Pan Baked Shrimp And Veggies, Mediterranean Style
Updated 9th September 2023
The Mediterranean Diet
The ever-popular Mediterranean Diet, with its emphasis on quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh fruit, vegetables and fish has topped the list of the U.S. News and World Report Annual Ranking Of Diets for the fifth year in a row. It continues to out rank its rivals on key barometers for wellness and nutrition. It was named best diet overall for 2022, in addition to best diet for healthy eating, best heart-healthy diet, best diet for diabetes, best plant-based diet and easiest diet to follow.
U.S. News and World Report described the Mediterranean diet a “well-balanced eating plan” referencing research that suggests it could help prevent some chronic diseases and increases longevity.
There is not a single Mediterranean diet. Greeks eat differently from Italians, who eat differently from the French and Spanish. But they share many of the same principles and all include extra virgin olive oil as a key constituent.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil and The Mediterranean Diet For Wellness
It is generally accepted that the folks in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea live longer and suffer less than most Americans from cancer and cardiovascular ailments. The not-so-surprising secret is an active lifestyle, weight control, and a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods, with extra virgin olive oil at its heart.
The Mediterranean Diet including extra virgin olive oil offers a host of health benefits, particularly including weight loss, heart and brain health, cancer prevention, and diabetes prevention and control. By following the Mediterranean Diet, you could also keep that weight off while avoiding chronic disease.
Baked Shrimp Recipe with Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus, tough parts removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion, halved and thickly sliced
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon, juice
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
For Sauce
- ⅓ cup Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 tsp ground sumac
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Foodstuff Or Medicine
Extra virgin olive oil has been praised as one of the best oils for a healthy lifestyle, but is it just a foodstuff or can it also be considered a medicine? The truth is that extra virgin olive oil is both. This highest quality olive oil is full of polyphenols that are known to have anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The benefits that come with consuming extra virgin olive oil daily are endless, from improving heart health to promoting brain function. Incorporating this amazing oil into your diet can not only enhance your meal’s flavor but also provide countless health benefits, making it a wonderful foodstuff and medicine.
Shrimp v. Prawns
If you live in the United States, you’re a lot more likely to encounter shrimp than prawns. In fact, shrimp is the most popular type of seafood eaten in North America. Americans don’t eat too much seafood, but when they do, shrimp accounts for half of the seafood products they eat. Prawns are more popular in the United Kingdom and Australia. Just as prawns are sometimes called shrimp in the United States, people in England and Australia often call shrimp prawns.
More About Shrimp; An Excellent Companion To Extra Virgin Olive Oil
aragraph –>Shrimp is quite nutritious and provides high amounts of certain nutrients, such as iodine, that aren’t abundant in many other foods. On the other hand, some people claim that shrimp is unhealthy due to its high cholesterol content. Additionally, it is commonly believed that farm-raised shrimp may have some negative health effects compared to wild-caught shrimp.
Shrimp Is Low in Calories yet Rich in Nutrients
Shrimp has an impressive nutrition profile (even if it is oven baked shrimp). It is quite low in calories, providing only 84 calories in a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving, and does not contain any carbs. Approximately 90% of the calories in shrimp come from protein, and the rest come from fat. Additionally, the same serving size provides more than 20 different vitamins and minerals, including 50% of your daily needs for selenium, a mineral that may help reduce inflammation and promote heart health.
Nutritional Values of Baked Shrimp
Here is an overview of the nutrients in a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving of shrimp:
-
- Calories: 84
- Protein: 18 grams
- Selenium: 48% of the RDI
- Vitamin B12: 21% of the RDI
- Iron: 15% of the RDI
- Phosphorus: 12% of the RDI
- Niacin: 11% of the RDI
- Zinc: 9% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 7% of the RDI
Shrimp is also one of the best food sources of iodine, an important mineral that many people are deficient in. Iodine is required for proper thyroid function and brain health. Shrimp is also a good source of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, in addition to astaxanthin antioxidants, which may have a variety of health benefits.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Draws Out The Flavour
The Mediterranean Diet is known for creating high-flavour meals out of simple ingredients, and this one is no exception: Asparagus, cherry tomatoes, onion, and shrimp marinate in extra virgin olive oil, cumin, garlic, and sumac, and are then roasted until caramelized in the oven. The extra virgin olive oil and citrus sauce with fresh ginger and spices makes all the difference. Oven baked shrimp is our suggested way of eating this high protein dish.
