The wanting need to stay slim to look your best, and the availability of foods that are at times happily munched on with guilty pleasure, and the pricking knowledge of what you're doing, makes it all ruffle up a few 'fare' feathers. A good old wholesome breakfast is a thing irreplaceable. For nations brought up on foods stinking rich for their blood, such as hamburgers, cheese, chips and steaks, it is essential to turn around and walk on another dietary path. The Mediterranean diet has a healthfully sensual appeal to people wanting to refrain from junk foods. Apart from avoiding red meat, too much butter or dairy products (as they contain a lot of saturated fat), there is nothing so stringent about a Mediterranean diet breakfast, but only a culinary philosophy of your approach toward foods and what you include and what you don't, every morning.
The Mediterranean diet food list is sumptuous in the following foods:
- Whole grains
- Fresh fruit and nuts
- Vegetables
- Beans, legumes and pulses
- Yogurt
- Cheese (in moderation)
- Fruit and nuts
- Little meat (mainly poultry) and a lot of fish
- Eggs (especially for those who don't eat meat)
- Aromatic herbs and spices
- Extra virgin olive oil and Olives
- Red wine (in moderation, preferably not for breakfast though)
- Use a lot of fresh herbs and spices to flavor your meals, instead of salt
- Eat fish at least twice a week
- Avoid red meat for your breakfast
Mediterranean Style Omelet
Ingredients:
1 medium tomato
1 capsicum
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 green onions, chopped
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. fresh and chopped parsley
2 tbsp skimmed milk
4 eggs
1 tbsp of chopped fresh herbs
chives, oregano, rosemary, or basil 2 oz crumbled feta cheese (choose your favorite combination)
How to go about it:
1. Mix diced tomato, capsicum, olives, garlic, green onions, olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley in a small bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes.
2. Whisk the eggs, milk and herbs together in another bowl.
3. Heat a non-stick pan, and add about half the mixture of the eggs, milk and herbs
4. Simmer and let it cook for a couple of minutes
5. When the omelet goes crisp around the edges and the top is not moist any more, add half of the vegetable mix, to just the one side of the omelet.
6. Add half of the crumbled feta cheese.
7.Gently fold the omelet over to cover the cheese and veggies, by gently folding the omelet over them to create a semicircle.
8. Cover the pan and let it cook for another minute.
9.Turn off heat and let the omelet remain until it gets less hot and is warm.
10. Put in on a plate.
11 Repeat the above instructions with remaining ingredients.
12. Serve it with Turkish bread drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, or a wholegrain bread which is crusty. Serves 2.
Mediterranean Couscous
Ingredients:
1 cup couscous
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. parsley
2 small tomatoes
2 spring onions
1/2 cucumber
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
For the Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
How to go about it:
1. Boil the broth.
2. Simmer, and add chopped garlic, cumin, oregano, parsley, and couscous.
3. Stir and remove the mixture from the heat. Cover the lid and let the flavors blend into each other.
4. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and the olive oil. Add seasoning for taste.
5. Toss in the vegetables in the mixture, layering it with cheese on the top and sprinkle it with the dressing
6. It can be served either as main course or even as a side dish. Serves 4.
Chive and Goat Cheese Frittata
Ingredients:
8 large eggs
½ cup milk
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 medium-sized tomato
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
2 tsp. butter
½ package goat cheese, or 3 ounces shredded Fontina cheese
How to go about it:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F whilst whisking eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together in a medium-sized bowl.
2.Toss and stir in the diced tomato and chopped chives.
3. In a nonstick skillet melt the butter, keeping the heat medium.
4. Pour in egg mixture; and put cheese in.
5. Cook it for a few minutes or little more until the frittata begins setting around the edges.
6. Put the skillet in the oven, baking it for around 10 minutes.
Simple Mediterranean Breakfast for Diabetics
Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes, cut in wedges
200 g cucumber, cut in chunks
100 g low-fat feta cheese, cut in thin slices
10 black olives
2 ½ tsp olive oil
Freshly chopped marjoram
Freshly ground black pepper
6 slices of oat, soya or linseed bread
How to go about it:
1. Arrange the tomatoes, cucumber, cheese and olives on three plates
2. Sprinkle it generously with olive oil, marjoram and pepper.
3. Serve it with bread.
Baked Eggs with Ham, Sausage and Peas
Ingredients:
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 pureed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. granulated brown sugar
1/4 tsp. paprika
4 ounces cooked smoked ham
1 smoked chorizo sausage
4 eggs
1/4 cup cooked green peas
2 tbsp. pimento
1 tbsp. freshly minced parsley
How to go about it:
1. Cook and stir finely chopped onion and minced garlic in oil in a sauce pan, until the onion gets tender.
2. Add the pureed tomatoes, brown sugar and paprika; break up tomatoes with fork.
3. Boil it and then simmer it uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
4. Cook and stir ham slices and the chopped chorizo sausage in 8-inch skillet until sausage is done, for about 5 minutes; drain.
5. Pour the tomato mixture into 4 cups of 1 ounce.
6. Break an egg each for the mixture in every cup.
7. Add the ham mixture, peas and pimiento around each egg.
8. Sprinkle with parsley.
9. Bake it uncovered at 400 degrees F for around 15 minutes until you find the eggs setting. Serves 4.
Scrambled Eggs with Peppers and Tomatoes (Pipérade Basquaise)
Ingredients:
2 medium green capsicum
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup 1/4-inch strips fully cooked smoked ham
How to go about it:
1. Cook and stir diced green capsicum, slicked onion, chopped garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the thyme with a dollop of butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium flame.
2. Heat until the green capsicum is tender, yet crisp.
3. Add the tomatoes; let it heat for around 2 minutes.
4. Drain all the excess water from vegetables; and keep them warm after placing them on the platter.
5. Over medium flame, heat the remaining oil in the same skillet.
6. Mix the rest of the ingredients and then pour them into the skillet.
7. Simmer and stir often, letting it all cook uncovered, until the eggs thicken through but remain moist for a little less than 5 minutes.
8. Place the scrambled eggs in the center of the veggies and sprinkle with chopped parsley if required. Serves 4 to 6.
Mediterranean Breakfast Pitas
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sweet red pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup egg substitute
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 cup torn fresh baby spinach
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
2 whole pita breads
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
How to go about it:
1. In a small nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook and stir red pepper and onion over medium flame for around 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg substitute, salt and pepper.
3. Add egg mixture to skillet; cook and stir until it's set.
4. Mix together the tomato, spinach and basil; spoon them all into the pitas.
5. Top with egg mixture and sprinkle with feta cheese. Serves 2.
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