Feeding America's Bravest: Survival Mediterranean Style
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We love the selection of color in Chef Maria Loi’s preparation for a beautiful meal at Indianapolis Fire Department Station 3! Adding a variety of vegetables to every meal is important to give the body the mix of nutrients it needs, and the opportunity to reach the daily intake of 7-10 servings of veggies.
Try these delicious Dark Chocolate-Berry-Nut Clusters by Chef Maria Loi!
Makes about 20
Ingredients: 1 cup 72% dark chocolate
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 cup organic fresh berries (your favorite!)
½ cup chopped walnuts (or other favorite nut)
Method:
1. Melt the chocolate chips and olive oil in a double boiler (bain marie), stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat.
2. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Add the berries to the chocolate mixture and remove with a slotted spoon, creating little piles on the parchment. Top with walnuts and then place in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes or until set. Enjoy!
June 21, 2018– Dr. Stefanos Kales of Harvard Medical School and Chef Maria Loi visited Indianapolis’ Kroger Supermarket to lead a cooking demonstration for firefighters, their families and the community. A Mediterranean Diet expert, Chef Loi prepared Vegetable Braised Chicken, Marouli (Romaine Salad) and Dark Chocolate-Berry-Nut Clusters. This Feeding America’s Bravest: Survival Mediterranean Style event was another opportunity to show firefighters and their families ways to incorporate Mediterranean diet cooking principles at work and home. Thank you to Kroger for hosting, Chef Maria and all in attendance! Recipes below…we would love to know if you make these at home!
Marouli – Romaine Salad Serves
4 Ingredients:
3 hearts of romaine, cut into thin shreds or strips (chiffonade)
½ bunch of fresh dill, stemmed and finely chopped 1 bunch of scallions (white and light-green parts only), thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Red-Wine Vinagrette (recipe below)
Method: 1. In a large bowl, toss together the romaine, dill, and scallions. Toss with a small amount of dressing until coated.
Red-Wine Vinaigrette: Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients: ¼ cup red-wine vinegar (or other wine-vinegar)
¼ teaspoon Greek oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
⅔ cup olive oil
Method: 1. Combine all ingredients in a re-sealable container; shake vigorously until fully combine and emulsified. Serve immediately.
Vegetable Braised Chicken (Kotopoulo Sto Fourno)
Serves
4 Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, broken down into quarters, skin removed
2 white onions, sliced 3 carrots, sliced into ¼” pieces on the bias 2 celery stalks, sliced into ¼” half moons
30 grams lemon juice
60 grams olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 bunch of dill, chopped
Salt and Pepper as needed
Method: 1. To fabricate chicken: break down into quarters – two breasts, two leg/thigh per chicken; remove skin. 2. Caramelize onions with a pinch of salt in a large, dry sauté pan, until golden and well caramelized. Remove and reserve. 3. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, and mustard in a re-sealable container, place lid on, and shake vigorously until fully combined. 4. In a baking or roasting pan, place caramelized onions on the bottom, then season the breasts with salt and pepper to taste, and place on one side of the pan; season the legs/thighs with salt and pepper and place on the other side of the pan. 5. Add the carrots, celery, and dill on top of the chicken in the pan; pour lemon/olive-oil/mustard mixture over the contents of the pan. 6. Add water as needed until chicken and vegetables are covered by 2/3’s, then cover with parchment paper and aluminum foil, and bake for 1-1 ½ hours in a 350 F oven, until chicken is fork tender. Remove from oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes 7. To make the sauce, remove chicken breasts and leg/thigh pieces into a clean pan, and use an immersion blender to blend all the vegetables and remaining liquid into a creamy sauce; taste, and season accordingly with salt and pepper. 8. To serve, dress chicken with vegetables and sauce, and enjoy.
Happy weekend! Try these Mediterranean Chicken Fajitas at your gathering with friends and family! (Also makes for a great leftover meal!)
Serves 6
Ingredients – Salsa: 1 large tomato, chopped into small pieces
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil
½ garlic clove, grated on micro planer (into paste)
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper
Sliced jalapeño pepper
Ingredients – Fajitas:
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil 2
chicken breasts cut into strips
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
½ teaspoon of chili powder
Salt and pepper
1 green bell pepper, julienned 1 red bell pepper; julienned 1 large onion (red or white); sliced 1 garlic clove, finely minced
12 pieces of 6” tortilla breads (flour or corn)
Fresh avocado slices, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Method: 1. To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and gently mix to full combine; set aside and allow ingredients to marinate.
2. Bring a large sauté pan to medium-high heat; when hot, add the olive oil.
3. Pat chicken strips dry with paper towels; season lightly cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper; add to the hot pan, browning on all sides.
4. Turn the heat down to medium, add the bell peppers and onion to the pan, allowing them to begin to cook for 3 minutes (and release their water); add the garlic, stir to combine; continue to cook the vegetables until they caramelize, approximately 5 minutes, and cook until the veggies are al dente or to your taste (2-3 more minutes).
5. Serve fajitas mixture on a tortilla, topped with the salsa, and a few slices of avocado, with a lemon wedge on the side.
The bad news: Unfortunately, authentic rice and beans have too much sodium and are high in fat content. Try this recipe for an alternative (though we won’t lie, it’s not your grandmother’s rice and beans.) The good news: It is a tasty, healthy alternative!
Cook all of the ingredients in a large pot or slow cooker, if cooking on a regular stove top (and not a slow cooker) stir regularly on 50% of the highest heat. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh squeezed limes for added zest!
Mugs aren’t just for coffee! We love this easy, on-the-go recipe. Scramble 2 eggs in a large coffee cup, microwave for 45 seconds, stir, and microwave for another 45 seconds. Top with a dollop of salsa and sprinkle with low-fat shredded cheddar cheese. Pair with an apple or a toasted whole grain English muffin. Add in any chopped vegetable you wish, like chopped asparagus, avocado, or scallions!
As we know, pasta can get a bad wrap. Two important things when eating pasta are the type of pasta and the serving size (see below). Try Barilla ProteinPLUS® pasta, a multigrain pasta made with simple ingredients like flaxseed, barley, and oats, plus protein-rich chickpeas, lentils, and egg whites, ProteinPLUS® pasta is a good source of lean protein. Here is a simple and delectable recipe by Chef Maria Loi…chosen by firefighters and dubbed a “firefighter favorite!” in a taste test.
Chef Maria Loi’s Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
3 large tomatoes
Boiling water
1 white or Spanish onion, grated
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
1 cup of red wine
½ teaspoon hot paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 package of Barilla Plus pasta
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Method:
1. Fill a bowl with ice and water. Using a paring knife, make a small X on the bottom of each tomato and place them in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes. After 1 to 2 minutes, remove the tomatoes from the water and submerge them in the ice water bath. Peel the tomatoes—the skin should pull away easily. Grate the tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater, or blend them in a food processor.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until it is softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in the olive oil and when it is very hot, add the garlic. Sauté quickly, just until the garlic is golden, being careful not to let it burn.
3. Add the wine to the pan and cook until it is reduced by about one-fifth. Add the tomatoes, paprika, 2 cups water, and salt and pepper to taste. Boil over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken the sauce.
4. Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the Barilla Plus pasta until al dente, approximately 7-8 minutes.
5. Drain the pasta and add it to the pot of tomato sauce, toss to combine, and allow the orzo to finish cooking.
6. Transfer the pasta to serving plates and garnish with the basil.
These are so simple and totally delicious for a fun breakfast for you and the kids!
Ingredients include:
6 ounces of Greek yogurt
1 egg
1/2 cup of flour (can be whole wheat or almond flour for added protein)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
Recipe retrieved from All Recipes Greek Yogurt Pancakes
Feeding America's Bravest: Survival Mediterranean Style 