Hola! I’ve wanted to write a newsletter about olive oil and the role it plays in the Mediterranean diet. But every time I get started, I don’t know where to stop.

Today, I’ve decided to take another stab at it. And my greeting was the first hint.

H-O-L-A. The single easiest mnemonic (or “tricky way to remember stuff”) for the four most important factors in taking care of this precious ingredient.

Heat. Oxygen. Light. Age.

I’ll get back to these points in a minute, but for now, I want to muse on the single most important ingredient in the Mediterranean diet and why you’ve seen it in every single Healthy Menu Meal Plan on my Substack.

Extra virgin olive oil.

what makes it essential

For over 22 years, there’s been a bottle of extra virgin olive oil within arm’s reach in my kitchen. Because it never makes sense to stash it away deep in the pantry. It’s in everything.

The toast in the morning. The potatoes at lunch. The salad dressing I make the same way every single time and never measure. The pan I reach for at dinner before I’ve even decided what we’re eating.

If the Mediterranean diet had a mascot, it would not be a plate of glistening grilled fish or a refreshing bowl of quinoa studded with feta cheese. It would be a dark bottle of extra virgin olive oil resting in the fridge or sitting on a kitchen counter (away from the window and away from the stovetop).

my long-standing love affair

It all began when George and I started producing olive oil in the Santa Barbara hills of California in 2003. I devoured everything I could study, ended up editor of the #1 website in the world dedicated to olive oil and being invited to speak at industry conferences.

It continued when we moved to Spain, bought a small farm with far fewer trees but still enough to press and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

And at this point, I don’t think I could manage without it.

what’s on the menu

This week’s Healthy Menu Meal Plan is a perfect example of what I mean — which, honestly, isn’t that different from any other week around here.

Breakfast is crunchy whole grain toast with smashed white beans, a good drizzle of the good stuff, and a fresh orange. Mid-morning, a small bowl of marcona almonds and green olives — the kind of snack that requires zero effort and makes you feel very Mediterranean.

Lunch is where it gets interesting. Pan-seared sea bass, baby potatoes roasted with rosemary, a green salad — all perfectly fine on their own. But served alongside a bowl of that Spanish kitchen indispensable, alioli? Completely different meal.

The afternoon snack is something new: a slice of olive oil zucchini bread with a glass of herbed iced tea.

And dinner is grilled chicken thighs with summer squash, cherry tomatoes, fresh figs, and couscous. Light, seasonal, utterly effortless.

Your morning snack skips the ever-present essential, but the rest of the day, don’t put the bottle away!

the one ingredient you actually want… to understand

I made a four-part series about olive oil on YouTube because I kept being asked the same questions over and over.

“What’s the difference between extra virgin and regular? How do I know if it’s fake? Can I cook with it? Do I really need two bottles?”

Yes to the last one. You really do need two bottles.

One really good extra virgin for finishing and dressing — the one that actually adds a distinct flavor to the dish. And one decent everyday olive oil for cooking. If budget is a factor, virgin olive oil — not light, not “pure,” not refined — can be your second bottle. It costs less, it has a slightly higher smoke point, and it won’t interfere with the flavor.

making the grade

Extra virgin is the first cold pressing of fresh olives — no heat, no chemicals. Think of it like fresh-squeezed orange juice. Olives are a fruit too.

So what would you rather have: juice pressed straight from the tree, or what’s left after the the fruit’s being sitting around for days or has already been pressed once and is being run through the mill a second (or third) time?

That second pressing is virgin olive oil. It’s not bad. It’s just not as good.

And then there is “light” or “pure” olive oil — please don’t bother. They’re just marketing terms that mean flavorless and colorless (and possibly not olive oil at all). The calories are identical to any other fat: around 110 per tablespoon and it’s been stripped of its healthiest qualities like antioxidants (polyphenols like oleocanthal) and vitamin E.

Extra virgin has the highest concentration of polyphenols — the compounds that make a really good oil taste slightly bitter and peppery, and sometimes catch at the back of your throat when you taste it straight.

That catch is not a flaw.

It’s a feature. George and I used to make what was known as a “two-cough oil” on our California farm — early harvest, super spicy, ridiculously aromatic. We loved it.

the smoke point story — let’s set the record straight

This is the question I get more than almost any other: “can you actually cook with extra virgin olive oil, or will it lose all its best values the moment it hits a hot pan?”

Here’s the thing. Extra virgin olive oil starts smoking somewhere between 350°F and 465°F. The ideal temperature for sautéing or frying almost anything at home is around 375°F. Which means you are almost certainly fine.

The alarm about smoke point has been, in my opinion, blown way out of proportion. The research backs this up.

Where olive oil does start to break down is with repeated use — the way restaurants cycle oil through a fryer all day. At home, cooking a piece of sea bass or sautéing summer squash? You are nowhere near that threshold.

T.L.C.

The four things that genuinely degrade olive oil — whether you’re cooking with it or storing it — is the introduction of heat, oxygen, light, and age. And now we’re back to where we began.

The rules are super simple:

• Heat: Store it away from the stovetop and not on the windowsill.

• Oxygen: Store it sealed up tight. Bag-in-box packaging is the very best.

• Light: In a dark bottle, away from that sunny window.

• Age: It’s not wine. It doesn’t improve with age. Don’t make the mistake of saving it for special occasions.

So that’s the story about olive oil and how to enjoy it every day, including today’s meal plan. A menu built around the one ingredient that has been sitting on Mediterranean counters, more or less unchanged, for four thousand years.

As always, you'll find a few extra treats in the menu PDF besides the meal plan I promised you (mostly because I just can't help myself). When I can, I'll reach into the archive so that you don't have to go hunting around.

If you’re already a paid subscriber, you already know this is just one of the small extras that show up almost every week — my way of saying thank you for being part of this community.

And if you’ve been on the fence about joining, this might just be a great week to see what you’d be getting.

Subscribe now

But right now, it’s time to pull up a chair, grab a glass of something cold or a cup of something hot, and join me in my Mediterranean kitchen while we work our way from one flavor-packed meal to another.

Motd 73 Olive Oil

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Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided in Mediterranean Minutes is intended for general guidance only and is not a substitute for personalized medical or dietary advice. Individual needs vary. Please consult a qualified health professional before making significant changes to your diet.

What’s the #1 condiment worldwide? Mayonnaise. In Spain? Garlic Mayo.

Because Spaniards know adding garlic is a sure fire way to make most favorite dishes even better.

In the Mediterranean, garlic mayonnaise is known as Alioli or Aioli. No matter what you call it, it’s a super easy, very versatile sauce using extra virgin olive oil and garlic. You can use it everyday on almost everything.

If you love olive oil and you like garlic, this dish is for you.

Alioli:aioli

446KB ∙ PDF file

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Want to upgrade to a paid subscription so you don’t miss out on anything?Everything you’ll want to know to master the Mediterranean diet including exclusive weekly meal plans and recipes, how-to-guides and behind the scenes are all here waiting for you to spend a few Mediterranean minutes with me.

I have three stories about lentils. And they all fit a pattern.

1. My friend Ignacio, born and bred in Spain, has to be coaxed into eating lentils as an adult — hidden in a meatless bolognese sauce — because his mother fed them to him almost every day when he was little. Maybe a little too much of a good thing.

2. I recently watched my friend and world-famous chef María José San Román demonstrate the value of frying lentils in olive oil at a local event, and witnessed kids making a mad scramble after them like they were M&Ms. Healthy protein disguised as candy. Genius.

3. And her daughter Geni Perramon — Michelin restaurateur with five locations in Alicante — raises her three children on bowls of veggie-packed lentils every week without drama or fuss. She looked genuinely puzzled when I told her lentils hadn’t been part of my childhood. “But what did you eat?” she asked.

Fair point.

Lentils are on school menus here. They show up on weekdays at Geni’s table because they showed up on weekdays at her mother’s table, and on her grandmother’s before that.

Nobody makes a thing of it. They’re just there — cooked simply, eaten without ceremony, completely taken for granted in the best possible way.

And here’s what those Spanish mothers have known all along.

What makes them work

Lentils are one of the oldest cultivated foods in the world — at the very foundation of the Mediterranean diet — recommended not as an occasional addition but as a near-daily staple.

And unlike every other legume in that category, they require no soaking. None.

You rinse them, you cook them, and twenty-ish minutes later you have a protein source that would cost considerably more in any other form.

That practicality is the first thing that earns them a permanent spot in the pantry.

Which brings us to another one of my color-coded pantry drawers (remember the grain one?)

Tiny but powerful

One serving delivers around nine grams of plant-based protein alongside eight grams of fiber — a combination that stabilizes blood sugar, keeps you genuinely full, and does good things for your gut microbiome over the long term.

They’re rich in folate, magnesium and iron (more than most people expect from something this inexpensive), and loaded with polyphenols — the same antioxidant compounds in olive oil and red wine that researchers keep pointing to when they try to explain why Mediterranean populations tend to age so well.

And then there is the flavor question. Lentils have an earthy, subtly nutty depth that absorbs whatever you put near them — veggies, lemon, olive oil, fresh herbs, a good vinaigrette — and gives it back to you with something extra.

Red lentils melt into silky soups and dips. Black lentils are intensely flavored and hold up beautifully in warm salads. Green and French Puy lentils hold their shape through cooking, which makes them the natural choice for grain salads and composed plates.

All these varieties are worth getting to know.

Meet your legumes

Lentils get the spotlight this week, but they’re just one member of a remarkably versatile family.

Beans and legumes come in enough varieties that you could rotate through them all week without repeating yourself — and the Mediterranean diet, which recommends them three to four times a week, essentially encourages you to do exactly that.

Each one brings its own flavor, texture and nutritional personality to the table.

Some hold their shape beautifully in salads. Some melt into silky soups. Some are best slow-cooked into something rich and deeply satisfying.

The chart below is a quick reference for the ones worth keeping in your pantry — a starting point for getting comfortable with the whole family, not just the one you already know.

how they fit into today’s menu

Today’s menu puts legumes front and center — not just at lunch, but woven through the whole day.

It starts at snack time with hummus and crudités — chickpeas at their most elemental, creamy and satisfying in a way that also happens to take about ninety seconds to put together if you have a batch in the fridge. The recipe is on my website and it’s one I make on rotation.

This week’s featured recipe is an Lentil Salad with Orzo and Zucchini.

Brown lentils are the right call here — they hold their shape through cooking without going mushy, absorb the lemon and olive oil vinaigrette without losing their texture, and bring just enough earthy depth to anchor a dish that could otherwise feel too light for a proper lunch. They’re doing the simple structural work that makes the whole bowl hang together.

And dinner brings the third legume of the day: a white bean salad with roasted red peppers, red onion and fresh parsley alongside grilled swordfish. A small homage to growing up in the Midwest — cannellini beans standing in for the navy beans of my childhood, dressed rather better than they ever were back then.

Three different legumes. Three completely different preparations. One very good day of eating.

If you remember the three Spanish stories at the start of this post, you’ll find a few extra recipes in this week’s PDF that speak to each of them — meatless bolognese for Ignacio, María José’s fried lentils, and a simple everyday lentil bowl in Geni’s spirit. My way of closing the loop.

If you’re already a paid subscriber, you’ll know that this is just one of the small extras that show up almost every week — my way of saying thank you for being part of this community.

And if you’ve been on the fence about joining, this might just be a really good week to see what you’d be getting.

Subscribe now

But right now, it’s time to pull up a chair, grab a glass or cup and join me in my Mediterranean kitchen while we work our way from one flavor-packed meal to another.

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Pasta and lentils and raw veggies celebrated in a lightly lemoned dressing. It is the definition of balanced nutrition in a bowl.

Lentils are best when married with flavors that infuse the legumes with a bright bite. Zucchini is one of those vegetables that’s perfect served raw. Tiny pasta that cooks in minutes. Thanks to Ali Slagle of the New York Times for the inspiration to make this fabulous combination.

Want to make sure you don’t miss out on anything? Everything you’ll want to know to master the Mediterranean diet, including 400+ posts & notes of exclusive weekly meal plans & recipes, how-to-guides and behind the scenes are all here waiting for you to spend a few Mediterranean minutes with me. Upgrade or invite more friends to join those of us who want to master this healthy way of eating.

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The first year we moved to Alicante Spain, there was a crazy windstorm and the entire seaside city (and our apartment patio) was covered in fine reddish-yellow dust. The skies and the sidewalks were the same eerie shade for days.

It just didn’t make sense.

Then somebody casually mentioned it was just the Sahara sands. No biggie.

And it brought home just how close we live to Morocco, Algeria and the northern deserts where Europe and Africa are practically breathing on each other.

In Mediterranean terms, it’s a neighbor. And its flavors — cumin, pimentón (paprika - three kinds no less), harissa, preserved lemon, the deep red heat of Moroccan spice pastes — have always felt completely at home in Spanish kitchens and mine.

In creating today’s menu, I reached for local spice blends and ingredients that have become common place over the years. My hands-down favorite? A tube of harissa paste.

While this week’s featured recipe originated in my own backyard, it arrived in my hands the way the best recipes often do: handed down through a chain of people who love food. Melissa Clark published a version of it in the New York Times back in 2017. David Lebovitz — one of my long-time favorite food writers and bloggers — picked it up and made it his own. And then I found it through David and made it mine.

As the youngest of five sisters, I’ve always known that the best things come to you a little late, already broken in and improved by everyone who had it before you.

This is that kind of recipe.

What makes it work

Chicken sits in an interesting spot in the Mediterranean diet. It’s not the star of the show the way fish is, and it’s not the occasional indulgence that red meat represents. It occupies the middle ground — a reliable, versatile protein that the Mediterranean diet recommends a few times a week, and one that earns its place at the table without demanding much attention - or effort.

That’s exactly what makes it useful.

A skin-on, bone-in chicken thigh or leg is nutritionally quite different from the boneless, skinless breast that tends to dominate diet culture.

The darker meat carries more fat — but the right kind. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, the same family that makes olive oil so valuable, are well represented here.

It’s also richer in iron, zinc and B vitamins, particularly B12 and B6, than breast meat, and the collagen in the skin and around the joints supports joint health in a way that leaner cuts simply don’t.

In the Mediterranean diet pyramid, poultry sits with fish and seafood, less frequent than the daily plant-food foundation of vegetables, legumes, whole grains and olive oil.

Two to four servings a week is the general rule — enough to provide consistent protein and those fat-soluble nutrients without crowding out the plant foods that do the heavier nutritional lifting.

And then there’s harissa

Harissa is one of those ingredients that looks like a condiment but behaves like a flavor transformation. I am never without a tube, frequently one that is front-of-fridge because it’s reached for so often.

Made from roasted red peppers, dried chilies, garlic and warm spices — cumin, coriander, caraway — it’s been a staple of North African cooking for centuries, particularly in Morocco and Tunisia.

What it does to chicken is remarkable. The paste works its way into the meat during the marinade, and when it hits a hot oven, it caramelizes against the skin and the vegetables in a way that fills the entire house with something that smells deeply, unmistakably Mediterranean.

The combination here is simple and very forgiving. Chicken thighs and legs — the flavorful, stay-moist cuts — roasted with sweet potato, white potato and carrots, finished off with wilted leeks and a cool lemon-garlic yogurt drizzle that cuts right through the heat.

And if you want to make it along with me, just click on the video below (right AFTER you finish reading the newsletter!)

I serve it with warm wholegrain pita, a few good olives and extra yogurt sauce on the side. In late May, when the first summer warmth is arriving in Alicante, it hits exactly right. Today, I had a bunch of watercress that was a perfect stand-in for the cucumber salad and a handful of mint leaves and fresh basil instead of parsley.

The moral of this tale: it’s never wrong to go with what you’ve got.

On today’s menu

The full day is built to balance the richness of the harissa chicken at lunch with lighter, fresher flavors throughout the rest of the day — a yogurt and ricotta morning, beans for a mid-morning snack, cool watermelon in the afternoon, and a simple pasta e ceci in the evening that brings the legume story full circle.

It’s a satisfying, complete Mediterranean day at around 2,000 calories, with macros that sit comfortably within the guidelines. Remember those?

• 50-55% healthy carbs (mostly veggies and fruit)

• 25-30% healthy fats (mostly extra virgin olive oil)

• 15-20% healthy proteins (mostly plants, fish, seafood and birds).

A quick note on the numbers

Harissa chicken is not a light dish — and it’s not meant to be. The olive oil in the marinade, the skin-on cuts, the yogurt sauce — these are all quality fats doing real work. The day as a whole lands at around 30% fat, right at the top of the Mediterranean guideline range, and that’s fine. These are the fats that belong in this way of eating.

Protein sits at about 17% across the day, which is well within range and appropriate for keeping energy steady. Carbs come from whole sources throughout — wholegrain bread, sweet potato, pita, cannellini beans, chickpeas pasta. No refined anything.

It’s a full, nourishing day. The kind that feels indulgent but is actually doing its job.

To give you a few more ideas about why chicken deserves a permanent place in your kitchen, you’ll find a few extra recipes from my archives in the menu PDF besides the meal plan.

If you’re already a paid subscriber then you know these little extras show up almost every week as a small bonus to show my appreciation for your support. If you haven’t yet had the chance to join us, what are you waiting for?

Subscribe now

But right now, it’s time to pull up a chair, grab a glass or cup, and join me in my Mediterranean kitchen while we work our way from one flavor-packed meal to another.

Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided in Mediterranean Minutes is intended for general guidance only and is not a substitute for personalized medical or dietary advice. Individual needs vary. Please consult a qualified health professional before making significant changes to your diet.

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Today’s Mediterranean dinner recipe brings together succulent oven-roasted chicken with sweet potatoes and carrots bathed in a deeply rich sauce and then finished off with a refreshing, crisp and cool lemon garlic yogurt dressing.

We’ll round out the menu with a lightly dressed cucumber salad for another healthy, balanced Mediterranean meal. My deepest gratitude to Melissa Clark and David Lebovitz for introducing me to this Mediterranean dish long before I moved to the Mediterranean.

Want to upgrade to a paid subscription so you don’t miss out on anything? Everything you’ll want to know to master the Mediterranean diet including exclusive weekly meal plans and recipes, how-to-guides and behind the scenes are all here waiting for you to spend a few Mediterranean minutes with me.

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Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided in Mediterranean Minutes is intended for general guidance only and is not a substitute for personalized medical or dietary advice. Individual needs vary. Please consult a qualified health professional before making significant changes to your diet.

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It started with one bag of farro from the Mercado Central in Alicante a few years ago.

I’d been reading about ancient grains — the ones that had been feeding civilizations for thousands of years before white flour showed up and took over — and I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

So I grabbed the farro, brought it home, loved it, and went back for more. Freekeh next. Then teff. Then millet, sorghum, amaranth. Then three kinds of quinoa, because why not? Then buckwheat — raw and toasted, because again, why not?

The result? I published a very popular YouTube video all about the fundamentals of grains (just click if you want to watch it) and how they fit into a Mediterranean diet and gave up an entire drawer in my little Mediterranean kitchen to stockpile an embarrassing assortment.

If you follow me on social, you may have already seen it. Every container labeled, every ancient grain I’ve tested lined up and accounted for. George has learned to just walk past that drawer without comment.

But honestly, it serves a purpose. When they’re right in front of me, it makes it a lot easier to grab-and-go.

And here’s what I’ve learned from 2 years of playing with all of them: these grains aren’t health food novelties. They’re not complicated. And once you get to know them, they’re genuinely delicious — each one with its own personality, its own flavor, its own story.

Today I want to tell you about the one that surprised me most.

Buckwheat.

what makes it work

Here’s what I didn’t know about buckwheat: it’s not wheat. Not even close. It’s actually the seed of a flowering plant — a relative of rhubarb and sorrel — and it’s been cultivated for over 8,000 years across Russia, Eastern Europe, and Japan - where it is ground and shaped into one of my favorite “pastas”, soba noodles.

The name is misleading, the plant is fascinating, and the flavor is unlike anything else in that drawer of mine.

What makes buckwheat worth knowing for anyone following a Mediterranean-style diet is the full package it delivers.

It’s one of the very few plant foods that contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein by plant standards — something most grains simply can’t claim.

It’s also rich in rutin and quercetin, two anti-inflammatory flavonoids that don’t get nearly enough attention, and a solid source of magnesium, manganese, and copper, all important for heart health and bone density.

And because it has a lower glycemic index than conventional wheat, rice, or pasta, it releases energy more slowly and evenly — no spike, no crash. Oh, and it’s naturally gluten-free, which makes it genuinely helpful for anyone navigating that particular challenge.

what to do with it

I keep two versions on hand. Raw buckwheat groats are pale, mild, and gently nutty — wonderful for porridge or ground into flour for blinis or crepes. Toasted buckwheat, called kasha, is a completely different animal: darker, earthier, more robust, with a flavor assertive enough to hold its own against bold ingredients like feta, artichokes, and good olive oil.

That’s the version I’ve been cooking with this spring, and it’s what you’ll find in today’s recipe.

how it fits in today’s menu

Today’s menu builds the ancient grains theme from morning to night — starting with overnight oats at breakfast as a familiar, approachable entry point, and arriving at lunch with the main event: a Buckwheat, Artichoke & Feta Salad with toasted almonds, fresh mint, and a whisper of Aleppo chile, alongside a lemon-herb chicken fillet and a simple sautéed vegetable side. Little rye crackers for the afternoon snack. Dinner keeps things light and seasonal — baked sea bass, roasted baby potatoes, a crisp green salad.

As always, you’ll find a few extra treats in the PDF besides the meal plan I promised you (mostly because I just can’t help myself). When I can, I’ll reach into the archive so that you don’t have to go hunting around.

If you’re already a paid subscriber then you know these little extras show up almost every week as a small bonus to show my appreciation for your support. If you haven’t yet had the chance to join us, what are you waiting for?

Subscribe now

But right now, it’s time to pull up a chair, grab a glass or cup, and join me in my Mediterranean kitchen while we work our way from one flavor-packed meal to another!

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Warm, nourishing and gluten-free, this ancient grain salad is filling & fabulous. The low-gylcemic index of buckwheat makes it a slow burning carb, sure to keep those hunger pangs away for hours.

Make a meal of it or share it with 6 as a side with a lovely, light fillet of fish or chicken and a platter of roasted veggies!

Want to make sure you don’t miss out on anything? Everything you’ll want to know to master the Mediterranean diet, including 400+ posts & notes of exclusive weekly meal plans & recipes, how-to-guides and behind the scenes are all here waiting for you to spend a few Mediterranean minutes with me. Upgrade or invite more friends to join those of us who want to master this healthy way of eating.

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There’s one food group in the Mediterranean diet that I struggle with overindulging in.

I. Love. Cheese.

And so when springtime rolls around and the good goat milk yogurt is back — the kind worth getting to the Mercado early for — I have plans for it.

Big, creamy, probiotic-packed plans.

All things rich and creamy

Each week I try to shine a light on a different part of the Mediterranean diet — rotating through the food groups that together make up one of the healthiest ways of eating on the planet. This week the spotlight falls on poultry, eggs and dairy.

And honestly? It’s one of my favorite weeks to craft into a newsletter.

What makes it work

The Mediterranean diet recommends around four eggs a week and moderate amounts of dairy daily. Not a lot — but enough to matter. And when that dairy comes in fermented form, like yogurt, it punches well above its weight.

Here’s what’s actually happening when you eat it.

The live bacterial cultures that form during fermentation don’t just make yogurt taste tangy.

They survive the journey through your digestive system and go to work in your gut — feeding and diversifying the microbiome that drives everything from how well you digest your food to how strong your immune response is.

Even your mood has a connection to gut health. The science on this keeps getting more interesting.

TMI?

Goat milk yogurt brings something extra to that picture.

Its fat globules are smaller and its proteins break down differently to cow’s milk, which makes it gentler on the digestive system — something a lot of people notice immediately when they make the switch. Worth knowing if dairy has ever felt like more trouble than it’s worth.

And then there’s labneh.

Take that yogurt, add a little salt, a little lemon juice, tie it in cheesecloth and let it drain overnight. What comes out the other side is something between a spread and a cheese — thicker, richer, tangier — with every bit of the probiotic benefit intact.

Your gut will thank you.

Your taste buds will too.

Take a minute, really. Just one minute.

The good news is that it couldn’t be simpler. I’ve got a short video to prove it.

Leave it for 12 hours and you have the most luxurious spreadable cheese you’ve ever put on toast. Leave it for 24 and you’ve essentially made your own fresh goat cheese from scratch. Anywhere in between works beautifully too. The yogurt does all the heavy lifting while you get on with your day.

The topping possibilities are half the fun. A glug of good olive oil and a dusting of sumac if you want something savory and distinctly Mediterranean. A drizzle of honey and a handful of crushed pistachios if you’re leaning sweet. A bowl of it alongside whatever the market brought you that morning. There are no wrong answers here.

This week’s menu & featured recipe

Today’s menu is built around the poultry, eggs and dairy food group from the ground up.

The labneh anchors the mid-morning snack, three eggs carry a simple zucchini and red pepper frittata at dinner, and the rest of the day draws on the best of what early May is putting on the market stalls right now.

The full recipe is waiting in the PDF — along with three bonus recipes from the archives that I think pair beautifully with this week’s theme.

One batch makes twelve servings and keeps in the fridge all week. Roll it into little balls and store them in olive oil with a few herbs if you want to feel like you’re living your best Mediterranean life. Which, frankly, you are.

If you’re already a paid subscriber — thank you. These issues exist because of your support and I never take that for granted. Your PDF with the full recipe, the complete day’s menu and the shopping list is waiting just below.

If you’ve been enjoying the free side of things and have been curious about what’s on the other side of the door — this is a pretty good week to find out.

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So pull up a chair, pour yourself something you love and come join me in the kitchen. The cheesecloth is ready, the yogurt is draining, and something wonderful is already happening in the fridge.

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It only takes a minute to learn how to make a super creamy fabulous Mediterranean goat cheese spread, labneh.

Wait 12 hours and it's a creamy, dreamy spread. Wait 48 hours and you've just made homemade goat cheese. Or any amount of time in between. It's just a matter of how long you are willing to leave the yogurt alone for this totally healthy treat.

Best of all, yogurt and other fermented foods add wonderful probiotics to your diet and make your microbiome very very healthy and happy. All kinds of toppings work...whether you want it savory (like the sumac and EVOO one featured here) or sweet with honey and pistachios or anything else you fancy with cheese.

Want to upgrade to a paid subscription so you don’t miss out on anything? Everything you’ll want to know to master the Mediterranean diet including exclusive weekly meal plans and recipes, how-to-guides and behind the scenes are all here waiting for you to spend a few Mediterranean minutes with me.

Subscribe now

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There’s a reason the Mediterranean diet keeps coming back to the sea.

Not just because fish is good for you — though it absolutely is — but because people who live along this coastline have always understood something that the rest of the world is still catching up to: the simplest preparation of the freshest ingredient is almost always the best one.

I was reminded of this recently at my local “supermercado”(grocery store), where a beautiful whole trout caught my eye. Glistening, firm, the kind of fish that practically tells you what to do with it.

And having a favorite fish monger who makes fast work of turning it into perfect fillets is, of course, the ultimate meal prep trick!

The other perfect meal prep trick? A hot pan, a little extra virgin olive oil, some rosemary from my countertop garden, a splash of white wine, a squeeze of lemon, a handful of always-on-hand olives and capers — and lunch was done in under fifteen minutes.

And that’s the recipe we’re building around this week.

It’s a combination that’s so distinctly Mediterranean it practically transports you to a table by the water at one of the “chiringuitos” (casual cafe/bars) that dot our “playas” (beaches).

Since it’s the first of the month issue, the PDF is unlocked and available to everyone — free and paid subscribers alike — so if you want to go straight to the plan:

👉 You can download the full menu and recipe with measurements, timing and tips right here

Motd 68 Trout

17.7MB ∙ PDF file

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But if you’re looking for a little more incentive to stay on course with your healthy goals, keep reading to learn about trout and how this healthy protein fits into your diet.

What makes it work

Of all the fish that show up regularly in Mediterranean cooking, trout doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Salmon tends to steal the spotlight, and rightly so — but trout is a lighter taste, a bit more delicate. So it’s worth your consideration too.

I’m also a fan because fresh-caught trout brings back fond childhood memories of my dad casting a line in Lake Huron and coming up with dinner on a lazy summer afternoon. So I reach for it whenever I get the chance.

And it happens to be one of the most nutritionally complete proteins you can put on a weeknight table.

Trout

Trout is rich in omega-3 fatty acids — the kind that support heart health, reduce inflammation, and play a meaningful role in brain function.

A single serving delivers a meaningful portion of your daily protein needs alongside B vitamins, particularly B12, which is essential for nerve health and energy metabolism, plus selenium, a mineral that supports immune function and thyroid health and one that’s easy to miss in a largely plant-forward eating pattern.

What makes trout especially well-suited to the Mediterranean way of eating is its fat profile.

Like salmon, it carries enough healthy fat to absorb and carry fat-soluble nutrients — which means the olive oil, herbs and aromatics you cook it with aren’t just flavoring. They’re working together with the fish to make the whole meal more nutritious. Pretty neat trick, huh?

And unlike some fish that can feel like a project to cook, trout is genuinely forgiving. A couple of minutes per side in a hot pan, and you’re done. It doesn’t need much. In fact, it rewards you for not overdoing it.

A note about today’s menu

This week’s menu is built around the trout at lunch, where the heavier calorie load belongs. Alongside it, roasted asparagus and brown rice make it a nice full plate without tipping into heavy.

Breakfast is a simple scramble with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. The snacks are easy — Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts mid-morning, apple and almond butter in the afternoon.

And dinner this week is something I’m particularly happy with.

We’re right at the start of May, which means the markets here in Alicante are filling up with the first beautiful produce of spring.

So dinner is a spring Mediterranean salad — mixed greens and watercress, shaved fennel, fava beans or edamame (which isn't strictly Mediterranean but it's a perfect stand-in for fresh fava beans if you can't find them), radishes, spring onion, hard-boiled eggs, cubes of feta and a simple honey lemon dressing, with a slice of whole-grain bread alongside and a bowl of fresh strawberries to finish.

The full day comes in at around 2,037 calories. You’ll notice the protein is a little higher than a typical Mediterranean day — around 101 grams. That’s intentional, and worth a moment.

How much protein is right for you?

If you’re over 50 — and many of you reading this are — research increasingly points to higher protein intake as one of the most important nutritional levers you have for preserving muscle mass, supporting bone density and maintaining steady energy as you age.

The good news is that the Mediterranean diet handles this beautifully, because the protein here isn’t coming from red meat — it’s distributed across the day through trout, eggs, legumes, yogurt and a little cheese.

Today’s menu is a good example of how easy it is to get well above that baseline without even trying too hard.

To give you a few more ideas about how to fit healthy protein in your everyday diet, you’ll find a few extra recipes in the menu PDF besides the meal plan, including one for Trout Almondine that I originally published last August.

If you’re already a paid subscriber then you know these little extras show up almost every week as a small bonus to show my appreciation for your support. And thank you. This newsletter exists because of your support, and I don’t take that lightly.

If you’ve been on the fence about joining as a paid subscriber, this is a good week to get a feel for what you’d be getting every Saturday.

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But right now, it’s time to pull up a chair, pour yourself something refreshing, and join me in my Mediterranean kitchen. The pan is hot, the rosemary smells incredible, and lunch is almost ready.

Motd 68 Trout

17.8MB ∙ PDF file

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Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided in Mediterranean Minutes is intended for general guidance only and is not a substitute for personalized medical or dietary advice. Individual needs vary. Please consult a qualified health professional before making significant changes to your diet.

Simple, fast, elegant and healthy. What more could you ask of such an easy recipe?

Trout may be an unsung hero of the Mediterranean fish options, but it’s fork-tender and delicate with a very mild flavor. And this sauced up sauté is just what it needs to take the centerpiece spot on the plate.

Motd 68 Trout Recipe

713KB ∙ PDF file

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Sooner or later, everybody finds a set of pantry staples that work for them. Ingredients that earn a place in your kitchen not because they stand out, but because they work in so many different ways.

Even though there is so much to choose from, the Mediterranean pantry is no different.

As you settle into your healthy way of eating, a few things become a little more “essential” than others.

If I had to whittle it down to ten — with a handful of fresh essentials like lemons, yogurt, and good produce always nearby — here's what would make the cut:

1. Extra virgin olive oil

2. Tube of tomato paste

3. Almonds or walnuts

4. Anchovies

5. Lentils

6. Cannellini beans

7. Chickpeas

8. Farro

9. A box of pasta

10. Quinoa

This week’s menu is built around one of those ingredients.

It’s flexible. You can find it on plates at breakfast, lunch or dinner.

It’s preppable. One big batch can be turned into perfect single-serving freezable portions.

It covers a lot of nutritional ground. As one of the few plant-based complete proteins, it’s loaded with extra healthy benefits.

And it’s one of the tiniest shelf-stable ingredients in the pantry.

Quinoa.

what makes it work

Quinoa is not just a great grain alternative — in many ways, it behaves more like a complete building block for a meal. It stands out nutritionally in a way that most grains don’t.

Unlike many plant-based carbohydrate sources, gluten-free quinoa is considered a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own.

It’s especially valuable in a Mediterranean-style pattern of eating, where plant-forward meals are common and protein is often distributed across the day rather than concentrated in one place.

Beyond protein, quinoa brings a lot more to the table. It's a solid gluten-free source of fiber to support digestion and steady energy, magnesium for muscle and heart function, iron for oxygen transport, and B vitamins that keep your metabolism humming. For a tiny shelf-stable seed, it pulls serious nutritional weight.

But what makes quinoa super useful in everyday cooking isn’t just what it contains — it’s how easily it fits into a meal. Whether you use the most common creamy ivory quinoa, the sturdy red, the slightly sweeter black or a mix of all three varieties like I do.

And quinoa makes a great meal prep staple when you store it precooked in serving size portions in the freezer.

When it’s prepped and ready, it can move easily between roles:

• a base for a composed salad

• a side dish alongside vegetables and protein

• or part of a more substantial meal when combined with legumes, cheese, or nuts

In this week’s featured recipe, it’s paired with dried apricots, goat cheese, pistachios and arugula — — a combination that brings together sweet, salty, creamy, and crunchy in a way that keeps hunger pangs at bay for hours.

I’ve included a few other basic recipes in the PDF to get you started. And if you want to watch the full video, you’ll find all three salads I created — each one built on the same idea, but with slightly different ingredients and flavor profiles so you can mix and match depending on what you have on hand.

That’s really the goal here.

Not a single recipe, but a way of thinking about how to put meals together — using ingredients that do more than one job, and that make it easier to build something satisfying without starting from scratch every time.

If you're already a paid subscriber, this is just one of the small extras that show up almost every week — my way of saying thank you for being part of this community. And if you've been on the fence about joining, this is a good week to see what you'd be getting.

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But right now, it’s time to pull up a chair, grab a glass or cup, and join me in my Mediterranean kitchen while we work our way from one flavor-packed meal to another.

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I’ve created one combination for this quinoa salad that’s bright, nutty, creamy with a touch of sweet.

But what’s most important is to think of this recipe as a template. A simple way to enjoy a healthy meal every day.

1. Quinoa is the gluten-free, protein-packed base.

2. A vinaigrette-type dressing works better than a creamy one

3. Whatever fresh salad ingredients you have on hand can be folded into a fabulously easy main!

Want to make sure you don’t miss out on anything? Everything you’ll want to know to master the Mediterranean diet, including 400+ posts & notes of exclusive weekly meal plans & recipes, how-to-guides and behind the scenes are all here waiting for you to spend a few Mediterranean minutes with me. Upgrade or invite more friends to join those of us who want to master this healthy way of eating.

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There are certain ingredients that aren’t the centerpiece of the plate. They’re not the part of the meal anyone raves about. But take them away, and something feels like it’s missing.

Namely, that half of your plate devoted to vegetables.

So in an effort to help you fill out the important part of your plate, this week’s menu is built around one of those ingredients.

A dark leafy green named kale.

And while it might seem like a humble side, it’s doing more work than you might expect.

Recently, I wrote about the brassica oleracea sextuplets - cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and rutabaga - healthy vegetables with identical DNA.

I covered Brussels sprouts and cauliflower in February, and broccoli in March. So it’s time to give springtime kale its due. Even if it doesn’t happen to be my favorite of the bunch, who knows? It might be yours.

What makes it work

Kale is a dual-personality kind of vegetable. Sometimes it likes heat, sometimes it likes a chill.

Sometimes it likes to be chopped up after a simple massage with extra virgin oil and salt, mixed with a few “what have you” salad fixings like dried fruit, bits of cheese, nuts, avocado and crunchy onions and topped with a simple lemon garlic dressing.

Sometimes it likes to be sautéed into submission and served hot. It’s not complicated. Just greens, olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt. That’s it.

If you’re in the mood to get dressed up and have some pine nuts, dates and red onion like I did when I made it this week, go ahead and toss them in.

If a little extra heat is your thing, a smattering of chile pepper flakes does the trick.

If a nod to springtime freshness is more what you’re looking for, a squeeze of lemon or a bit of grated lemon peel works wonders.

In other words, no matter how you like it best, kale is exactly the kind of easy going addition that fills in the missing half to create a more balanced plate — both in terms of flavor and, importantly, in terms of nutrition.

And there’s a reason for that.

From a nutritional standpoint, kale and other dark leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard (which BTW can be served up exactly in the same way) are some of the most concentrated sources of essential nutrients you can put on your plate.

They provide:

• Vitamin K, which plays a key role in bone and blood health

• Vitamin A, important for vision, immune function, and skin health

• Folate, which supports cell repair and cardiovascular health

• Magnesium and potassium, both essential for muscle function and maintaining healthy blood pressure

• And a wide range of antioxidants and polyphenols, which help reduce inflammation and support long-term health

They’re also naturally rich in fiber, which supports digestion and helps maintain steady energy levels throughout the day.

In this week’s menu, a generous side of sautéed kale is paired with a few other simple elements — a light piece of cod, some roasted potatoes, some fresh herbs — the kind of dinner that feels complete without being heavy.

And that’s really the goal.

Not meals that are complicated or overly planned, but meals that are easy to put on repeat — the kind you can come back to again and again without much effort.

To help you do that, I’ve included a few additional dressing and sauce ideas in the PDF so you can continue building around these same ingredients throughout the week.

If you’re already a paid subscriber then you know these little extras show up almost every week as a small bonus to show my appreciation for your support. If you haven’t yet had the chance to join us, what are you waiting for?

Subscribe now

But right now, it’s time to pull up a chair, grab a glass or cup, and join me in my Mediterranean kitchen while we work our way from one flavor-packed meal to another!

Read more

Recently, I wrote about the brassica oleracea sextuplets - cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and rutabaga - healthy vegetables with identical DNA.

I’ve already covered Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli. So it’s time to give springtime kale its due. Even if it doesn’t happen to be my favorite of the bunch, who knows? It might be yours.

This recipe can be adapted to any dark leafy hardy green you want to treat to a flavorful toss-up. Plus, it’s the perfect canvas for all sorts of pantry options... nuts, dried fruits, alliums.

Just pay a little attention to those optionals as they are not calculated in the finished dish macros. But you have the reference tools to add any optional flavor bits to the total if you go that route.

Want to make sure you don’t miss out on anything? Everything you’ll want to know to master the Mediterranean diet, including 400+ posts & notes of exclusive weekly meal plans & recipes, how-to-guides and behind the scenes are all here waiting for you to spend a few Mediterranean minutes with me. Upgrade or invite more friends to join those of us who want to master this healthy way of eating.

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Time to fess up. I have a sweet tooth and sometimes a juicy piece of fresh fruit doesn’t cut it.

A square of salted dark chocolate almost always provides a quick fix. Even a smear of homemade jam on my morning toast takes care of it too.

But there are those occasional days (psst… it’s 2-3 times a month if you’re following the Mediterranean diet) when I’m looking for a special treat. And this week is one of those times.

So let’s talk about how desserts fit into a healthy diet day without worrying about falling off the tracks.

how to make it work

Maybe you’ve noticed I try to feature a different segment of the Mediterranean diet every week. Each slice of the pie or the pyramid gets a little or a lot of attention based on where it sits.

You may not see lots of recipes for meats or sweets but that doesn’t mean they’re off limits. On the contrary, they’re very much a part of the balance that makes up the Mediterranean diet.

Lucky for us, my spinning Wheel of Fortune landed on “meats & sweets” this week!

Normally when building your weekly menus, I work out a 2,000-calorie and macro mix so that you have a balance of energy and nutrients to evenly fuel your day. Then give you the tools to adjust it if your goal is more or less.

Lunch and dinner ideas have always been interchangeable - depending on whether you like to eat your biggest meal at lunch or dinner.

Here in Spain as in most Mediterranean countries, it’s definitely mid-day.

But there’s always room for wiggle room when you’re following the Mediterranean diet and sometimes, there’s call for a little change.

This week, a slice of our featured dessert took a sizable chunk out of the day, but lunch was nice enough to downsize and cover the difference.

You’ll see just how I do it in the full plan, but for now I wanted to highlight the ingredient and recipe that made this small switcheroo necessary.

a little slice of Spanish heaven

Another important part of planning the weekly menus is trying to use local, seasonal ingredients. This week, that means celebrating the abundance of citrus and almonds where I live - knowing that no matter where you live, you should be able to source them too.

Right now, a sure sign of spring is the blanket of white and pink that gently settles like a tufted bedspread over the hills. Everyone here knows it’s a spectacular signal of almond blossom time and the fruit that will follow in the late summer.

It’s probably why almond “flour” is as common here as white flour for all kinds of baked goods. And despite its moniker, it’s nothing more than finely-ground almonds. With two healthy benefits.

Almond flour is protein-packed and gluten-free.

It can usually be found in three variations: ground from buttery Marcona almonds, ground from skin-on toasted almonds and rough grind granules for Spain’s iconic cookies, almendrados (a bonus recipe that you’ll find in the PDF).

So when I’m looking for one of those occasional treats, I reach for a recipe that includes almond flour knowing I’m getting more than just a quick fix for my ever-present sweet tooth.

With this week’s featured recipe, I’m also getting an extra dose of gluten-free protein from the almonds, the eggs and the yogurt.

This orange almond cake is a touch unusual because in addition to almonds, the cake includes a whole orange: skin, pith and all. The result? The citrusy flavor gets an intense boost and the cake stays nice and moist.

A healthy finishing touch… with colorful, juicy orange slices and pomegranate arils on top, you can almost consider this another small fruit portion for the day if you’re trying to reach your 5-a-day goal!

And if you want to make it right along with me, just click on the video:

As always, to give you a few more ideas about why almonds are a key pantry ingredient in every Mediterranean kitchen, you’ll find 3 extra recipes from the archives in the menu PDF besides the meal plan.

If you’re already a paid subscriber then you know these little extras show up almost every week as a small bonus to show my appreciation for your support. If you haven’t yet had the chance to join us, what are you waiting for?

Subscribe now

But right now, it’s time to pull up a chair, grab a glass or cup, and join me in my Mediterranean kitchen while we work our way from one flavor-packed meal to another.

Read more

Oranges are one of the most celebrated fruits in the Mediterranean during the long citrus season bowls. Bowls of fresh fruit like these are always on the table within easy reach for a quick snack but to really celebrate the season it’s nice to have a light almond cake on hand decorated with beautiful Mediterranean colors and flavors like oranges and pomegranates.

This healthy Mediterranean dessert with whole oranges is loaded with the healthy benefits of whole oranges, protein-packed with almonds, eggs and yogurt and made even better for you with the antioxidant powers of extra virgin olive oil in the batter and crunchy, juicy, flavorful pomegranate seeds decorating the top. What a healthy way to have your cake and eat it too!

Want to upgrade to a paid subscription so you don’t miss out on anything? Everything you’ll want to know to master the Mediterranean diet including exclusive weekly meal plans and recipes, how-to-guides and behind the scenes are all here waiting for you to spend a few Mediterranean minutes with me.

Subscribe now

Read more

Who else is ready for fresh spring colors and some new healthy options at the table? I’m craving change, so I’m guessing you might be too. And what better season than springtime to give a boost to all the healthy commitments you’ve made to yourself this year?

Another change? I find myself reaching for combinations that don’t require much cooking at all. Long-simmering soups and stews head into hibernation, and prep-and-plate dishes move to the front.

The result? A set of choices that feels a little like a Mediterranean-style salad bar — and that ended up shaping this week’s Healthy Menu Meal Plan. Hydrating fresh fruit, nutrient-dense vegetables — something crisp, something creamy, and a good drizzle of olive oil.

As a first-of-the-month newsletter, the PDF is unlocked and available to everyone - free and paid subscribers alike - so if you want to go straight to the plan,

👉 You can download the full menu and recipes here

Motd 64 Watermelon Feta

17.2MB ∙ PDF file

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What makes it work

If you’ve been a part of this community for a while, then you’re already familiar with a rhythm that works really well when you’re following the Mediterranean diet — a balanced breakfast that provides long-lasting energy, a more substantial mid-day meal, and a lighter dinner that ends the day on a healthy note without being heavy.

I’ll walk you through all of that in the full plan, but for now I wanted to highlight the featured recipe and the ingredient that really set the tone for today’s menu.

A loaded interpretation of a classic watermelon feta salad.

At first glance, it’s a simple combination — sweet watermelon, crisp cucumber, a little red onion, creamy avocado, fresh herbs, and a piquant lime dressing. But what makes it feel complete is the ingredient that ties everything together.

Feta.

Feta is one of the most recognizable cheeses in Mediterranean cooking and one that shows up again and again in recipes from breakfast to dinner. Its bright, tangy flavor has a way of bringing balance to all sorts of dishes.

Traditionally made from sheep’s milk or a blend of sheep and goat milk, feta has a crumbly texture and a light salty bite. Another big plus? Because the flavor is such a standout, a small amount goes a long way.

In fact, until I prepared this newsletter, I hadn’t realized just how many recipes I’ve already published that include this magical Mediterranean ingredient - and that you can find in the archive.

In this week’s salad, feta does something especially interesting. It balances the natural sweetness of the watermelon and the richness of the avocado, adding just enough contrast to keep every bite from feeling too soft or too sweet.

And nutritionally, feta also contributes protein and calcium. It’s a good example of the Mediterranean diet guideline where dairy is used more as a complement than the main focus of the plate.

To give you a few more ideas about why feta deserves a permanent place in your kitchen, you’ll find 3 extra healthy recipe treats in the menu PDF besides the meal plan I promised you (mostly because I just can’t help myself).

If you’re already a paid subscriber then you know these little extras show up almost every week as a small bonus to show my appreciation for your support. If you haven’t yet had the chance to join us, what are you waiting for?

Subscribe now

But right now, it’s time to pull up a chair, grab a glass or cup and join me in my Mediterranean kitchen while we work our way from one flavor-packed meal to another.

Motd 64 Watermelon Feta Recipe

842KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided in Mediterranean Minutes is intended for general guidance only and is not a substitute for personalized medical or dietary advice. Individual needs vary. Please consult a qualified health professional before making significant changes to your diet.

This salad is remarkable for its incredible dichotomy on so many levels: it’s creamy and crunchy, it’s sweet and tart, it’s loaded and light. And it’s all because of the addition of feta cheese.

Whether you serve the salad as the perfect side at a picnic or potluck, or just tuck in for a big bowl at dinner, it’s a wonderful way to pack in a whole lot of healthy in one easy salad bowl.

Motd 64 Watermelon Feta Recipe

842KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download