Healthy Choices
"lighter" recipes without sacrificing flavor...
-
Basic Tomato Sauce
There are a few prepackaged pantry staples I can’t live without. Canned tomatoes would definitely be one of them (at least until I learn how to can fresh tomatoes next summer). And once I learned how to make a Basic Tomato Sauce from scratch, dried pasta became another pantry staple we always have on hand. This sauce is intended to be ‘basic’ and is a wonderful base to build upon.
-
Blueberry & Mango Quinoa Salad with Lemony Basil Vinaigrette {Share the Love}
Today I had the pleasure of cooking for my work family. I believe if you’re going to call a mandatory meeting during the lunch hour, at minimum provide them a lunch made with love. And so we did. We had an Antipasto tray, Mexican Chicken Soup, Tomato Bread Salad, Caprese Salad, Melon Carpaccio, and Blueberry & Mango Quinoa Salad with Lemony Basil Vinaigrette. We had planned to have fresh baked cookies for dessert. Leftover lunch turned into 3 o’clock break snacks and cookies were declared ‘tomorrow’s’ treat.
-
Thai Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup {Tom Yum Goong}
International food flavors have grown in popularity over the past several years. As the foodie movement sweeps through cities and small towns alike, eaters are looking for ‘different’ dining options. College Cafeterias are becoming International Eateries as young foodies seek out fresh flavorful options. Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Asian Markets are as popular as ever with home cooks like me, offering expansive and diverse ingredients.
-
Homemade Granola Bars {Share the Love}
Homemade Granola Bars.
-
Mexican Chicken Soup {Share the Love}
Mexican Chicken Soup has become a comfort food staple for my family. Every time we have it, whether at our favorite Mexican cantina or at home, we’re reminded how wonderfully delicious this soup is. I realized recently that comfort food didn’t have to come in the form of a casserole or laced with chocolate (although for me personally those are way up there on my list). And that chicken soup didn’t have to include noodles for it to warm your soul. With a short list of ingredients, starting from scratch, you can have it on the table in 15 minutes or less. A wonderful Monday evening bonus!
-
Fresh Tomato Salsa
Tomatoes, tomatoes everywhere!! Homemade Fresh Tomato Salsa is so quick and easy to make and oh so much better than the jar variety. Fresh from the garden tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, sprinkle of cumin, salt & pepper….where are the chips?!
-
Homemade Chicken Broth
Yesterday’s whole chicken brings us to ~ Step 2, heavenly Homemade Chicken Broth. Once I began to save veggie scraps and chicken carcasses on a regular basis, I knew homemade chicken stock was in our future. There are several methods to choose from when making chicken broth. A good old heavy pot with snug fitting lid works well, as does your crockpot or instant pot.
-
Watermelon Gazpacho {Share the Love}
In honor of National Watermelon Day, my work family and I threw a little party. I brought along my Watermelon Gazpacho to Share the Love. Cool, refreshing flavors, just perfect for a hot summer day. Click here to enjoy some of our other fabulous Watermelon creations.
-
Quinoa Salad with Fruits & Citrus ~ Quinoa Salad with Crisp Summer Veggies {Sundays with Shelby}
A family tradition seems to be forming here. Sunday’s with Shelby. I like it. It’s a chance for me to dabble with recipes that will entice my kid to get out of bed and head my way. She is becoming a wonderful cook herself and now brings us samples of her latest culinary creations. Today we exchanged Quinoa Salad recipes.
-
Niçoise Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
I’ve always loved how the Niçoise Salad looks on a plate. Today it was lunch. The ingredients speak for themselves. We treated ourselves to a piece of fresh tuna which we dipped in sesame seeds then seared. The dressing was champagne mustard, white balsamic, olive oil, minced shallot & garlic, fresh tarragon leaves, sea salt & fresh cracked pepper.
