Sweet & Spicy Citrus Salad Yields 2 servings Ingredients: -1 grapefruit -1 orange -1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes -1-1½ teaspoons honey -1 pinch chili powder Preparation: Peel the grapefruit and orange by cutting off top and bottom and then cutting down the side of the fruit to remove the skin and the bitter white pith. Continue until all of the skin and pith is removed. Section both fruits into segments, by carefully cutting on either side of the white membrane from the outside down into the center. Remove that segment to a cutting board
Read More »The recent stint of warm-ish weather in the Northeast left me wanting for two things: for warm weather to stay here and for the lighter tastes of summer flavor to begin showing up on my plate. Well, even though the cold weather returned, my craving stuck around. So what to do when I want summer flavor but fresh, local, summer fruits and veggies are nowhere to be seen? I use frozen, boxed and canned produce that is picked, cooked and preserved at the peak of freshness. This is a much tastier, and cheaper, option than the out of season produce in the grocery store. For
Read More »When I was growing up, during the week of Passover, my dad would always cook a special breakfast called Fried Matzoh (aka Matzoh Brei). During Passover, there are restrictions on what one is supposed to eat, and all bread products are typically replaced wtih matzoh. So, over the years, people have gotten quite creative about what to make with matzoh. One thing I find really interesting is that fried matzoh is served different ways in different families. Some families like it sweet and add sugar while others like it savory and instead add a little bit of salt. Growing
Read More »A few weeks ago, my husband and I were talking about what to prepare for dinner that would use tofu and a bunch of vegetables that were in the fridge. Since he had eaten a really big lunch that day, he requested I make something “lighter” and without the use of pasta or rice. To the pantry I went to see what else I could use. As I surveyed my grain options, my eyes fell on the quinoa and I instantly knew it was the perfect choice. Now, after a few weeks of playing and tweaking I present to you
Read More »If you’re looking for a hearty dish to keep you warm this winter, look no further than this Black Beans & Rice Casserole. I love this dish for a few reasons. First, it is gorgeous and since we “eat with our eyes” by surveying our meal before and while tasting it, this colorful culinary creation is mighty enticing. Second, it’s really good for you. I use brown rice for a ton of whole grain and high fiber goodness, black beans for their digestive system benefits and protein without much fat, carrots for their cardiovascular health benefits and tomatoes for their
Read More »This frittata is one of my family’s new favorite meals. We love it for the delicious taste and texture and I love it for those reasons as well as the fact that it has starch, vegetables and protein all in one. I decided to use manchego cheese instead of one of my standard cheeses like mozzarella, parmesan or cheddar. The manchego was a huge hit! I used a 2-sided frittata pan but if you don’t have one you can make this using a large non-stick pan with a lid. See directions for using both types of pans below. Enjoy!  
Read More »We love apples here in the teeny tiny foodie home. Though we typically just eat them raw, sometimes I get the urge to play around and change them up a bit. I often make them into applesauce or this recipe of baked apple yumminess but recently, I got the idea to create something different. You are welcome to skip the recipe “back story” and just head to the recipe itself. But, I feel the need to share the chain of events that led me to create this recipe… So, here’s the story of this recipe: Recently, on the same day,
Read More »For this week’s Monday Meal, I’m sharing a recipe that combines two of my favorite foods: kale and pizza. I love that this recipe combines a super healthy vegetable with protein from the cheese and starch from the crust to create a tasty, healthy and balanced meal. Besides creating a recipe that combines two of my favorite foods, I am also able to cross off an item from my “Chef’s Bucket List” by making fresh pizza dough. I had always assumed making fresh pizza dough would take forever, but I found this recipe online that only takes around 90 minutes
Read More »A few months ago, I got it into my head that I wanted to create a cross between a muffin and a frittata. So, I began playing around with ingredient ratios and flavor combinations and did lots and lots of recipe testing. Now, after some trial and error, voila: I present to you my Cheesy Squash Bites! Enjoy! Cheesy Squash Bites Yields 24 mini muffin-sized bites Ingredients: -3 ounces Roasted Butternut Squash Purée (or other squash purée) -4 ounces roasted pumpkin (or other squash), chopped into small chunks -4 eggs, whisked -4 ounces mozzarella, shredded -1 ounce parmesan
Read More »Happy First Recipe of 2014! I’m excited to share these Yam & Black Bean Tacos because they are one of my family’s new favorite meals. I love the mix of colors, textures and flavors as well as the combination of starch, protein and veggies all wrapped in one tortilla. Balanced and tasty! To me, tacos are like eggs, pasta and grains in that you can customize them with whatever ingredients you prefer or already have on hand. For example, sweet potatoes can be substituted for the yams or even roasted butternut squash. Don’t like black beans? Use red beans instead. This
Read More »Now that winter has officially set in and cold weather is upon us (at least in my neck of the woods), my mind has turned to hearty dishes that warm a body from the inside out. One such dish is chili, and so I asked myself what pairs perfectly with my vegetarian chili? Cornbread! For this week’s Monday Meal I’m sharing my recipe for Jalapeño Cornbread. It’s a little sweet and a little spicy. Enjoy! Before the recipe, a couple of tips and ideas to share: 1. Even though chili is great during winter, I like to make cornbread all year
Read More »Come close. I’m going to tell you a secret: The batter recipe for muffins, mini muffins and sweet breads like pumpkin bread is the exact same thing. Just “packaged” differently in whatever type of vehicle you choose to cook them. I know. I just rocked your world, right? This week’s Monday Meal, Apple Pumpkin Bread, was born from a few things. First, my desire to create a new muffin/bread-type recipe using the seasonal super foods apples and pumpkins. Second, my urge to simplify things and remove some of the fancy and extra type items I usually include such as oats
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