Classic Mediterranean Recipes Using our Weekly Specials

The Mediterranean is the home of great food with Spain, Italy, and Greece all having made their food into successful exports here in the US. Here at NetCost Market, we wanted to give you some great classic Mediterranean recipes that you can make at home using items from this week’s Weekly Specials!

Pork meatballs with sundried tomato sauce

Meatballs are an Italian classic, and this dish is no exception. It uses the rich flavors of sundried tomatoes to really bring the flavors of southern Europe to your plate, and with ground pork at only $1.99 a lb. and selected varieties of Allegra Pasta for only 49c per packet, there’s no better time to give this flavor-packed favorite a try!

Recipe

Ingredients: (for the meatballs) 1 lb. ground pork, 1 onion – peeled and diced, 2.5 oz. fresh breadcrumbs, 1 egg – beaten, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 handful flat-leaf parsley – chopped, salt, pepper, olive oil, (for the sun-dried tomato sauce) 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 onion – chopped, 1 clove garlic – chopped, 2 cans tomatoes, 8 sundried tomatoes – thinly sliced, 1 tsp. sweet paprika, 1 glass red wine, 1 handful parsley – chopped, salt, pepper.

Method:

• Start with the meatballs:
• Mix all the ingredients except for the olive oil in a bowl. This is best done with the hands, but if you’d rather use a wooden spoon, make sure you mix thoroughly.
• Once the mixture has made a nice consistency, shape it into about 16 evenly sized balls.
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on medium and once hot, add the meatballs. Cook until browned on all sides.
• Remove and place to one side. Ensure you keep them covered.

Next, the sun-dried tomato sauce:

In a large pan, add the oil on medium heat. Cook the chopped onion for about 7 minutes.

• Add the garlic and stir in for about 3 minutes.
• Add the canned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, paprika, wine, parsley, salt, and pepper, mix with a wooden spoon.
• Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.
• Add the meatballs.
• Reduce the sauce for about 20 minutes.

Bring it together:

• Follow the packet instructions on your choice of Allegra Pasta.
• Once cooked, quickly remove from the water, drain, and serve the pasta with plenty of sauce and meatballs on top.

Tip: to stop the left-over pasta from becoming congealed in the pan after cooking, add a tablespoon of the pasta sauce and mix it in until all the pasta is coated.

Classic Greek salad

Greek food is one of the healthiest diets in the world. It’s mainly based on fresh seafood, lean grilled meats, and lots of fresh Mediterranean vegetables. This classic Greek salad is great as a light dinner or as a side to a larger meal. Right now, we have Organic Valley feta and mozzarella cheeses for only $4.99 a packet, so it’s the right time to buy them and make this Mediterranean classic!

Recipe

Ingredients: 4 medium juicy tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 1 green bell pepper, 1 medium red onion, pitted black olives, a pinch of salt, 4 tbsp. good quality olive oil, 1-2 tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1 block of Organic Valley Feta cheese (use mozzarella if you’re not a fan of feta), ½ tbsp. dried oregano.

Method:

• Start with the tomatoes, cutting them into wedges.
• Cut the cucumber lengthways and then slice into thick half-moon shaped pieces.
• Thinly slice the bell pepper into rings.
• Cut the red onion into thin halves.
• Place all the ingredients into a salad bowl, and then add the black olives, about a handful is a good amount but add more if you really like them!
• Season with salt and then add the olive oil and vinegar.
• Give the salad a light mix but not too much.
• Then add the chopped feta or mozzarella on top, sprinkle with the dried oregano, and enjoy!

Mediterranean cinnamon walnut apple cake

This cake is a classic in areas across the Mediterranean where they grow lots of walnuts and apples. Walnuts and apples are extremely healthy, packed full of vitamins and fiber. At the moment, we have Gala apples for an amazing 79c per lb. so it’s definitely worth a try! It goes perfectly with a nice afternoon espresso.

Recipe

Ingredients: 4 eggs, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp. white sugar, 1 cup olive oil, 1 cup milk, 2 ½ cups white flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 4 Gala apples – peeled, halved, cored, and thinly sliced, ½ cup walnuts, ½ cup raisins, 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, 3 tbsp. sesame seeds.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375F

• Beat the eggs with the sugar, using a hand mixer for about 10 minutes. Add the olive oil and beat for about 3 minutes.
• Add the milk, white flour, baking powder, and vanilla, and beat for a further 2 minutes.
• Brush a 9-inch cake pan with olive oil and then add half of the cake batter to the pan.
• In a bowl, mix the apples with 2 tbsp. white sugar, walnuts, raisins, and ground cinnamon. Pour this onto the batter in the cake pan.
• Add the remaining cake batter to the pan and sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.
• Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, until an inserted knife comes out clean.
• Allow to cool and serve with a classic Italian espresso!

The Mediterranean has a rich food history, and its food has become popular all over the world as a result. These tasty recipes are a great way to taste the real Mediterranean, and right now we’ve got some great deals in our Weekly Specials to make it that bit more cost-effective for you! Just click HERE to find out all the deal we currently have on offer with this week’s Weekly Specials!