Brush off the harshness of winter with these tasty Mediterranean dishes perfect for the Spring season!
With spring approaching, let’s consider some Mediterranean style meals that are lush, colorful, and mouth-watering for the refreshing season.
If you love spring as much as we do, we’re sure that you’ll love this list of colorful and all-time favorite recipes that you can prepare for your friends and family, all featuring fresh veggies!
If you’re eager to incorporate fresh vegetables in your meals, we’re sure that there’s no way that you will go wrong with these undeniably fresh Mediterranean meals.
4 REFRESHING MEDITERRANEAN RECIPES FOR SPRING:
When the snow finally decides to melt away, you know spring is about to greet us. Just think about pleasant weather, scents, and bright colors. However, another thing that displays springtime is fresh vegetables.
These Mediterranean inspired dishes have been selected specifically for their spring vibes (meals that will reawaken your soul after a long, cold winter) using fresh ingredients.
Lemon-Garlic Chicken Penne with Spinach and Pesto:
The first Mediterranean inspired spring dish we’re bringing to your table is a simple pasta.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 1/4 pounds bone-in chicken breast (with skin)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon grounded black pepper
- 1/4 cup dried tomatoes
- 1- 3/4 ounces basil leaves (2 cups)
- 1 – 1/4 cups Penne pasta (wholewheat or regular, your choice)
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 9 ounces baby spinach
- 4 teaspoons/3 tablespoons (more) grated cheese
- Resealable bag
Directions:
- Step 1:
- In a small bowl, combine lemon peel, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons garlic. Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat chicken. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally. Pro Tip: pound chicken a little (not much so the chicken won’t shatter into pieces), Marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Mushroom Pizza with Arugula and Pecorini:
Inspired by the Mediterranean style of cooking and the freshness of spring, this pizza has our heart (and bellies).
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
- 4 cups of fresh wild mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 pound pizza dough – regular or wholewheat (your choice)
- Thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inches pieces
- 1 tablespoon lemon oil
- 3 cups arugula
- 1/5 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoon Tuscano or Pecoroni Sardo cheese
Directions:
- Spread a large rimless baking sheet on the bottom rack and preheat the oven to the highest flame/temperature, preferably 500 degrees F. Let it preheat for 30 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat to cook mushrooms. Stir occasionally until it turns brown. Once done, remove from heat and set aside.
- Sprinkle some flour on the surface and roll the dough into a 14-inches circle. Transfer it into the rimless baking sheet. Scatter the garlic paste over the dough, sprinkle with mozzarella, and half of the mushrooms. Drizzle one tablespoon olive oil over the pizza.
- Slide the pizza on baking sheet and slowly place inside the oven/pizza stone. Bake for 10-15 minutes until it turns brown. Transfer the pizza to cutting board and slice it up into 4 pieces.
- The final step is fun and our favorite. Here we toss arugula with a pinch of salt and lemon oil. Top the pizza with arugula and mushrooms. Serve and enjoy!
We’re convinced that there’s no better place to slip in some extra leafy greens than on a pizza. Stuffed with mushrooms, arugula, and lemon oil, this pizza recipe has perfect spices and citrus that will satisfy your taste bud the best, so give it a try!
Don’t feel like having meat? Replace it with the tastiest zucchini, tomatoes, mint, and chickpeas variation of tabbouleh.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup bulgur
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil (extra-virgin preferably)
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1 cup canned chickpeas
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 green onions
- 1 cup chopped parsley
Directions:
- Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bulgur. Cover the pan and simmer until tender – about 15 minutes. Spread on a baking sheet after cooling it down.
- Whisk 1/2 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, and pepper in a bowl. Combine in chickpeas, zucchini, mint, tomatoes, green onions, and parsley together.
- Stir the bulgur, sprinkle more sumac, and enjoy!
This dish is easy and ideal for springtime, when markets brim with the red, yellow and pink hues of cherry, beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes.
Flour-less Chocolate Olive Oil Cake:
What’s life without sweets? Thisdense, rich, and fudgy cake is like a gigantic round brownie with a hint of espresso. The olive oil only heightens the intensity of the chocolate, resulting in serious indulgence.
INGREDIENTS
- 7 oz/ 200 grams dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
Directions:
- Preheat the oven at 350F and grease a round 9inches pan with melted butter or olive oil.
- Melt the chopped chocolate and olive oil together in a small pan and stir continuously. Stir until the chocolate turns into a smooth paste. Leave to cool for a couple of minutes before adding sugar.
- Mix eggs one by one and add vanilla essence, salt, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and fold all together.
- Spoon batter into pan and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. A knife inserted should come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, take the cake out, and top it up with strawberries.
IN SUMMARY:
Spring helps bring fresh ingredients into any dish. At Redland Ranch Market, our favorite part of spring is curating our selection of organically grown tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers for you.
If you’ve recently made a Mediterranean inspired dish, or have bought some fresh vegetables but our market, share your feedback with us!