The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: 101 Easy, Flavorful Recipes for Lifelong Health Paperback – October 30, 2018

I’m really loving this cookbook. I often buy cookbooks, but then I usually only make a handful of recipes while the books sits among the others on the shelf for years. I am constantly referencing this one and trying new recipes.This is the beginning of my transition to a Mediterranean diet after a lifetime of processed and high sugar foods. Everything I have made from this book has been easy and quick to prepare and really tasty. My young grandchildren have been remarkably positive about the dishes they have tried, as well.I bought two other Mediterranean cookbooks at the same time, but I’ve barely looked at them. This one really fits my needs!

I bought this cookbook for healthier meals and eating habits. My doctor recommended that I start using the Mediterranean diet.

Easy to follow

As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, this is one of those cookbooks I've been waiting for my entire career of several decades! I can simply promote these recipes because they "taste good" and don't have to mention they're "good-for-you." They're created by two dietitians and taste-tested by colleagues, and most importantly, their kids and husbands had to like them!Several of the recipes are standard favorites, but with a "twist." For example, the beef sliders include chopped mushrooms for a juicy burger with added veggie benefits. The pasta for the Pasta Fagioli Soup (photo with the soup ladle) is cooked directly in the soup pot for a quick one-pot meal. The hummus (photo with carrot and celery sticks) is made with budget-friendly peanut butter rather than the more expensive tahini (sesame paste) and contains just 5 ingredients. The "Marinara Eggs" (skillet with 3 eggs) are cooked directly in a pan of Italian diced tomatoes ... delicious and so easy to make ... my husband and I are likely to prepare this most often for a quick dinner meal. Other recipes offer new recipe flavors and techniques such as "Pomegranate Cherry Smoothie Bowl. All of the recipes are made with a short list of ingredients.Another thing I like about this book are all the tips the authors give to make both the experienced cook and the beginning cook successful. For example:-- Ingredient substitutions and alternatives are offered.-- Both quantities and approximate amounts of ingredients are given; for example, "2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 teaspoon)".-- Times, temperatures and size of preparation bowls and cooking pans are given throughout.-- You don't have to guess whether or not to cover a pan or skillet when you cook a recipe.-- There recipes are appropriate or can be adapted for a variety of dietary needs such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc.-- Though most recipes will make four servings, it is easy to make more or less of several of the recipes. Many, such as the soups, will taste even better the next day.-- It is easy to swap out ingredients for many recipes ... if you don't have one type of bean, use another. Missing walnuts ... try another nut.(FYI ... these are my own photos and how the recipes looked when I served them. I hope you enjoy them as much as my husband and I did. We certainly plan to repeat them in our meals. And look forward to trying more of the recipes in the book!)

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something about this cookbook is totally uninspiring to me. I think it’s largely because of the lack of pictures and the uninteresting, ordinary recipes. I don’t find myself reaching for this book at all. Since I bought the book I’ve forced myself to use it. Everything that I’ve made has been edible, but nothing that I’d make again. This is a matter of personal preference, but I don’t care for chicken thighs and most of the chicken recipes use chicken thighs. Just thought I’d throw that out there in case you also have the same preference towards chicken breast.Even though I don’t personally like this book and wouldn’t necessarily recommend it I’m still giving it 3 stars. If you are new to Mediterranean cooking this could be a decent introduction. The recipes are straight forward and don’t require tons of specialty ingredients. An example of this would be the substitution of peanut butter for tahini in hummus. I appreciate that level of accessibility.Overall, I say skip this one. A similar, but much better book is “The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners” by Elena Paravantes. Hope that helps!

I needed to bring my cholesterol down and lose weight and decided to try the Mediterranean diet. I have never cooked this way before and didn’t even know where to start. This book is outstanding! Yes, there are very few pictures in it, but they aren’t necessary. The instructions are very easy to follow and they even tell you where to find things in the supermarket people don’t usually buy. I have tried over 15 recipes in this book and have loved every one of them. My husband even eats the food I cook from this book. The tips they give at the bottom of each recipe is really helpful too! If you’re wondering if this book is worth it, it is!

I am not a cook, and I don’t have a lot of time. I ordered this book for some fresh and healthy ideas and it has delivered. I’ve thought a few times “that’s an odd combination“, but it was great. Honestly even some of the simple recipes were a bit intimidating to me but once executed were really easy.I need to be able to put together a quick meal with feral toddlers running around, and this book has hit the mark for me. It’s also added lots of nutrition boosts incorporating different veggies. We’ve enjoyed this more than expected! Ingredients are easily found at Trader Joe’s, etc.