Mediterranean Women Stay Slim, Too: Eating to Be Sexy, Fit, and Fabulous! (29 page)

1 serving Bread and Fish Soup (page 65)

1 cup steamed snow peas

1 cup red grapes

Afternoon Taste

1 cup sliced strawberries mixed with 1 ounce goat

cheese and 1 tablespoon slivered almonds

Dinner

1 serving Grilled Tenderloin of Beef with Iowa Blue

Cheese Potato Gratin, Caramelized Cipollini Onions,

and Porcini Mushrooms (page 156)

2 cups salad greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette

(page 88)

1 cup cubed honeydew melon

Evening Taste

1⁄4 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1⁄2 cup raspberries

8 unsalted peanuts

Monday

The work week begins. Who has time to cook? Today’s menu is quick and easy.

Breakfast

2 slices whole-wheat toast spread with 1 tablespoon

organic peanut butter

2 cups cubed cantaloupe

1 ounce mozzarella cheese

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Lunch

2 cups Cherry Tomato Salad (page 104)

1⁄2 of 6-inch whole-wheat pita or
piadina

3 ounces tuna packed in water or olive oil mixed with 1⁄2 cup Pepperonata all’Abruzzese (page 59; prepared ahead)

Afternoon Taste

1 cup plain yogurt mixed with 3⁄4 cup blueberries,

1 tablespoon wheat germ, and 1 teaspoon honey

Dinner

1 serving Pasta Alla Puttanesca (page 187)

1 cup steamed broccoli tossed with 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese and 8 raw

almonds

1 cup chopped apples mixed with 1 tablespoon raisins and 1 tablespoon Candied Pecans (page 226)

Evening Taste

6 Greek olives

1⁄2 cup white beans, rinsed and drained

Lemon herbal tea

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Tuesday

Now that the week is in full swing, don’t forget to eat well.

Breakfast

1 serving Farmer’s Omelet (page 105)

1 slice rye bread, toasted, drizzled with 1 teaspoon olive oil

1⁄2 grapefruit

Lunch

1 slice toasted whole-wheat bread topped with 1⁄4 cup Caponata (page 70)

3⁄4 cup raspberries

1⁄2 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon cashews

Afternoon Taste

1 ounce tuna packed in water or olive oil mixed with 1 stalk celery, diced, and 1⁄2 cup grapes, cut in half
Dinner

Antipasto Platter containing the following:

Assorted cut raw vegetables with Bagna Cauda

(page 85)

1 serving Field Greens with Roasted Beets and Fresh

Sheep’s Cheese (page 71)

1⁄4 toasted whole-wheat pita topped with 1 tablespoon Caponata (page 70)

1 serving Tuna with Cabernet Whipped Potatoes

(page 215)

11⁄2 cups cubed honeydew melon

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Evening Taste

1⁄4 toasted whole-wheat pita spread with 1 tablespoon goat cheese and 1 tablespoon chopped Greek olives

Wednesday

Don’t forget to stay in touch with your family today. Can you all sit down for dinner at the same time? Sure you can!

Breakfast

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese mixed with 1⁄2 cup

blueberries, 1⁄2 cup sliced strawberries, 1⁄2 cup

raspberries, and 2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Lunch

1 serving Vegetable Terrine (page 109)

4 ounces plain yogurt mixed with 1 tablespoon

walnuts

1 Granny Smith apple

Afternoon Taste

1⁄2 of 6-inch whole-wheat pita, toasted and topped with 1 tablespoon tomato sauce, dash of oregano, and

1 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese, baked until

cheese is melted

Dinner

1 serving Quick-Cooked Salmon with Fall Vegetable

Pistou (page 171)

1 serving Curried Couscous Pilaf (page 142)

2 cups raw baby spinach topped with 1 tablespoon

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Balsamic Vinaigrette (page 88)

1 cup sliced strawberries

Evening Taste

1 stalk celery, chopped, combined with 1 small chopped apple, 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, and 1 tablespoon

raisins

Thursday

Today, try a change of scenery. Can you eat dinner outside in the fresh air or at least in front of a big window?

Breakfast

1⁄2 of 6-inch whole-wheat pita, toasted, stuffed with 1 sliced tomato, 2 ounces mozzarella cheese, 1⁄4 cup white beans, and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Lunch

Assorted cut raw vegetables with Bagna Cauda

(page 85)

3 ounces grilled or broiled chicken breast mixed with 1⁄4 cup garbanzo beans, 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped,

1⁄4 cup chopped green onions, and 1 tablespoon

Balsamic Vinaigrette (page 88)

1 cup cubed cantaloupe

Afternoon Taste

1 cup popcorn sprinkled with 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

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Dinner

1 serving Farro Ragout (page 148)

1 serving Parsnip Mashed Potatoes (page 191)

2 cups Lucy’s Salad (page 68) topped with 2 ounces

fresh sheep’s cheese

Evening Taste

2 ounces Sean Kelly’s Rosemary Roasted Almonds

(page 180)

Friday

The weekend is practically here. Have you planned some leisure time?

Breakfast

1 cup plain yogurt layered with 1 tablespoon wheat germ, 1⁄2 cup blueberries, and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
Lunch

1 serving Yellow Velvet Soup (page 186)

1 tomato, cored and stuffed with 3 ounces salmon (fresh or canned)

6 baby carrots

1 cup green grapes

Afternoon Taste

1 hard-boiled egg, chopped, mixed with 1 stalk celery, chopped, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tablespoons

plain yogurt, and 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed

lemon juice

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Dinner

1 serving Pasta with Tomato-Pepper Coulis (page 231) 1 serving Artichokes with Lemon Aioli (page 183)

1 serving Fresh Corn Fritters (page 232)

2 cups mixed baby greens with 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Evening Taste

1⁄2 cup garbanzo beans topped with 2 tablespoons Mint Yogurt (page 43)

Saturday

The weekend is a nice time to enjoy dessert with dinner. Savor a small piece of cheesecake and enjoy every bite.

Breakfast

1 serving Fresh Sheep’s Ricotta Frittata with

Mushrooms and Herbs (page 229)

1 cup sliced strawberries

Lunch

1 serving Prosciutto, Fennel, and Pear Salad with

Persimmon Vinaigrette (page 129)

1 serving Pissaladière (page 74)

1 orange

Afternoon Taste

1 baguette slice spread with 1 tablespoon Tapenade

(page 37)

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Dinner

1 serving Heirloom Brandywine Tomato Gazpacho

(page 245)

1 serving Charred Lamb Salad (page 153)

1 serving Wild Mushroom Risotto (page 146)

1 serving Ricotta Cheesecake (page 233)

Evening Taste

1⁄2 cup applesauce mixed with 1 tablespoon walnuts

1 ounce mozzarella cheese

Of course, food isn’t the only piece of Mediterranean life that you can incorporate into your own life for better health, a better body, and a happier, freer, more passionate approach to living.

√ Finding Your Natural Balance

Living in the spirit of the Mediterranean takes balance. This is sometimes hard for American women to grasp because we tend to do everything to the extreme—total absorption or total deprivation. It isn’t easy, either, to step back and really look at your life and how balanced or imbalanced it is. Do you feel good? Do you love the way you feel? Do you feel in touch with your feminine self, or are you too busy running everything?

Nobody feels balanced all the time, but if you feel like you are living on the edge of a cliff, just barely holding it together from day to day, or even if you feel that you aren’t quite fulfilled, spend some time in self-reflection. What if you lived by the sea and could smell it, see it, and listen to the waves on the shore every single day? What if you could just let your free, vital, open nature go? What if you loved your best features and didn’t worry about the others? What if your approach to life was breezy, frank, and one moment at a time?

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Also consider how different your life might be if your parents lived in your home, and your children and your grandparents, too, and (this may be the hard part to imagine) everyone
loved
it that way? What if your friends came over to talk with you every day or met you in the market and you picked out the day’s menus together? What if everywhere you went, you felt the influence of sun and salt, olive trees and fresh fish, fruits and vegetables bursting and ripe? What if you never had to go into a supermarket, a mall, a convenience store, or a giant discount warehouse ever again? What if you never even knew what those things were?

What if you had enough time? What if everywhere you

went, you felt absolutely gorgeous? What if you loved every inch of yourself? What kind of artistic masterpiece would your life be then? It would be yours—handcrafted and unique.

Women need real moments of solitude and self-

reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we

give away.

—Barbara De Angelis, writer

I’m not trying to get you to feel dissatisfied with your life, not one bit. I would just like you to think about what is going on in your life. Think about the parts you love and the parts you wish worked better. Assuming you aren’t going to pick up and move to Sicily, Greece, Spain, or southern France, how could the principles of living in the Mediterranean style and spirit help guide you toward greater balance, satisfaction, and happiness? How can you take the Mediterranean woman’s approach to life and incorporate it into your own? What parts can you take from that ancient wisdom, and what parts of your life do you cherish and want to keep? Ask yourself these questions:

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• Do I take enough time to relax every day?

• Do I feel healthy most of the time?

• Do I like the way I look? Do I wish I weighed less or more?

• Do I feel strong?

• Do I feel self-confident? Do I like the kind of person I have become? Do I like who I am right now, today?

• When did I last spend time outside noticing the world?

• Do I have a place to go where the air is fresh and I can see signs of nature thriving? How often do I go there?

• Do I spend enough time with my children? Would they say I do?

• Does my family sit down together for dinner at least once every week? Do we talk and enjoy each other?

• Do I know how to process negative emotions, let go of them, and move on? Or are they stuck inside me?

• Do I spend enough time with my spouse/partner? Do I really focus on that person or am I usually distracted? What would my spouse/partner say about this?

• Do I get enough exercise to feel comfortable in my body? Do I move vigorously for at least twenty minutes every day?

• Do I feel satisfied with the work I do? Is it worthwhile? Is it fulfilling? Am I living my dream?

• What is my dream? Is it realistic? Can I make it happen?

What am I doing to move toward that dream?

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• Do I take a vacation every year? Do I actually go somewhere? Do I enjoy it?

• How much time do I spend every day staring at some kind of screen? Sitting in a chair?

• Are my relationships with my friends rewarding to me? Do I have enough social contact with friends?

• Do I know how to share my feelings with my friends? Do they know how to help me process those feelings?

• Do I know how to listen to my friends? Do I know how to help them when they need help? Do I choose to help them?

• Do I know how to say no when people are making too many demands on my time?

• How often do I talk with my relatives? Do I wish it was more or less?

• Do I feel connected to my family, or my spouse’s family, or any family?

• How often do I touch someone passionately? How much affection do I get? Is it enough?

• How much of myself do I offer to my community? Do I feel that I should be volunteering more of my time or resources to others in need?

• What was the last thing I gave to someone else?

• What the heck have I been eating lately?

Chances are, your answers to some of these questions aren’t what you wish they were. Make a list of those things you would
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like to see become more balanced in your life. Attach it to the refrigerator or some other highly visible place in your home.

Think about it. Mull it over. Start taking steps to bring yourself more into balance, to create the kind of life you want to be living. This is a slow process of self-discovery for some, but it is something other cultures do automatically. In our rush, our business, our obsession with time, money, success, and accom-plishment, sometimes we forget.

Figuring out how to put all these elements together is largely an individual matter to work through each day in our own way. But I can give you one piece of advice about the creation of this sort of art, one tangible thing you can do to make it all come together for a little while in a way that is beautiful, satisfying, and grounded in the Mediterranean spirit: host a celebratory dinner.

I feel now that gastronomical perfection can be