Mediterranean Women Stay Slim, Too: Eating to Be Sexy, Fit, and Fabulous! (17 page)

This is the way meat is typically used in Mediterranean cuisine—as a flavoring in sauces, stews, or mixed in with vegetables and grains. Rarely is a hunk of meat the primary component in the meal. In the traditional Mediterranean, eating like this would be too costly. While people living in the Mediterranean in the 1950s often cited meat as the one food ingredient

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they would have
liked
more often, the reality for them was that meat was a luxury and an indulgence for special occasions.

In the United States, however, we have an abundance of meat and can usually purchase, prepare, and eat it whenever we want to. But this doesn’t mean that large quantities of meat are good for us. When I eat meat—which I only do about once a week, as is the Mediterranean way—I still like to be adventurous, and I like to offer adventurous choices to the diners in my restaurant, too. I offer free-range duck with orzo and figs, pecan and rosemary–crusted venison, or rabbit braised with Jack Daniels and prunes. I often serve lamb, which is common in Mediterranean cuisine, because it is a tender, flavorful, low-fat meat and because I can get fresh lamb right here in Maine. I also offer fish from local waters as an alternative to the ubiquitous salmon and grouper. I serve guinea hen or poussin instead of the standard chicken, and I even have a recipe for fried quail eggs. Not everybody jumps at these choices—people like to eat what they know—but courageous eaters can always find something exciting in my restaurant.

When I eat meat, I practice portion control. Nobody in the Mediterranean would think of eating a 16-ounce steak. Ridiculous!
Io non capisco
. Not only is meat expensive, but it is very filling and stays with you for a long time. You don’t need very much to feel satisfied. I eat maybe 4 ounces, as a balance to the grains and vegetables that make up the rest of the meal. I still think of meat as something special, a pleasure and an indulgence, not something to binge on, let alone feature as the main source of food.

Decades ago in the Mediterranean, women and their families couldn’t afford to indulge in meat every day, and thank goodness. Nutritionists studying the diet of the Mediterranean back in the 1950s credit the emphasis on plant foods with the area’s extremely low disease rates and high longevity. Just be-Madonna of Moderation

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cause we may be able to financially afford to live on hamburgers and filet mignon doesn’t mean we can physically afford to eat that way. I wouldn’t want to eat that way, either. These foods certainly aren’t my only love.

It all comes down to moderation. I’m all for pleasure. Food should fulfill us, indulge us, please us, and bring us into sensual harmony with the natural world. But the only way this works is if we remain balanced in what we take in. Rich animal foods—

even lean animal foods—are just a part of the great abundance and variety of foods available to us.

These recipes include meat, poultry, fish, or eggs as just one part of a beautifully composed dish with a variety of colors, textures, and plant foods.

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Charred Lamb Salad

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√Tender, flavorful lamb charred crispy on the outside and medium-rare on the inside makes vinaigrette-dressed salad greens into a hearty meal. The spices make this salad taste like something out of the eastern Mediterranean and make the small amount of lamb ultimately satisfying. Serve this salad with toasted pita or crusty bread. The pomegranate seeds add a nice crunch and crisp acidity to this salad. Try them as a garnish on other salads and grain dishes, too.

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1⁄2 teaspoon hot chili powder

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1⁄2 cup shaved carrots

1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut

1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin

into thin strips

1⁄4 teaspoon ground coriander

8 cups mixed greens

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Vinaigrette of choice, such as Chile-

1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

Lime Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

4 boneless lamb chops or cuts from leg

Pomegranate seeds for garnish

of lamb, about 5 ounces each

(optional)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1.
Mix the paprika, chili powder, cayenne, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper together. Set aside.

2.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Also preheat the grill on medium-high, or heat a cast iron or heavy sauté pan on medium-high.

3.
Rub the lamb with the olive oil, then roll each piece in the spice mixture to coat. Char on the grill, marking both sides, or in the pan, about 2 minutes on each side.

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4.
Transfer the lamb to a baking pan and bake in the oven for 10

minutes. Set aside to rest.

5.
In a large bowl, toss the mint, cilantro, carrots, bell peppers, and greens with the vinaigrette. Slice the lamb and arrange on top of the salad. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, if using.

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Chile-Lime Vinaigrette

M a k e s a b o u t 1 c u p

√This tangy, spicy vinaigrette enhances the rich mild lamb flavor and blends in an interesting way with the mint and cilantro in the salad itself. You can use it to dress any salad, particularly when you want to match rich flavors in other dishes. It tastes great on crisp vegetable slaws. Try it over shredded cabbage and carrots with celery root and scallions, or with shaved raw vegetables.

1⁄4 cup rice wine vinegar

Freshly squeezed juice from 1 large or

1 teaspoon sugar

2 small limes

2 peperoncini chiles, cored, seeded, and

Salt and pepper to taste

minced

1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

1.
Heat the rice vinegar, sugar, and chiles in a small saucepan over medium-high. When the mixture begins to boil, remove from the heat.

2.
Stir in lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Use like this, or whisk in the optional olive oil.

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Grilled Tenderloin of Beef

with Iowa Blue Cheese Potato Gratin, Caramelized Cipollini Onions, and Porcini Mushrooms

S e r v e s 4

√This meal sounds fancy and complicated, but it’s really just steak and potatoes with mushrooms and onions—a familiar American meal. The Mediterranean twist comes in the agrodulce flavoring of the onions (that classic Mediterranean combination of sweet and sour), fresh mushrooms, and the addition of blue cheese to the potato gratin. You don’t have to use Iowa’s Maytag blue cheese—you can use any blue cheese you can find near you. Fresh crumbly goat’s milk or sheep’s milk cheese would work, too. You can make the gratin ahead of time and reheat it.

FOR THE FILETS

FOR THE ONIONS

4 filet mignons, about

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 ounces each

1 pound cipollini or pearl onions, peeled

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper to

Salt and pepper to taste

taste

FOR THE GRATIN

FOR THE MUSHROOMS

4 large Yukon Gold potatoes

1 pound fresh porcini, portobello, or

1 cup heavy cream, milk, or chicken

shiitake mushrooms, threaded on

stock

skewers

1⁄2 cup crumbled Maytag blue cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

chopped chives

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FOR THE FILETS

Preheat the grill to high or preheat the broiler. Rub the filets with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness, about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. (You will also be grilling or broiling the mushrooms at the same time.) FOR THE MUSHROOMS

Brush the mushrooms with the olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Grill the mushrooms along with the filet until grill-marked and tender, about 10 minutes. Finish with a sprinkling of lemon juice.

FOR THE GRATIN

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and slice the potatoes so that the slices are about 1⁄8 inch thick.

2.
Place the potato slices in a bowl with the heavy cream, blue cheese, salt, pepper, and thyme. Toss gently to coat well.

3.
Layer the potatoes in a baking dish or deep cast iron skillet.

Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, then check the tenderness of the potatoes; bake longer if necessary.

4.
Remove the foil and bake 15 more minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

FOR THE ONIONS

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the olive oil in a heavy ovenproof skillet. Add the onions and cook until caramelized, 4–5 minutes. Add the butter and season with the salt and pepper.

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2.
Place the skillet in the oven and bake until soft, 10–20 minutes, turning the onions occasionally.

TO ASSEMBLE

Divide the gratin between four plates. Top each gratin with a filet, then garnish with the onions and mushrooms. Serve with a large green salad or wilted greens.

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Guinea Hen Risotto

in Honey-Roasted Acorn Squash

S e r v e s 4

√Risotto is comfort food. This unusual version is flavored with guinea hen and is served in sweetened acorn squash decorated with vegetables. This meal is easier to prepare than it sounds, although it takes a little time. If you can’t find or don’t want to use guinea hen, you can substitute chicken legs, or even rabbit legs. You can also substitute finely grated good-quality Parmesan cheese for the pecorino.

FOR THE ACORN SQUASH

1 onion, peeled and chopped

3 tablespoons honey

2 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 acorn squash, halved and seeded

2 tablespoons tomato puree

Salt and pepper to taste

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups dry white wine

2 sprigs fresh thyme

FOR THE GUINEA HEN

2 bay leaves

4 guinea hen legs or chicken legs

1 teaspoon peppercorns

Salt and pepper to taste

1 quart chicken stock or broth

FOR THE ACORN SQUASH

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the honey and butter until melted.

2.
Put the squash in a roasting pan. Brush the squash with about half the honey butter. Season with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

3.
Bake the squash for 25 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and brush immediately with the remaining honey butter.

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FOR THE GUINEA HEN

1.
Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Season the guinea hen legs with salt and pepper. Sear them on both sides until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the same pan you used for the guinea hen, add the onions, celery, and carrots, stirring constantly until they begin to caramelize.

3.
Add the tomato puree and garlic. Continue cooking and stirring, 4–5 minutes.

4.
Add the wine and mix well, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers. Allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.

5.
Place the guinea hen legs in a baking pan. Cover with the simmering liquid, then cover the pan with foil. Bake until tender, approximately 1–11⁄2 hours.

6.
Remove the guinea hen legs from the liquid and set aside.

Strain the sauce back into the saucepan and continue to cook over medium-high heat until it is reduced by one-third, about 10

minutes.

7.
Pull the meat from the leg bones and set aside.

FOR THE RISOTTO

Guinea hen meat pulled from bones

1 quart chicken stock or broth

from previous directions

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 carrot, peeled, blanched in boiling

1⁄4 cup unsalted butter

salted water for 3 minutes, and diced

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 pound fresh spinach, roughly

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

chopped

14 ounces Arborio rice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

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FOR THE RISOTTO

1.
Put the stock in a large saucepan and heat on medium until it simmers. Keep it at a simmer.

2.
In a separate large saucepan over medium heat, combine the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions and cook until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes.