healthy mediterranean diet meal plan #11

You can thank Amy and Sandee, subscribers to the newsletter who always share great feedback with me, for today’s menu. Within a month of each other (pure serendipity), they both reached into the archives and came across this recipe for Persian rice and lentils. And drum roll… gave it a big thumbs up!

“Oh my, this was so delicious! Warm cinnamon, crunchy salty almonds and sweet dates combine to create a flavorful medley… I am really looking forward to enjoying the leftovers! Thank you for another fantastic recipe, Caroline!” - Amy

“This was sooo good! The toppings just take it over the top! I used chopped pistachios (instead of almonds) and the fried onions! My husband isn’t into meat-free so much, so I had lunches for the week leftover!!” - Sandee

Naturally, it dawned on me that if they thought it was as good as I do, it deserved to be the centerpiece of this week’s menu of the day so that the rest of you could see just how easy it is to include in your day of healthy eating too - and still have plenty of leftovers for a no-fuss meal later in the week when paired with a nice big crunchy green salad!

But before we dive into this week’s menu, let’s back up for a minute and talk about the centerpiece of the centerpiece: lentils.

I love each and every type of lentil. Rich, meaty, tiny black lentils in stews. Meltingly creamy red lentils just right for soup. Plump yellow lentils with a bright, fresh, clean flavor (that the bean lady at my market swears are really the best for soup). The tiny French classic, peppery Puy green lentils. And today’s lentil that always holds up under pressure or any amount of heat and time you throw at it, the protein-packed brown lentil.

Any of them make a pitch-perfect protein contribution to any kitchen symphony like today’s one-pan stovetop-to-table dish of Persian rice and lentils, laced with classic warm Mediterranean spices like cinnamon, turmeric and saffron.

And it doesn’t hurt that fiber-rich lentils deliver lots of other important nutrients too like B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and potassium, all at a very affordable price.

As always, you’ll find a few extra treats in the menu PDF besides the one I promised you (mostly because I just can’t help myself). When I can, I’ll reach into the archive and include them so that you don’t have to go hunting around. And this week, I’ve included a recipe for mashed butter beans, a protein-packed option to the mashed potatoes featured as part of the dinner meal.

So 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.

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