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TWO MEDITERRANEAN HEALTHY SUMMER LUNCHES from our garden in Italy



This week it is so hot and summery in Italy and we have lots of produce from the vegetable and herb garden so I’m sharing two of my favourite Mediterranean salads and lunches that I love to eat in this season. They’re healthy and simple recipes that you don’t need to measure out and are absolutely delicious for the whole family.
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#Italy #summer #healthy

[Music] [Applause] [Music] pap [Music] Mama see Mama Mama Baby M Mama see it is summer in Italy it is hot we have tomatoes cucumbers zucchini Peppers ripe and ready to be picked we’re eating salads every day for lunch so here are two dishes that I make when it’s hot and I want energy and nourishment because I am still quite lethargic most days from the pregnancy they’re so filling and delicious my husband Guido loves them and they keep us full so we rarely crave sugar or snacks in the afternoon that said we have been enjoying gelato after dinner so although we eat pretty wholesome main meals this is definitely not a home of dieters or people who say no to [Music] indulging first I’m making a lentil salad lentils are so nuty and lovely but people tend to use them mostly in curries and soups in Winter whereas I love them in summer salads I feel like lentils are the introvert of the food world no one thinks they’re the life of the party and in the wrong company they seem dull and heavy yet with the right friends they come alive and fill you with goodness the key is to layer in some deep flavor so I’m starting with red onion weo loves raw onion but I struggle to digest it well I find myself burping up onion an hour later plus I want a mellow sweetness not that sharp hit you get from raw onion sometimes cooking one or two items in your salad will transform it even though it’s not technically a warm salad and the rest of the ingredients are [Music] raw some oo oo look at this the the onion is the exact purple in this tablecloth here I just love it when things are matching not that I planned it this way but um well I sort of did but uh it just makes me happy makes me very happy you see JN flanco purple and purple being Italian Guido likes pan with everything but I like to do a compromise and make croutons so that you use a little less bread and you distribute it through the salad also beside the soft lentils these crisp garlic infused Rye croutons will provide the perfect counter crunch this bread is a little stale and it’s a classic solution for stale bread used in Italy which is a panzanella salad that revives the bread in the juices of a salad Mama M and this these I will put in the pan with some olive oil and and two garlic PES which I will then uh chop up once they’re once they’re cooked but but I don’t want to chop them up uh in the beginning because then they’ll just burn so I like to yeah I know that it fell on the ground didn’t it the paper here we go um so if I just fry this off in the pan with the the whole garlic it will flavor the oil it will flavor the bread and then afterwards I can chop it up and put it into the salad so I’ll put this now on the stove this is no this is for Mama this is this is for baby okay M wait there wait there for mama mama at this point my mother brought a delicious zucchini and tomato frittata out of the oven we are running out of ways to use zucchini is anyone else’s zucchini Supply getting out of control so my onion is sauteed croutons are crispy I chop the garlic and then chop these magnificent Tomatoes which are still warm from the garden and so juicy it’s important to choose the right tomato for different salads uh these ones are soft and full of juice and i cho them roughly so they almost create a dressing for the lentils with all the juice and Pulp It’s always important to heavily Rin legumes look you can already hear it the juice of the Tomato the crunchiness of the the croutons and now let’s add in our lentils and then I add salt and pepper and olive oil see how the croutons are quite crisp so they really don’t go soggy even when in contact with the juicy Tomatoes just putting this around so that it sort of starts marinating and all the flavors the garlic the onion everything starts coming together and now let’s add some freshness I want the freshness of cucumber but I don’t want it to dominate I just want it to be like a a light cool relief in the background so I’m going to chop it uh quite fine should I do some more sometimes I like to just do a little bit add it see how it the ratio goes yeah I could do it more I always like to think about the general shape of the ingredients the lentils are small so I want the cucumber and the olives to be cut quite small so that then you get the perfect balanced Fork full in one bite some balsamic I’m adding some Calamar olives for saltiness I’ve got fresh bzel and parsley and then I also have some dried herbs which I love the contrast of fresh and dried because clearly they do different things oh look at that beautiful here I have some mom and oregano that my mother dried from the garden the dried herb really make you feel like you’re eating the scent of a Mediterranean field in Greece or Italy or Spain they have that earthiness which again is going to create more depth for our flavor oh M delicious a little bit of extra olive oil and now let’s add in some fet [Music] now I try not to eat too much tuna when I’m pregnant but every now and then when the temperature SS you come out of the pool and you’re just craving something fresh and light and salty this is my tuna satii that is so simple and so healthy and just editing these scenes my mouth is watering all over again I picked some wild dill from the side of the hill and parsley from our garden our cucumbers are so crisp and flavorful and again I love chopping them here quite small so that they really blend into the background I add some canned tuna some natural yogurt you don’t really need to measure just mix it and then see how the texture appears to you now I want a little salty vinegary heat and capers pair so well with fish I add some pepper but sometimes I don’t salt this because the tuner is already naturally quite salty I picked a lemon from our tree and then jump grco woke up from his [Music] nap see we have an invasion of flies this time of year inside the kitchen so I’m making this in a pot so that I have the lid to protect it I add the fresh dill and parsley and Grate in some lemon zest and this is just so fresh and tangy and it’s like you’re by the Mediterranean Sea and the Sun is on your bare shoulders and you’re biting into salty fresh deliciousness but what could make this even better toasted Rye sour dough of course and topping it with creamy avocado I always find scooping avocado first with a spoon ensures you don’t miss any of the green outer parts a drizzle of olive oil a thick spread of auna tsiki avocado [Music] fresh ground pepper a squeeze of lemon juice and this is ready to [Music] divar my parents ate earlier in this day weo was working in Florence so this was just a solitary lunch for me which sometimes I love so I can really focus 100% on the flavors no book no phone no conversation just me and my plate tasting the Capers and the lemon and the dill [Music] scrumptious thank you so much for watching could you do me a favor and like this video if you if you did like it it really helps me a lot thank you to my kind and encouraging patrons and I will see you all next week Alima [Music]

33 Comments

  1. Thank you! You really should be arrested for making summer food look so delicious.. Mouth watering .. Gian Franco Is getting to be a lil brown bear.. His toes are so precious! Love you and yours Kylie! Thanks again for this wonderful inspiration! <3

  2. Love the trumpet light jazz background, tried the provided link but I don't find what you have hear, it's great. Love your channel, Kylie.

  3. Lidia Bastianich on TV cooking show made a zucchini and tuna appetizer/salad. She 1st pare boiled whole zucchini for 8 minutes. Cooled them, then sliced. She added tuna, evoo and lemon. Season to taste. It looked delicious. Something to do with your zucchini!

  4. Watching from my husband's childhood home here in Greece. Its so hot We are also living off salads.l and this morning my husband d ran outside to catch the fish munger to buy fresh fish for tonight's bbq with friends. Greetings to your little helper too!

  5. Watched the video yesterday morning and made the lentils salad yesterday evening! Just delicious! Thanks.

  6. Shred the zucchini and remove as much of the moisture as possible (seeds too if it's a very large) and freeze it in portion sizes. In the winter you can add it to sauces, zucchini bread, quiche, etc. A Little taste of summer. when it's cold. Your garden is beautiful and bountiful. Brava.

  7. Oh my. Congrats on your upcoming#2; Love the beautiful majestic views, awesome homemade cuisine , and a beautiful family.

  8. A question regarding the lentil salad. You mention rinsing but did you cook the lentils? We assume you did but not up on lentil salads we were wondering. Thanks for your recipes, we look forward in trying them.

  9. Thank you for these healthy, summer lunch ideas! I made the tomato salad for my husband and he enjoyed it very much! will make open faced tuna sandwich for lunch tomorrow! Congratulations to you, Guido and Gianfranco on your expected new addition to your beautiful family! I had too much zucchini in the garden when I was expecting my first child! I spent all day making ratatouille and zucchini bread. When I sat down in the mid-afternoon I got the 1st labor pain!! Here is a recipe my family and I have enjoyed for many years:

    Zucchini Feta Pancakes from the Mooswood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

    One usually thinks of a pancake supper as a generally starchy affair. However, the bulk of these

    lovely pancakes consists of eggs and zucchini ­with just enough flour to bind them. This makes

    enough to comfortably fill four average ­sized persons.

    About 30 minutes to prepare, before frying.

    4 packed cups coarsely grated zucchini

    4 eggs, separated

    1 heaping cup finely crumbled feta cheese

    ½ cup minced scallions

    ¾ tsp dried mint

    salt and black pepper

    1/3 cup flour (I usually add a bit more)

    butter for frying

    sour cream or yogurt for topping

    Place the grated zucchini in a colander in a bowl, salt it lightly and let it stand 15 minutes. Rinse

    it, and squeeze out all excess water.

    Combine squeezed zucchini, egg yolks, feta, scallions, flour, and spices. Mix well.

    Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold into first mixture.

    Fry in butter, on both sides, until golden and crisp. Serve topped with sour cream or yogurt.

  10. My mouth is now watering. Thank you so much for sharing! I hope that sleep is improving for you all. I also wanted to say that we have been on the fence about if we would like to have a second baby now that our daughter is 20 months. After watching your last video, we had a nice long chat and we will soon be expanding our family as well! Sending you all the best and our love ❤.

  11. Always a beautiful vlog and the salads will be added to our summer menu for July 4th celebrations here in the US later this week! I was craving a tuna salad yesterday and it really hit the spot on a warm day! Such a joy to see your little man growing up and talking! Congrats on your news of a growing family! Such joy! Cheers!

  12. I LOVE your healthy lunch videos! I come back to the recipes again and again. In fact, JUST this morning, I bought ingredients to make one of the salads you've shared in a previous video (the one with roasted broccoli, squash, lemon, chickpeas, olives, feta etc) to make for lunch tomorrow. Love these videos so much. I love the flavor profiles that you like. Can't wait to try the lentils one especially. <3

  13. These both look delicious. I too love a good tuna salad. I learned years ago that Brazil nuts help to detoxify mercury, so after I have tuna, I have a two or three Brazil nuts. I’m not sure what kind of tuna you have there, but there’s one called skipjack that has less mercury than the rest, of course my favorite albacore is the worst.

  14. These episodes are sooooo life giving! Just fills me to the brim with inspiration! Thank you Kylie! Also, Gianfranco’s little legs and arms are just too cute! Love how he loves cooking with you.

  15. Good very early morning, Kylie. I just started thinking about you & was reflecting on the beauty of your flowers .Your son will be learning so much about them. This idea that I have might be a very fun thing to do with him. If you were to pick one of each of the flowers in bloom that you have.( By increasing increments, meaning today you pick two flowers, mastering their names,seeing what he can absorb) By putting them in separate vases or bottles & then teach him to repeat their names he might greatly expand his understanding in a beautifully practical way. Little by little he could remember every one of their names. One could certainly review to reinforce the names. In my imagination, this would be a celebration of your garden. How practical hopefully this might be to his language development of many languages.

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