How-to Guide: Prepare Mediterranean Inspired Picnic Foods in a Few Easy Steps

Rosemary Chickpeas

Venture on a culinary, picnic-friendly trip, across the Mediterranean—all without having to travel the globe. This crowd-pleasing how-to guide explores the classic Mediterranean dishes so you can flex your cooking muscles and take your traditional summer picnic to the next level.

Appetizers
Crispy Rosemary Chickpeas

Awaken your appetite with our Crispy Rosemary Chickpeas. Chickpeas are central to Mediterranean dishes, where they are at the core of delicacies like hummus, falafel, salads, and soups. And get this—a cup of chickpeas provides almost a third of an adult’s protein needs. This quick snack can be made with little preparation. Use our Mad Hungry Spurtles to mix and coat the chickpeas with a combination of delicious rosemary, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt, and toss to coat in olive oil. Place seasoned chickpeas in your Kalorik Air Fryer for just ten minutes to give the roasted rosemary chickpeas that golden hue. And voila, they’re ready!

Baba Ganoush

Ready to dive into something more substantial for your picnic appetizer? Baba ganoush, a dish that hails from Lebanon is a common meze or starter for this region's cuisine. It is prepared from a simple combination of mashed cooked eggplant, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, and often tahini. It’s flavor profile, however, is anything but simple. Baba ganoush is delicious paired with fresh baked pita bread. You can also pre-toast pita bread in your Kalorik MAXX Air Fryer Oven to create "chips" for dipping. Grab hold of your Kalorik Indoor Smokeless Grill, Electric Food Chopper, and High Powered Blender to tackle this recipe. Spread baba ganoush generously on your toasted pita bread using our ergonomic collection of handy Mad Hungry Spurtles.

Main Plates

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kebabs

Continue your delectable trip through the Mediterranean with a quick stop in Turkey, where you’ll find some of our main attractions. First up, the delicious, savory Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kebabs.

The word kebab itself has evolved over time but is Turkish in origin, translating to roasted meat. Their incredible bounty of taste is a guaranteed picnic hit. Marinated in salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, these Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs are a surefire picnic success. Grill this dish with the help of your Kalorik PRO Digital 6-in-1 Contact Grill and Kalorik Cordless Electric Food Chopper.

Lamb Kofta

To say that kofta is at the heart of Turkish cuisine is an understatement for sure. In Turkey there are almost 300 different kinds of kofta or köfte. This savory Lamb Kofta recipe makes use of standout spices like turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and white pepper. Blend lamb with spices, then, once incorporated, chill for 15 minutes in the fridge before shaping to form meatballs and grilling on your Kalorik Pro Digital 6-in-1 Contact Grill.

Falafel Feta Sliders with Homemade Tzatziki

Use of falafel in modern cuisine takes us straight to the cultural intersection of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Our next stop: Greece. Falafel Feta Sliders are a modern spin on the classic falafel gyro, a staple in Greek street food that dates back to the Ancients. It opts for slider rolls instead of the more typical pita. Hang onto your falafel! This scrumptious, crispy treat will be gone before you know it. Use your Cordless Electric Food Chopper to make a fresh batch of falafel mix. Once your falafel have been air fried to perfection and placed on your sliders, top them off with homemade tzatziki sauce, a refreshing blend of cucumber, Greek yogurt, garlic, dill, mint, and lemon juice. Use your Spurtles to smoothly spread tzaziki on your sliders.

Dessert

Candied Almonds

What’s for dessert, you say? I’ll give you a hint, it's all about the almonds. Swap out the pecans from our Sweet & Spicy Candied Pecan recipe and use almonds instead, for an authentic taste of the Mediterranean. Almonds thrive in dry, climates, with Spain, Italy, Iran, Morocco, and Turkey as leading regional producers. This sweet treat will cap off your picnic like no other.

Wine Pairings

The wine aficionado at your picnic won’t want to leave home without their Kalorik 2-in-1 Wine Opener and Preserver. This wine opener is cordless and opens bottles in seconds. It also reseals them to keep wine fresh, in case you don't finish your bottle. Shiraz, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon pair well with lamb, while Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling pair well with chicken. Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with falafel. No Mediterranean picnic would be complete without these wine essentials. All in all, these pairings will prove a picnic win. Now go forth and conquer, your Mediterranean picnic awaits!