Summertime Mediterranean Diet Recipes

As you prepare to celebrate Independence Day, many of you may be planning on hosting or attending a social gathering involving the grill! Barbecues or cook-outs are part of the summer social scene for many of us, and while they are more often associated with burgers and hot dogs than salmon and veggies, there’s no reason you can’t make the menu delicious AND healthy.  As we have mentioned in past blog posts, the Mediterranean Diet is a style of eating that has shown benefits to the health of the brain. It seems like it’s about time we shared a couple of new recipes to get your summer off to a good start. The following recipes come from the Mayo Clinic Healthy Recipes website.

This easy recipe for Mediterranean Style Grilled Salmon is a great main dish that could be featured at your next barbecue.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 salmon fillets, each 5 ounces
• Cracked black pepper, to taste
• 4 green olives, chopped
• 4 thin slices lemon

Attending a potluck style barbecue? Consider bringing this Bean Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette. Chances are good that others will appreciate the healthy option to balance out their plate!

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

• 1 can (15 ounces) low-sodium garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 6 lettuce leaves
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

Hopefully these recipes are just a jumping off point for you to get excited about ways to make your summer eating give your brain the nutrients it needs.

Give these recipes a try and post below to let us know how you liked them!