ThePrep: 25-Minute Mediterranean Dinners You'll Want to Make All Summer

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The Mediterranean diet has been praised for its many health benefits—from boosting heart health to decreasing the risk of certain types of cancers—but it's also just a downright delicious way to eat. And with all the fresh ingredients the summer brings, there's no better time to take some inspiration from that region and make some tasty, healthy dinners. Since I don't have any plans to cross the Atlantic anytime soon, I'm looking forward to having these Mediterranean meals transport me there every single night this week, even if it's just for an hour or so =).

Your Meal Plan

One thing you'll notice with Mediterranean-style dishes is that they're really simple but always so delicious. That's because when you have fresh, seasonal ingredients, you don't need to do all that much to make them taste great. Take the Sheet-Pan Caprese Pizza—apart from staples (olive oil, salt and pepper), the only toppings required to make this flavorful dinner are tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and balsamic glaze. This 25-minute meal is my favorite way to celebrate pizza night. And if you're like me and can't get enough of the tomato-basil combination, you'll be happy to see it again in the One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta on Monday!

Another winner in this week's lineup is Wednesday's 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce, which had me sold at the mention of "creamy pesto sauce." It's as delicious as it sounds, and when served over zucchini noodles, it's a comforting, yet veggie-heavy dinner. I like to buy the pre-spiralized zucchini noodles from the store to cut down on prep time. Same goes for the pre-cooked packets of brown rice you'll see served in both Sunday's Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce and Tuesday's Skillet Lemon Chicken with Spinach.

Sunday: Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce with steamed broccoli

Monday: One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

Tuesday: Skillet Lemon Chicken with Spinach with cooked brown rice

Wednesday: 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce over steamed zucchini noodles

Thursday: Greek Burgers with Herb-Feta Sauce

Friday: Sheet-Pan Caprese Pizza

Get the printable shopping list here!

Meal-Prep Breakfast

For a step-up from plain old toast, I'll be toasting a slice of this Strawberry-Banana Bread instead and topping it with a little butter or cream cheese and more strawberries. Making a loaf or two ahead of time means I'll have something tasty on-hand for breakfast and snacks all week long.

Get the Recipe: Strawberry-Banana Bread

Treat Yourself

If you haven't ever grilled peaches before, let me just say, you're in for a real treat! The already sweet summer peaches get even sweeter, as the natural sugars caramelize on the grill. When topped with goat cheese, honey, prosciutto and some fresh mint as a garnish, you get what I think is the perfect savory-sweet combination. It's surprisingly easy to make but looks super impressive.

I hope you all have a safe and happy week, and if you have any questions or requests for future newsletters, please let me know by emailing ThePrep@eatingwell.com!