Check out these tasty and easy-to-make Mediterranean Diet dishes you can make in less than half an hour.

Spinach Egg Bake

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 7 cups baby spinach
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a flan dish.
2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until tender, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the spinach and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until wilted, about 2 minutes
4. Transfer the greens to the flan dish and sprinkle with the feta.
5. Pour the eggs on top. Bake for around 20 minutes.
6. Serve.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 325, fat 27.9 g, carbs 7.3 g, protein 11.2 g

 

 

Greek Style Herb Roasted Olives

Serve hot for the best taste, as the herbs reach their peak of flavor when hot.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups black olives like Kalamata (you can remove the pits before roasting if you wish, but they’ll look better if you don’t)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon dry rosemary
• 1 pinch or more red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon peels
• Chopped parsley

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Rinse and drain the olives.
3. Mix the olives, garlic, oregano, rosemary, red pepper (flakes if using), and olive oil in a bowl.
4. Spread the olives on a pan lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Roast for 12 minutes.
5. Place in a serving bowl. Top with the fresh parsley and sprinkle with lemon peels.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 190, fat 19 g, carbs 4 g, protein 0 g, sodium 1019 mg

 

 

Chicken Shawarma

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Put the chicken in a resealable bag with all of the other ingredients except for the parsley.
2. Refrigerate overnight.
3. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450°F.
4. Place the chicken on a greased baking tray and bake for 13 minutes.
5. Set the oven to broil and cook for 2 minutes more.
6. Top with parsley and serve.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 337, fat 21 g, carbs 4 g, protein 33 g, sodium 736 mg

 

 

Shrimp and Leek Pasta

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ pound uncooked whole-grain spaghetti or other favorite pasta
• 1 pound peeled, deveined raw medium shrimp
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¾ teaspoon salt (divided)
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 2 cups chopped leek (from 1 large leek)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (from 3 garlic cloves)
• 2 cups (about 9 ounces) frozen baby sweet peas, thawed
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Directions

1. Cook the pasta as per package instructions. Drain and reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Cook the shrimp for 4 minutes. Set aside.
4. Reduce heat and add the remaining oil, salt, garlic, and leek. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the cream, peas, lemon juice, lemon zest, and reserved cooking liquid. Simmer for 3 minutes.
6. Add the shrimp and toss.
7. Put the pasta in bowls and top with shrimp and sauce.
8. Sprinkle with dill and serve.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 446, fat 13 g, carbs 59 g, protein 28 g, sodium 649 mg

 

 

Grilled Peaches with Sweet Cheese Filling

Grilled pineapple is quick and easy to prepare, and it is vitamin-rich and very low-calorie. Pineapples aid in digestion, help build strong bones, and may help boost the immune system—not to mention they are delicious!

Serves 6 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 8 minutes

Ingredients

• ¾ cup full-fat cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 peaches, pitted and peeled

Directions

1. Prepare your grill—light the fire if you use charcoal, or fire up the gas grill to medium heat.
2. Mix the cottage cheese, cinnamon, and the cottage. Set aside
3. Peel and core the peaches.
4. When the grill is hot enough, grill the peaches for about 1-2 minutes on each side or until grilled marked and warmed through.
5. Remove the peaches from the grill and arrange them on a plate.
6. Top each peach half with a spoonful of the honey and cheese mixture (about 1 tablespoon) and serve

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 86, fat 1 g, carbs 18 g, protein 4 g, sodium 94 mg

 

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Madison Miller’s Effortless Mediterranean Diet Cookbook 30-Minute Meals: Quick and Easy Kitchen-to-Table Mediterranean Recipes. To get your copy, click on the cover below or click here.

To get a copy of the featured recipes, click here.