Kale. Have you ever cooked with it?! It kinda fits in the spinach category...at least in terms of how you can use it and in what recipes. It works well with pasta (I'll be sharing another recipe later this week. But not too many after that, because I fear that kale will take over the site if I share more than 2 in a short time frame!) I grew kale for the first time this … [Read more...]
Squash & Zucchini Pizza Bites
Mini. Mini can be good. Unless said "mini"-whatevers is so delicious that you eat so many that "mini" is no longer relevant. And you might as well have made mega bites. Instead of mini bites. Oops. (Not that that happened to me. Or anything.) Slice up the zucchini and squash. (I sliced up 2 of each, but didn't need them all...I ended up sauteeing the … [Read more...]
Homemade Onion Soup Mix
Make Your Own Onion Soup Mix Instead of paying for a couple of envelopes of onion soup mix, why not mix up some yourself and save some money? Oh, and did I mention, a you'll be making an even better tasting version of the soup mix , too? Only Costs Pennies to Make If you're like me, you buy your spices in bulk. After all, they last for years. Why not buy large … [Read more...]
Spiced Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
So I actually made this pie last week, before our weekend berry picking adventure. And I'm tempted to make it again with the berries that I froze "fresh from the farm." For this, I cheated and used 2 pre-made pie crusts that I've had in the freezer since the holidays. And I say cheated, because I much prefer to use my own...but in a moment of weakness busyness over the … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Make Quinoa
Quinoa. The ancient grain. The protein grain. The underutilized, but gaining in popularity grain. The perfect gluten free alternative for many recipes (...like the parfait above. Use quinoa, not oats.) grain. If you have not cooked with quinoa yet, I highly recommend it. It is a bit more expensive, but if you know where to look (check out the best places to find … [Read more...]
Marinated Vegetable Pasta
This is a great light summer recipe that is loaded with vegetables from the garden or farmer's market. We make a version of this dish at the Cooking Class that I teach for our hospital. It is always delicious and is a great way to highlight summer produce. I used Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta for this dish. It is also great with whole wheat pasta for added fiber … [Read more...]
Turkey, Mushroom, Onion & Swiss Grilled Paninis
Panini. Yes, please. Panini on the grill. Yes, yes, yes please. I don't have a panini maker. While I've thought a time or two about how it would be nice to have one, I've never been able to justify buying one for every now and then, especially when I've got a perfectly functioning grill and a brick covered with foil. Huh?! Yes, you read that right! You can use a … [Read more...]
The Adventures of Berry Canning
So we hit the berry patch...and I really didn't intend to get some many lbs of berries...but I just couldn't help how perfectly ripe they were...and to be quite honest...there's nothing better than jam that was made with berries that were picked less than 2 or 3 hours before being processed. Nothing better. Especially in the dead of winter! Note: This is not meant … [Read more...]
Grilled Citrus Tilapia Packets
I recently got some tilapia for $1.99/lb. It's rarely that price, so I got enough for 2 meals (a little over a pound for each meal)...and now I'm wishing I'd gotten more. I'm on a grilling kick right now and really wanted to grill up some of the tilapia. Tilapia is a very delicate and tender fish and I knew it wouldn't stand a chance on the grill grates...so foil packet it … [Read more...]
No Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam
Got a Surplus of Strawberries from a Sale or a Trip to the You Pick Them Farm?! Make this Strawberry Freezer Jam! When you accidentally come home with 17 lbs. of strawberries from a morning at the pick your own berry patch, you have to do something. And you have to do it fast. I started to can the strawberry jam, but quickly saw that if I continued on the canning … [Read more...]