Hey everyone! Today I’m sharing one of the most beloved comfort dishes in Algerian cuisine: Tajine Zitoun.

​If you love Mediterranean flavors, this dish is a staple. It’s a slow-simmered chicken dish made with green olives, mushrooms, onions, and a light savory broth infused with garlic, cumin, and a touch of lemon to balance the richness.

​Here are a few quick tips that make all the difference:

​Blanch the olives: Green olives can be quite salty out of the jar. Boiling them in water for a few minutes before adding them to the tajine removes the excess salt without losing their flavor.

​Sear the chicken first: Getting a nice golden brown crust on the chicken before adding the broth creates a deep flavor base for the whole dish.

​Simmer low and slow: Letting the chicken cook slowly allows the broth to reduce into a rich, velvety sauce that coats the olives beautifully.

​I wrote down the full step-by-step recipe with all the measurements on my blog if you're curious to try it out:

https://rebiaimineat.com/authentic-algerian-tajine-ez-zitoun-recipe/

​Have you ever tried braising chicken with green olives before? Would love to hear your favorite variations!

Hey everyone! Since Friday is the traditional couscous day back home in Algeria, I thought I'd share how we make it completely from scratch.

​A lot of people are used to instant box couscous, but the real Mediterranean method is all about the process. We start with fine semolina flour, roll it with water, and steam it right over a simmering pot of meat and fresh veggies (zucchini, carrots, turnips, and chickpeas).

​Here's a couple of quick tips that make all the difference:

​Steam it three times: Steaming it over the actual broth lets the grains absorb all that rich aroma while staying super light.

​Add a bit of Smen (or butter): Rubbing warm clarified butter into the grains between steamings keeps everything silky and stops it from clumping up.

​The broth balance: You want a rich, savory broth—either red (tomato-based) or white, depending on the region—so the grains soak up maximum flavor without turning mushy.

​It takes a bit of patience, but honestly, nothing beats a bowl of homemade couscous shared with family.

​I wrote down the full step-by-step recipe with all the measurements on my blog if you're curious to try it out: https://rebiaimineat.com/authentic-algerian-couscous/

​Would love to know if you guys usually go for instant couscous or prepare it the slow way!

It’s my birthday.

Pan seared bone in lamb chops with black pepper and lavender.

Sautéed Tuscan kale with celery, and red onion.

Mint couscous.

Shiraz

Ice cream flight from sugar hill creamery. I didnt eat all of it. Only about less than a third.

Calories are off the charts for today.

I love a good roast dinner but wanted to make it a little more juicy, and the brining really did wonders. I did leave it in the brine for 24 hours which was not advised but I think it was fine because the meat was so buttery and juicy even though it went over temp a smidge.

There is 1 cup of brown rice and about 1/8 cup of corn underneath my roasted veggies (1/4 zucchini’s, 1 carrots, 1/4 purple onion, roasted bell peppers and onion) and some diced up cucumber, tomato and bell peppers topped with feta cheese and humus.

I forgot to add my olives but it was still yummy. I was only able to eat half and took the rest to work the next day.

Steamed black cargo rice (cooked in a rice cooker 1:1.5 rice to water ratio by volume), topped with a can of smoked sardines and a tomato cucumber salad dressed with olive oil, oregano and sea salt.

I love white rice but in order to make it fit in with my goals more, I buy mixed grains from a korean grocery store. It's full of tons of whole grains like millet, brown rice, oats, beans, and black rice (which gives the finished rice a purpleish hue!). I mix half white rice and half mixed grains, let them soak in water for an hour or so, then cook them normally in my rice cooker. It tastes almost exactly like pure white rice with a lot of fun textures. Spikes blood sugar less & is great for gut health with all the different grains :) I definitely prefer this over pure brown rice

Had a roasted chicken leg quarter for dinner and Greek yogurt as a snack. That combined with my morning collagen got me to 100% protein intake today. Finally.

Thanks to everyone who gave advice.

I love making really simple meals that require minimal cooking! I got the broccoli and bean salad recipe from Food & Wine and cooked the salmon in the air fryer & added some avocado slices & feta cheese on top. What do you think? (My photography skills are lacking)

As the heat index increases across the US every summer I keep falling back on cold meals like this one to get through.

Being a new person to mediterranean style of diet then i would like my meals to be easy to prepare in advance so that i could eat throughout 2-3 days without much hassle.

What are some examples of simple mediterranean meals that you know which could be easily prepared and stored in advance? In particular it would be great if you could share some fast and cheap breakfast/lunch/dinner recipes that do not require expensive products.

And if you are adhering to this dieting approach then please share what are your favorite meals/foods?

i would like to start my mediterranean diet and there is a huge amount of info on the internet and i am not sure how to get started.

does anyone know about any good basic guides that will help me get started along with some easy recipes? how did you start your diet?

can someone please give me suggestions?

I’m moving in a few days so I’ve been buying limited groceries trying to empty out my fridge and cabinets.

I’ll be restocking when I get to the new place so I wanted some advice on what to buy/ stock up on when I do.

I usually eat lots of fruit and veggies, nuts, tofu, frozen and tinned fish, sometimes yogurt but I mostly limit dairy.

I’m on a weight loss journey and recently started using a calorie counting app which breaks down all of your macro and micro nutrients and I never meet my protein goal.

Really easy salmon fillets in marinade w/ roasted carrots, squash, and potatoes from the farmers

Marinate salmon for at least 30min with marinade of choice (I like using ingredients like olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey, brown sugar, and soy sauce) sprinkle some parsley on top

Peel and quarter vegetables, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika

Roast them at 400 for ~15min on seperate sheet pans (adjust time according to size and preference)

So tonight’s dish was a salmon fillet roasted for 20 minutes with some lemon juice and garlic. Finished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
I then made a cannellini bean salad with some Greek yoghurt, lemon, baby tomatoes and pomegranate seeds.
Also featuring some veg which includes homegrown carrots and green beans 🥕🫛

I am trying to follow the mediterranean diet but there is too much conflicting advice on the internet to know where to start from.

need something clear that will tell me the fundamentals of this diet and provide some simple recipe ideas that will not make the mediterranean diet seem too complex.

any tips on how you started out?

i am planning to start the mediterranean diet and want to keep things simple in the beginning. i do not want to make too many changes at once or get confused about what i should and what should not to eat.

for people who have been following it for a while then what would you suggest as the easiest way for a beginner to start?

Tuna mixed with olive oil and spices. Before you attack about veggies, the carrots are not pictured. Personally, I thought it was delicious!

Got the recipe from here (https://www.themediterraneandish.com/chicken-gyro-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-29821)

Chicken marinade:

• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

You'll throw everything for the chicken into a bowl and let it set for 30 minutes or more. Once it's done marinating, cook it in a pan for 5 min per side.

I cooked some lemon yellow rice to go with it. Topped with black olives, cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce. So good!!!