These Mediterranean-Inspired Dishes Are a Taste Vacation

If the warmer spring weather has you dreaming of a far-flung getaway to the Mediterranean Sea, these recipes from new cookbooks may help satisfy your wanderlust — at least at the table.

“The Mediterranean diet” references the way people eat in that region, where research shows many might live longer and healthier lives. While it’s healthy for everyone, this diet can be especially advantageous for those 50-plus, because of its connection with lower risk of heart disease and better overall health.

The diet’s recommended plant-based foods and the healthy fats found in nuts, olive oil, avocados and some fish may help reduce inflammation and ease joint pain, benefit cognitive function and potentially slow cognitive decline. Eating a moderate amount of cheese and yogurt, choosing poultry over red meat, and having little or no sweets and butter may promote lower cholesterol levels, better blood sugar control and reduced inflammation. Here are five recipes that feature Mediterranean flavors.

Ariel Tarr

Egg and Halloumi Breakfast Plate

Mediterranean flavors may seem glamorous, but they are often surprisingly affordable and approachable. With that in mind, registered dietitian Vanessa Perrone wrote Everyday Mediterranean, a cookbook featuring more than 90 delicious and easy-to-make recipes. Throughout, she offers practical tips for stocking your pantry with good-for-you staples and incorporating a heart-healthy diet. To help get you started, her Egg and Halloumi Breakfast Plate includes grape tomatoes and spinach, along with halloumi, a protein-packed cow’s milk cheese, which can be found in your grocery store’s specialty cheese section.

Get recipe: Egg and Halloumi Breakfast Plate

Joann Pai

The Pasta I Crave Every Time I’m Near the Sea

Bon Appétit and New York Times contributor Rebekah Peppler is an American living in Paris, and in her latest book, Le Sud: Recipes from Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, she brings France’s spectacular coastal cuisine to life. The book is one part travel journal — complete with swoon-worthy photos — and one part cookbook, with recipes leveraging   fresh, seasonal ingredients. For this recipe, Peppler was inspired by the French town of Menton, near the Italian border. It uses your favorite dried pasta with fresh clams, garlic and fennel, crunchy bread crumbs and marinated lemons to capture that seaside je ne sais quoi.

Get recipe: The Pasta I Crave Every Time I’m Near the Sea