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If you think the descriptives ‘delicious’, ‘easy’, and ‘healthy’ can’t possibly be used in the same sentence, Philadelphia dietitians Deanna Segrave-Daly and Serena Ball will prove you wrong, in just one cookbook. Though it has its minor faults, The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: 101 Easy, Flavorful Recipes for Lifelong Health features a whopping one hundred and one mouth-watering Mediterranean recipes that are indeed possible to recreate in the average kitchen – and quickly.
What’s so special about The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook?
First, if you haven’t dabbled in the so-called Mediterranean diet before, you should at least take a few health and cooking-related pointers from it. This particular cookbook, however, does not contain just Mediterranean recipes. Its focus is on easy Mediterranean Recipes, which anyone can revamp to fit their preferences and prepare in less than 30 minutes. The time-saving tips of Mediterranean cuisine alone are worth the read.
The recipes are simple and easily adaptable to specific dietary needs and tastes. I can cook some of the recipes a second time without using the book because the recipes are that simple and easily stored in the memory. For me, this saves loads of time. Moreover, as the title itself claims, the recipes take no more than 30 minutes to be ready to eat – which fits perfectly with my busy schedule. Also a bonus in my book – the ingredients aren’t at all hard to get. And there are tips for substitution and alternatives for the ingredients to boot.
Make room on your bookshelf
While this is among the most useful (and used) cookbooks on my shelf, it does have its downsides. The most disappointing characteristic of The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook is the glaring lack of pictures in the book. That, to me, isn’t very pleasant at all.
We eat with our eyes first, but not in this book. And images of the final look of the dish tend to be of huge help in knowing whether you got it right. The fact that there are no images in this cookbook sometimes makes me lose interest in it.
Despite this bland flaw, the book is a great addition to my shelf. Apart from the great recipes, it also offers a lot of information on the Mediterranean diet itself and tells you which foods to eat more of and which ones to ditch, for overall health.
I loved the Greek yogurt breakfast parfaits with roasted grapes. It’s such a healthy yet satisfying starter for the day. I also enjoyed the fig-pecan energy bites as a delicious mid-day snack, minus the guilt and heartburn that sometimes come with mid-day snacks.
I look forward to trying all the recipes in the book. There are lots of vegetarian and gluten-free recipes, also delicious!
Is it worth the money?
This cookbook is money well spent. I recommend it to anyone who wants to eat healthily, reduce cholesterol, lose weight, manage diabetes, and reduce the risk of cancer – all while enjoying amazing Mediterranean dishes.
