200 MEALS UNDER 200 CALORIES

Mediterranean Food - Naturally Heart Healthy & Delicious

Mediterranean recipes contain a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, & herbs as well as fish. A Mediterranean diet is always delicious.

We have hand selected 20 Best of the Best and most inviting Mediterranean recipes like Mediterranean Chicken, Mediterranean Scallops, Mediterranean Pizza, Mediterranean Lamb, Mediterranean Scampi, Calamari Mediterranean, Mediterranean Scones & many more from the Chef's Secret Vault. Your friends and family will think you've been taking lessons in gourmet cooking. So don't miss this chance to add some treasured recipes to your personal collection today!

Mediterranean recipes contain a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, & herbs as well as fish. A Mediterranean diet is always delicious.

We have hand selected 20 Best of the Best and most inviting Mediterranean recipes like Mediterranean Chicken, Mediterranean Scallops, Mediterranean Pizza, Mediterranean Lamb, Mediterranean Scampi, Calamari Mediterranean, Mediterranean Scones & many more from the Chef's Secret Vault. Your friends and family will think you've been taking lessons in gourmet cooking. So don't miss this chance to add some treasured recipes to your personal collection today!

recipe courtesy Epicurious

2 pounds eggplant (about 2 medium)
olive oil for brushing

For meat sauce
2 large onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb (preferably 10% fat)
a 28- to 32-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice


For white sauce
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten


an 8-ounce package feta, crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups)
twelve 7- by 3 1/2-inch sheets dry no-boil lasagne pasta

Cut eggplant lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and sprinkle slices on both sides with salt. Arrange eggplant in a large colander and weight it with a heavy bowl. Drain eggplant 1 hour. Remove bowl and pat eggplant dry.
Set broiler rack so that eggplant will be about 4 inches from heat and preheat broiler.

Arrange eggplant in one layer in oiled shallow baking pans and brush with oil. Broil eggplant until golden, about 3 minutes on each side.

Make meat sauce:
In a large heavy non-stick skillet cook onions and garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add lamb and cook, stirring to break up, until it is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining meat sauce ingredients and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Meat sauce may be made 3 days ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered.

Make white sauce while meat sauce is cooking:
In a heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour until smooth. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Whisk in milk in a stream and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thick. Whisk in egg, whisking vigorously, and simmer sauce, whisking, 1 minute. White sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Pour 1 cup meat sauce into a flame-proof baking dish, 13 by 9 by 2 inches (sauce will not cover bottom completely), and cover with 3 lasagne sheets, making sure they do not touch each other. Spread about 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over pasta and arrange 1 layer broiled eggplant on top. Gently spread about 1/2 cup white sauce over eggplant and sprinkle with about 1/3 cup feta. Make 2 more layers in same manner, beginning and ending with pasta. Spread remaining white sauce evenly over top pasta layer, making sure pasta is completely covered, and sprinkle with remaining feta.

Cover dish tightly with foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top layer, and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake lasagne 10 minutes more, or until top is bubbling.

Set broiler rack so that lasagne will be about 4 inches from heat and preheat broiler.

Broil lasagne 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden. Let lasagne stand 5 minutes before serving.

The Mrs. and I were in Redmond and while driving back she decided that she wanted to go to the U District for Indian food at Cedar's. The practical part of me saw Friday Seattle rush hour approaching so I insisted that we head straight home or face the consequences of a 2 hour commute.

Later that night I asked her what she wanted me to cook for dinner. She said, "I already suggested a dinner, so its your choice now."

WELL, what else could I do but make an attempt at making her the Indian food that she wanted in the safe and traffic-less confines of our home.

The result was: Chicken Shahi Korma w/ Cauliflower

This is from a recipe I found online that I adapted marginally. Here is the recipe that I found and I'll just comment on the minor changes. I'm not accustomed to using recipes, but certainly for something like this, there's no way I could do without.

8 cloves garlic, peeled
6 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons almonds, blanched
2 tablespoons chopped, peeled gingerroot
7 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds lamb, cubed
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 onions, chopped
1 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 cups whipping cream

1. In a blender or food processor, combine garlic, water, almonds and gingerroot; blend to a smooth paste. Reserve.

2. Heat oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add cubed lamb, cooking a single layer deep at a time. Brown, then set aside.

3. Add cardamom, whole cloves, and cinnamon stick. Stir together, then add chopped onions; cook to a light brown. Reduce the heat and add reserved ginger/almond paste.
Stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes, then return the cooked meat with beef broth, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and cream. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour; stirring frequently. Skim any fat on top.

First, I didn't use lamb, I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. This is the meat that they use at Cedar's for the Chicken Shahi Korma. I used less garlic (because my cloves are BIG) and I used half cream, half milk to make it a little less rich and bad for us.

The addition of the cauliflower was because half the time she is there, Heather orders the Vegetable Coconut Curry and one of its main ingredients is cauliflower.

The carrots are there, because I didn't like how the colors were looking. I thought that it neededed little flair, so I chopped some carrots. I think that at Cedars, their Korma has saffron and it changes the color to a little more orange-y. I might consider putting a little bit of carrot in the paste from step 1 to make it a little more colorful or perhaps adding paprika (poor man's saffron).

Served with basmati rice.

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