Anonymous wrote:Minestrone! It’s fast, easy, healthy and leftover-friendly.

I use whatever is lying around but generally it’s

Onions, celery, carrots
Mushrooms
Zucchini
Peppers
Garbanzo beans

While those sauté, boil water in the background. When water is boiling, dump into the pot.

Add barley (or farro or orzo or whatever)
Add some good canned tomatoes
Bouillon, s+p, basil, spices
Greens like kale or spinach at the end

This, except I use broth instead of water + boullion.

You could sub tortellini for the starch (add a few at the end)

Also, you can add Italian sausage (use turkey sausage if you want)

Minestrone! It’s fast, easy, healthy and leftover-friendly.

I use whatever is lying around but generally it’s

Onions, celery, carrots
Mushrooms
Zucchini
Peppers
Garbanzo beans

While those sauté, boil water in the background. When water is boiling, dump into the pot.

Add barley (or farro or orzo or whatever)
Add some good canned tomatoes
Bouillon, s+p, basil, spices
Greens like kale or spinach at the end

Anonymous wrote:Lebanese moussaka. It's meat free with eggplant and chickpeas. Served with rice, it is delicious!

First I have heard of this and it looks delicious. Thank you.

Anonymous wrote:If you buy frozen fish filets like from Trader Joes its not as expensive.

Skinny Taste has some good recipes:
https://www.skinnytaste.com/greek-inspired-recipes/

This is another good Skinnytaste recipe.
https://www.skinnytaste.com/broiled-tilapia-with-tomato-caper-sauce/

Anonymous wrote:Focus on chickpeas, lentils, beans. Dried are tastier and cheaper. Farro is also a cheap, high protein whole grain you can incorporate into meals.

The giant wild salmon filets at Costco are awesome (and I hate Costco stuff mostly) and only around $13 a pound. I think that is pretty cheap. Steak is more expensive

Aldi has wild salmon for $9.99 a lb and sometimes marks down 50%!
Lots of great suggestions here. Y’all making me hungry!

I ate the following in Italy

tuna salad with chick peas in it on a bed of salad greens

pasta with tomato sauce with little white beans in it and a very tiny amount of meat in the sauce

Legumes are added to almost everything

Lebanese moussaka. It's meat free with eggplant and chickpeas. Served with rice, it is delicious!

Sardines packed in olive oil. Smash them
on a whole grain cracker, or eat on a salad of chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions.

Spinach omelettes.

Lentil soup

I had a black-eye pea salad w/smoked salmon, cujes and tomatoes.

Focus on chickpeas, lentils, beans. Dried are tastier and cheaper. Farro is also a cheap, high protein whole grain you can incorporate into meals.

The giant wild salmon filets at Costco are awesome (and I hate Costco stuff mostly) and only around $13 a pound. I think that is pretty cheap. Steak is more expensive

This recipe checks all 3 of your boxes and is delicious:

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a47169/caprese-chicken-recipe/

If you are in Silver Spring check out Trader Joe’s. Lots of fish options at good prices..they also sell canned chick peas, beans , lentils etc.

If you buy frozen fish filets like from Trader Joes its not as expensive.

Skinny Taste has some good recipes:
https://www.skinnytaste.com/greek-inspired-recipes/

My alternative big pasta dinner is a measured portion of Fiber Gourmet pasta, artichokes, diced tomatoes, Sundried tomatoes, olives, Parmesan cheese - add whatever protein

One way I will stretch things like expensive fish is to add legumes to the same meal. So, for example, I might make rice bowls with the fish, and add lentils, or make avgolemono and sub chickpeas for half the chicken.

I always figured eating goes like this: Inexpensive, health, tasty: Pick two.

I like the idea of the Mediterranean diet for health, its association with longevity, and how a lot of the food just tastes good. But things like high quality fish are just so darn expensive, and I'm not the most creative of cooks. When I go into health-food-mode, all my meals are boring as hell. Anyone have some ideas on Mediterranean-style meals, links to some recipes, and if you really have time, sample grocery lists or recommendations to where to shop? (In Silver Spring area)