Sample Recipes from around the Mediterranean

Italy - Goat Cheese, Tomato, and Basil Pizza

1 (12 inch) pizza crust 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 garlic clove, minced 

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 

2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced 

1/2 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings 

3 tablespoons ripe olives, pitted, sliced 

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled 

1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano, crushed or 1 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 tablespoon fresh basil, torn or 1 teaspoon dried basil 

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts 

Place pizza crust on a lightly greased baking sheet. In small mixing bowl combine olive oil, garlic, and pepper. Brush generously over the crust. Bake in a 400*F. oven for 5 minutes.

Arrange tomato slices (not overlapping them) in a circular pattern on top of the pizza crust; top with the sliced onion and olives.

Crumble the goat cheese over the tomato slices; sprinkle with oregano and basil. Bake in the 400*F. oven 8 minutes longer, or until warm and cheese softens. Remove pizza from the oven; sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Cut into wedges and serve. Enjoy!

Libya − Halawah Bil−Fawaaki

2 large plums, diced

1 large apple, peeled, cored, and diced

2 medium peaches, diced

1 cup diced cantaloupe

1/4 cup raisins

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup honey, melted

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup couscous

2 tablespoons crushed pistachios

Combine, plums, apple, peaches, cantaloupe, raisins, lemon juice, and honey in a saucepan; then cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add butter, cinnamon and couscous. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until couscous is done.

Transfer to a serving bowl and allow to cool for 1 hour. Sprinkle

with pistachios just before serving.

France - Chèvre chaud sur toast et sa salade (Warm goat's Cheese on toast and lettuce)

4 individual creamy goat’s cheeses

4 farmhouse bread slices

10 large lettuce leaves

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon vinegar

Salt and pepper

Wash and dry the lettuce.  On a chopping block, crumple a few pieces of lettuce together and cut into thin strips.  Place onto individual serving dishes.

Pre-heat oven to grill position. Place one goat’s cheese on each bread slice. To make vinaigrette, mix salt and pepper with mustard; slowly add the vinegar and then finally the oil, always mixing.

When ready to serve, put the bread and cheese in the oven to grill for about 5-10 minutes.  The cheese should just begin to get warm and slightly melt.  In the meantime, dash the vinaigrette over the lettuce strips.  When the cheese is ready, put the toast on the lettuce and serve immediately.  This is also delicious topped with a walnut half or parsley.  

Morocco – Chicken with lemon, mint, and almonds

1 chicken, cut into serving pieces 

10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 

1 cup fresh mint leaves 

3 lemons, juice of 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

Salt & freshly ground black pepper 

1/2 cup dry white wine 

2/3 cup chicken broth 

1/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted 

Combine the chicken, garlic, 2/3 cup of the mint, the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a plastic container. Cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight, or up to 2 days. Remove chicken from marinade and wipe dry. Reserve the marinade.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Add the chicken legs, thighs and wings; sauté 20 to 25 minutes, turning several times. Add the breast pieces and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the chicken and keep warm.

Discard the fat in the pan, then add the wine and cook over high heat until reduced by half, stirring to incorporate the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth and reserved marinade and cook over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup. Taste for seasoning, and then pour the sauce over chicken. Garnish with almonds and the remaining mint.

Spain- Paella (for 6)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped

½ red pepper, boiled until soft and then cut into long thin strips

2 medium-sized tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

100g peas, cooked

200g prawns (if using cooked prawns substitute fish stock for the water)

200g small clams

200g squid

12 mussels

350g rice (Bomba rice is recommended)

2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

a pinch of saffron strands (if you can’t get saffron, use yellow food coloring instead and add it once you have added the liquid)

a sprig of parsley, finely chopped

olive oil

about 800ml water

Prepare in advance:

Mussels: Wash the mussels, removing the beards. Throw away any that don’t shut on contact with water.

Fresh Squid: Rub off the outer dark skin. Pull out the insides (including the transparent back bone) and pinch the eye away from the tentacles. Save the tentacles. Cut the squid into rings.

Clams: Wash in water and then put in a bowl with some salt so that the grit comes out. Throw away any that are open.

Prawns: Whether you peel them or not is up to you. If you decide to peel them, save the shells and boil in water for about ten minutes. Save the liquid and add later instead of water.

Garlic: In a pestle and mortar, grind the garlic, saffron (if using), parsley and a pinch of salt.

Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, green pepper and carrot and fry gently for about five minutes. Add the chopped tomato and squid (with the tentacles) and fry on a low heat for another ten minutes.

Add the rice and stir well to make sure that it is thoroughly coated. Add water (or the water from boiling the prawn shells or fish stock if using frozen fish), clams and the garlic/saffron/parsley mixture and bring to the boil. Season with salt. Put a lid on it, turn the heat right down and cook very slowly for about ten minutes. Add the prawns and peas and give it a stir. Arrange the mussels and strips of red pepper artistically on top, put the lid back on and leave for another ten minutes - checking that it has enough water. If you think it is getting too dry, add more water, but shake the handle of the pan rather than stir so as not to upset the pattern. Once the rice is cooked and the mussels have opened, it is ready to eat.

Syria − Koosa

6 small zucchini (or 3 large cut in half)

1/2 pound ground lamb (or beef)

1/4 cup uncooked rice

2 pressed garlic cloves

1 minced onion

2 teaspoons salt, divided into 2 one teaspoon portions

1 8−oz. can tomato sauce

3 cups water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Wash zucchinis and cut green caps off.

Core each zucchini with a coring knife, scooping out insides.

Save the insides and set aside.

Mix lamb (or beef), rice, garlic, onion and 1 teaspoon salt.

Knead well. Stuff each zucchini with the meat mixture.

If you have more meat mixture than zucchini, make meatballs out of the remaining stuffing. In the bottom of a 5−quart pot, place the insides of the carved zucchinis, and then arrange the stuffed zucchini on top of them. Add remaining salt, tomato sauce, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil on high heat.

Reduce to medium heat and cook for 20 minutes, or until tender.

Serve with rice or bread.

Greece − Souvlaki

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 cloves garlic, crushed

4 pounds boneless pork tenderloin

2 green peppers, cut into 1 inch squares

2 yellow onions, cut into 1 inch squares

Tzaziki (recipe follows)

In a large plastic or glass bowl, mix together lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, oregano, and garlic. Add pork, onions, and green pepper; stir to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for2 to 3 hours. Preheat grill for medium high heat. Slide pork, pepper, and onion onto skewers. When a fine gray ash covers the coals, begin grilling the kabobs. Cook about 10 to 15 minutes total; turn the skewers frequently. Serve on pita bread with Tzaziki spooned on top.

Tzaziki

2 cups plain full fat yogurt

2 teaspoons pureed very fresh garlic

1 teaspoon salt

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and grated

on large holes of grater

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Drain yogurt for 1 hour in a cheesecloth lined strainer to remove some of its water. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt over the grated cucumber and drain, 10 to 15 minutes, to extract excess water. Add drained cucumber to yogurt, along with pepper, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with mint leaves.