Mediterranean diets

Firstly I would like to stress that I do not mean diets as in limiting food/calories. I mean the kind of food people in the Mediterranean eat. The average person from this area eats plenty of tomatoes, olives, fish, fresh fruit, aubergenes (egg plant), courgettes (zuchinis), lots of garlic, figs and spinach, to name a few items.

This is most certainly the time of year to start eating in a fashion similar to those who are lucky to live in this wonderful area of the world. People from this area tend to be healthier for longer, and live far longer than those of us who do not live there!

Beginning small:
We had a guest over for dinner tonight. We had a selection of antipasto (as a starter). These included red peppers stuffed with feta cheese, olives stuffed with garlic, red grapes, cheddar cheese and a few salamis. Everything was fresh and packed with flavour as they had been purchased from a local delicatessen. The Perfect Antipasto Plate is a great place to start if you're not sure what to serve but I would hasten to say that breads should be an accompaniment for a main course, or soups, rather than antipasto (in my humble opinion), as they tend to fill you up quicky.

If you wish to go much further and really immerse yourself in this type of eating lifestyle, have a look at the Mayo Clinic website for a little insight.

At this time of year raw vegetables are simply divine, especally served with a homemade vinaigrette drizzled over it. Olive oil should always be the base for any Mediterranean food. Please note that the above link uses a 3:1 ratio for oil-vinegar but I do like a tart vinaigrette, so I tend to add a little more vinegar.

I hope you enjoy the Mediterranean diet this summer xx

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scotland about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback: The Island of the Mist is book 2 The Stone in the Sword is book 1 The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats: The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin