil)
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Method:
The key to no bread and metabolic diet pizza is replacing the pizza dough with a protein. There are several options for this the work really well: Eggs (omelet base, like in the photo), or slices of chicken or turkey (a great way to use up left-overs - try it this Thanksgiving!)
1. Get all of your pizza toppings ready to load onto your base before heating up or cooking your protein pizza base. (Dice tomatoes, chop or slice onions, chop spinach, steam broccoli, slice pineapple, slice or shred the cheese)
2. Make your pizza sauce. Place your diced tomatoes in a medium mixing bowl and mix up with pressed garlic, minced onion, and chilli to your liking. Add oregano (key to pizza flavour!)
Tip: Check variations below for: fast & easy option (to keep your hand off the speed dial to fav pizza delivery) or gourmet (for our foodies out there that always choose the gourmet options at the pizzeria)
3. Cook or warm your protein base.
- If you choose eggs for your protein base: Prepare the omelet mixture. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper like an omelet (I like to add more pressed garlic, minced onion, and basil to the eggs for a pop of flavour). Tip: Use as many eggs needed for the size of pizza you are making (or size of your frying pan) so that the egg mixture is covering the full frying pan and a few centimetres thick (you need a solid pizza base).
- Pour your egg mixture into the frying pan and cook on low heat until the omelet is half done, (bubbling and firm on the underside) about 2-3mins. Next, flip the omelet to cook the other side, and be ready to add your pizza sauce, cheese and desired pizza topping right away to the top of the cooked side of the omelet. Tip: you can remove from heat to do this so that the eggs don’t get too well done. Cover frying pan with lid to melt the cheese, about 2-3mins. Tip: To get your cheese really bubbling and any toppings, like onions, nicely charred, you can put your oven-safe frying pan in the oven on broil for this stage.
- When done, add some fresh basil leaves to garnish and a little olive oil, salt and pepper to your liking.
If you choose slices of cooked chicken or turkey as your base, this makes nice mini-pizza bites.
Prepare a baking sheet with oven paper.
Add your cooked chicken or turkey slices to the baking sheet, spaced apart enough to allow for over flowing cheese when it melts. Tip: If your chicken of turkey slices are thin, I might stack 2 or 3 slices to get a good pizza base.
As the chicken or turkey is already cooked you are ready to build your pizza adding pizza sauce, desired toppings and cheese directly on top of the cooked chicken or turkey slices on the baking sheet.
Then pop in the oven and broil until cheese is bubbling (2-3mins). Remove and garnish with fresh basil leaves and a little olive oil, salt and pepper to your liking.
Fast & Easy option - For the pizza sauce use canned diced tomatoes and mix with powdered garlic, powdered onion, and chilli flakes - add dried oregano.
Gourmet option - For the pizza sauce, roast your tomatoes, onions and garlic. (I’m quite proud of myself on this one - delish!)
- Lay out a baking sheet and cover with over paper. Cut fresh tomatoes and onions into quarters, add a few cloves of garlic (peeled and smashed) and roast in the broiler (or BBQ) until just starting to blacken - turn over once to get both sides nice and toasty.
- Once tomato, onion and garlic are roasted to your liking, remove from oven, add to a blender (or high lipped mixing bowl with hand blender). Add some fresh oregano, then blend until smooth.
Et voila! This homemade pizza sauce adds a smokey fresh flavour to your no bread pizza - divine!
#2. Quinoa or Bulgur Lemon & Basil Risotto
When we are craving our favourite Asian dish that is served with rice, or a creamy Italian risotto, replace the rice directly with quinoa or bulgur for a metabolic superfood fix that is low carb, high protein and vitamin rich. It is really the texture that we are craving, the flavours come with whatever we are putting with the rice.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- Quinoa, Bulgur or a mix of the two (1 cup for 2 people)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic (pressed or chopped)
- vegetable stock (6 cups) - (if you want less salt, you can simply use 6 cups of boiling water, or make your own stock)
- White wine (1 cup) - optional
- 2 lemons
- Bunch of basil
- Parmesan cheese, gate until you have a fist full
Method
Make this risotto just as you would with Italian Arborio or Carnaroli risotto rice, but replace directly with quinoa, bulgur or a combo of the two which I like to do. A normally high carb dish becomes metabolic and full of protein and vitamins with the quinoa/bulgur replacement.
- Prepare the stock by boiling the stock cubes in recommended amount of water. Tip: stock is optional, to add flavour, but it also adds salt, you can also just use boiling water.
- In a large deep pot, sweat the chopped onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until fragrant (2-3mins).
- Add the quinoa/bulgur and mix with onion and garlic to cover (1min)
- Add the wine and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until absorbed. Tip: note that adding wine will also add sugar, you can also use the stock or simply boiling water at this stage.
- Continue to add one ladle of stock or boiling water, let it absorb (on low heat), and repeat until quinoa/bulgur is al dente. (About 20mins)
- While stock or water is absorbing into quinoa/bulgur after each ladle, prepare the lemon zest of 2 lemons (grate the whole lemon rind), chop your bunch of basil, and grate a fist full of parmesan cheese.
- Once quinoa/bulgur is al dente, remove from heat and mix in lemon zest, basil and parmesan with a desired amount of olive oil (instead of hunk of butter)
- Garnish with juice of two naked lemons and extra basil
#3. Fish “No Tortilla” Tacos
When we crave Mexican food, the flavours we are craving is that dreamy mix of lime, cilantro, cumin, maybe the heat of the chilli, and perhaps the tomatoey “salsa” and guacamole. The good news is that all of the ingredients when found fresh can make a perfectly metabolic no carb, low fat delight!
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- Filets of fish of your choice (1 filet per person)
- Lime (1 per filet)
- 12 cherry tomatoes chopped,1 red onion chopped, and 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (for salsa)
- 1 avocado, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon cumin, and bunch of cilantro (for guacamole)
- Boiled or BBQ corn on the cob (1 cob per person) Tip: This really gives you the flavour of the corn tortilla, but be aware it is technically a carb, although a healthier one
Method
- Marinate the fish in the zest and juice of 1 lime per filet, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill while water is boiling or BBQ warming for corn (next step)
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil or fire up the BBQ
- Boil or BBQ corn on cob, then once cooled,shave off the kernels, and place in a mixing bowl with some olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Tip: If using BBQ keep it on for the fish.
- While corn is cooling, prepare the salsa by combining in a medium mixing bowl the cherry tomatoes chopped, red onion chopped, and 1 teaspoon chilli flakes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside.
- Next prepare the guacamole by scooping out the avocado from its shell, and blending in the garlic (pressed), and bunch of cilantro, chopped. Tip: You can blend in a blender or a hand mixer, or simply slice the avocado and sprinkle the pressed garlic and cilantro on top. Set aside.
-Now that you have prepped your “No Taco Tacos”, grill or bake your fish. Tip: Fish will take just 2-3 mins each side on BBQ, depending on the thickness - and about 5mins in 180 degrees C oven. Remove from heat to platter.
- Assemble/Build the “No Tacos” by placing 1 fish filet on each plate, add some extra lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Then layer on the guacamole (or avocado slices). Next sprinkle some of the homemade salsa on top of avocado. Finally top with the corn and garnish with extra cilantro and lime.
#4. Roasted (or BBQ) Cauliflower Mac n Cheese
Ok I still crave Mac n Cheese as an ageing young person. Whenever it rains especially. This recipe really satisfies my craving. In my view, roasting or BBQ-ing veggies is veggies at their very best. Replace the pasta with these roasted veggies, which take on the texture of pasta when roasted, add a little pre-melted cheese, and guilty craving solved!
Ingredients (Serves 2-4, depending on size of vegetables)
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into pasta sizes florets
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into pasta sizes florets
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
- 250g feta cheese, chopped
- Handful of grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons of Gorgonzola cheese
Method
- Prepare baking sheet with oven paper
- Add cut cauliflower and broccoli to a large mixing bowl with oil, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
- Add vegetables mix to baking sheet. Add to baking sheet full head of garlic (pointy tip cut off and add a bit of oil to it). Roast at 200 degrees C for about 30 mins until browned.
- While veggies are roasting, prepare the cheese. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a large pot (large enough to add roasted veggies. Turn down the heat to low and mix in the cheeses starting with the Gorgonzola, then the feta and finally mix in the parmesan slowly. Add additional boiling water to achieve desired thickness.
- Once veggies are roasted, remove from oven and add to pot of cheese, adding the chilli flakes. Mix well, add salt, pepper and olive oil to taste.
#5. My Favourite “Big” Salad with Med Tuna & No Fat Citrus Dressing
(This recipe was inspired by the “Jennifer Aniston Friends Salad” that went viral on Tik Tok this year - where I’ve added some additional Med ingredients)
When it is hot out my go to lunch is a big salad, which I used to drown with fatty salad dressings, lettuce with no nutritional value, and processed foods like bacon and fatty cheese. I tried out this metabolic reset salad this summer, and I loved it so much I am still eating it in the sunny days of fall.
Ingredients (Serves 1-2)
- Hand full of baby spinach leaves washed and dried
- 1 red onion, chopped
- Half of a cucumber, chopped
- 100g of feta cheese chopped
- Canned tuna filets in olive oil (the best canned fish filets from Portugal or Spain)
- 1 tablespoon of cilantro leaves
Tip: If you want some extra “crunch” add 100g of canned chickpeas (washed and drained)
Dressing
- juice of 1 lemon (or lime or organge also work well)
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of dried chillis
- salt and pepper
Method
- For dressing, mix all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl with a fork
- Add the rest of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl, add dressing, and mix thoroughly
I hope that you enjoy these Med Diet Recipes as much as I do.
I would love to hear your impressions, and how you may innovate upon these recipes, in the comments!
NEW FEATURE: Med Diet Recipes page - check it out for more Mediterranean & Metabolic recipe favourites !
Jade
Lewon
Med
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