Two Mediterranean-inspired dishes to bring flavour and freshness to the dinner table this week

The Mediterranean diet is primarily considered one of the healthiest ways to eat. Registered dietician Vanessa Perrone's new cookbook, Everyday Mediterranean, shows us that it's much more than a diet—a lifestyle characterized by plant-forward meals made with delicious ingredients. Vanessa shares two recipes from her new cookbook that will bring the flavour to any weeknight dinner. 

Egg and Halloumi Breakfast Plate 

This recipe highlights two key Mediterranean ingredients we tend to avoid at breakfast: vegetables and spices. Yet fragrant za’atar, wilted spinach, and bursting tomatoes make this dish a colourful dish to start the day.

Flank Steak Salad With Crispy White Beans

Red meat isn't a prominent part of the Mediterranean diet, so for those people used to eating it regularly, using plant-based proteins like beans in meals can help reduce meat portions. This is an excellent example of a positive "eat more" strategy that focuses on adding something nutritious to the diet, in contrast to the unsustainable "avoid" rhetoric we are often sold by diet culture. The fact is, plant-based proteins like beans are a delicious stepping stone for those carnivores aspiring to plant-power their diets! White beans are crisped up in the oven in this dish, acting like protein-packed croutons on top of this peppery salad. They also make for a great crunchy snack.