Preview Recipes from The Mamma Mia! Diet
The Mamma Mia! Diet is more than just a meal plan—it’s a complete lifestyle guide.
Based on an improved version of the classic Mediterranean diet, The Mamma Mia! Diet provides you with modernized versions of healthy Italian dishes to help you lose weight while still feeling full and satisfied.
The more doctors test it, the more they find that eating Mediterranean is the absolute best way to lose weight. Based on the cooking and eating style of Italy, the Mamma Mia! plan features olive oil, fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish and poultry, whole grains and, yes, wine!
Enjoy these two delicious recipes from the book:
Recipe #1: Pasta Salad with Mackerel
Total preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 11–12 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
3.5 oz (100 g) whole durum wheat bow-tie pasta
5 oz (140 g) cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, cut in half
10–15 basil leaves
5 oz (140 g) canned mackerel, in extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Taggiasche olives or black olives, pitted
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, seasoned with hot chili pepper
Sea salt, to taste
Directions
Wash cherry tomatoes and cut in half. Place in a bowl with garlic and add a pinch of salt. Let rest for 5 minutes to release the water. Remove garlic and drain water from tomatoes. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta al dente for about 11–12 minutes, according to the instructions on the package. In a bowl, mix drained and cut pieces of mackerel, tomatoes, and olives. Shred basil leaves by hand and add. Drain pasta al dente and rinse with cold water. Add to the mix. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and serve at room temperature. You can store this dish in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 1 day. It is a delicious lunch box dish for summer.
Author’s Note: This pasta salad is a tasty summer dish, perfect to prepare on a warm day when don’t want to stand in front of the stove but still want to enjoy a simple, refreshing and light dish! I suggest having it as a main dish for your midday meal—it is satisfying, quick and easy to prepare and rich in many nutrients. You can also prepare it for a picnic or have it for lunch at work. Mackerels (called in Italian “pesce azzurro”, like sardines or anchovies) is common in the Mediterranean sea and is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, and protein.
Recipe #2: Marinated Chicken Breast in Orange Juice with Pistachios
Total preparation time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes marinating
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
10 oz (280 g) chicken breast, sliced
2 medium blood or Navel oranges + 1 orange, finely sliced, for garnish
2 tablespoons toasted granola pistachios + some whole pistachios for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
In a nonstick pan, toast granola pistachios over medium heat. Stir often, making sure not to let it burn. Cool and set aside. Squeeze orange and place chicken in a glass container. Pour on orange juice, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Heat a nonstick pan to medium. Pour in chicken with orange juice and cook until juice glazes. While cooking, add salt and pepper to taste. Decorate a serving plate with orange slices, arrange chicken as desired, and add granola pistachios on top (with some whole pistachios, too). Serve warm with steamed basmati rice (1 serving is equal to about ¼ cup or 45 g) and sautéed vegetables on the side.
Author’s Note: In just this one recipe, you can combine all the health benefits of a wide variety of foods. Chicken breast is a very lean meat, rich in protein, that helps you get the best fitness and sports results. Oranges are loaded with vitamin C, a potent antioxidant which helps control inflammatory diseases. It’s also packed with pectin, which has been linked to cholesterol and diabetes control. Sicilian blood oranges contain antioxidant red compounds—anthocyanins—which are present in many fruits, but which are uncommon in citrus fruit, making these oranges very special! Pistachios are a good source of main nutrients. In just one recipe, you can combine all the health benefits of a wide variety of foods.
About the Authors
Paola Lovisetti Scamihorn is an Italian pharmacist, researcher, and food writer. Cooking, eating healthy food and staying active have always been her life-long passions. She has a cooking blog “Passion and Cooking,” and contributes to several international magazines. She has previously published in Italy Love is Eating, focusing on Italian culinary culture.
Paola Palestini is a biochemistry professor at the Medical School of the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy. Recently, Paola has been actively involved in the promotion of the principles of a healthy diet through conferences and in collaboration with several magazines. She is the author of seventy-six scientific articles published in international journals.
