My Mediterranean Game Day Meal

By the time the Super Bowl comes along, many people are struggling to maintain their "New Year, New You" eating goals.  When the weather is still cold, most fans crave comfort foods which aren't so good for our health.  I was concerned that if I labeled these recipes healthful, no one would want to include them on their Super Bowl party menu. The following three recipes, however, are fan favorites which I personally prepare so often, that I take them for granted. Combined, they make up a complete meal that tastes great and won't derail your New Years resolutions.
 If you are looking for more snack ideas, check out my previous Five Mediterranean Recipes Perfect for Game Day post.

A few weeks ago, however, I prepared these recipes for a Corporate Wellness event that Dr. Sam Pappas and I held discussing the Mediterranean lifestyle. Everyone loved the dishes, and commented that even though they are healthful, they taste good enough for their family and friends to want to eat them regularly. Since the dishes can be prepared in advance and travel well, I think they are perfect for modern entertaining.

The Mediterranean Diet promotes "everything in moderation" - an ancient Greek quote which is inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. There is nothing completely "off limits" - we are just advised to make up the majority of our meals with the foods that are best for us - and enjoy the less nutritious dishes on occasion. 

Since the Super Bowl comes around only once a year, it's on a Sunday, and people have happy food memories attached to it, I recommend serving the one or two dishes that everyone really looks forward to, and, if you are so inclined, serve these dishes along with them.  That way, everyone gets to savor the flavors they love while trying new tasty and comforting dishes. If you've never hosted a Game Day party - or other mid-winter gathering, try this menu the way it is.  You'll be surprised at how many people respond favorably to the food without even thinking about how nutritious it is.  Best of all, they work well any day of the week! Watch this video to learn more about the Mediterranean lifestyle. Be sure to follow us on our #CulinaryMedLife social media handles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily culinary medicine inspiration as well.

FARMHOUSE VEGETABLE AND FARRO SOUP/(ZUPPA DI VERDURE E FARRO)

Serves: 6 | Serving Size: 1 cup
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Recipe from The Italian Diabetes Cookbook by Amy Riolo. The now-fashionable grain farro has been enjoyed for millennia in Italy. Farro is a generic Italian term for hulled wheat, but it usually refers to hulled emmer wheat or spelt. For a gluten-free version of this soup, use barley instead of farro. You can use canned cannellini beans in this recipe if you’d like, but be sure to rinse and drain the beans first.

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, preferably olio Geraci or  Trappeto di Capriccio

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped leek

1/2 cup chopped carrot

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup uncooked farro, rinsed and drained, or barley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups Homemade Chicken or Vegetable Stock (pages 289, 287)
OR 1 (14.5-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1 sprig thyme

2 cups chopped baby spinach

2 cups cooked cannellini beans (see Dried Beans recipe on page 283)

1 (14.5-ounce) can reduced-sodium diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1. Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, leek, carrot, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in 2 cups water, farro, salt, pepper, stock, bay leaves, and thyme, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add spinach, beans, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves and serve. Garnish each serving with cheese.

•Italian Living Tradition•

In addition to being used in soups, cooked farro can be cooled and tossed into salads or mixed with cooked vegetables for a side dish. One of my favorite ways to serve it is tossed with pesto sauce, slightly blanched string beans, and cherry tomatoes.

WineSangiovese

Choices/Exchanges 1 1/2 Starch, 4 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

Calories 230 | Calories from Fat 25

Total Fat 3g | Saturated Fat 0.8g | Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 180mg

Potassium 815mg

Total Carbohydrate 42g | Dietary Fiber 8g | Sugars 6g

Protein 13g

Phosphorus 230mg

Silky Hummus with Yogurt and Pomegranate Seeds/Hummus bil tahini wa zabadi

This recipe is from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Amy Riolo. You can find a recipe for traditional hummus on her YouTube channel. If you are a fan of traditional hummus, you’ll love this extra creamy version studded with pretty, ruby-colored pomegranate seeds. You can make large quantities of this hummus and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

1 cup cooked or no-salt-added canned chickpeas 

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons tahini (sesame purée)

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling, preferably olio Geraci or Trappeto di Capriccio

½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt or salt

¼  cup (115 g) plain Greek or plain, full-fat yogurt

Handful of pomegranate seeds 

Place the chickpeas in a food processor, reserving a few for garnish. Add the garlic, tahini, olive oil, and salt to the food processor. Purée until smooth.

Add water, tablespoon by tablespoon, to get a creamy consistency. You should need less than 2 Tablespoons in total. Scrape down the sides of the food processor, add the yogurt, and purée for 1 to 2 additional minutes. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. 

Scoop the hummus onto a medium-size plate. Smooth out the top and make a dent in the middle. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top.

Yield: 2 servings

Mediterranean Tradition 

Serve dips and purées with raw vegetable crudités instead of bread for a more nutritious snack or appetizer. 

Herb and Goat Cheese Vegetable Dip/Pâte de Fromage de Chèvre aux Herbes Fraîches

This recipe is from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Amy Riolo. Despite its nutritional richness, goat’s milk generally has a lower cheese yield than cow’s milk, and goat cheeses are less suited to aging. Each different breed of goat and the terrain of the pastures they graze in are responsible for a wide variety of different cheese flavors. This mixture is also fantastic to use as a stuffing for grilled portobello mushrooms.

8 ounces (226 g) soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)

4 tablespoons (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided (preferably olio Geraci or  Trappeto di Caprafico)

3 tablespoons (45 g) plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Assorted raw vegetables or pita chips

Combine the goat cheese, oil, and yogurt in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Mix in the chives, parsley, mint, thyme, and rosemary. Season dip to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until the dip is cold and flavors blend, 3 hours to overnight, and keep chilled until serving. Serve with vegetables.

Yield: 6 servings (about 1 1/2 cups)

Mediterranean Tradition 

In addition to the soft, fresh goat cheese most available in the West, goat milk, which is easier for most people to digest, is used by itself and combined with sheep’s milk to make yogurt, ricotta, feta, manchego, queso cabrales, and many other kinds of cheese in the southern and eastern portions of the Mediterranean.