We regularly receive emails from people who want to follow a MediterrAsian way of eating but say they don’t like eating fish. They generally want to know if it’s possible to follow this way of eating without having to eat fish.

Well we know many vegetarians and vegans who follow a MediterrAsian way of eating, so it’s most certainly possible. But if you’re not a vegetarian or vegan I wouldn’t recommend skipping fish — not only is it packed with nutrients and low in calories (learn more about the benefits of fish here), it can also taste magnificent if it’s prepared the right way.

That’s why we recommend to those who say they don’t like fish to try it prepared in traditional Mediterranean and Asian ways and see if it changes their mind. We typically suggest they try some of the fish dishes on this site including Ginger-Steamed Fish with Stir-Fried Vegetables, Thai Fish Curry, Spanish Tuna & Vegetable Stew, Sun-dried Tomato & Walnut Pesto Pasta with Salmon & Asparagus, and Vietnamese Baked Fish. Very rarely does anyone come back and say they still don’t like fish!

So if you think you’re not a fan of fish why not give some of the fish dishes on this site a try and then see how you feel. To get you started, here’s a super tasty fish dish that I’m sure would convert even the most ardent fish hater.

These Japanese-style fish cakes have quite a “meaty” texture and a delicate flavor. The dipping sauce adds a delightful salty savoriness as well as a little kick from the wasabi (Japanese horseradish). They make a wonderful appetizer, and if you serve them with our Japanese noodle salad (minus the smoked salmon) they make a complete and balanced meal in their own right.

Click here for the recipe.

Thankfully, depression hasn’t affected me much in my own life. I say not much because certain monumental events, including my dad’s death and losing my health after my motorcycle accident were very depressing indeed. But these were natural depressive phases that I’m sure anyone would go through in similar circumstances. In general, however, I’m a very upbeat kind of guy and I certainly couldn’t be described as depressive. I’m sure I’m just naturally lucky in the gene department, but perhaps what I eat could have an influence as well.

That’s why I took particular interest in a study reported in the October issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry which showed a strong link between the Mediterranean diet and a lowered risk of depression.

The Spanish study involved more than 10,000 healthy adults whose eating habits were tracked between 1999 and 2005. All were free of depression at the start of the study. After an average follow-up of 4.4 years it was found that those who most closely followed a Mediterranean diet (characterized by a low intake of red meat, moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products, and high intake of vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, nuts, olive oil and fish) had a far lower rate of depression compared to those who least followed these eating characteristics. “We are speaking of a relative reduction in risk of 42 percent to 51 percent,” said study co-author Dr. Miguel A. Martinez-Gonzalez, chair of preventive medicine at the University of Navarra. “This is a strong association.”

Dr. Martinez-Gonzalez thinks there may be several reasons why a Mediterranean diet could protect against depression. For example, he says it improves the function of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a molecule that is responsible for the growth and function of nerve cells. Also, olive oil improves the binding of serotonin to its receptors “and serotonin is a key neurotransmitter in depression,” he said. “In fact, Prozac acts by increasing the availability of serotonin in the brain.”

In addition, fish is regularly consumed as part of the Mediterranean diet, and the omega-3 fatty acids in fish help improve the function of the central nervous system. “All these mechanisms may lead to an improved brain function and a greater resilience to better face the frustrations of every day, to control stress, and so on,” he said.

However Dr. Martinez-Gonzalez is quick to point out that a Mediterranean diet shouldn’t be used to treat depression if you already have it. “The Mediterranean diet might be ideal for the prevention of depression, but not for its treatment,” he said. “For those patients who already have depression, the best thing they can do is to seek the proper medical treatment by a psychiatrist.”

Cashews regularly make an appearance at our house, whether we scatter them into Chinese or Southeast Asian stir-fries and noodle dishes, or add them to Indian curries, or simply snack on them plain. But one thing we’ve never done with cashews is use them in a Mediterranean dish. Almonds, walnuts, pine nuts and pistachios have always been our nuts of choice for Mediterranean recipes.

So we decided to do a little experimenting over the weekend and use cashews in a Mediterranean dish. One of our favorites is hummus, which is a simple puree of chickpeas, tahini (sesame seed paste), garlic and lemon juice which is traditionally used as a dip and spread throughout Greece and the Middle East. We thought that instead of using tahini we’d use cashews, which have a rich nutty flavor of their own. And to ramp up the flavor and texture even further we decided to throw some roasted red pepper into the mix.

We’ve had our fair share of kitchen disasters when we’ve tried experimenting like this before, so we were a bit apprehensive before we turned on the food processor. But once all the ingredients had churned together and formed a paste, we were more than pleased with the result. The rusty red puree had a marvelous rich and creamy texture and the cashews had a less pronounced flavor than tahini, which worked really well with the slightly smoky roast peppers.

You can enjoy this hummus as a dip or spread, and we’ve also found that it’s even more versatile than regular hummus. Because it’s got a pesto-like quality, it can easily be tossed with pasta, which is what we did the other night. We simply cooked up some pasta and added broccoli florets and fresh shrimp to the boiling pasta water (chicken or scallops would have worked well too), then tossed it with the roasted red pepper and cashew hummus and a little bit of reserved cooking water. It made a delightfully creamy yet creamless pasta dish, which we’ll definitely be having again. We also found that if this hummus is diluted with a little red wine vinegar (about a tablespoon per cup of hummus) it makes a very creamy and flavorsome salad dressing too.

Here’s the recipe.

Yet despite this fact, Trudy and I couldn’t imagine eating only Mediterranean-style foods for the rest of our lives. Don’t get me wrong, we absolutely love Mediterranean foods like pasta dishes, risotto, paella, pizza, hummus and Greek salad. But we’re just as enchanted with the incredibly varied foods of Asia including sushi, stir fries, curries, fried rice, and noodles dishes.

Thankfully, a large body of research has shown that traditional Asian eating practices are just as healthful as traditional Mediterranean eating practices. And this is no surprise because the nutrient profile of Mediterranean and Asian cuisines are very similar — based around vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, fish, poultry and healthy oils, and only small amounts of red meat.

So the reason we believe that following a MediterrAsian way of eating is superior to solely following a Mediterranean way of eating is simply because it offers all the same health benefits but vastly more choice.

Indeed, Trudy and I have been eating a combination of Mediterranean and Asian foods for well over a decade now, and we’ve never got bored with this way of eating…not even close!

We’re also living proof of the healthfulness of a combined Mediterranean and Asian way of eating. We’re both at our ideal weight, and our cholesterol levels and blood pressure are excellent. We also have loads of energy and generally feel great.

And we’re not the only ones benefiting from a MediterrAsian way of eating. We regularly hear from people who have improved their health by adopting MediterrAsian eating practices. In fact, in the last few weeks alone we’ve discovered that a MediterrAsian way of eating has made a significant difference to three people’s lives.

One of those people is Christi, who wrote about her experience on her personal blog, Enigmatic Exaltations.

Several months ago Christi began exploring options for becoming healthier, which included researching numerous diets. She eventually felt discouraged because none of the approaches of the popular diets felt quite right for her. She ended up deciding to try the Mediterranean diet because it included many foods she enjoyed.

Christi’s next step was to check out several books about the Mediterranean diet from the library. One of those books happened to be our book, The MediterrAsian Way.

The book must have struck a chord with her because she ended up renewing it “over and over” and started following a MediterrAsian way of eating. “It is about lifestyle change, not dieting” she noted in her blog post.

Christi found that a MediterrAsian way of eating was highly enjoyable, offered lots of choice, and was easy to stick to. “I do not feel deprived in the least…I still enjoy what I eat and get lots of flavor”

Although she didn’t focus on weight loss, just overall balance and health, Christi was surprised when she went for her yearly physical exam and found that she had lost 27 pounds and had substantially lowered her cholesterol. “It truly confirmed I am on the right path” she said. To read all of Christi’s inspiring story click here.

Another piece of great news we had recently was from Brad, who was one of the winners of our 5th anniversary book giveaway. When we contacted Brad to tell him he’d won, he told us that he’d already bought a number of copies in the past and had given one to his 60-year-old father who was overweight and had high blood pressure.

With a combination of MediterrAsian eating and a mild exercise program, Brad said that his dad had lost 35 pounds and was off his blood pressure medication. He also told us that his dad’s doctor was so impressed with his results that he went and got a copy as well. (Trudy’s parents are both doctors, so this made her particularly proud.)

Then late last month we learnt of another success story when I stumbled across a blog post by Andee, who had adopted a MediterrAsian way of eating after discovering our website. Within four months she said this way of eating alone had lowered her cholesterol to safer levels. You can read more about her experience here.

In our opinion the gift of health is the greatest gift you can give someone, so hearing success stories like these gives us a huge thrill. It also confirms our belief that a MediterrAsian way of eating is one of the healthiest and most enjoyable ways you can possibly eat.

The Mediterranean diet has been getting lots of media attention over the last few days since a study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found that out of 1,880 elderly people who were studied for over five years, those who closely adhered to a Mediterranean diet had a 40 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who didn’t follow a Mediterranean diet.

Several other studies over the last few years have also shown that a Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and improve cognitive function, so the Mediterranean bean salad I’m going to present to you today — which uses a wide range of classic Mediterranean ingredients — could quite easily be described as “brain food.”

However this salad is equally as good for your heart. That’s because beans are an excellent source of soluble fiber, which helps reduce levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, and in turn lowers the risk of heart disease. Soluble fiber also slows down digestion and helps regulate blood sugars, so it helps you stay fuller for longer too.

But to be honest I don’t love this salad because of its health benefits — although that’s a very nice bonus. I love this salad because it tastes absolutely scrumptious! And have you ever seen a more colorful salad? The vivid green of the fava beans and the vibrant red of the peppers and purple of the onions contrast so well with the dark kalamata olives and neutral hues of the cannellini beans and chickpeas.

You can serve this salad at room temperature, and it tastes equally as good warmed up and served with a little crumbled feta and some crusty bread.

Here’s the recipe.

He may be retired, and he’s certainly getting on in years, but that hasn’t stopped Domenico from making his own wine and tending daily to his huge 40 by 180 feet vegetable garden using only his hands and a traditional implement he calls a “zappa” or hoe.

He has over 100 tomato plants alone, and also grows fava beans, green beans, lettuce, eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, Italian parsley, and basil, as well as fruits including peaches, pears, persimmons, plums and grapes.

And none of this bountiful produce goes to waste either. “I cook everything,” Domenico says. And what he doesn’t cook or eat he gives away to friends and neighbors.

Writer Ginny Smith says: “If Scicchitano, called ‘Papa’ by virtually everyone, weren’t so old-fashioned, he’d be a trend-setter. He personifies the famed Mediterranean diet and the thoughtful way of eating and living that modern omnivores like [Michael] Pollan espouse.”

Read the full story here.

Mediterranean and Asian Food From the Minimalist. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I’m able to read The New York Times every day, even though I live in the countryside in New Zealand. As I’m very interested in both food and health, I tend to gravitate towards the food and health sections of the paper. I mentioned a few months ago that I really enjoy the Recipes for Health column written by Martha Rose Shulman because the recipes are both flavorful and healthful. (Read Trudy’s interview with Martha here.)

I also regularly read Mark Bittman’s food column, The Minimalist, and now his food blog, Bitten. I don’t agree with Mark on all food issues — in particular his opinion that pasta is virtually equivalent in nutritional value to a cookie (which I talked about in an article I wrote for Culinate last year called The Pasta Myth). But most of the time I do agree with Mark’s thoughts on food and diet.

Indeed, in recent years Mark’s food philosophy has aligned even more with my own, and he’s now a big believer in eating more plant-based foods and less animal-based foods — for environmental as well as health reasons.

This philosophy, of course, lends itself to Mediterranean and Asian eating, so not surprisingly many of the recipes Mark features are Mediterranean and Asian influenced. Here are three recent mouthwatering examples:

• Cold Noodles With Sesame Sauce, Chicken and Cucumbers
• Soupe au Pistou
• Pasta With Slow-Cooked Portobello Mushrooms

The Thai MediterrAsian Diet. Trudy and I absolutely adore Thai food, and traditional Thai eating practices are very much in sync with a MediterrAsian way of eating (which is why we include a large Thai cuisine section on the site).

Another person who’s realized how similar Thai and Mediterranean eating practices are is Krida Sirampuj who wrote an interesting article for the Bangkok Post called “Thai MediterrAsian Diet – The Secret to longevity.”

How to Lose 5 Pounds in Two Weeks Without Even Trying. Leo Babauta, who runs the popular lifestyle improvement blog Zen Habits, didn’t go out of his way to lose weight when he recently went on a trip with his family to Japan for two weeks. In fact, as Leo puts it: “I didn’t worry about what or when I ate.”

Yet at the end of the trip Leo was 5 pounds lighter. What was his weight loss secret? Quite simply he followed a delicious Japanese style of eating and he walked more. You can read more about Leo’s diet-free weight loss here.

Homemade Ricotta Recipe. Fancy making some homemade ricotta cheese? Well it’s not as difficult as you might think according to Melissa Kronenthal, the creator of the popular food blog The Traveler’s Lunchbox. Melissa shares her recipe in the Seattle Times, and explains that “Homemade ricotta doesn’t require any fancy equipment or expensive ingredients; it doesn’t even need your undivided attention for more than 20 minutes. In fact, it’s so easy, and the result is so indescribably good, that I can’t think of a single reason why everyone shouldn’t be making their own.”

Here’s her recipe.

Often when people hear the term “MediterrAsian” they think of fusion food. But when it comes to Mediterranean and Asian food, Trudy and I are real traditionalists and we rarely mix Mediterranean and Asian flavors together. But there is a MediterrAsian fusion meal we do adore, and that’s banh mi.

Vietnam was a French colony from 1885 to 1954, and over that time certain French foods such baguettes, paté and mayonnaise became integrated into the Vietnamese diet. Remnants of French colonization can still be seen in Vietnamese cuisine today, and the tastiest example of this is banh mi (pronounced ‘bun me’), a Vietnamese sandwich with a distinctly French influence.

The base of this mouthwatering sandwich is a light and crispy baguette, typically with a lick of mayonnaise. Added to this is often paté, but other popular fillings include barbecued pork, chicken, ham, seared tofu, eggs and fish. Then come all the wonderful hot, salty, sour and sweet Vietnamese flavors from pickled vegetables, soy or fish sauce, chili, and sprigs of cilantro (fresh coriander).

This recipe is our take on banh mi, using staples that we always have in our pantry and fridge.

As the main filling ingredient we make our own fish paté from mashed canned tuna, fish sauce, scallions and mayo. It has the perfect consistency for smearing on the base of a halved baguette.

Pickled shredded carrots and daikon radish, known as ‘Do Chua’ is typically used as a filling in a banh mi, but we’ve found that making a simple lightly-pickled slaw with grated carrot, bean sprouts and diced cucumber provides the same satisfying tanginess and crunch.

Jarred pickled jalapeño slices add the heat element, however you could just as easily use hot chili sauce or flakes, or sliced fresh chili if you prefer. And the final flourish is cilantro — whole leaves, including delicate sprigs, used like a vegetable in its own right instead of simply a garnish.

Banh mi makes an exotic flavor-packed lunch, (it’s particularly excellent picnic fare in summer), and it can also be sliced into small portions and served as finger food.

Click here for the recipe, and for more delicious Vietnamese recipes check out the Vietnamese Cuisine section of the site.

It’s time to announce the five winners of our 5th anniversary cookbook giveaway. But before I do, I’d like to say a big thanks to all of you who told us about your favorite Mediterranean and Asian dishes. Some of the dishes you mentioned we’ve never tried ourselves, and now we’re inspired to make them. And we were very flattered to find that many of your favorite Mediterranean and Asian dishes are actually from this site!

So here are the five winners, along with their answers to the question: “What is your favorite Mediterranean or Asian dish, and why?”

Molly said:
My favorite Mediterranean dish is actually stuffed grape leaves, whether I make them myself or get them at one of my favorite restaurants. Mainly, I love the combination of lemon, sweet onions, pine nuts, and grape leaves. I use a Greek recipe I’ve had for a long time. But… your falafel recipe is the best falafel I’ve ever had, either at home or in a restaurant. I’ve never seen another recipe that calls for soaked, but uncooked, chickpeas, and I think that makes the difference. Made in an electric skillet, they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but not oily–just perfect with homemade hummus and pita. Mmmmmmm.

Kristen said:
My favorite Asian dish is the Thai Chicken stir-fry! I LOVE Thai food – the spicy and sweet combination of the sauce with the chicken and fresh veggies are awesome. The fresh twist of cilantro and crunchy texture of the peanuts make this absolutely DELISH!!!

Monika said:
My favourite Asian dish is Fried Rice. And the reasons why I like it are :
- it can be a wholesome dish in that you can add as many items as possible to the rice like various types of veg/meat/fish/eggs/tofu and that makes it versatile as well.
- it can be as economical/expensive as you want depending on the ingredients
- it is quick, easy and above all, EXTREMELY TASTY
- it can be eaten on its own without any accompaniment.

Diana said:
My favorite recipe is your Chakchouka! My father-in-law is Israeli, and he always makes this for us. On father’s day, I wanted to surprise him and make it for him instead, only I didn’t want to ask his recipe. Your Chakchouka turned out even better and everyone raved about it!

Brad said:
A favorite is tougher than I thought to come up with, but it came down to the Thai Red Chicken Curry. This dish is my favorite not just because of the rich blend of flavor, but also because of the enjoyment I get from preparing it. This is a dish I make usually when my wife and I have guests over for dinner, and I do the prep while enjoying a glass of wine with my guests present. I find that it always sparks great conversations about all the healthy fresh ingredients used, and everyone finds the scent intoxicating while its simmering. It takes some time to make so I only do it once or twice a month, but I almost find it therapeutic mincing, and chopping the garlic and fresh veggies. Everyone I’ve made this for loves it, and also thinks I’m some kind of gourmet chef (thanks for the very detailed instructions!)

Congratulations guys. Just let us know your postal address and we’ll send each of you a signed copy of The MediterrAsian Way.

This stir-fried noodle dish ticks all the right boxes: quick, easy, cheap, healthy and delicious. The sauce has the perfect sweet, salty, spicy flavor thanks to the simple combination of hoisin sauce and soy sauce. Using hoisin sauce, a rich and aromatic sauce made from soybeans and spices, is a great way to add depth of flavor to a basic stir-fry. Its intensity means you don’t need to add anything more than soy sauce, ginger and garlic to create a great all-purpose stir-fry sauce which lusciously coats, but doesn’t cover up, delicately-flavored ingredients like vegetables and seafood. (Our favorite bottled hoisin sauce is the Lee Kum Kee brand, if you can track it down.)

This stir-fry recipe turns up regularly at our place. We use it as a basic guide and bring into play whatever we’ve got in the fridge, freezer and pantry. Sometimes we use other quick-cooking vegetables like snow peas, green beans, bell peppers, bok choy, mushrooms, bean sprouts and cabbage. Sometimes we substitute squid and/or tofu for the baby shrimp — and it tastes great with full-size shrimp, scallops or chicken too.

Here’s the recipe.

Cookbook Giveaway Update

A quick update on the cookbook giveaway to celebrate the 5th anniversary of MediterrAsian.com. Wow, thanks for all your entries. You guys really do like Mediterranean and Asian food don’t you!

Some of you have also asked if the competition is open to people from all over the world. Absolutely! We’re in New Zealand, but we can send the book to anywhere in the world that has a postal system. So keep those entries coming, and we’ll announce the five winners on July 8.

If you think the aroma of freshly baked bread is magical, then you should have been at our house when we were simultaneously baking up these three varieties of focaccia:

• Rosemary, garlic and sea salt
• Feta, kalamata olive and oregano
• Parmesan and sun-dried tomato

The aroma that filled the house was almost indescribably good. And the flavors of these focaccia more than matched the wonderful cooking aromas.

In a perfect world, these focaccia would be made from 100 percent whole wheat flour. Unfortunately, we tried that, and the results just weren’t up to scratch. A little too dense and chewy in texture, and the flavor of the whole wheat flour was a little too pronounced.

We love to eat healthfully, but if it means sacrificing flavor, well you can forget about it! But using a combination of half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour did the trick. It has a slightly firmer texture and nuttier flavor than regular focaccia, but in a good way. And we found this focaccia was more substantial and filling than regular foccacia — plus it contains more fiber and nutrients.

This recipe does require some kneading, but only for five minutes. You may have read about bread recipes that require no kneading, but most of these recipes also require over 20 hours for the dough to rise compared to 1½ hours for this recipe. Personally, I prefer toning up my shoulders and arms with a 5-minute workout from the kneading, and having the bread on the table nearly a full day earlier. (I’ve also found that kneading dough is a great stress reliever!)

Some of the ways we enjoy eating focaccia include as an accompaniment to pastas, soups and Mediterranean-style stews; or stuffed with yummy fillings to make sandwiches; or simply torn off in pieces and eaten plain as a snack. The Parmesan and sun-dried tomato focaccia and the feta and kalamata olive varieties are so substantial you can actually eat them as a light meal by themselves. (When they’re served hot out the oven they’re almost like a pizza.)

Here’s the recipe.