The best diet in the world – 4 simple and tasty Mediterranean recipes to start off 2023 right

Spanning 22 countries and a variety of cultures, the fertile lands around the Mediterranean Sea provide a bounty that has helped to shape some of the healthiest cuisines in the world. Based around fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil, and fish, the ranking experts have called the Mediterranean diet one of the most delicious, in addition to being flexible, satiating, and intuitive. If you are looking for something new, as well as a way to start the new year off in a healthy way, why not give these tasty recipes a try?

Pour yourself a glass of wine, put on Joan Manuel Serrat’s “Mediterráneo” and allow these four Mediterranean recipes – from Andalusia to Egypt – from renowned chefs to transport you from your dining table to the verdant hills and turquoise waters of this region.

Flamenco style eggs

Acclaimed Spanish chef José Pizarro reinterprets this famous Andalusian dish of mysterious origin. Huevos a la flamenca, according to Pizarro, are perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Ingredients (serves 4 people)

• Olive oil for frying
• 1 berenjena cortada en cubitos1 eggplant cut into cubes
• 150 g diced cooking chorizo (optional)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• A hardy pinch of chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 600 g large ripe vine tomatoes, chopped
• 2 roasted red peppers or 4 piquillo peppers, diced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 free-range eggs
• Crusty bread to serve

Steps

1. Pour 5 ml of olive oil into a frying pan over medium heat and when hot gently cook the eggplant for 10 minutes, until golden brown and tender. Remove eggplant from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the chorizo to the pan and fry until golden brown and all the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the onion to the pan, drizzle with a little extra oil if you didn’t use the chorizo and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Then add the garlic, chili flakes, and cumin seeds, and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the tomatoes and peppers.
4. Return the eggplant and chorizo to the pan along with a splash of water and season well. Simmer until the sauce is delicious and thick, about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Pour the mixture into an ovenproof ceramic dish, spreading evenly. Make 4 wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each. Place the dish in the oven to bake for 15 minutes, until the eggs are set.
6. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Pomegranate Fattoush Salad

Award-winning North London food writer, cook, and presenter Georgina Hayden tells her journey through the love of salads, especially fattoush, in this vegan recipe. Hayden, who is the daughter of first-generation Greek Cypriot parents, told The Guardian that this famous Lebanese dish “is a perfect vehicle for a slightly stale pita given a new lease on life in a crunchy, spicy and sweet salad.”

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)

• 2 pita breads
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ pomegranate
• 500 g ripe tomatoes of various colors
• 1 small or ½ large cucumber
• 6 spring onions
• 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
• 6 radishes
• 1 romaine lettuce or 2 gem lettuces
• 1 teaspoon sumac

Steps

1. Heat oven to 160°C/ 200°F. Open pitas like a book and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the oregano on top to season. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly golden and crisp. Let cool for 10 minutes. Then cut them into pieces.
2. While the pita is in the oven, make the dressing. Whisk or shake the 2 tablespoons of oil, the pomegranate molasses, and the lemon juice. Peel and crush the garlic clove with the flat part of the knife and add it to the dressing. Season generously with salt and pepper, mix, then set aside. Remove and set aside the pomegranate seeds.
3. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, then trim and dice the cucumber (if you’re using a large cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the middle). Thinly slice the spring onions, and finely chop the parsley. Thinly slice the radishes. Trim and coarsely chop the lettuce. Mix everything together with the dressing (discarding the garlic) and spread it over the toasted pita bread and pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle with sumac.

Buckwheat and Ricotta Pancakes with Preserved Lemon Salsa

Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi has been recognized for revolutionizing Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food in the UK. Raised in Jerusalem, Ottolenghi has made the flavors of the region more desirable and accessible than ever. In this recipe, Ottolenghi recommends using buckwheat groats for the batter instead of buckwheat flour, as it has a more intense flavor, as well as a more interesting texture.

Ingredients (serves 4 people)

For the pancakes:

• 150 g uncooked buckwheat groats, soaked in plenty of cold water for 3-4 hours (any less and it won’t soften enough, any longer and it’ll disintegrate)
• 150 ml of whole milk
• 20 g of finely grated Parmesan
• 50 g basil leaves
• 30 g dill
• 2 eggs (whites and yolks separated)
• Salt and black pepper
• 140 g ricotta (or just 60g if served with fried eggs)
• 40 g unsalted butter for frying

For the lemon salsa

• 60 ml of white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sumac
• ¾ teaspoon powdered sugar
• Finely shaved rind of 1 lime
• 1 garlic clove, roughly crushed with the flat of a knife but not peeled
• ½ red onion, peeled and sliced 2 to 3mm thick
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 1-2 small preserved lemons, flesh trimmed and discarded, skin cut into 0.5cm cubes
• 10 g chopped cilantro leaves

Steps

1. Start with the salsa. Combine the vinegar, sumac, sugar, lime zest, garlic, and onion in a medium bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let sit for at least three hours (preferably overnight).
2. To make the pancake batter, put the buckwheat groats, milk, Parmesan cheese, basil, dill, and egg yolks in a food processor with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix at high speed until smooth; then, pour into a large bowl, add 60 g of ricotta and set aside. Don’t worry if the dough discolors after a few minutes, it will shine again once fried.
3. To make the pancake batter, put the buckwheat groats, milk, Parmesan cheese, basil, dill, and egg yolks in a food processor with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix at high speed until smooth; then, pour into a large bowl, add 60 g of ricotta and set aside. Don’t worry if the dough discolors after a few minutes, it will shine again once fried.
4. Drain the pickled onions, discarding the lime skin and garlic, and place in a medium bowl with the oil, preserved lemon, cilantro, and a generous pinch of pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.
5. Melt 10 g butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. You’ll need about three tablespoons of batter per pancake, and you’ll need to cook them in batches of two or three at a time, spaced well apart. Once the pancakes are in the pan, fry them for about four minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown on both sides. Then, transfer them to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Keep the pan warm as you repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter as needed. If you plan to top the pancakes with fried eggs, do so once all the batter is cooked.
6. Serve two to three warm pancakes per serving with the salsa and remaining ricotta on the side. Add a final drizzle of olive oil and a generous pinch of pepper.

Fried zucchini and tomatoes with garlic vinegar

Meedu Saad, head chef at trendy London restaurant Kiln, connects with her Egyptian heritage and the kitchens of Cairo with this family recipe made by her father. A dish that transports us to a warm summer afternoon by the Suez Canal with a glass of wine. This recipe can be eaten by itself or accompany grilled fish.

Ingredients (serves 1 to 2 people)

• 1 tomato
• 2 zucchinis
• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
• 100 ml of sherry vinegar
• 100 ml olive oil, plus enough to fry the zucchini
• 20 g green herbs, such as dill and flat-leaf parsley
• sea salt to taste

Steps

1. Cut the tomato into very thin slices. Oxheart tomato is best, but any kind will do as long as it’s ripe and sweet.
2. Cut the zucchini lengthwise and fry in olive oil, turning until golden. While the zucchini slices are still warm, begin layering them along with the tomato on a plate; the residual heat from the zucchini will soften the tomato.
3. In a small skillet, heat a little oil, approximately 100 ml, and add the garlic; don’t let it brown, just soften. Turn off the heat and add the vinegar to the pan, then while it’s still hot, pour it over the tomatoes and zucchini.
4. Finish with some sea salt and chopped herbs.