In the Kitchen no. 2 - Muhammara, and the Flat Belly Diet

In general, I am so not a fan of fad diets - I've tried a few, but never stuck with one. They are exactly what they promise to be, and that just doesn't fly with my foodie palate.

A few months ago, however, I ran across the Flat Belly Diet, created by Prevention Magazine. It's based on a Mediterranean diet with an emphasis on monounsaturated fats - olives, avocado, nuts and seeds, dark chocolate, and select oils.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner folks.

You can explore the science behind the plan on your own time, but I will say that as a former student of biology and macro-nutrition, I find the research and methodology behind the diet to be very sound. And I get to each chocolate every day. Needless to say, after browsing through the book over a latte at Borders, I immediately purchased it, along with the companion cookbook.

Muhammara is the perfect example of the kind of foods I get to consume on this diet. It's packed with nutrients and antioxidants, and is filling enough to have for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Muhammara
Active Time: 20 minutes; Inactive Time: 1 hour
Six servings
Hint: if you're short on time, use pre-prepared roasted red peppers; one 8-ounce jar is the equivalent. 

- red bell peppers, 3 whole
- olive oil, 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup
- walnuts, 2 cups
- garlic, 4 large cloves
- lemon, 1 whole
- cumin, 1 teaspoon
- red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon
- kosher salt, 1 teaspoon
- 1/2 cup pomegranate syrup*

*I make a large batch of pomegranate syrup a few times a year. I buy a 32-ounce bottle of pomegranate juice from Trader Joe's, pour it all into a sauce pan, bring it to a boil and let simmer until reduced to about a cup.  It keeps well in the fridge. I use the syrup for muhammara, add it to smoothies and mix it with a little olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette for salad dressing. You can also purchase syrup from stores like Whole Foods - if doing so, use only 1/4 cup, as store-bought syrup is much thicker and sweeter.

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until toasted (10 minutes)

3. Halve the peppers, remove the seeds and stem and place skin side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and rub into the skin. Roast at 400 until the skin is black, bubbling and pulling away from the meat (50 minutes).

4. Remove the peppers from the oven and immediately cover with a bowl to allow them to steam for about 15 minutes (this will loosen the skins). Peel the skins from peppers.

5. Meanwhile, make garlic oil. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium high heat; add the garlic and sauté until slightly browned (1-2 minutes).

6. In a food processor, add the walnuts, roasted red peppers, garlic cloves and oil, the juice of one lemon, cumin, red pepper flakes and salt. Puree until smooth. 

Eat with pita and veggies or slather on a sandwich with cucumber, bell peppers, muenster and sprouts. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.