Seafood in the Mediterranean Diet

With warmer weather just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to discuss the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. Did you know that people who follow a Mediterranean diet are 47 percent less likely to develop heart disease, according to a recent study?

The Mediterranean Diet recommends eating fish and seafood a minimum of two

times per week.  Unfortunately, even accomplished home cooks are
often intimidated when it comes to cooking with seafood.  This dish
proves that great taste and good nutrition don’t have to be mutually exclusive!

Sizzling Rosemary Shrimp over Polenta/Gamberi al rosmarino con polenta

Think of this recipe as the Mediterranean cousin of Shrimp & Grits. The savory, flash-sautéed shrimp taste great on their own as a tapa along with the Olive, Almond, and Goat Cheese Tapas, or tossed into spaghetti or linguine with olive oil and lemon zest. Serving them over polenta, a traditional staple in Italy since the sixteenth century, rounds out the meal.

3 cups cooked polenta

4 tablespoons (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

11/2 pounds (680 g) prawns or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary

Dash of crushed red chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic
and stir. Add the prawns or shrimp, rosemary, chili flakes, salt, and pepper.

Cook, uncovered, for about 2 minutes per side, or until prawns or shrimp

turn pink. Spoon the polenta onto a serving platter evenly, and flatten with
the back of a spoon. Place prawns or shrimp on the top of the plate and serve
immediately.

Yield: 6 Servings

Mediterranean Tradition

Known for a wide variety of health benefits, fresh and dried rosemary along
with rosemary oil, tonics, and tea are used daily in the Mediterranean. It is
believed that its aroma boosts brain power. It also possesses antiviral
properties and is known to relieve pain and ease menstrual disorders, kidney
stones, and digestion, as well as increase the appetite and help with gall
bladder, liver, and heart problems. Rosemary oil is massaged into the scalp for
stronger, darker hair and to alleviate dandruff and skin problems.