Eating Lunch on the Mediterranean Diet

If you're trying to follow the Mediterranean diet plan, you'll want to shop almost completely in the produce section of your grocery store. Mediterranean menus consist primarily of fish, fruit and vegetables, with some bread, poultry, and olive oil thrown in for good measure. These healthy Mediterranean diet recipes are great for lunches; they are easy to prepare and can stand to sit in an office refrigerator for the morning before being consumed.

Panzanella (bread salad) recipe
Ingredients:

• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onions
• 2 cups hearty bread cut into 1 inch cubes
• ¾ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, split in half
• 1 pound tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, cored and sliced
• 2 cucumbers, sliced
• 2 tablespoons capers

Soak onion slices in ice cold water for 30 minutes to take away bite. Drain and pat dry.

Toss bread cubes in one quarter cup of olive oil (reserve other half cup for salad dressing). Spread oiled bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake in oven (at 400 degrees) until cubes are browned.

Combine remaining half cup of olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small dish.
Rub inside of a salad bowl with the split clove of garlic. Throw out the garlic clove. Fill the salad bowl with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, capers and bread cubes. Mix the oil and vinegar dressing vigorously; pour over salad and toss well. Let salad sit for at least 2 hours at room temperature before eating.

Grilled tuna steaks recipe
Ingredients:

• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• ½ inch piece of dried hot chili pepper
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• ½ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 tuna steaks
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat a skillet over low heat. Add the olive oil, rosemary, garlic, chili pepper and orange zest and cook over low heat about 3-5 minutes. Pour in the orange juice and lemon juice and increase heat to high, stirring continuously. Cook until marinade has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Divide marinade into half. Strain half of the marinade; set other half of marinade in a baking dish and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

Place tuna steaks in baking dish full of marinade. Let fish marinade for one hour, turning once, at room temperature. Grill the tuna steak on a hot grill, basting with marinade, until tuna is done to your taste. Mix the strained marinade with the chopped parsley and pour over the tuna steaks. Enjoy immediately or chill in refrigerator and serve chilled with cold salad or other chilled vegetables.