Mediterranean Women Stay Slim, Too: Eating to Be Sexy, Fit, and Fabulous! (20 page)

Taste and add more seasonings if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Classic Fondue

S e r v e s 6 t o 8 a s a n a p p e t i z e r , 4 t o 6 a s a m e a l

√Fondue is a fun family activity as well as a filling meal if you include plenty of variety in the elements you use for dipping—

whole-grain breads, raw or steamed vegetables, and juicy fruits. Use the very best cheese and good wine. Fondue makes a good holiday dish. You might make it a family tradition. If you don’t have the kind of fondue pot that you can move on and off the burner, make the fondue in a saucepan first, then transfer it to the preheated fondue pot. Or you can put the fondue in a heatproof ceramic bowl in a stand over a candle flame.

1 garlic clove, peeled and halved

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pound freshly grated Gruyère cheese

Pinch of nutmeg (fresh grated is best)

1⁄2 pound freshly grated Emmental

Dipping items of choice, such as cubed

cheese (or a good Swiss cheese)

bread, bread sticks, toasted

11⁄2 cups dry white wine (such as

baguette slices, boiled purple and

Neufchâtel)

red bliss potatoes, red pepper strips,

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon

cucumber spears, apple slices, pear

juice

slices, pineapple spears, celery

4 teaspoons cornstarch

sticks

11⁄2 tablespoons kirsch or other brandy

1.
Use an unglazed fondue pot. Rub the inside of the pot with the garlic.

2.
Combine the cheeses, wine, lemon juice, and cornstarch in the pot.

3.
On the stove over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon in a figure 8 motion until the cheese melts. Stir in the kirsch, pepper,
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and nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, until smooth and creamy, then transfer the pot to a fondue burner.

4.
Serve with a variety of dipping items. Be sure to stir as you dunk!

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Artichokes with Lemon Aioli

S e r v e s 4

√Artichokes are so unusual in appearance and in the way they are eaten that they can seduce even itinerant vegetable haters.

The tender flesh is really irresistible. Placing several artichokes at different spots on the family table for people to share is a sure conversation starter as everyone compares their opinions on this spiky vegetable and takes turns tearing off the leaves and dipping them. When you get to the hairy-looking choke, scrape it off and pare it away to reveal the heart, which can then be divvied up for happy consumption. You can serve a variety of dips with artichokes—as simple as olive oil and lemon juice, melted butter with lime juice, or tomato sauce, or as complex as a fancy French béarnaise sauce. I like this tangy lemon aioli, a favorite Mediterranean condiment that is so much nicer than mayonnaise.

4 medium artichokes

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 cup dry white wine

1⁄2 teaspoon black peppercorns

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

2 bay leaves

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Lemon Aioli (recipe follows)

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare the artichokes: Cut off the top thorny tip (about 1 inch from the top) using a serrated knife, and cut off the bottom of the stem. Pull off the tough outer leaves. Trim the outer layer of skin around the bottom with a sharp paring knife.

2.
Place the artichokes upside down in a deep casserole dish and add the rest of the ingredients except the lemon aioli, plus
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enough water to cover the artichokes. Cover and bake until the bottoms are tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.

3.
Remove the artichokes from the baking pan and serve each artichoke with a dollop of lemon aioli or use it on the side as a dipping sauce.

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Lemon Aioli

M a k e s 2 c u p s

√Use this classic French condiment instead of mayonnaise. You’ll never go back. It is also delicious on cold fish, cold meat, hard-boiled eggs, and grilled vegetables. If you can find Meyer’s lemons, they make an excellent aioli, but any fresh lemons will do.

3 egg yolks

11⁄2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon

Zest of 2 lemons

juice, plus more if needed

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely

Salt and white pepper to taste

minced

1.
Process the egg yolks and Dijon mustard together in a food processor. Stir in the lemon zest and garlic.

2.
Slowly drizzle in some of the olive oil as the food processor is running. When the mixture thickens slightly, begin alternating a few drops of the olive oil with a few drops of the lemon juice, until the aioli is the consistency of mayonnaise.

3.
Season with salt and pepper. If the aioli is too thick, add more lemon juice. If it tastes too acidic, thin it with a little water.

Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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Yellow Velvet Soup

S e r v e s 4 t o 6

√In the Mediterranean, a soup course is often served between the appetizer course and the pasta course. You can use this soup as a course or as the centerpiece of the meal with a big salad. Fresh-picked ingredients make this soup extra special. The heavy cream adds to the velvety texture, but plain milk will make a less filling soup that will still taste good. I don’t use olive oil in this soup because it could overwhelm the delicate flavors—canola oil is a good, mild alternative with similar health benefits to olive oil.

11⁄2 tablespoons canola oil

11⁄2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

2 small or 1 large yellow squash,

1 quart vegetable stock or broth

peeled and diced

1⁄2 cup heavy cream or milk

4 sweet corn ears, kernels cut off the cob

Salt and pepper to taste

1.
Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add the squash and corn, cooking 4–5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and bay leaf, cooking 2 more minutes.

2.
Add the vegetable stock and bring the soup to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the soup simmer until all the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.

3.
Add the cream and bring the soup back to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool slightly, remove the bay leaf, and then puree with an immersion blender, or in small batches in a regular blender or food processor.

4.
Strain the soup through a large-holed sieve. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve warm.

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Pasta Alla Puttanesca

S e r v e s 4 t o 6

√This is pasta sauce “harlot” style, a robust southern Italian tomato sauce usually made with tomatoes, garlic, chile peppers, capers, olives, anchovies, and oregano. The reference to prosti-tutes supposedly suggests this was a sauce quickly made between clients. It is most often associated with Naples and Calabria, although versions are found throughout Italy (and for that matter, the United States). Harlots notwithstanding, this is a great sauce for Americans who may be similarly rushed in their daily schedules, even if for different reasons! Enjoy it as a pasta course for a big family dinner or as the main course.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup gaeta, niçoise, or kalamata

5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

olives, pitted and chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 tablespoons capers

flakes

10 fresh or canned anchovy fillets,

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

rinsed, patted dry, and chopped

2 cups tubular pasta

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

3 cups tomato sauce

Caperberries for garnish, optional

1.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes, but do not brown. Add the red pepper flakes and tomatoes, and cook 2 more minutes.

2.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions.

3.
Add the tomato sauce, olives, 2 tablespoons of the capers, and the anchovies to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes until the flavors begin to meld together. Add the oregano, salt, and pepper.

Serve over the hot pasta and garnish with the remaining 2

tablespoons capers or caperberries.

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Atlantic Salmon and Green Garlic

Baked in Parchment Paper with Fine Herbs

S e r v e s 4

√The idea of a fish course after pasta and soup and before a meat course, cheese course, and dessert sounds a little overwhelming to most Americans, but remember that in the traditional Mediterranean each course is very small and the family cook might spend most of the day preparing the meal. Most of us don’t have the time for that sort of thing. This dish makes a perfect feature and takes just enough time to prepare that you feel you really put forth an effort to produce a quality meal. It’s fun to unwrap the little paper packets to reveal the salmon redolent with green garlic. Serve with a big salad, crusty bread, and a light red table wine or a rich white wine for a complete menu—

although the soup or pasta course in this chapter would be nice to serve first, if you are so inspired.

4 sheets parchment paper (at least

4 tablespoons dry white wine

12
×
12 inches)

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 wild or organically farm-raised

Salt and pepper to taste

salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each

1 cup chopped fresh chervil, parsley,

4 stalks green garlic, thinly sliced (if

chives, and tarragon

you can’t find green garlic,

4 teaspoons unsalted butter

substitute 4 small leeks or

scallions, tops and bottoms)

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Fold each sheet of parchment paper in half, and cut a heart shape approximately 3–4 inches bigger (when folded in half) than your salmon fillet.

2.
Unfold the parchment and place a fillet near the fold. Place a handful of green garlic next to it. Drizzle each fillet with wine
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and olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs. Top with a pat of butter. Fold the edges of the parchment paper up tightly.

3.
Place the paper packets on a baking sheet and bake 10–15

minutes, or until the parchment paper is puffed and slightly brown. Remove from the oven and open carefully onto dinner plates, allowing the steam to safely escape. Serve hot.

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Lentil Roast

S e r v e s 4

√Many Mediterranean meals are vegetarian, not because the people living in the Mediterranean have an aversion to meat, but because meat is considered a luxury. This hearty loaf, reminiscent of meat loaf, is made mostly of plant foods. It is delicious, warming, and comforting. Best of all, you will feel light and energetic after eating it rather than weighed down. Serve with Parsnip Mashed Potatoes (recipe follows), your favorite grilled or sautéed vegetables, and a salad.

1 cup red lentils

41⁄2 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped

2 cups vegetable stock or broth

11⁄2 cups fresh whole-wheat bread

1 bay leaf

crumbs

2 teaspoons dried whole-wheat bread

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley,

crumbs

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon

2 cups grated sharp cheese, such as

juice

sharp Cheddar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 leek, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large saucepan, combine the lentils, vegetable stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a gentle simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat. Remove the bay leaf and set aside.

2.
Sprinkle the dried bread crumbs into a 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan.

3.
Stir the cheese, leeks, mushrooms, fresh bread crumbs, and parsley into the lentils. Combine the lemon juice and eggs in a small bowl and beat well. Stir them into the lentil mixture and combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper.

4.
Spoon the lentil mixture into the loaf pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 1 hour. Slice and serve.

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Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

S e r v e s 4

√These are sweeter and more interesting in flavor than plain mashed potatoes. Use milk instead of cream if you want a lighter version. You can also use olive oil instead of butter for a slightly different flavor.