Tag Archives: Mediterranean

Win an olive tree and take the Med diet challenge with free recipes

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London: As the autumn days get shorter and darker, the prospect of living in sunnier pastures becomes all the more enticing. Whilst the majority of Brits go on holiday more than their parents did in their day, this is not enough for nearly two thirds of the population who dream of settling abroad.

Increasing numbers of Brits are opting for sunnier pastures with the majority tempted by a more relaxed and healthy lifestyle, according to a new survey by Italian food specialist Bertolli.

In the non-stop world of the 21st century, we are bombarded with new ways to stay healthy but sometimes they just seem to make life more complicated. It is unsurprising then that the most popular destination for those wishing to relocate was Italy. Why worry, when you could just sit back, relax and be inspired by the common sense of the traditional Mediterranean diet – a huge 95% of those asked agree that it’s healthier than the British diet after all.

We may not all be culinary experts yet 62% of us try to incorporate ingredients from foreign holidays into our everyday diet. However, 81% also agree that they’re never quite able to replicate the food we’ve had on holiday! Italian dishes such as risotto and pasta were the most popular for those trying their hand at foreign cuisine.

As well as fruit, vegetables, grains, and fresh fish, olive oil is an essential component of Italian cuisine – the olive tree is so full of goodness, its oil has been part of the traditional Mediterranean diet for thousands of years. Even though us Brits might not be able to enjoy every aspect of the Mediterranean lifestyle, you can enjoy a touch of olive oil in your diet with ease.

To win a beautiful olive tree for your own home, (UK residents only) simply email your answer the following question to readeroffer@elixirnews.com

Q What is Bertolli spread made from?
A. sunflower oil
B. olive oil
C. sesame seed oil

Rules: The prize: 1 beautiful olive tree (worth £50) – there is no cash equivalent available. The Editor’s decision is final. Competition closes 30 September 2007. The emails will be entered into a draw.

For more information visit www.bertolli.com

Healthy Mediterranean Recipes by Diane Seed
­Scallops Adriatic style­ (Capesante alla Adriatica)

Along the Adriatic coast that are small, tasty scallops cooked very simply so that their good flavour is not masked by other ingredients.

18 scallops 3 T freshly chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic 3 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T bread crumbs salt & black pepper

1 lemon

Heat the oven to 180 C. Heat the oil and gently fry the finely chopped garlic. When it begins to turn colour remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. If the scallops are large cut in half, if not leave whole and allow 3 per serving. Arrange on a shell, season and spoon on a little garlic mixture, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Put them in the hot oven until they are golden brown. Remove and serve immediately.

Ricotta fritters (Frittelle di ricotta)

A very delicious, easy sweet dish from Basilicata

500 g ricotta cheese

4 eggs 1 T grated lemon and orange rind

4 T sugar 2 T brandy or fruit liqueur

4 T flour olive oil for deep frying

sugar for dusting

Leave the ricotta to drain for at least an hour. Then stir in the eggs, sugar, and other ingredients. Beat well to make sure you have a smooth, creamy mixture. Heat the oil and drop in a few tablespoons of mixture to form fritters, flattening them with a slotted spoon as they start to rise. Fry in batches, putting to drain on kitchen paper when they are golden brown. Dust with sugar and serve at once.

Linguine with tuna, lemon and rocket (Linguine al tonno,limone e rughetta)

Over the years this has gradually become one of my favourite pasta dishes, and we eat it all through the year. In Rome we can buy small bunches of wild rocket that has a pungent flavour, much stronger than cultivated rocket. Although the “ventresca” is usually considered the “best” cut of tuna, I find it easier to stir in the smaller flakes to get a more even distribution through the pasta. Therfore I use a cheaper cut, but for the flavour it is important to use tuna preserved in olive oil.

400 g linguine

200 g can tuna in olive oil

1 cup fresh rocket leaves, roughly chopped

juice of 2 lemons

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 dry red chilli, crushed

3 T extra virgin olive oil

salt

Heat the oil and gently cook the garlic and chilli pepper. As the garlic begins to change colour add the drained, flaked tuna and stir around the pan. Keep warm. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, drain when still slightly hard and stir into the tuna mixture. Squeeze over the lemon juice and stir in the rocket. Using a wooden spoon lift up the pasta and really keep turning it over so that the rocket wilts and the tuna is evenly distributed and not left at the bottom of the pan. Serve at once.

Mediterranean diet reduces heart disease risk – new research

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Marseille: A new study by French doctors has revealed that eating a Mediterranean-style diet for three months can reduce the risk of heart disease by 15 percent.

The report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that the heart-healthy effects of the Mediterranean diet, rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish and olive oil and light on red meat, are well documented.

But this study looked at the effects when 212 men and women at moderate risk for heart disease were put on a Mediterranean diet or a standard low-fat diet for three months. Participants on the Mediterranean diet were instructed to eat fish four times a week and red meat only once a week. Men were allowed two glasses of red wine daily, while women were limited to one.

Recommendations for people on the low-fat diet were to eat poultry rather than beef, pork and other mammal meats; eat fish two or three times a week; stay away from animal products rich in saturated fat; and eat fruit and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and vegetable oils.

While study participants did not follow all diet recommendations, the researchers found, eating habits did change in both groups. Study participants took in fewer calories and consumed more proteins and carbohydrates and less total fat and saturated fat. Both groups showed a small but significant drop in body mass index.

Among people on the Mediterranean diet, total cholesterol dropped by 7.5 percent, and it fell by 4.5 percent in the low-fat diet group. Based on this reduction, the researchers write, overall cardiovascular risk fell 15 percent with the Mediterranean diet and 9 percent with the low fat diet.

Both diets significantly reduced cardiovascular disease risk factors to an overall comparable extent said the researchers at the Faculty of Medicine Timone in Marseille

Mediterranean diet extends life

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A Mediterranean-style diet can extend the average life by a year, according to experts at the University of Athens Medical School.

Eating fruit, vegetables, fish and olive oil together with an occasional glass of wine and a low consumption of diary and meat, can contribute to longevity.

The findings are based on a study of 74,000 men and women in nine European countries and found that a healthy man of 60 who followed the diet could expect to live a year longer than one of the same age who ate differently.

The conclusion endorses the findings of previous research in which the Mediterranean diet is responsible for a lower risk of death from heart disease and cancer, the biggest killer diseases in the developed world.

Analysis of the findings showed those who followed the Mediterranean-diet quite closely were less likely to be among the group who died.

The Greeks were found to adhere most closely to the Mediterranean diet followed by the Spanish, Italians and French.

The British were fifth – ahead of the Danes, the Germans, the Swedes and the Dutch, who came last.