A summer heatwave has been hitting us here in VA (and all over the country) pretty hard. It’s the time of year for no-cook, just throw-together dinner options, which quite often means a salad. Keeping salads interesting can be a challenge, so I’m always looking at how to put a new twist on an old favorite. Since I love bread, Panzanella salad has always been in my recipe rotation. It’s great for lunch or dinner at home, but it is also is a perfect make-ahead, portable potluck or picnic offering. This salad tastes better after it sits for a few hours to allow the ingredients to marinate and the flavors…
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Old School Italian Sausage, Peppers and Onions
Instead of ringing in the New Year with a healthy meal like most everyone does, I decided to go in a different direction. For some reason, I had the desire to make one of my mom’s feel-good recipes, sausage, peppers and onions on a soft hoagie roll. This meal was one of my comfort foods when I was a kid. Even now I can remember exactly how the house smelled when mom was sauteeing all those yummy peppers with onions and garlic. This is such an easy meal – a one-pot wonder full of flavor and color, and flexible enough to add your own spin on it. For instance, I…
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The perfect grab-and-go breakfast – egg muffins.
I’m always in a rush in the mornings, so stopping at the Starbucks drive-through was my go-to for coffee and breakfast for years. In an effort to save money and calories, I started making coffee at home. Making coffee at home was a pretty easy change, but I certainly didn’t have time or desire to make breakfast every morning. On Sunday’s I prep meals for the rest of the week. I needed a breakfast item that I could include in my weekly prep time, and grab-and-go during my stressful mornings. Egg muffins are the perfect solution. Egg muffins are versatile – fill them with whatever you have left over in…
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Mediterranean Bowls
Since January I have been following the Mediterranean diet. After trying popular meal plans like Keto and Paleo, I felt super unhealthy and was craving a more balanced diet. Plus, the Mediterranean diet was once again voted the best meal plan – probably because it includes good fats (olive oil, avocados, salmon), includes fresh vegetables, fish and limited and red meat. Mediterranean flavors have always been my favorite; I love the creaminess of Feta cheese, the brininess of Kalamata olives, fresh or dried oregano sprinkled on everything. Yum. For a Meatless Monday food demo I’m providing for my company’s Workplace Wellness program, I’ve come up with easy way to have…
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Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Sweet Onions
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods. They are incredibly versatile, they can be roasted, sauteed, boiled, or baked. They are delicious served sweet or savory, and go with just about any seasoning. One medium sweet potato is about 112 calories. They are high in vitamin A and C, packed with fiber and a slow burning carbohydrate that will not spike your blood sugar. Sweet potatoes are relatively inexpensive, so they are budget-friendly and healthy. I always have them in my pantry.
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Garbanzo Bean Salad
I love a garbanzo bean, and it’s the perfect ingredient to toss with other Mediterranean flavors. These little legumes are packed with protein – 1 cup has 15 grams – and full of fiber to help keep you feeling full. Also known as chickpeas, they are nutritious, but 1 cup is 269 calories, so portion control is key if you are watching your weight. They are not Keto, but included in the healthy Mediterranean diet. Here’s a tasty, easy and healthy salad full of fresh flavors and veggies. As with all of my recipes, this is really more of a “guide” – if you like more tomato, add more tomato!…
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Ratatouille
Ratatouille November 10, 2018 by cheflorene Cuisine French Category Recipes What's on my mind. . . Ratatouille is a hearty side dish, even though it is vegetarian. It can be made in the oven or on the stove top. You can add more veggies or different seasonings if you like. Serve it as a main dish with a green salad and toasty, crusted bread. Ingredients 1 can diced tomatoes 1 small sweet onion, diced 1 large zucchini, diced 1 large yellow squash, diced 1 small to medium eggplant,diced 1 bell pepper, orange or red, diced 2 cloves of garlic, diced and smashed 1 bay leaf 1 Tbsp of tomato paste Salt…
