Prep Time 10 min Cook and Cooling time 30 min
I hear that the Mediterranean diet has been trending in a serious way and the Food Network considers it one of the best diets.
I don’t know what the fuss is all about. Neither am I sure how it all started. There was no “world renowned nutritionist ” who created the diet. The food was always there but I assume that someone somewhere decided to label centuries old Mediterranean cooking as the latest “Diet” and with clever marketing it became a new trend.
Born and raised in Egypt, I have been eating and cooking Mediterranean food all my life. It is tasty, relies on natural flavors, fresh local produce and does not burden dishes with rich sauces. Also with some exceptions, recipes use olive oil instead of butter that is healthier. Vegetables, whole grains as well as fruits also play very important roles.
Above all, pre-cooked TV dinners and ready made frozen convenience meals never caught on in the Mediterranean as they did in the West. In most cases households in the region have always tended to use fresh, seasonal ingredients that lend themselves to easy recipes and quick meals.
On the dessert front, it is not uncommon for ‘dessert’ in the Mediterranean to simply be a piece of fresh fruit served with coffee or tea. That is not to say cakes and cookies are not popular; rather they are often saved for special family gatherings and celebrations.
As for myself, I like chocolate cake just as much as the next person and I am especially partial to fruit cake at tea time. However, I usually do not want to add a layer of baked carbohydrates after a satisfying meal. I prefer a more refreshing finish. Most of the recipes I include on my blog are based on fruit with the occasional dollop of sorbet, ice cream or creme fraiche for the calorie hungry palate.
Here is one dessert that is not only delicious but diet friendly. Inspired by the doyenne of Mediterranean cooking Claudia Roden in her wonderful book Arabesque, it is a popular Turkish dish.
This recipe is a low fat version of the original one that uses cream made from buffalo milk. It’s also very easy to make. All you need to do is simmer Turkish dried apricots for 20 minutes. Slit them half open and fill them with Rose Water-flavored Greek Yoghurt. A drizzle of cardamom flavored syrup and a sprinkle of pistachio nuts gives you an exquisite, crunchy mouthful of rich creamy yoghurt enveloped in moist cushions of tart apricots.
Dried Apricots With Orange Blossom Yoghurt
by
Derek Farwagi
Ingredients
- 10 Dried Apricots
- ¼ Cup Plain Greek yogur
- ½ tsp Orange blossom water
- 1-2 tbsp Roasted pistachios coarsley chopped
- 2 cups Water
- 2 Green cardamom pods, cracked
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 tbsp Sugar
Instructions
- Combine yogurt and orange blossom water in small bowl. Mix in pistachio nuts and set aside.
- Bring water, sugar, cardamom pods and bay leaves, to a simmer in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in apricots, return to simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until plump and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer apricots to plate and let cool to room temperature.
- Discard cardamom pods and bay leaves. Bring syrup to boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and measures about 3 tablespoons, 4 to 6 minutes; let cool to room temperature.
- Slit the apricots enough to be able to spoon in the yoghurt/pistachio stuffing and stuff each apricot.
- Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle apricots with syrup and serve at room temperature.
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