mediterranean diet: healthy menu meal plan #35

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It’s a very rare day when meat appears on my menu at home. It’s not that meat is not a part of the Mediterranean diet. It very much is - a few times a month in reasonable portions. But George and I have simply gotten out of the habit of it and don’t miss it a bit.

But if you are a meat eater, in the spirit of satisfying your carnivorous needs, dear reader, I headed to the butcher this week and brought home a small piece of lamb leg that the butcher carved into bite-sized pieces and I trimmed it clean of bone & fat when I got home.

The beauty of this stew is that it brings together lots of healthy ingredients like chickpeas, butternut squash and spinach with those bits of lamb enveloped in a Mediterranean spice mix. It’s a classic Mediterranean way to enjoy meat - as a flavor maker - stretching small portions into family-style meals.

Another thought I had this week was about how important variety and flavor are to an everyday diet. I’m a firm believer that great tasting dishes loaded with layers and layers of flavor are the key to staying on track when you’re learning to eat a new way. And it’s one of the many reasons I think the Mediterranean way to eat every day is so easy to stick with.

With that in mind, there are two tricks to this recipe that help make it extra flavorful. First, remember to bloom all the spices when you add them, cooking them for a few minutes to bring out their best. Second, fold in the colorful greens as a last minute addition when you’re ready to plate it up, keeping them bright, colorful and full of nutrition.

And by the way, if you have kale or chard instead of spinach, they make great choices too. In the case of extra firm and hardy curly kale, I’d suggest you give it a quick massage with olive oil before adding it to the pot or cook it a bit to soften the bite.

As always, you’ll find a few extra recipe treats in the menu PDF besides the meal plan I promised you (mostly because I just can’t help myself). Today, I’ve included another three cozy soup recipes perfect for fall weather from the archives so that you don’t have to go hunting around for them.

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?

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

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.