All in the Family: 10 Recipes to Bring Everyone Together

Whip up some of these delicious recipes from Dr. Will Clower and enjoy catching up with the people that matter most.

Butter Pine Nut Sauce
This Mediterranean flavored sauce works well on a variety of foods. Sauces make dishes pop and a little bit really does go a long way!

What you’ll need:
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup freshly basil, chopped
4 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon white wine
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
Crushed, dried red chilies to taste
½ pound unsalted butter, softened

What you’ll do:
1. To make sauce, melt butter over low heat and mix in all other ingredients.
2. Serve on top of fish, chicken, roasted vegetables, or pasta.

Green Beans with Basil and Tomatoes
Veggies are the building blocks of the Mediterranean diet. Try this recipe as a way to savor green beans.

What you’ll need:
2 tablespoons butter
1 ½ pounds fresh green beans
1 large tomato peeled and chopped
½ cup green onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried basil

What you’ll do:
1. Melt butter in medium skillet.
2. Add beans, then remaining ingredients.
3. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender (10-15 minutes).

Baba Ghannuj (Roasted Eggplant Dip)
This is the perfect dish to prepare with eggplants that are almost out of the door. Grilling the eggplant really takes this dish to the next level.

What you’ll need:
1 large eggplant
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon, salt
¼ cup Tahini, sesame seed paste
2 tablespoons water
¼ cup lemon juice
Lemon wedges
Parsley
Olive oil

What you’ll do:
1. Set oven to 375F or heat up grill.
2. Wash eggplant and remove stem. Pierce with a fork 4-6 times. Place in baking dish.
3. Bake for 45 minutes or grill until tender. Remove from oven and run under cold water. Peel and mash; set aside.
4. In serving bowl combine garlic, salt, and Tahini. Gradually add water and lemon juice, beating well. Fold in mashed eggplant. Garnish with lemon wedges, finely chopped parsley and a sprinkle of olive oil.
5. Scoop up eggplant with pieces of pita bread to eat or serve as a side dish with any meal.

Greek Salad
Greek salads are so refreshing, and complement a variety of meals so well. In addition they are quite flexible so add or subtract ingredients based on what you have available. When tomatoes and cucumbers are in season, no doubt about it, it is Greek salad time!

What you’ll need:
3 vine tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 medium cucumber cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup black Kalamata olives
Feta cheese sliced to your liking
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper

What you’ll do:
1. Combine vegetables in a bowl. In another small bowl, mix oil, vinegar, and oregano then pour over salad and season with salt and
pepper to taste.
2. Before serving salad, place feta slices on it.

Play With Your Food

• Add some pepperoncini peppers or red bell pepper.
• Try using a white onion and/or add some green onion.
• Leave out the olives.
• Leave out the feta cheese and serve as a vegan salad.

Parmesan Polenta
Polenta is served in various parts of the Mediterranean. Some great things about this recipe are that it does not take a lot of ingredients and the ingredients are very basic. They come together to form quite a spectacular dish! Enjoy.

What you’ll need:
9 ½ cups chicken broth
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon onion powder

What you’ll do:
1. Bring chicken broth to boil in heavy large saucepan.
2. Reduce heat to medium.
3. Gradually whisk in corn meal. Cook until cornmeal is very soft and mixture is thick and creamy, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in Parmesan cheese, onion powder, and butter.
5. Season polenta to taste with salt and pepper.

Fettuccine with Shrimp
You can substitute the Mediterranean flavored dish in many different ways. So have some fun and play with the art of cooking!

What you’ll need:
½ cup olive oil
1 pound shrimp medium uncooked peeled and vein removed
4 large tomatoes seeded and coarsely chopped
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup black olives, sliced and pitted
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound fettuccine, cooked
Romano cheese, grated

What you’ll do:
1. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add shrimp, tomatoes, basil, olives, garlic, and shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp turn pink, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.
3. Place pasta in serving bowl.
4. Pour sauce over and toss. Sprinkle with Romano. Serve immediately.

Play with Your Food

• Try a different pasta
• Use a different shellfish, seafood or chicken

Zucchini Pancakes
A perfect dish to make with all the zucchini that are popping out of the gardens. Eat like a Mediterranean and start off with these being your first course.

What you’ll need:
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 eggs
½ cup flour
1 small to medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Pinch of cinnamon
Olive oil

What you’ll do:
1. In a bowl mix all ingredients except olive oil together.
2. In a frying pan, on medium, heat enough oil to cover bottom of pan. Once oil is heated add tablespoons of batter to pan. Brown on both sides.

Beans and Greens
Known as poor man’s food in Italy, this meal is fit to serve a king!

What you’ll need:
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 can or 2 cups cooked cannellini beans (reserving 1/3 cup liquid)
1 ½ pounds of chopped kale
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

What you’ll do:
1. In a medium pot, sauté sliced garlic and red pepper flakes in oil on low heat until the garlic starts to brown. Add the beans including the liquid. Add the chopped kale and simmer until they’re cooked but still firm. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. If you would like it to be a bit more like a soup you can add some additional water.
3. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on the top of each bowl and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Serve with a nice piece of bread. Enjoy!

Vegetable and Garbanzo Bean Couscous
Couscous is a featured grain in many regions of the Mediterranean. Enjoy this side dish as a complement to some grilled fish.

What you’ll need:
1 ¼ cups water or chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup couscous
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
2 small zucchinis, thinly sliced

What you’ll do:
1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Add the butter, couscous, salt, and pepper, garbanzo beans and zucchini. Stir. Cover.
3. Remove it from the heat and allow to stand 5 minutes.
4. Stir with a fork to fluff.

Tabouli Salad
The dish makes the perfect side dish for many meals. Tabouli highlights the herb parsley which does wonders for our health.

What you’ll need:
1 cup bulgur wheat
1 ½ cups fresh chopped parsley
½ cup chopped green onion
1 small cucumber, chopped
3 medium size tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/8 cup lemon juice
2 cups warm water

What you’ll do:
1. Soak bulgur wheat in 2 cups of warm water for 35-40 minutes.
2. While wheat is soaking finely chop all the vegetables, parsley and mint.
3. In a large size bowl combine all chopped ingredients, olive oil, salt, and lemon juice.
4. Drain and dry wheat and combine with ingredient mixture. Mix well. Adjust salt and enjoy!