GAZPACHO HISTORY: While gazpacho has become synonymous with cold soup, it’s actually one of the oldest recipes in the Mediterranean. It hails originally from Andalusia and traditional recipes always include stale bread. Indeed, it is one of the countless recipes for sauces, soups, and condiments throughout the Mediterranean that make use of leftover, old bread […]
WHY CHICKPEA PASTA IS SO GOOD FOR US! Chickpea pasta, a relative newcomer to the pasta aisle, is, simply put, a nutritional powerhouse! Although about 60% of the total calories in chickpea pasta are made up of carbs, they’re good carbs, complex, in other words, which help you stay fuller longer. This pasta is also […]
FRESH VS FROZEN OKRA: If using fresh okra, take a paring knife and trim the rim around the top part of the okra, just beneath the stem. Place the okra in a colander and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Toss and let stand for about a half hour. Rinse and drain. If […]
FISH SOUP TIPS: I’ve recommended fish fillets in this recipe to make the job of making the soup a little easier – fewer bones, for one! Typically, fishermen’s soups like this call for all the fish not suitable for sale when the catch comes in because they might be ripped or town or somehow not […]
REPLACING NUTS WITH SEEDS Nuts are such an important and nutritious component of the Mediterranean diet, and, of course, of the way people eat and snack in the Blue Zones. Yes, so many people are now allergic to nuts that consuming them can be problematic. Nuts aren’t just nutrition powerhouses; they also provide great texture, […]
Cukes for Health: Cucumbers are so often an after thought in salads, mild in flavor, and in almost all water. But they’re also surprisingly nutritious, from skin to seed. They’re a great source of Vitamin K and a pretty good source of Vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. This recipe is a kind of “poor […]
Why Avocado? Avocados, especially when ripe, provide a buttery mouthfeel thanks to their high (and healthy) fat content. They make a great substitute for all those really fatty and caloric salad dressings that so many of us may have grown up with. This is a great dressing for green salads but it’s also surprisingly delicious […]