Savor / Family Features
courtesy of Crisco

Transported by Taste

Ripe vegetables, generic fresh herbs and fragrant spices all lend vibrant, bold flavors to mouthwatering meals that are worth lingering over with friends. This is what Mediterranean cooking is all about.

Add some Mediterranean inspiration to your everyday meals with this recipe using olive oils to help you turn an ordinary meal into a memorable one.

Use extra virgin olive oil to add a full-bodied flavor to salads, vegetables and meats. Pure olive oil offers a mild, subtle olive flavor with a hint of fruit to sautés and stir-fries. Light tasting olive oil is ideal as an all-purpose cooking oil that can be used for sautéing, roasting vegetables or in baked goods like muffins, cakes and brownies.

 Mediterranean Essentials

Fresh and flavorful ingredients are the key to great Mediterranean cooking, so keep some of these essential ingredients on hand:

—Vegetables — tomatoes, onions, shallots, peppers, carrots, spinach, eggplant
—Grains — pasta, couscous, oats, barley, corn, rice
—Dairy — yogurt, unsalted butter
—Beans and legumes — chickpeas, cannellini beans, lentils
—Fresh herbs and spices — cumin, garlic, rosemary, fennel, oregano, basil
—Cheese — Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino, ricotta, Manchego, feta
—Condiments — olive oil, balsamic vinegar, olives, capers, honey