The Mediterranean diet has long been considered by many health institutes, worldwide as amongst the most healthy way of eating, being rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, pulses, fish and good oils. The cuisine of the Mediterranean is as diverse as the countries that lie along its basin- from Albania to Turkey.
Our Mediterranean Table cookery class takes you on a whistle stop tour to some of the best dishes that the region has to offer. Focusing on flavour, seasonality and top-quality ingredients, our tutor will introduce you to a range of delicious, well balanced, and healthy recipes from across the Med.
Starting with the classic cuisine of France we will move on to tempt your taste buds with the varied flavours of Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey.
Traverse these sun-drenched climes from the comfort of our beautiful kitchen along with convivial company and the expert guidance of our chefs. For anyone who wants to eat both healthy and delicious food this is a trip not to be missed!
You’ll learn to create a range of dishes such as: –
- Pan fried sea bass with orange, herbs and pink peppercorns with Pernod and fennel aioli
- Marinated Courgettes with Walnuts and Stracciatella
- Hummus souvlaki with flatbreads and tzatziki
- Chicken shish kebab, pickles, chilli sauce
- Prawns and potatoes in garlic and pimenton sauce
Following a Mediterranean diet offers a wide range of health benefits such as:
- Improved Cognitive Function: The Mediterranean diet promotes healthy aging by promoting “good” gut bacteria which directly feeds into good brain health and reducing inflammation.
- Reduced Inflammatory Markers: Leading research from UCL and Harvard University supports the idea that eating more vegetables and fish along with other nutritious foods helps to reduce chronic inflammation. The Mediterranean diet has plenty of anti-inflammatory foods, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes leafy greens, as well as olive oil, nuts, and fish.
- Good for your heart: There is a lower occurrence of cardio vascular disease in Mediterranean countries than in the UK and U.S. and one likely reason is that a large percentage of fat in the Mediterranean diet is monounsaturated, from olive oil, which does not raise cholesterol levels the way saturated and trans fats do.
- Weight Loss: The Mediterranean diet focuses on the social aspect of the meal and the importance of enjoying your food, and it encourages smaller portion sizes than what many people may be accustomed to. When food tastes great and hits all the nutritional boxes, you are less tempted to keep grazing and therefore potentially may help to lose weight.
- Good for your pocket: The Med diet is rooted in the food traditionally eaten by the less affluent, using vegetables such as onions, carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Other ingredients such as beans, legumes, pasta, and cheese are also relatively inexpensive and widely available most of the year.
If you are interested in finding out the benefits of following a Mediterranean diet have a look at our blog post.
All classes are held at our Rickmansworth venue, WD3 1JR
