Tacos, a beloved dish often associated with Mexican cuisine, can be reimagined to align with the principles of the Mediterranean diet. This article explores various Mediterranean diet-inspired taco recipes, offering a delightful fusion of flavors and healthy eating. From breakfast tacos to innovative twists on classic recipes, discover how to incorporate the core principles of the Mediterranean diet into your taco creations.
Mediterranean Diet Principles and Taco Ingredients
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes the consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, herbs, spices, fish, seafood, and extra virgin olive oil. When creating Mediterranean diet tacos, it's essential to prioritize these ingredients while limiting processed foods, red meat, and excessive salt.
Embracing Mexicali Cuisine
When considering Mexican-inspired dishes, it's helpful to distinguish between Tex-Mex and Mexicali cuisine. Tex-Mex often includes beef and heavy amounts of cheese, while Mexicali cuisine aligns more closely with the Mediterranean diet. Mexicali fare focuses on corn, beans, and vegetables, with chicken and seafood as common protein sources.
Mediterranean Diet Taco Recipes
Spicy Breakfast Tacos
These tacos feature lightly charred tortillas, fluffy scrambled eggs, fresh greens, avocado, and tomato. A star ingredient is a flavorful "bitchin’ sauce," such as a chipotle-flavored variety, made with water, grapeseed oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, garlic, chipotles, vinegar, tomato, smoked paprika, sea salt, and onion powder. Micro greens can be replaced with arugula, spinach, or sprouts. Salsa would also make a great addition.
Mediterranean Chicken Tacos
These tacos combine lemon-garlic marinated chicken, cucumber-tomato salsa, feta cheese, and tzatziki in warm pita bread.
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- Marinate the chicken: Combine olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Marinate chicken pieces for at least 15 minutes, ideally 30-45 minutes.
- Make the Mediterranean salsa: Combine chopped cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, parsley, feta cheese, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add the chicken, and cook until golden brown and cooked through.
- Assemble the tacos: Warm pita bread, then top with chicken, Mediterranean salsa, and tzatziki.
Variations include using shrimp, salmon, steak, or canned tuna instead of chicken. For a vegetarian option, use chickpeas marinated in the same lemon-garlic mixture.
Paleo Steak Tacos with Exotic Sauce
These gluten-free and grain-free tacos feature flank steak marinated in lime juice, sea salt, and black pepper, cooked to medium-rare, and cubed. The steak is combined with yellow onions, apricot, raisins, nutmeg, and cinnamon, cooked in ghee.
Mediterranean Style Tacos with Lightlife Smart Ground
These tacos use Lightlife Smart Ground, a plant-based protein alternative, combined with a Mediterranean-inspired salad and zesty dressing.
- Make the Mediterranean-inspired salad: Combine halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, Kalamata olives, and chopped fresh parsley.
- Prepare the seasoned ground: Cook Lightlife Smart Ground in a skillet with olive oil and a seasoning mix of dried oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Prepare the dressing: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Warm the pita bread: Heat pita bread rounds in a toaster or skillet until warm and slightly crispy.
- Assemble the tacos: Spread cooked Lightlife Smart Ground on warm pita bread, top with Mediterranean salad, and drizzle with zesty dressing. Add a dollop of vegan tzatziki sauce.
Grilled Chicken Tacos with Sun-Dried Tomato Crema
These tacos feature grilled chicken coated in a sun-dried tomato, olive oil, and lemon marinade, topped with a creamy sun-dried tomato Greek yogurt crema and a medley of cucumbers, red onion, feta, and basil.
- Prepare the marinade: Puree sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Marinate chicken in the mixture.
- Make the crema: Blend yogurt, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper.
- Make the taco toppings: Combine cucumber, red onion, feta, and basil.
- Grill the chicken: Grill marinated chicken until cooked through.
- Assemble the tacos: Warm tortillas, add chicken, toppings, and crema.
Tips for Creating Mediterranean Diet Tacos
- Choose whole grains: Opt for corn tortillas or whole wheat tortillas instead of white flour tortillas.
- Control sodium: Minimize salt by using spices and herbs for flavor and making your own sauces.
- Load up on vegetables: Fill half your plate with vegetables, such as a big leafy salad or fresh salsa.
- Use lean protein: Choose chicken, fish, or plant-based protein sources like chickpeas or Lightlife Smart Ground.
- Add healthy fats: Incorporate avocado, olive oil, and nuts for healthy fats.
- Share with friends: Embrace the Mediterranean Diet's core principle of sharing meals with others by hosting a "Mediterraneanized" Taco Tuesday.
Topping Ideas
Consider these Mediterranean-inspired toppings for your tacos:
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- Roasted red pepper hummus
- Tzatziki
- Pickled red onions
- Black olives
- Green onions
- Butter lettuce
- Harissa or zhoug
- Romesco
- Roasted red peppers
- Sundried tomatoes
- Artichoke hearts
- Greek dressing
- Hot sauce
- Chickpeas
- Baba ganoush
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