12 best diet cookbooks

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Middle Eastern Avocado-Yogurt Parfaits

Serves 4 | Prep time: 10 minutes

Avocados in a breakfast parfait? We say “yes”! Avocados are actually a fruit, so they are delicious when paired with honey, pomegranate seeds, and vanilla yogurt. Their creamy flesh whips up like a dream. The challenge will be for you to not eat all of the avocado layer before assembling the parfait.

Directions

Cut each avocado in half and remove the pits with a spoon. Scoop the flesh into a blender or food processor. Add the milk and 2 teaspoons of the honey. Blend until smooth.

To assemble the parfaits, spoon ¼ cup of the yogurt into each of four tall glasses. Layer with the avocado cream, divided evenly among the glasses. Top each with 1 tablespoon of pomegranate seeds and then ½ tablespoon of pistachios. Layer each with the remaining 1 cup yogurt, ¼ cup pomegranate seeds, and 2 tablespoons pistachios. Top each parfait with a drizzle of the remaining honey.

Healthy Kitchen Hack: Pomegranates are typically available during the fall and winter months but in the off season, look for frozen or freeze-dried pomegranate seeds, which are rising in popularity in grocery stores. You can also replace the seeds with chopped dried prunes, dried cherries, or dried cranberries.

Per Serving: Calories: 322; Total Fat: 16g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 7mg; Sodium: 237mg; Total Carbohydrates: 39g; Fiber: 7g; Protein: 10g

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Recipes for two

Avoid filling your fridge with leftovers that will go to waste thanks to recipes that only turn out two servings.

Naturally healthy foods

Take care of your body with dishes featuring fresh fruits and veggies, lean proteins, legumes, and whole grains.

Shopping and stocking tips

Save money, time, and effort with advice for making your kitchen Mediterranean-friendly and your shopping trips lean.

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The Mediterranean Way of Eating

There isn’t a single 'diet' that encompasses the entire Mediterranean region—spice-laden dishes of Morocco bear little resemblance to the lemon- and caper-laced cuisine of southern Italy. Rather, Mediterranean cooking is about what these cuisines have in common: a daily emphasis on vegetables and fruits, beans and lentils, whole grains, more seafood than meat and poultry, and heart-healthy olive oil. Fresh, high-quality ingredients and simple preparation techniques let the extraordinary flavors shine.

Pan-Roasted Swordfish with Chermoula

We took our fish to the next level by serving it with chermoula, a zesty Moroccan dressing.

Fava Bean and Radish Salad

These Italian-named earthy beans are favored throughout the Mediterranean and date back to ancient times.

Red Lentil Soup with North African Spices

The mild flavor of red lentils do not require a bit of embellishment, so we started by sauteing onion in olive oil and used the warm mixture to bloom some fragrant North African spices.

Marinated Green and Black Olives

We opted for olives with pits, which have better flavor than pitted ones, and found that tasters preferred brine-cured olives to salt-cured for their subtler flavors.

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Try one of many tasty recipes inside: Lemon Garlic Hummus

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chickpeas and 2 tablespoons of the reserved chickpea liquid with the lemon juice, peanut butter, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the oil.
2. Process the mixture for one minute, then scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Process for about another minute, or until smooth.
3. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and serve with veggies and crackers (or anything else you like).

TIP: This nutty, garlicky hummus makes a great sandwich spread.

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Greek-Style Stuffed Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lay chicken breasts on a flat surface. With a sharp knife, butterfly each chicken breast, stopping about 1⁄2” from the edge.
3. Open each breast like a book and spread with pesto. Top with cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. Fold the breasts closed over the filling. Use toothpicks to hold stuffed breasts shut, if necessary.
4. Place stuffed breasts in a 9” × 13” baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Serve hot.