What should we be grilling this season? Colorful, fresh foods that rely on simple preparations and naturally robust flavors. Having Mediterranean ...
What should we be grilling this season? Colorful, fresh foods that rely on simple preparations and naturally robust flavors. Having Mediterranean ...
What should we be grilling this season? Colorful, fresh foods that rely on simple preparations and naturally robust flavors. Having Mediterranean style BBQ is a great way for Type 2’s to enjoy good food while making choices that contribute to their healthy diet.
The Mediterranean diet is a nearly a century-old pattern of eating that includes the most popular foods in the Mediterranean countries, including Greece, Spain, and Southern Italy. Although there is no one-size-fits-all way of eating in this region, there are many similarities. Fish, red wine, whole grain products, fruits, vegetables, rice, and pasta are abundant in these countries' diets. In this location, red meat is rarely consumed. Olive oil replaces butter, and salt is replaced with spices and herbs. Food is frequently lightly cooked and little prepared. We are here to serve up some delicious grilled ideas for your Med-Style BBQ this week.
BBQ and grilling are technically different - one is slow cooking over indirect heat (BBQ) and one is quick with indirect or direct heat (Grill). Either way, there are specific details that make Mediterranean grilling/BBQ stand apart from the rest. Lightening up the ingredients and seasonings to include more veggies and lighter proteins, while using less red meat, sugary glazes and less added salt. Using olive oil, fresh herbs and lemon juice to season our BBQ will enhance the natural flavors instead of drowning or changing them. When we think of BBQ we naturally think of meat. However, meat can be somewhat of an afterthought with all the delicious plant based Mediterranean food to be grilled!
Grilled marinated veggies are the glue of a Mediterranean BBQ. You can include filling, colorful vegetables such as eggplant, artichoke, colorful bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and mushrooms. The temperature of the grill should be very hot to get that dark char, which adds so much flavor. You can keep these grilled veggies whole, or mix them into a hearty salad. Try marinating them first in red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano and salt and pepper. Use the marinade as the dressing for the salad! Accompany your grilled sides with some tabouli, hummus, or a quinoa cucumber salad. Check out some great recipes from Mediterranean Living here.
Skewers are a very traditional way to cook, dating back thousands of years around the Mediterranean. It’s a great way to combine smaller pieces of protein such as prawns or shrimp, small pieces of chicken, and rosemary lamb with beautiful layers of veggies. You can layer similar sized pieces of whatever you’d like and let them add flavor to each other. Bigger pieces of protein like whole fish or chicken thighs are a Med crowd favorite. If you want to take your grill to where the Mediterranean meets the Middle East, enjoy this grilled beef kofta (a mixture of minced lamb and beef) kebab recipe from Earth Food and Fire.
INGREDIENTS
2 lb of ground beef or lamb
5 cloves of minced garlic
2 small onions finely minced
½ bunch of chives finely chopped
3 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon ground corriander
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
2.5 teaspoons of salt
¾ teaspoon chilli flakes or ground pepper flakes
1 whole egg
24 bamboo or wood skewers
INSTRUCTIONS
When it comes to drinks and desserts, the Med has it down to a science. With warm dry summers, the goal is to stay hydrated, light and cool. Many cocktails include zesty citrus and sparkling water or wine, such as the popular St. Tropez cocktail. You can make it with Grey Goose Le Citron (vodka), elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and soda. Or, enjoy a Limoncello as a post grill aperitif - you can make it with lemons, pure grain alcohol (95% vol.), and a white sugar substitute.
For dessert, many Mediterranean countries are enjoying fresh fruit. A delicious addition to your Med BBQ is to grill some fruit for dessert. Grilled watermelon, pineapple, figs, nectarines or peaches are all fantastic options and can even be sliced and skewered into kabobs for easy grilling! Skip the cake or your ice cream cone and opt for some natural sugar that won’t weigh you down - it’s the Med way.
It has been said that Mediterranean food is best served with good company. Enjoy your BBQ season with fresh air, delicious food, a slower pace and great friends and family. For more seasonal recipes and healthy eating tips for type 2’s join our Winning Type 2 Diabetes Together community on Facebook and connect with thousands of other diabetics around the world. It’s our everyday choices that make us stronger and with the support from each other we continue to win together.