Everyone knows about the Mediterranean Diet and how good it is for you, but not everyone knows that it can be delicious, cheap, easy and fun to prepare and do. Here are our top five dishes in no particular order.
Hummus:- Eaten all over the Mediterranean, especially in Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Egypt, and the other North African Mediterranean countries, hummus is really easy to make and, at its simplest, is just a mashed mixture of chickpeas, garlic, salt, and olive oil.
Of course, you can enhance it by adding lemon juice, tahini (delicious sesame seed paste), roasted red peppers, spinach, and anything else you really fancy. Pair it with pita bread or a loaf of crusty bread, for a satisfying snack that’s good for you and costs just pennies.
Pizza Margherita:- Another classic Mediterranean dish in which only a handful of fresh ingredients are used. The Margherita is the original pizza, said to be named after Margherita of Savoy, Queen of Italy at the end of the 19th century. Fresh ripe beef tomatoes, sliced buffalo mozzarella and a handful of basil leaves are placed on a thin pizza base and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Baked for just a minute or two in a red-hot wood-fired oven, the result is a crispy, flavorful, melting delight that simply has to be experienced.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio e Peperoncino: – Here the quality of the ingredients can make the difference: very fresh garlic, top quality olive oil, homemade, or the best dried pasta you can find and dried or fresh chillies. Grate your Parmesan off the block and voila – for an extra treat add a handful of chopped fresh herbs, and there are a couple of other great additions you can use, but it doesn’t get much better than the original and simple recipe. Heaven on a plate.
Ratatouille or Pisto:- Known as Ratatouille Niçoise in the south of France and Pisto Manchego or Pisto Madrileño in Spain, this vegetable stew is versatile and full of Mediterranean flavors. The combination of onions, garlic, tomatoes, eggplant/aubergine, and zucchini/courgette makes a great side to grilled meats, chicken, or fish, and is just as good on its own. Top it off with fresh crusty bread as a hot tapa or eat it cold with a salad for a light lunch. Whichever way you eat it, it’s a fantastic and inexpensive Mediterranean dish.
Spanish Tortilla: – The Spanish omelette is ubiquitous in Spain. Every bar and restaurant will offer you one type of tortilla or another, and the basic potato tortilla is simple and easy to make when you get used to it. Practice a few times and you’ll quickly turn them like a pro. Once again, there are just a few cheap and cheerful basic ingredients:
in this case potatoes, onions, eggs and olive oil to fry. Any number of meats and vegetables can be added to the basic tortilla, including: peas, broad beans, asparagus, ham, chorizo, chicken and prawns. Up to you.
As you can see, these are just some of the simple and cheap Mediterranean dishes that you can easily make from scratch, so grab the bull by the horns and start your own Mediterranean cooking career today.
