4 easy weeknight Mediterranean diet recipes

Bestselling author and recipe developer Suzy Karadsheh joined “Good Morning America” on Saturday to demonstrate a few dishes from her brand new cookbook, “The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner: 125 Easy Mediterranean Diet-Inspired Recipes to Eat Well and Live Joyfully.”
The new cookbook is out Sept. 24.
Check out the full recipes below.
Serves: 4 to 6
IngredientsExtra-virgin olive oil12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed if frozen (see tip)1 cup shredded mozzarella, or more to your liking2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup), or more to your liking1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (about 14 tomatoes)1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped2 scallions, trimmed, green and white parts finely chopped1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley1/2 teaspoon dried oregano1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Into a small bowl, place 1/4 cup of the olive oil and set it next to a large sheet pan. (The sheet pan should be slightly larger than the size of your phyllo sheets.) Brush the bottom of the sheet pan with olive oil.
3. Unroll the phyllo sheets and place them on a clean kitchen cloth. Dampen, ever so slightly, another clean kitchen cloth and lay it over the top of the phyllo sheets to prevent them from drying out as you work.
4. Place 3 sheets of phyllo onto the sheet pan and brush the top sheet with olive oil. Repeat with another 3 sheets of phyllo. Now, sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella and half of the crumbled feta cheese evenly on top. Continue layering and brushing the phyllo sheets, 3 at a time in the same pattern, until you’ve used all 12 sheets, brushing the very top sheet with olive oil and adding the remaining mozzarella and feta cheeses. Evenly spread the tomatoes, bell pepper, scallions, olives and parsley on top. Sprinkle with the dried oregano and red pepper flakes (if using).
5. Use a sharp knife to cut the phyllo into 12 squares and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the phyllo edges and bottom turn golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and serve. (Any leftovers can be warmed up in a medium-heated oven for about 5 minutes or until just warmed through.)
Tip for phyllo:
You’ll need only 12 sheets of phyllo for this recipe. As soon as you take those out, go ahead and roll the rest of the sheets back up and tightly wrap them in plastic wrap. Save them in their box in the fridge for up to 1 week.
“Dinner bowls are a great way to give leftovers a new life. I typically have rice or some other grain already cooked in the fridge to use as the base for my bowl recipes. From there, I look for any leftover vegetables or proteins to top the grain. And if I need something more, I’ll mix some salad greens or slice up some vegetables.”
Here is a flexible guide for making dinner bowls, whether you want to use leftovers or make something from scratch:
Start with the grain: 1 cup of dry grains such as farro, barley, or bulgur or white rice, will give you 2 to 3 cups cooked grains. Count on about 1/2 cup of cooked grain per bowl.
Add protein: Leftover chicken or even meatballs are great here, especially if you don’t have a lot. But if not, the Simple Protein Add-Ons chapter has plenty of ideas. Even on short notice, you can easily thaw some shrimp and cook it in a skillet (see page 227). But remember, the protein component can easily be plant-based. Open a can of beans or chickpeas, rinse them, and divide them among your dinner bowls. One can of beans can easily be divided among 4 bowls. And hard-boiled eggs can stand in here, too.
Add vegetables and greens: Vegetables and fresh greens bring brightness and life to a simple grain bowl. If you have leftover roasted vegetables, zucchini (see page 200) or even broccoli fritters (see page 199), warm them and add to the bowls. You can also repurpose a leftover salad or simply slice some fresh veggies — tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, green onions, broccoli, carrots.
Turn up the flavor: Raid your fridge for any Mediterranean favorites like briny olives and pickles or marinated vegetables to add to your bowls. I especially love pickled onions (see page 279) and Torshi (page 261). Crumble some feta on top and sprinkle a couple tablespoons of your favorite chopped herb. Remember, have a flavor party!
Finish with a sauce or dressing: This is optional, but if you need something to pull your grain bowls together, drizzle on a bit of Greek Ladolemono Sauce (page 267), especially if you’ve kept the seasoning minimal. You can also use Spicy Green Goddess Tahini (page 263). That said, even a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice make everything taste better.
Ingredients8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil3/4 cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon ground cardamom1 teaspoon almond extract 5 large eggsConfectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder, for dustingBerry Compote with Orange and Cardamom (recipe follows)
For the Berry Compote with Orange and Cardamom:12 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped12 ounces fresh blueberries 12 ounces fresh raspberries3 tablespoons raw cane sugar or granulated, or more to your likingJuice of 1/2 orange (about 2 tablespoons)1/2 teaspoon ground cardamomHoney (optional)
Directions
For the compote:
1. Set a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, orange juice and cardamom. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until the fruit has softened and the compote has reduced by about half.
2. I like my compote chunky, but if you prefer yours smoother, use a potato masher to smash the fruit and break it down. Taste to adjust the sweetness (be careful, it’s hot!). I don’t usually add more sugar, but if you like your compote sweeter, sprinkle a little more cane sugar into it or add some honey and mix well.
3. Let the berry compote cool for 15 to 30 minutes before serving. It will thicken as it cools. (Or transfer the fruit compote to a mason jar, close tightly, and refrigerate for up to 10 days, to use as needed.)
For the cake:
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment.
2. Fill a medium pot halfway with water and bring to a simmer. Place a medium heat-safe bowl over the pot of simmering water and make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Add the chocolate and olive oil to the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to stir continuously until the chocolate has melted and it’s fully combined with the oil. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in half the sugar, the cardamom, and almond extract. Set aside and allow the chocolate to cool.
3. Meanwhile, separate the eggs. Place the whites in a medium bowl and the yolks in a small bowl.
4. Use an electric hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until frothy and opaque in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly add in the remaining sugar and beat until the whites become thick, glossy, and have stiff peaks, about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. When the chocolate has cooled a bit, whisk the egg yolks one at a time into the chocolate, until fully combined. Then use a rubber spatula to fold one-fourth of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate batter — you just want to lighten the batter a bit. Now, fold the rest of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture by drawing the spatula around the side and up through the center of the chocolate. Do this until the whites are fully incorporated and you have a thick, cohesive batter.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top has puffed up and looks dry — it might even crack a little bit.
7. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for about 1 hour. It will deflate and the top will crack. It’s OK! That’s what it’s supposed to do. When the cake has cooled completely, release it from the springform pan. If it looks like the cake might stick to the sides, run a knife around the sides before releasing it from the pan.
8. The cake will have a crackled top and a fudgy middle. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and serve it with berry compote, if desired. (Covered, the cake will keep on your countertop for up to 1 week.)
Reprinted with permission from “The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner” by Suzy Karadsheh copyright © 2024. Photographs by Caitlin Bensel. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
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