Favorite Mediterranean Recipes for Fresh Produce
Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, summer squashes, and eggplants pair well with store-bought ingredients such as olive oil, rice and orzo, lemon juice, and feta cheese when these fresh foods are in season. Mediterranean recipes you can make with fresh and other ingredients include cold gazpacho, prepared-ahead orzo salad, lemony shrimp, salmon rice, chicken gyros and tacos, roasted vegetables, Greek meatballs, and moussaka. These recipes can be eaten throughout the week.
Why These Mediterranean Recipes Work
- Seasonal Vegetables: Tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, zucchini, and eggplant are used in both cold and hot dishes and casseroles with other seasonal vegetables.
- Pantry Items: Rice, orzo pasta, pita, and olive oil are useful ingredients for salads and other foods, such as chicken gyros.
- Lemon, Garlic, Herbs: Serve shrimp, salmon, chicken, and vegetables with lemon, garlic, dill, basil, and other fresh herbs.
- Butter or Olive Oil: Shrimp can be cooked with either butter or olive oil in this recipe. Choosing between these two common cooking ingredients is easy.
1. Easy Chicken Gyros with Lemon, Garlic, and Crisp Edges
Easy Chicken Gyros make a quick pita-based meal for gyros lovers who don't have access to a rotisserie chicken. Boneless chicken thighs are arranged in a loaf pan and baked with toppings and spices, including lemon, garlic, yogurt, oregano, and other Greek flavors. The inside remains juicy, and the outside browns and crisps. Eleven boneless, skinless chicken thighs are coated with olive oil, lemon zest and juice, chopped garlic, salt, dried oregano, Greek seasoning mix, and plain yogurt. The key cooking method is to arrange the chicken thighs on their sides in a loaf pan to mimic spit-roasting and keep the thighs from falling off the baking sheet. When roasting an uncovered chicken, look for signs of browning and thighs tucked into the pan. Problems with uncovered roasting include excess juices in the pan to prevent browning. You might have to drain some juices and reserve them to continue roasting until the chicken browns or broil at the end of roasting time. Watch the chicken carefully when broiling because it browns quickly. Serve chicken with warm pita and cucumbers, tomatoes, arugula, and tzatziki or other dishes, including rice and vegetables, Greek lemon potatoes, and salad. Include olives and feta cheese and pickled red onions as more options. Store leftover chicken for a later meal by refrigerating it, covered, and gently reheating it to avoid making browned edges of the chicken tough.
2. Fresh Tomato Gazpacho with Cucumber: Smooth Chilled Summer Soup
Twenty minutes of preparation time and a blender are required to prepare this cold tomato gazpacho for storage in the refrigerator. Chopped cucumber, bell pepper, lemon juice, and basil toppings complete this cold soup, which makes a good lunch or dinner dish. Start with ripe vine-ripened tomatoes. Additional varieties used in this recipe are Roma, heirloom, and Campari tomatoes. Peel the tomatoes by blanching them. Chop tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers, shallots, and garlic together. Red peppers are included to help keep the red-colored soup red. Olive oil is added during blending to give the soup smooth body. Add lemon juice and basil, as well as sea salt and pepper, for flavor balance. This recipe highlights fresh, seasonal produce. Stir vegetables occasionally after they sit to help spread oil, lemon juice, and other liquids. The finished gazpacho should be bright red without chunks if blended thoroughly at high speed. Common errors in preparing gazpacho include underblending and not refrigerating the soup long enough before serving. Allow at least 20 minutes for the mixture to meld and 2 hours of refrigeration to avoid chunky gazpacho. Spoon gazpacho into bowls and sprinkle with chopped basil as specified. The gazpacho recipe suggests serving it as a first course with Easy No-Knead Focaccia Bread as a filling meal. Making gazpacho ahead of time can save time on other busy days. Stir chilled gazpacho thoroughly before serving to distribute ingredients evenly.
3. Summer Orzo Salad with Fresh Corn and Tomatoes
Prepare this 8-cup orzo salad ahead of time to serve at a barbecue. Save fresh herbs that you are adding to the salad for the serving stage to get the most flavor. The orzo, which is light in color, and sweet corn and halved cherry tomatoes are mixed with a clear, slightly thickened vinaigrette in a glass bowl. I slice cherry tomatoes in half to drain their juices. I chop the red onion into 1/8-inch pieces so neither vegetable overpowers the other in any one bite of salad. Chopped red onion adds flavor and visual appeal to the salad without overpowering it. I like the color contrast between onion and pasta. Whisk oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper until dressing thickens slightly. Dressing should coat the pasta thoroughly, with little or no leftover liquid in the glass salad bowl. Cook the orzo until tender but not overcooked. Rinse the cooked orzo in cold water for 60 seconds. Rinsing removes starch. I toss the cooled orzo gently with the vinaigrette to ensure even coating of individual orzo pieces in the salad bowl and prevent clumping. Individual orzo pieces are desired in the salad bowl. You can grill corn to improve its flavor, but I suggest using standard yellow corn. At a cookout, I served it with brown sugar-grilled pork chops and cowboy butter on the side for the meat. It complements a Mediterranean meal of rice, beans, and grilled chicken. At a buffet with other cold foods, I served it with Italian grinder tortellini salad.
4. Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Buttery Citrus Sauce
Ready in 20 minutes, this lemon and garlic shrimp dish with red pepper flakes is a one-pan meal made with jumbo shrimp, butter or olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, white wine, and other ingredients. Jumbo shrimp cooked in lemon-butter sauce with red pepper flakes provides a spicy taste, though you can reduce the spiciness of this dish. Butter or olive oil is sautéed with garlic, onion powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper for flavoring. Large peeled and deveined shrimp are stirred into the skillet, and lemon juice and white wine are stirred in at the end to create a sauce. Fresh cilantro is stirred in at the end for flavor but does not need to be cooked. Sautéing the spices in oil before adding the shrimp helps build flavor in the dish. Search for pink, nontransparent shrimp for best results. Cook shrimp in sauce until completely covered. Overcooking shrimp is the primary risk. According to the article's author, jumbo shrimp cook for two to three minutes on each side and can become tough. Pat dry any thawed frozen shrimp to prevent the sauce from becoming watery. Use a big pan to prevent overcrowding while cooking shrimp quickly. Eat immediately with rice, pasta, or another salad. Other recipes the article suggests include Avocado Cucumber Salad and Iced Tea Lemonade. You can reheat leftovers in a skillet over low heat with broth or lemon water, according to the article. Do not reheat leftovers in the microwave, as suggested in the article, because shrimp can be fragile.
5. One-Pot Greek Meatballs and Orzo with Feta and Lemon
Cook the chicken meatballs according to the recipe, ideally up to four days ahead. Chop the shallot, garlic, herbs, peppers, and olives, ideally up to two days ahead. Cook the orzo and finish the skillet immediately before serving. Meal consists of one dish: chicken meatballs and orzo with feta cheese, roasted red peppers, and lemon juice in a Greek-inspired dish. Ground chicken is combined with panko, eggs, oregano, parsley, and garlic to prevent overworking the meat mixture. Cooked meatballs are added to the same pan with shallots and garlic to cook the shallots and orzo. Chicken broth is added to the pan, and orzo is cooked in the broth. Shredded feta cheese, roasted red peppers, olives, fresh herbs, lemon juice, and lemon zest are added to finished dishes. Orzo is cooked in broth with seasonings in one pan. Search for golden meatballs prior to their final cook and partially drained orzo with most of the liquid evaporated after the simmer. Orzo should be moist but not soupy when combined with feta and other ingredients. Avoid overmixing meatballs; lightly stir the orzo while cooking over medium heat. Serve warm with meatballs on cooked orzo. Side dishes of feta cheese and herbs are optional. For make-ahead meal planning and leftovers, divide the finished skillet into portions. Instructions recommend microwaving leftovers for one to two minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Individual servings of orzo can save time preparing lunches during the week.
6. Mediterranean Roasted Eggplant with Blistered Tomatoes and Roasted Garlic
These roasted eggplant halves are a vegetarian entree. Slits made in the eggplant allow the olive oil and cooked garlic to penetrate the roasted eggplant and cherry tomatoes, yellow and red, for added color and flavor. People enjoy the charred parts of the eggplant. I prefer a shallow ceramic baking dish if you have one, but a metal baking sheet can be used instead. I use a chef's knife to cut about 1 inch crosswise through the squash but not all the way through the skin and then coat the cuts with oil. Dry skin and the top of the squash will remain dry after baking, and the stem can be left on. I like the appearance of the stem. A wider dish makes it easier to serve both sides of the squash at the table. The first 20 minutes are for cooking the tomatoes. I look for browned edges and dark golden interiors in the tomatoes and popping or blistering of tomatoes as ways to tell when the dish is ready when I add the topping. Some whole tomatoes are partially split. Crushing garlic before adding it to the oil helps keep the garlic from burning in the oven. Let zucchini stand for 5 minutes before adding parsley. Leave cuts in the tomato juice for 5 minutes to absorb flavor. Sprinkle sea salt flakes lightly over zucchini if you want some areas to be saltier. I cook zucchini this way because I enjoy its tender inside and charred skin.
7. Feta Cheese Stuffed Zucchini with Herby Lemon and Golden Gruyere
This 45-minute baked zucchini dish is suitable as a main course. Hollow out the zucchini and bake it for a few minutes. Add filling and bake until set. Filling ingredients include feta and Gruyère cheeses, strained Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and chopped green onions and parsley. Slice zucchini into long, thin strips rather than halving it for deeper boat shapes to hold filling. Drizzle zucchini strips with olive oil and oregano for roasting. In a bowl, mix feta cheese, Gruyère cheese, strained Greek yogurt, scallions, garlic powder, lemon zest, and parsley. Straining the yogurt keeps the filling from becoming too runny. After 12-15 minutes of baking, a toothpick inserted into the zucchini should go in easily but not come out easily, and the zucchini should be soft but not mushy. Let boats cool for 5 minutes before adding filling and lowering the oven temperature. Firmly pack the filling into zucchini boats instead of stuffing them too full. The main problem with this recipe is likely overfilling, which can cause the filling to run out during baking instead of setting in the boats. Serve hot or cold with extra olive oil, Greek salad, Greek lettuce salad, or skordalia. The article suggests serving the recipe as a main dish with Greek lemon and oregano potatoes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Heat single servings in the microwave without a lid and larger servings in the oven without a lid.
8. Greek Moussaka with Fried Vegetables and Golden Béchamel
Greek moussaka is a family meal dish made with fried potatoes and eggplant and zucchini, layered with beef and tomato sauce, topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and cheese, then baked. The top is partially browned, and the vegetable layers are moist and creamy. The meat sauce contains onions, oil, ground beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices like cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. Breadcrumbs are added to the meat sauce at the end of preparation to absorb juices during baking. The béchamel sauce is made with butter, flour, warm milk, eggs, nutmeg, and two cheeses. Combinations of hard cheeses and Kasseri, Provolone, or Gruyere cheeses create a thick, cheesy topping. While the sauce is cooking, prepare the vegetables to save cooking time. Partially cook or brown sliced potatoes and zucchini and brown eggplant. Drain on paper towels. Aim for a béchamel sauce that is only slightly thicker than custard before baking to prevent a tough top layer in the finished dish. Bake in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Let the moussaka sit for at least 30 minutes before serving to prevent it from falling apart. Eight servings should be sufficient for a family meal, with leftovers that can be refrigerated or frozen for future meals.
9. Mediterranean Salmon Lemon Rice: A 30-Minute Meal
Toasting rice in olive oil before broth enhances its nutty flavor. Lemon peel and juice and dill are typically added after cooking. I make salmon lemon rice in about 30 minutes as part of a meal that includes flaky fish and cold toppings and doesn't require an oven. I cook the garlic for 30 seconds and the rice for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring. The oil-coated rice has a nutlike flavor. I add stock and cook covered over low heat until the rice is tender. Serve, fluffed with a fork. Season both sides of the salmon fillets while the rice cooks. Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 4 to 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Salmon is ready when it can be flaked with a fork. Be careful not to overcook, as the salmon will become dry. Place the salmon on top of the rice and other toppings, including cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onions. The fish and other toppings will vary in temperature. I serve a green salad alongside these dishes. Alternatively, I might serve steamed asparagus as a warm vegetable side dish. You can garnish the rice and other toppings with fresh parsley or mint. Tzatziki sauce is an option for use as a topping or dip.
10. Mediterranean Chicken Tacos: Quick and Flavorful Weeknight Meal
Mediterranean Chicken Tacos are a colorful, tasty dish that can be prepared during the week. Mediterranean Chicken Tacos include marinated chicken and tzatziki sauce, as well as other fresh vegetables and feta cheese. This dish is served in taco shells and is a family-friendly option because it can be customized to suit individual preferences and is usually popular with eaters.
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