Mediterranean Diet: Nutritious Summer Recipes

As summer winds down, it’s a perfect time to indulge in some light and refreshing meals. To help you savor the last warm days, here are three delicious recipes inspired by the traditional Mediterranean diet. They’re not only quick and easy to make but also brimming with nutrients, making them perfect for a wholesome, satisfying bite in the heat.

Summer Beauty Salad

INGREDIENTS (serves 1)

• 1 bag of organic rocket leaves
• 1 cooked salmon fillet
• Seeds of half a pomegranate
• Half a large avocado or 1 small avocado in cubes
• 1 handful pumpkin seeds
  For the dressing
• 2 tbsp Light Tahini
• Juice of 1/2 orange
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp raw honey
  
• Method
  Break up salmon in bits and sprinkle on rocket leaves, then add the rest of the ingredients.
  Grab a small bowl and mix all the ingredients for the dressing, then pour on your salad and mix it up!
  
• Nutritional Benefits:
  This salad provides you with liver loving rocket (any bitter green vegetable supports liver function),
  some lovely healthy fats such as avocado and extravirgin olive oil, and salmon is your source of
  protein (in addition to providing healthy omega 3 fats).
  The gorgeous, sweet and red pomegranate gives you a hit of polyphenols, which support antioxidant
  and anti-inflammatory effects. You will also have plant protein in your dressing with tahini (sesame
  paste) additionally providing a source of Zinc, fabulous for immunity, digestion and brain function.
  And last, but not least, a little hit of vitamin C coming from your orange.
  

Tomato & Halloumi Bruschetta

• 2 slices sourdough bread
• 2 big juicy tomatoes chopped
• Half a red onion chopped really small
• 2-3 tbsp extravirgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to season
• A few pimiento olives cut in half (you can also use plain green or black, it’ll work equally well)
• Half a block of Halloumi, cut in 4 slices (grilled)
• Optional: a pinch of mixed dried herbs to sprinkle on top
  
• Method
  Start with a medium sized bowl and add the tomatoes, onions, salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Pop
  in a bowl, mix well and put in refrigerator to marinate for 20-30min.
  Once the veg are ready, grill your halloumi, toast the bread and assemble. Sprinkle with dried herbs if
  using. Enjoy!
  
• Nutritional Benefits:
  Tomatoes are lycopene rich fruits and taste incredible with the drizzle or heart healthy extravirgin
  olive oil and olives. The sweetness of the tomatoes adds a lovely contrast to the saltiness of
  halloumi, which will be your protein source in this dish. Sourdough bread is made by let it ferment
  longer than other types of bread, making it more digestible
  

Hydrating Green Smoothie

• 1 Apple, peeled and cut in quarters
• 1 Kiwi, peeled
• 1/4 of a Large cucumber, peeled
• 1 large handful of kale or spinach
• a small handful of mint
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup of water
  
• Nutritional Benefits:
  This smoothie is packed with fibre from both fruit and vegetables, but also the addition of flaxseeds
  which, as a bonus, are a plant source of anti-inflammatory omega 3. I use water to increase hydration
  further (even though cucumber is already a wonderfully hydrating vegetable) but feel free to use
  plant milk if you wish.