June 2013 Easy Solutions: Lighter Summer Fare Lighter meals seem to work well for many of us during the summer. Spending much time in the kitchen and using the oven is just no fun when it’s hot outside. What are you serving for dinner tonight? How does a cold chicken salad over salad greens with whole grain crackers and fresh fruit salad sound? Or, would a one-dish cold pasta salad with canned tuna or thawed cooked shrimp, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives with a wedge of cantaloupe satisfy you? This summer, try to keep it simple as you arrange your healthy plate. And, when time is tight, … [Read more...] about Featuring Lighter Summer Fare & Father’s Day Grilling!
Pump-Up the Good Nutrition in Your Recipes!
Tinkering with Recipes! I love to tinker with recipes, or recipe mixes, that I make. By that, I mean I like to add something or substitute something to kick up the good nutrition a notch. A few days ago I made a chili con carne recipe and substituted 1/2 of the lean ground beef with ground turkey breast, for example. Yesterday, I made sliced cucumbers in a sweet vinaigrette dressing with onions and then I added a big handful of fresh chopped parsley. This morning, I added about 1/2 cup canned pumpkin to sweet potato pancake mix (in the photo at the left) -- and a few semi-sweet, mini … [Read more...] about Pump-Up the Good Nutrition in Your Recipes!
Summer Vegetable Surprises & How to Cook Them!
My Surprises this Week! Normally, I have a pretty good grasp on identifying summer vegetables. In fact, I love to learn about and try new varieties of local favorites like kale or leaf lettuce or tomatoes. But this week, I was surprised 3 times by summer vegetables. Elephant garlic caught me off-guard with its mild flavor and huge cloves; blue potatoes amazed me when the color didn't disappear in the pot; and Turkish orange eggplants (see photo to the left) totally fooled me at the Farmer's Market. Cooking with Summer Vegetables! It can be a little overwhelming to put 1 or 2 brand new … [Read more...] about Summer Vegetable Surprises & How to Cook Them!
Picnic Season in a Healthy Style!
July 2013 Easy Solutions: It’s Picnic Month and Blueberry Month! Summer is definitely here so make the most of it with some fun at meal time. In July, two features that spell ‘FUN’ are picnics and blueberries. For a picnic at any time of day, stick to really simple foods and keep them super cold for food safety reasons. With blueberries, there are endless possibilities for good nutrition and sweet flavor. Breakfast Picnic Menu: Kabob of watermelon, cantaloupe and cheese cubes + Fresh blueberries by the handful + Homemade trail mix of nuts, pretzels and baked cheese crackers + … [Read more...] about Picnic Season in a Healthy Style!
Healthy Potato Salad is a Summer Favorite!
Potato Salad Can Be Made Many Ways! I cannot imagine a summer cookout, picnic or simple dinner without homemade potato salad. Can you? I used to make it with mayo and then, at some point, started using light mayo for a healthy twist. After that, I put an even healthier twist on my recipe by using plain and nonfat, Greek style yogurt. And, lately, I've hit on a tasty recipe for potato salad where I don't use mayo at all. Or Greek yogurt either. Instead, I'm going the vinaigrette route and jazzing it up with fresh chopped herbs, garlic and a little mustard. My recipe is below. Potato Salad … [Read more...] about Healthy Potato Salad is a Summer Favorite!
Summer Vegetables Give You Good Nutrition & Dipping Fun!
Fresh Summer Vegetables! I'm not sure which summer month is my favorite for fresh vegetables - probably July. I'm joyful and overwhelmed at the same time when I see all my choices. I'm also grateful for farmers who work so hard to grow all that good nutrition. There's tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, fennel, carrots, peppers, corn-on-the-cob, potatoes, eggplant, later season leafy greens and more. Sorting Out All Those Vegetables! There is only one way I've found to sort out July's fresh vegetables. Whether you shop at the grocery store, a fresh market, a Farmer's market … [Read more...] about Summer Vegetables Give You Good Nutrition & Dipping Fun!