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Mediterranean-Style Recipes

Recipes for a Good Healthy Diet

If you’ve already bought Dr. Guttersen’s book, The Sonoma Diet, hopefully you’ve tried some of the delicious recipes included.

If you don’t have the book yet, click and you'll find two Sonoma Diet recipes.

Try them out; if you like them, go buy the book for many more.

As you become accustomed to cooking in the Mediterranean (or Sonoma) way, you may find yourself creating your own recipes, as I have.

I’ll share some of mine below. If you would like to share too, please send your recipes by clicking on the "contact" link to the left.

In her book, Dr. Guttersen identifies some powerhouse foods of the Mediterranean style of eating that have high nutritional value and relatively few calories. In addition they have other recognized health benefits such as reducing cancer risk and improving heart health.

In alphabetical order, they are: Almonds (and a few other nuts like walnuts), Bell Peppers, Blueberries, Broccoli, Grapes (including wine in moderation), Olive (or canola) Oil, Spinach, Strawberries, Tomatoes, and Whole Grains.

Jean’s Tuna Tamarindo Recipe

(Serves 2)

• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 1-inch thick tuna steaks
• Seasoned salt
• 1 medium bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• ½ c. dry white wine (or fat-free chicken broth)
• ¼ c. sweet and sour tamarind sauce

Season the tuna steaks and bell pepper to taste with seasoned salt.

Heat olive oil in frying pan, add tuna and sear on both sides. Remove to plate.

Add bell pepper strips to hot oil; sauté until soft.

Deglaze pan with wine (or broth). Return tuna to pan.

Put 2 tablespoons of tamarind sauce atop each steak.

Cover pan tightly and reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes.

Vitamin-Rich Veggies and Fish Recipe

(Serves 2) This recipe features several of the powerhouse foods (almonds, raisins, bell peppers and olive oil) and is served with your choice of (low cal) white fish filet.

• 4 T. balsamic vinegar
• 3 T. golden raisins
• 2 T. blanched slivered almonds
• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 white fish filets
• 2 bell peppers, cut in strips
• ¾ t. sugar
• ¼ t. salt
• 1/8 t. pepper

Add raisins to vinegar and let soak.

Toast almonds in small pan and set aside.

Heat olive oil in large skillet.

Add fish and sear both sides; remove to plate.

Add peppers, sugar, salt and pepper to pan and sauté until peppers soften (about 10 min.).

Stir in raisin/vinegar mix and cook until vinegar evaporates and peppers are glazed (about 1 min.)

Return fish to pan, cover and simmer until fish is thoroughly cooked.

Remove fish to serving plates. Top with pepper mix and sprinkle with almonds.

Savory Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Recipe

(Serves 2)

This recipe features more of the powerhouse foods (bell peppers, spinach and olive oil) combined with boneless skinless chicken breast.

Another element of The Sonoma Diet, when you are in Phase One and trying to lose weight, is to substitute lower-fat versions of what you currently eat, like low-fat milk in place of whole milk.

In this recipe, you would use low-fat mozzarella in place of the full-fat version and fat-free chicken broth in place of the white wine.

• 1 ½ T. olive oil, divided
• 2 oz. chopped onion
• ¼ red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 ½ t. chopped fresh rosemary, divided
• ½ t. salt, divided
• ¼ t. pepper, divided
• 1/3 c. shredded mozzarella
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, flattened to ¼ inch
• ½ c. dry white wine (or fat-free chicken broth)

Heat ½ T. olive oil in large skillet. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté until softened (about 5 min.).

Add spinach, ½ t. rosemary, ¼ t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper; cook through (about 3 min.).

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly; stir in mozzarella.

Divide spinach mix and place in center of each breast. Fold breast over mix like an envelope and secure with toothpicks.

Combine ½ T. oil, 1 t. rosemary, ¼ t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper. Rub over chicken packets.

Heat ½ T. olive oil in pan.

Brown chicken packets on both sides.

Deglaze pan with wine (or broth). Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 min. (until chicken is fully cooked).

Spinach Español Recipe

(4 Servings)

This recipe is a side dish and features the following Sonoma Diet powerhouse foods: spinach, olive oil and raisins.

• 3 T. olive oil, divided
• 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch chunks
• 1/2 c. pine nuts
• 1 shallot, minced
• ½ c. raisins
• 1-9 or 10 oz. box of frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
• Salt & pepper to taste

Heat 1 T. olive oil in large pot.

Add apple chunks and sauté until brown around the edges (about 3 min.). Add pine nuts and sauté until lightly toasted (about 3 min.).

Add 2 T. olive oil, shallot, raisins and spinach to pot. Stir to combine; cover and simmer 2 more minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Nancy’s Grilled Veggies Recipe

(4 Servings)

This recipe is a side dish submitted by Nancy from Oklahoma. It features red peppers and olive oil, two of the Sonoma Diet powerhouse foods.

• 6 new potatoes
• 1 red pepper
• 3 c. mushrooms
• 10 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ c. olive oil
• 2 t. rosemary
• Salt and pepper
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 onion

Cover potatoes with water; bring to boil. Lower heat and cook 10 minutes.

Potatoes should still be firm. Drain and toss with cut veggies, garlic, olive oil, rosemary and balsamic vinegar.

Spread on broiler pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Broil 10 to 12 minutes until crisp and brown, stirring once.

[This is a fairly high-calorie side dish, so combine it with a lean protein main course such as boneless chicken breast or shrimp.

One suggestion: toss peeled, cleaned shrimp in the seasoned olive oil (before the vegetables); remove and place on two barbecue skewers. Add skewered shrimp to the broiling pan 3 minutes before the veggies are done.

Turn once after 1 ½ minutes.]

Go to the The Sonoma Diet. website for more recipes.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be taken as medical advice.

 

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