When in GREECE: Eat Mediterranean Salad

We get more than our fair share of recipe requests here at Ziziki’s. Of course - we can't give away our secrets but we can share a simple one! Still, if you’re looking to impress - this recipe is sure to put a smile on some faces.

Mediterranean Salad: Hearty, robust, and delicious! All the stuff you dream about are in a Greek salad - tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, and sun-dried tomatoes - all glistening from a splash of oil. It takes only ten minutes to make this salad and it’s perfect if you’re looking to entertain a small group since it serves eight people.

INGREDIENTS:
3 cucumbers, seeded and sliced lengthwise
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
3 cups diced roma tomatoes
1/3 cup diced oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, oil reserved
1/2 red onion, sliced

DIRECTIONS:
In a large salad bowl, toss together the cucumbers, feta cheese, olives, roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons reserved sun-dried tomato oil, and red onion. Chill until ready to serve.

OPA!

Celebrating the Mediterranean Diet

A recent Spanish medical study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that a diet full of low-fat “Mediterranean” items can drastically reduce your risk for heart disease and a variety of other heart related illnesses.

So what does this mean? It means that the Mediterranean diet is good for you - and that Ziziki's, Ziziki's Taverna and The Greek One Arts are EXCELLENT choices for lunch and dinner! Opa!

The study revealed that the participants of the study experience a near 30 percent drop in risk for major cardiovascular problems. How many of us would be comforted by a 30 percent decrease in risk? I know we would.

The “Mediterranean Diet” isn’t a new fad but a long-researched (and ancient) meal planning method used by many in the Mediterranean region. It consists of eating fresh food on a more regular basis, including fish, grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

The Mediterranean Diet is based on eating less “meats & sweets” and deciding to choose more
fibrous carbs and healthier proteins. Of course, everything should be portion-controlled.

Mayo Clinic suggests that while eating according to the Mediterranean Diet you should use herbs and spices instead of salt to season your entrees while remembering to replace butter with healthy fats and oils.

The best part of the Mediterranean Diet is that it leaves room for one of our favorite meal
accents, wine! The diet suggests drinking red wine in moderation while limiting your intake of red meat.

Stop by and sample our wide variety of wines from all across the globe and embrace a healthier
diet and a healthier you.

Slim and Greek - The Mediterranean Diet

How would you like to dine like Zeus and drink fine wines every day? If you're following the Mediterranean Diet - this is you.

Red wine and most of the ingredients in traditional Greek cuisine and Mediterranean dishes are great for the heart, and keep participants happily fed. (satisfied both with filling and taste, OPA!)

Heart attacks are quite rare in the Mediterranean, due to the diet of olive oil, soups and veggies, fresh fish, fruits and low calorie cheeses. Not to mention the heart-healthy and cholesterol benefits of eating beans (and did we mention - we have the biggest beans ever. They're called GIGANTE beans and rightfully so!)

Visit Ziziki's or Ziziki's Taverna for a heaping bowl of Gigante Beans, a healthy helping of Greek salad and some oilive oil & cheese. Oh, and some red, red wine. You'll leave healthy and happy! Opa!