Live longer: Cook from a Blue Zone reveals 3 longevity recipes

Christopher Bierlein/Vasilis Stenos

Diane Kochilas, a chef and cooking teacher, now lives in Greece and the USA, but Ikaria is her original home. Ikaria is a Blue Zone, where one in three residents lives to be over 90 years old. According to the Blue Zones website, rates of dementia and some other chronic diseases are very low. In recent years, interest in the islanders’ way of life has increased among those who want to increase their own life expectancy. Diet also plays a big role in this.

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Diane Kochilas follows the Mediterranean diet

Kochilas grew up in New York to Icarian parents, but now she spends most of her time teaching cooking classes on Ikaria and other parts of Greece. “I grew up with really good food in the house,” Kochilas told Business Insider.

She follows the Mediterranean diet, which consists primarily of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, herbs, spices, nuts and seeds. It has been ranked as the healthiest diet by U.S. News & World Report for seven years in a row.

With her new cookbook “The Ikaria Way“ she wants to popularize the principles of Ikaria cuisine and shares recipes for better longevity. “It’s easy to eat this way no matter where you are, and you can eat seasonally depending on what grows in your part of the world. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a Mediterranean palette of ingredients,” Kochilas said.

Icarians eat a mostly plant-based diet, but they would never call themselves vegans. Many grow their own food at home, forage for food on the island, and keep goats or pigs.

With the book, she wanted to offer solutions to two common problems in our relationship with food. “How to be good to your body without being mean to your mind, and how to cook in the spirit of a relaxed, healing island where life is slow and simple and where people come together around the table through food,” she wrote.

Kochilas shared three plant-based recipes with Business Insider that promote longevity. All are adapted with permission from “The Ikaria Way,” published in March 2024.

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Green Longevity Rice

Vasilis Stenos

This rice dish was inspired by the flavors of a Greek pie called pitarakia. The recipe is packed with nutrients from vegetables, fiber from rice, and includes some protein when you combine it with Greek yogurt — which supports your longevity.

Ingredients:

• 460 grams of chard or rainbow chard
• 230 grams of spinach, cleaned
• 160 milliliters of cold-pressed olive oil
• 1 large leek, cleaned, washed and finely chopped
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium fennel bulb, cleaned and finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 130 grams of long or medium grain rice or brown rice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 480 milliliters vegetable broth, or more as needed
• 30 grams chopped fresh dill
• 30 grams chopped fresh mint
• 30 grams chopped fresh chervil (optional)
• 30 grams chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• Juice of one lemon
• Feta cheese or Greek yogurt to serve (optional)

Preparation:

1. Chop the chard and spinach and separate the stems from the leaves. Trim off any rough or tough parts of the stems, usually at the bottom, and chop the stems finely and set aside. Chop the leaves, then toss them in a bowl or dish and either spin dry in a salad spinner or drain well in a colander.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Sauté the leek, onion, fennel, carrot and stalks of the soup vegetables for about ten minutes until soft.
3. Stir in the garlic. Add the rice and stir to coat with the olive oil. Add the vegetables a little at a time and cook, stirring, until all the chard and spinach have been added. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the vegetable stock. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice is very tender, about 45 minutes. Add more stock if necessary to keep the mixture moist and give the rice enough liquid to cook. The vegetables will also release their own liquid, so you’ll have to use your judgement.
5. About five minutes before removing from the heat, stir in all the fresh herbs and half the lemon juice. Stir in the remaining olive oil and season with additional lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve with some feta or a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt, if desired.

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Ferry Spaghetti

Vasilis Stenos

This longevity-boosting recipe is a vegan version of a classic Greek pasta dish called vaporisia makaronia, or ferry spaghetti: “It’s a hearty, warming pasta dish that’s easy, healthy and inexpensive to make,” Kochilas writes. The lentils are a good source of plant-based protein, and the whole-wheat spaghetti increases the fiber content.

Ingredients:

• 120 milliliters of cold-pressed olive oil
• 1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 300 grams of small brown lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
• 600 grams of chopped canned tomatoes and their juice
• 120 milliliters of dry red wine
• 480 milliliters of water
• 2 large fresh or dried bay leaves
• 6 fresh or dried thyme sprigs
• 4 fresh or dried oregano sprigs
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 allspice berries
• 1 generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 450 grams of wholemeal spaghetti
• 30 grams of chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat and add the chopped vegetables. Toss to coat with the olive oil. Stir in the garlic. Add the lentils and stir. Add the tomato paste and distribute evenly. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook everything together for five minutes.
2. Add chopped tomatoes to the pot. Increase heat to medium and bring lentils to a simmer, then add wine. Bring wine to a simmer and cook for five minutes to cook off alcohol. Add enough water to come to about an inch above lentils. Add bay leaves, thyme and oregano sprigs, cinnamon, allspice berries, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender, about 1 hour. Add more water if necessary. Stir in the balsamic vinegar for about 10 minutes, then remove from the heat.
4. While the lentils are simmering, prepare the spaghetti according to the package directions, making sure the spaghetti is hot and ready when the sauce is done. Pour the lentil sauce over the spaghetti and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

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Warm lentils with parsley and crumbled nuts

Vasilis Stenos

Kochilas compares this warm lentil dish, which can be served warm or cold, to tabbouleh, an herbaceous Middle Eastern salad, because of the abundance of parsley. Lentils, beans and chickpeas are staples in the Blue Zone diet. They are excellent sources of plant-based protein and fiber and are perfect for recipes that focus on longevity.

Ingredients:

• 100 grams of small green or brown lentils
• 30 grams of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 medium ripe tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 medium green pepper, deseeded and roughly diced
• 1 large red or yellow onion, roughly diced (about 100 grams)
• 2 spring onions, cleaned and washed, cut into thin slices
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 60 milliliters of cold-pressed olive oil
• 2 to 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Sea salt to taste
• 30 grams of coarsely ground hazelnuts, cashews or walnuts

Preparation:

1. Rinse the lentils and drain. Place in a large pot covered with about two inches of water and bring to the boil. Season with salt.
2. Simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are tender but firm to the bite. While they are simmering, skim any foam from the surface. Drain.
3. In a large bowl, mix the lentils with the chopped parsley, diced tomato, bell pepper, onion, spring onions and garlic.
4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Pour the dressing over the lentils, toss gently, garnish with the ground nuts and serve.

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