healthy mediterranean diet meal plan #13

If you’ve ever wondered whether following the Mediterranean diet would be hard to do (and chances are it’s a question you’ve had which is why you’re hanging out with me), this week’s Menu of the Day can put those doubts to rest.

It’s a day filled with lots and lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, some heart-healthy whole grains and a recipe for a luscious chicken dish laced with some quintessential flavors of Morocco.

Since moving to Spain, I’ve always been drawn to the classic flavors of our next door neighbor. Or maybe I was in love with this savory-spicy-sweet thing long before I got here. Silver Palate’s iconic Chicken Marbella was the first “company” dish I put on repeat in college. Indian curry and coconut chicken hit the spot for late night carry-out when I was putting in long office hours.

So it feels pretty familiar to create a Mediterranean blend of savory spices like cumin, coriander and Ras-el-Hanout with sweeter spices like saffron and cinnamon. And marry together sweet potatoes, prunes and apricots with chickpeas, chicken and cilantro in one main dish that ticks all the boxes.

If you know me, you know I LOVE playing with new toys in the kitchen. So last week in preparation for this week’s menu, I bought the eponymous cooking pot for the dish, the tagine.

In the past, I’d pile the ingredients into a big Dutch oven or slow cooker and tend it from time to time, spooning the liquids back over the ingredients and I’ve always been happy with the results. But when I’ve seen so many of these pots in shop windows around Alicante, I just couldn’t resist. The difference I found is that the conical-shaped lid of the tagine is genius for putting basting on auto-pilot. All that lovely flavor-filled steam kept sliding down the sides and right back into the dish.

But best of all, this week’s recipe has George and I covered for two more dinners later in the week, making it the ultimate meal prep plan in just one pot (and if you have any leftover couscous, it will reheat in the microwave on full power in 2 minutes…).

If you’re looking to make this week’s menu extra easy, another meal prep tip is to batch cook plenty of nutrient-dense quinoa for today’s Greek quinoa salad and any other salads you have up your sleeve. Just fluff it up with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before freezing it in serving size portions that will last in the freezer for 1-2 months. It will always be ready when you’re in the mood for a Buddha bowl or any kind of all-in-one-bowl lunch or dinner.

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. And this week, I’ve included my recipe for that perfect-every-time quinoa, which you can also watch me make over on my YouTube channel.

So 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.

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