This easy honey harissa chicken recipe is sweet and spicy chicken with my Mediterranean twist! Harissa paste, a North African condiment loaded with smoky, garlicky, citrusy flavor is layered with sweet honey, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and warming spices like coriander and smoked paprika.  Photo Credits: Kathrine Irwin I could go on forever about the glory of the sheet pan chicken thighs–see my Greek Sheet-Pan Chicken and Smoked Paprika Chicken with Chickpeas and Carrots for further proof. And this harissa honey chicken is yet another recipe to add to your rotation. It's a weeknight-frien ..read more

Ispanaklı Yumurta, meaning “eggs with spinach,” is a Turkish dish of perfectly poached eggs in a bed of spiced spinach, tomatoes, and Turkish sweet pepper paste. A delightful Mediterranean breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Photo Credits: Kathrine Irwin Turkish cuisine is as dear to me as my native Persian dishes—from this comforting spinach and eggs dish and beyond. I have traveled more times to Turkey than any other country, primarily due to its cuisine and, of course, its wonderful hospitality and weather!  One of the many things the Turks excel in is breakfast. A stunning variety of dishes ..read more

Brown rice vs white rice is the topic of hot debate, but what are the facts? Is brown rice healthy, and how much of a difference does it really make? Read all about brown rice, including our favorite ways to cook brown rice and our case for keeping that fluffy white rice on your rotation too!   Photo Credits: Katherine Irwin Be it white rice, brown rice, wild rice or otherwise, rice—and grains more generally—are a healthy and essential staple of the Mediterranean Diet. Of course, you should always consult your doctor and make whatever dietary decisions are best for you. But if you’re ..read more

This healthy salmon salad recipe layers on the texture and flavor with creamy Greek yogurt, peppery Dijon mustard, crunchy fresh vegetables, and fresh parsley. There's no mayo, and the salmon is baked in the oven so it could not be easier! Scoop it into lettuce cups or pile it onto bread for a sandwich. Photo Credits: Kathrine Irwin Most salmon salad recipes I have come across are lacking in texture and very much drowned in mayonnaise. I’ll just come out and confess this right now, I do not love the taste of mayo. Still, l want to enjoy a little creaminess. Enter Greek yogurt!  Combi ..read more

Make the most of spring with this collection of light and healthy spring recipes! Each celebrates the season’s sunny fruits and vegetables, like artichokes, peas, spinach, arugula, radishes, and asparagus. From spring salads to soups, sides, and spring dinner ideas, you’ll find 30 recipes filled with color and flavor. Photo of Pea Salad with Feta and Mint by Andrea Gralow I’m notoriously averse to rules, but I do have three Mediterranean Diet principles: Eat with the seasons, use mostly whole foods, and above all else, share. To me, seasonality comes first—whether it’s these spring recipes, su ..read more

Gelo di fragole, or Sicily’s version of strawberry pudding, is light, refreshing, and just sweet enough! This easy, make-ahead dessert takes only 7 ingredients, zero specialty equipment, and 15 minutes or less of hands-on time. Make it the night before your next dinner party or date night in! Photo Credits: Katherine Irwin We love our puddings in the Mediterranean and Middle East. We make them in just about every variety, from this fresh and light strawberry pudding, to floral and silky-smooth Mahalabia (Rose Water Milk Pudding), to creamy cinnamon-scented Rizogalo (Greek Rice Pudding). In fac ..read more

This Turkish salad recipe is satisfying and light at the same time, with a nutty, creamy tahini dressing, tender cannellini beans, biting white onions, rich hard-boiled eggs, and fresh tomatoes. It's tasty, economical, and so easy to make!  Photo Credits: Kathrine Irwin This Turkish salad made with cannellini beans, eggs, and vegetables is a real specialty from the Antalya province in southern Turkey. It has a generous sauce made from tahini, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin. The variety of Turkish salads showcases the bounty of the Turkish pazar or farmers market. Our l ..read more

This wilted spinach salad baths baby spinach, cannellini beans, and quick-pickled onions in a warm Dijon vinaigrette. This protein and nutrition-packed warm spinach salad is finished with crunchy walnuts and tangy goat cheese—for a filling healthy dish that's main-meal worthy. Photo Credits: Katherine Irwin When it comes to salads it's common to pair spinach with fruit like in this Strawberry Spinach Salad, but this time I wanted to capture the springtime sweetness of spinach and pair it with big robust flavors like walnuts, dijon, goat cheese, and pickled onion to create this wilted spinach s ..read more

Made by enhancing and concentrating the flavor of fresh red peppers, Turkish-style red pepper paste is an instant flavor-booster, adding depth to sauces, egg dishes, marinades, soups, and more. This fragrant Turkish condiment is used just like tomato paste, but with smoky, slightly sweet, and sometimes spicy complexity.  Photo Credits: Katherine Irwin Biber Salçası, pronounced “bee-bare sal-cha-suh,” is a fundamental ingredient in southern Turkish cuisine. The word “salça” means “paste” in Turkish. To make this vibrant red pepper paste the traditional way, women dry juicy, pointy red ..read more

This veggie sandwich is absolutely packed with flavor and color! A rainbow of olives, carrots, tomatoes, basil, and pepperoncini, with creamy whipped feta and whole grain bread makes for a healthy satisfying meal any time of the day. Photo Credits: Ali Redmond Sometimes a salad, no matter how delicious, just doesn’t cut it for lunch. What if you could capture the flavors and textures of your favorite salad and make it into a satisfying veggie sandwich? Turns out, it’s not so hard. First, I slather toasted bread with a simplified version of our Creamy Whipped Feta Dip made with tangy feta and G ..read more