Month-of-Mediterranean: A "Way of Life" Diet +Mediterranean-Style Sea Bass

Every year I come up with a month of theme-tied recipes that you will enjoy. Well, and DH and me, too. After all, I make and we eat this food, too! Sometimes DH likes a particular dish more than some others, but that’s the cooking life isn’t it?

Nine months ago I embarked on a serious plan to eat and live more healthfully. (About time, right?) DH was on board, so we have been on a journey to figure out what we like to eat that fits in healthful lifestyle parameters.

The Mediterranean Diet is thousands of years old, and recent research confirms that this is one of the two most healthful ways to eat every day. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is the other. They share in common eating more fruits and vegetables along with limiting amounts of lean protein, as well as cutting back on fat, refined grains, and sugar. Sensible, right? Hard to do? Wrong.

In Greek, the word for “diet” means “way of life”. Not deprivation, not crashing. None of those so-called diet fads that can’t be maintained. A life-style change not a temporary fix. It means that this is your new eating system. Forever. And if it were boring, would the Mediterranean/Aegean countries have created one of the world’s favorite cuisines?

So just what is Mediterranean food? Ethnic staples from Greece, Italy, Spain, North Africa (Algeria, Libya, and Morocco) as well as the Middle Eastern countries of Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey. Will I hit all these? Nope. But, check out recipes from these countries that fit the guidelines, and you can really expand your food options. Spaghetti with marinara doesn’t define the Mediterranean Diet.

I chose, for this month’s theme, Mediterranean Diet-compatible recipes. I am not claiming it is THE Mediterranean Diet. Rather these recipes are consistent with the principles of this way of life. Thus, in the post of dips, you’ll find not just tzatziki, but also pico de gallo and guacamole!

Even though salmon isn’t a Mediterranean fish, eating fish a couple of times a week IS a practice consistent with the Mediterranean Diet Way of Life, so you’ll see our fave salmon recipes along with other fish and seafood dishes.

Ready to go on the journey with us?

Let’s start the month (29 days this year!) with some fish. This recipe, Mediterranean-Style Sea Bass, can be made with any white flaky mild fish such as cod, flounder, or halibut. Not only is this a healthful and flavorful way to get more fish and vegetables into your meals, but it’s also fast. Okay, the cutting up stuff takes some time, just like stir frys, but the actual cooking is less than a half hour. Prep the meal one day (or that morning) and cook it at night for a fast week-night dinner.

As it turned out, I had enough of the sauce to reserve for an even faster meal later on. This makes a pretty good amount of sauce, and we didn’t want all of it, so I saved it back, added a bit more wine to loosen it (and me?) up, heated it, and added in some  cod I had in the freezer. For this dish, I riffed on a recipe for Cuban-Style Sea Bass I found on allrecipes.com  This has become one of our two favorite ways to eat fish!

Mediterranean-Style Sea Bass (serves 4 with leftover sauce)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced white onions

2 tablespoons minced garlic

4 cups plum tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2 cups white wine

2/3 cup sliced stuffed green olives

1/4 cup drained capers

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 (6 ounce) fillets sea bass

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Cooked rice

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 

 

Add onions and saute until soft. Add garlic and cook another minute.

Add tomatoes. Cook until beginning to soften. Add wine, olive, capers and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer.

Put fish on top of the sauce and cover. Simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Fish will flake easily when done. 

Put fish on a plate, cover with foil and keep warm in a low oven as you finish the sauce. 

Increase heat and add butter. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Stir in basil. Serve sauce over fish.

Put fish on bed of rice and spoon sauce over it to serve immediately.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“This is very tasty, different. Make this again.” Okay. I will!