Mediterranean Diet Recipies with Chef Aron

Mediterranean Diet Recipies with Chef Aron
CHEF ARON COOKING ARTICHOKE HEARTS.
Artichokes are native to the whole Mediterranean region.
The whole Mediterranean area is re-nound for the lowest rates of chronic disease and with that,… longevity.
Mediterranean cuisine does feature Artichoke, and they are delicious and great for a healthy diet. A couple of Artichokes only contain about 25 calories and no fat. They are a good source of vitamin c, potassium, folate, magnesium, anti-oxidants and fiber.
CHEF ARON COOKING ARTICHOKE HEARTS
The most beneficial way of  serving Artichoke is to keep the sauces, dips, and dressings low in fat, and you are on the way to well-being incorporating Artichoke in your Diet..

HOW TO DO ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Follow the You Tube video here:-

Use the wilted Artichokes as the little older ones have more flavor.
Peel them back until you only get the beautiful yellowy green look. Strip the stem too and remove any brown bits.

In the pot Chef Aron has the juice and skins of about ten (10) Lemons and two (2) whole Oranges.
Cut up a handful of Fennel and add to pot.
Crush up four (4) cloves of Garlic and add.
Palm full of Peppercorns always goes well.
Two table spoons of white vinegar and two table spoons of Apple Cider, or Ginger Beer is ok.
Vegetable Oil infused with Orange of about 80 mils. and about the same in Peanut Oil (avoid using Extra virgin Olive Oil) Might add here, if you are allergic to Peanut Oil, just use a quality Veg. oil as substitute.
At this point add half a bottle of White Wine and give it all a good stir.
TASTE
Probably needs Sugar to sweeten up a bit, add a small hand full to start with, and taste again.
Now it needs a few good pinches of  Sea or Rock Salt.
Add all the remaining Wine from the bottle, barring one glass full, as you deserve this.
Cut up the Artichoke as per the Video.

Important to bury the Artichoke in the mix to avoid it going brown, also during cooking.
Bring all that hard work up to the boil and turn down a bit to simmer just off the boil.
Simmer for about one hour, reducing the liquid, then stand to cool and there you have it.
Happy Days!

Kangaroo Tail with Roasted Potato

Kangaroo Tail with Roasted Potato
Kangaroo Tail with Roasted Potato is Mediterranean you ask? Got your attention? This recipe is one of my favorites as it uses Kangaroo. This is one of the leanest of red meats available and only contains about 2% of fat. The other fats are the good ones and I thought I would share this with you for your enjoyment. I am aware that this recipe could have been done with goat to be in keeping with the Mediterranean theme, but Australians just love to eat their national wild animals. They are so tasty and in this case Kangaroo is a great substitute for goat.
Kangaroo is a game meat and should be cooked “rare” like Venison in the Scandinavian countries, and like Crocodile Buffalo and Emu. Very tasty…do try some before you comment. Enjoy the video and the written recipe.

How To Do It

Using Kangaroo Tail with Roasted Potato for this recipe… remove the sinew from the cuts of Kangaroo Tail as demonstrated by Chef Aron, cut sizing should be about the same as an average chicken breast

a. Season with salt pepper and virgin olive oil
b. Get your potato and bake in oven till golden brown
c. Bake dried small dried tomatoes and set aside
d. Boil Broccoli and set aside

1. Sear kangaroo tail in pan as in the video on high heat till golden brown (underside) turn over and cook through only, to medium rare. Sit and rest for one minute.
2. Plate Roasted Potato with Broccoli stacked on top, then arrange dried Tomatoes on top, over and around the plate, add the dressing
3. Cut the Kangaroo tail into thin slices and arrange on top as in the video, add you caramelized onion and bean sprouts as garnish

HAPPY DAYS
View video?

CAPONATA (Egplant and Caper Salad)

MEDITERRANEAN DIET RECIPIES
By Chef Aron Harder
CAPONATA (Egplant and Caper Salad)
There are various ways of putting this recipe of CAPONATA (Egplant and Caper Salad) together and serving. We had it warm with the Chicken and Almonds (recipe follows) but it can also be served chilled for lunch on a hot day and is very refreshing. You can sweeten this up to your taste by adding a tad more sugar.
What you need.
8 medium size eggplants ( aubergines) ours were x 2, as you can see the size in the video.
4oo grams of freshly tomatoes peeled as shown in the video.
2 medium-sized yellow or the sweet white variety.
The heart of a large celery.
200 grams of the large firm green olives pitted.
200 grams of beautiful capers.
extra virgin oil, sugar, salt, and some white vinegar, these for taste.

HOW TO DO IT

See it on the following link :-

The aubergines (eggplants) unpeeled, are nicely cut into approx. two centimeter pieces in square shapes. Steam these up in a pot big enough until cooked but firm, add a little water if necessary.  Drain and rest aside.
Chop the tomatoes into small squares too, as with the onions.The celery into lengths about 3 centimeters long. Don’t use celery leaves.
Halve the olives
Get your large pan out and saute’ the onion to a nice golden color in olive oil, add the celery. Mix in the tomato and bring it up to the boil and turn down to simmer for a few minutes, 4-6 minutes.
At this stage, add the aubergine, olives to the mix and gently stir in, then the capers. You can then add the olive oil (2 Tbs.) vinegar and sugar.
Stirring gently steam simmer on a lowish heat until it thickens up. Don’t allow to burn. Add salt to taste.

Serve warm or cold.
HAPPY DAYS!

CHICKEN with ALMONDS (Galletto con le Mandorle)

CHICKEN with ALMONDS (Galletto con le Mandorle)
by Chef Aron Harder
This recipe in the written form is not exactly how Chef Aron describes it in his video attachment. You be the judge as to which way you would like to do this as it works both ways.
CHICKEN with ALMONDS (Galletto con le Mandorle)
What you will need.
1 Chicken, cut into 8 pieces as shown in the video accordingly.
The chicken should be fairly large about 3-31/2 pounds.
3/4 Cup blanched almonds and crush them into crumb like size.
1/4 Cup blanched whole almonds and toast them.
1 Tbs. tomato paste.
4 Tbs. white or red wine vinegar
6 Tbs. olive oil.
2 Tbs sugar.
1 Tbs. salt.
1/2 T pepper.
1 T salt.
STARTING THIS WAY
You start with browning the chicken pieces in 2 Tbs. of the olive oil over a low heat. This will take about 15 min. in total. Set aside so as to drain the chicken of excess oils.
Carefully pour in the balance of your olive oil into the pan with the tomato paste previously dissolved in one cup of luke warm water. Bring this up to temperature bubbling, then add the crushed almonds, pepper, salt, sugar, and finally the vinegar.
When this mix comes up to the boil add the chicken pieces, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered for about 45 or so minutes. Always check to see if the liquid is evaporating, so you can add a little water if the now sauce, gets a little thick.
Don’t for get to turn the chicken over to baste both sides.
Check to see if the chicken is in fact cooked right through, then arrange on a platter covering the chichen with the browned sauce.
Sprinkle the toasted almonds on top.

Serve warm in winter or room temperature in summer with a beautiful Egplant and Caper Salad (recipe preceding this one)

ASPARAGUS OMLETTE

Mediterranean Diet Recipies

Asparagus Omlette
by Chef Aron

How to do it.
Crack 6 eggs into a large bowl, whisk vigorously, so there is no egg spam. You will want to strain the eggs with a fine strainer to remove any clots of egg and possible shell. Then heat the pan on high heat, ready for asparagus.
(Tip 1. Blanch asparagus before adding egg mixture, so it’s half-cooked then cooking process is complete when omelet cooked)
Then measure boiling water into jug, 500mls – 750mls.
When pan is hot enough, add the asparagus so you can hear sizzle noise. Add the boiled water and move around and separate asparagus, then simmer gently for approx 1min 30.
(remove most of the water from the asparagus so it can reduce, and does not over cook)
With the remaining liquid, let it reduce to enhance the flavors, let reduce to nearly no liquid. Now add the extra olive oil (EVO) approx 3 – 3 1/2tbs, stirr around a bit, the popping noise is the EVO and water evaporating, so all is good.
Add the garlic to the egg mixture, and then give it a quick whisk. Add some salt and pepper, and add the egg mixture to the asparagus, then turn pan down to just under the high mark.
You don’t want to color it too much, and do not stir. Put the lid on the pan, and after one minute take the lid off and turn the pan down to low, so then it will cook all the way through,
Once cooked flip onto a cutting board or larger flat plate ready to cut a serve to the whole family.
Asparagus Omlette

CUCUMBER and SHEEP’S YOGHURT DIP

Mediterranean Diet Recipies by Chef Aron
CUCUMBER and SHEEP’S YOGHURT DIP
This recipe is made from as the title says, a rich helping of  Sheep’s Milk Yoghurt
This is particularly zippy to the taste and is served as a part of the Meze table in traditional Greek Taverns. Other Yoghurt’s can also used in this recipe, such as Cows Milk Yoghurt but that is more watery, and would need to be drained off..
We stick to Sheep’s Yoghurt for this recipe, and use it as a Dip for Pita Breads or savory Biscuits.

This Sheep’s Yoghurt Dip is also delicious served with Zucchini, or Eggplant with Lamb, as a side sauce.

CUCUMBER AND SHEEP’S YOGURT-HEALTH

FOR THE WRITTEN RECIPE:
What You Need
Takes about 15 minutes to prepare,
2 minutes to consume.
Can serve about 10 people

400 gr. Sheep’s Yoghurt
2 medium Cucumbers
4 Garlic Cloves
2 tbsp. Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
Pinch of Salt
Fresh chopped Fennel.

How To Do It

Peel Cucumbers and grate as video suggests.
Add your pinch of salt to cucumber.
Peel the Garlic and crush.
Add the Garlic to the Cucumber and squeeze out excess liquid.
Add the vinegar to the Mix of Cucumber
Fold the Yoghurt and the Olive Oil into mix.
Add the fennel on top as a Garnish.
Mint, or Dill can be substituted for Fennel.
CUCUMBER and SHEEPS YOGURT DIP

MEDITERRANEAN DIET – Recipies for Healthy Eating

MEDITERRANEAN DIET – Recipies for Healthy Eating
There are not many people that have not heard of a Mediterranean Diet – Recipies for Healthy Eating of some sort. It could also be true to say that many people are not familiar with the specifics or benefits that a Mediterranean Diet can bring, and people from the region feel that it is their way of eating, preparation, and the very specific types of foods from the region, that give them a health benefit, in addition to the culinary reputation they richly deserve.

Animal red meats are not the biggest product type consumed in these regions when keeping a diet in mind, especially the areas populated around the Mediterranean Sea where Poultry and Fish are the staple, with a bit of goat, lamb, and pork thrown in.

The Main Ingredients
The main ingredients of the Mediterranean diet are essentially fresh vegetables and fruits, mixed with a variety of whole grains, copious amounts of olive oils, fish and delicious wines from everywhere, … in moderation. Their diet’s rely heavily on olive oils, the type responsible for increases in the levels of “good cholesterol”. These combinations are responsible for the Mediterranean Diet to be one of the healthiest to be found in the world.

Prevention of Illness
The belief that any Mediterranean diet is based on fats is true, but it is the type of fat that sets this area apart. The fact is, that the fats consumed are flush with Omega-3 fatty acids, that are low in saturated fat, and are well known in the medical areas for the prevention of heart disease, stroke, and even some cancers. Then with the high consumption of the foods in any Mediterranean diet, the result is a tremendous source of omega-3 fatty acids also including antioxidants and fibre, are also seen as important elements in Mediterranean foods, that are proven to be help full in the fight against these various aforementioned diseases.

The Diet History
The diet of the Mediterranean’s goes way back to the Roman Empire days but really only became of interest towards the end of the Second World War. Those who were involved with the conflicts within the Mediterranean regions discovered a wide variety of foods, and cooking, and the health benefits were soon highly regarded by doctors around the world. A completely different way of preparing the different foods and garnishes available from these countries, were soon ready to impact on the rest of the world.

Consult your Physician
Bearing the aforementioned basic facts about the Mediterranean diet in mind, you will be better positioned to make an informed decision, if this is the appropriate regiment for you and your current lifestyle as it is for the people of the Mediterranean and the rest of the world. Please consult your doctor or dietitians for advise on whether a Mediterranean diet is right for you.
I have prepared for your culinary enjoyment, some thing simple that you can all dish up in a short time, and it is explained and demonstrated by International Chef, Aron Harder.

Asparagus Omelet, by International Chef Aron Harder

Aron with Mum in England