The Mediterranean Vegan

Miroloto is a mix between Italian polenta and old-fashioned skillet corn bread. This moist Turkish bread can be paired with vegetables or beans or eaten as a snack. Serves 6-8 What you need: 4 cups corn flour 1/2 cup margarine or 1/4 cup oil 1 tsp salt 3 tsp baking powder 2 cups chopped greens (chard, spinach, cabbage) 1 onion, diced 2 1/2 - 3 cups water 2 tbsp olive oil In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the margarine or oil and mix well. Add the water, onion, and greens and mix until a thick dough has formed. In a large pan or skillet, heat the 2 tbsp olive oil. Press the dough into the form of the pan and cover. Cook on low-medium heat for 30 minutes. Remove cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Zeytinyagli Mantarli Kuskonmaz is a Turkish salad consisting of asparagus and mushrooms. In this recipe, I added some leftover wild rice that I had. This works as a hot dish or a cold summer salad. Enjoy! Serves 2-3 What you need: 3 tbsp olive oil 10-12 mushrooms, sliced 1 bundle of asparagus, chopped 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 3 tsp lemon zest or lemon juice 2 cups cooked rice (optional) In a large pan, heat the 3 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms, asparagus, salt, pepper, and lemon zest and sauté for 10 minutes. If you are using rice, add the cooked rice and mix for another 3 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

This thick white bean soup is a staple in Albania. It is also eaten in Greece. A similar version is served in Morocco called loubia. The combination of mint and chili pepper give it a fresh, spicy taste. Serves 3-4 What you need: 2 cups dry white beans 3 cups vegetable broth 4 1/2 cups water 1 onion, diced 3 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp tomato sauce 1/2 tbsp dried parsley 1/2 tbsp dried mint 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp salt In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil and add the 2 cups dry white beans. Cover and boil on medium heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the onion. In a pan, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and the spices and continue cooking for another 7-10 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the pot of beans along with 4 1/2 cups water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 2-2 1/2 hours. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top and serve.

This is a very easy recipe consisting of okra and tomatoes. It is part of what Greeks call "ladera," which is basically the name for any vegetable cooked in olive oil. If you don't like okra, you can make this recipe with green beans as well. Serves 3-4 What you need: 3 cups fresh okra, stems removed 5 tomatoes, diced 1 large onion, diced 1.5-2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 cup olive oil In a large pan, sauté the onion in the olive oil for around 7 minutes on medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the okra and the spices, cover, and simmer (stirring occasionally) on low-medium heat for around 40 minutes.

The blog has been lacking color lately, so I wanted to make something solely based on vegetables. I came across this traditional Moroccan dish called c hakchouka, which is a fancy name for spicy tomatoes and bell peppers. It also exists in Tunisia, where they put fried eggs on top. This is usually served as a salad or a side with pita bread. Serves 3-4 What you need: 4 green bell peppers 5 ripe tomatoes, diced 4 tbsp olive oil 5 cloves garlic 1/2- 1 red chili pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp parsley Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Put the bell peppers on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until the skin is lightly charred. Remove from oven and remove the skin (optional). Dice the roasted bell peppers and set aside. In a medium pan on medium heat, sauté the garlic and chili pepper in the olive oil until the garlic becomes golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and spices and sauté for 15 minutes. Then add the diced bell peppers and lemon juice and sauté

Baba Ghannoug is served in many countries of the Mediterranean and under various names. In Turkey, it is known as patlican salatasi . In Greece, melitzanosalata. It is often served as a dip or salad and its base is roasted, pureed eggplant. This is the traditional Levantine variation but you can also add onion, mint, or other roasted vegetables. Serves 3-4 What you need: 2 eggplants (aubergines) 1/2 cup tahini 2 tbsp vinegar 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 cloves garlic 1 tbsp parsley 1 tbsp cumin 3 tbsp olive oil Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Put the whole eggplants on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the eggplants, let cool, and peel off the skin. Then add all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Serve with pita bread.