Warm Braised Beet Salad with Beet Greens and Yogurt Dressing is a wonderful example of using the entire plant from top to bottom. Ever since I tasted the Warm Beet Salad with Mushrooms and Yogurt Sauce at Dressing Room restaurant in Westport, CT, a few weeks ago during a photo shoot, I haven’t been able to…
Side Dishes
Healthy Light Side Dishes featuring whole ingredients
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe
A few weeks ago, a few of my friends and I co-hosted a Spring Ladies’ Luncheon for our church. We used to serve sandwiches and salad for these luncheons, but found that all the salad would be gone in a flash, leaving a platter full of sandwiches nearly untouched. So, over the years, we have…
Egg Free Greek Potato Salad Recipe
Egg free Greek potato salad is a lighter, healthier potato salad. My oldest son returned home from his first year of college last weekend, and I’ve been a little off kilter this entire week. It feels like I’m a day or two behind…perhaps it was the five loads of laundry that he deposited on the…
Asian Napa Cabbage Carrot Salad Recipe
Today, I am sharing a simple recipe for Asian Napa Cabbage Carrot Salad that I threw together as a way to use up the ends of some napa cabbage I had leftover in my refrigerator. I hate throwing away food (my friends can attest to that as my refrigerator is always full of little…
Recipe for Roasted Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes
With Spring just around the corner, I’m looking forward to all the fresh produce that will show up soon in local markets. The other day, I picked up a large container of cherry tomatoes and a big bag of asparagus from Costco’s. It’s impossible to buy anything in small quantities at Costco’s, so I’ve been…
Indonesian Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe – Nasi Goreng
Indonesian Shrimp Fried Rice or Nasi Goreng is a delicious meal that can be served as a side dish or main course. It’s sweet, spicy and salty, and one of my favorite versions of fried rice. One of my fondest memories from a trip to Bali many years ago was the Indonesian fried rice (nasi…
Stir Fry Baby Bok Choy Shitake Mushrooms Peppers Recipe
Stir Fry Baby Bok Choy Shitake Mushrooms Peppers is a quick easy and healthy side dish. 73 calories/1 Freestyle point per serving. This stir fry baby bok choy shitake mushrooms peppers is an easy everyday vegetable dish that I make almost every week. Bok choy is a Chinese cruciferous vegetable. As a cruciferous vegetable, not only does…
Stir-Fried Wild Rice with Mushrooms Recipe
Stir-Fried Wild Rice with Mushrooms will please vegetarians and vegans. This unique fried rice is packed with vegetables and topped with a fragrant Szechwan pepper-salt mixture. Over the years, I’ve tried to add more whole grains to my family’s meals, including whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, quick breads, and fried rice. Although my children…
Rice Cooker Quinoa Pilaf with Mushrooms
Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed some quality time with family and friends over the holidays. There’s always such a frenzy leading up to the holidays, and then some nice quiet time, which is what I look forward to the most. I had the chance to get away with my family to some warmer…
Fresh Berry Green Salad with Pomegranate Meyer Lemon Salad Dressing Recipe
Last week, I made this Fresh Berry Green Salad with Pomegranate Meyer Lemon Salad Dressing for a Ladies’ Church Luncheon. Every year, we have this luncheon just before Christmas and it’s always a festive occasion to catch up with so many wonderful women. I always try to make a festive looking salad for this luncheon…
Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf
This recipe for Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf is a great vegetarian and vegan option for the holiday season. During the holiday season when menus are full of turkeys, hams and roasts, it can feel challenging coming up with a vegetarian or vegan main course that doesn’t feel like an after thought….
Butternut Squash Casserole Recipe
For a number of years around Thanksgiving time, I ran an annual teacher appreciation luncheon at our middle school with two other moms. Along with an army of volunteers, we would prepare a complete Thanksgiving spread for the entire school’s faculty with turkey and all the trimmings. One of the most popular dishes was a…
Mushroom Cornbread Stuffing Muffins Recipe
Thanksgiving Day should be a day for both the cook and the family to relax, but oftentimes, the cook spends the better part of the day in the kitchen. At least, that’s what used to happen in my house until I realized that so many of the Thanksgiving dishes could be prepared ahead of time….
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes Recipe
Roasting vegetables is one of the easiest ways to prepare almost any kind of vegetable. I’ve roasted cauliflower, broccoli, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and brussels sprouts, all using the same technique. It is super easy and quick, making it my go-to method for preparing vegetables on short notice, perfect for Thanksgiving and the Holidays. So…
Vegetarian Chana Masala Recipe
Chana Masala is a healthy, vegetarian main course that is satisfying and full of spices. Now that my oldest son is off to college, dinners have been a lot different around our house. You see, my other boys have a more diverse palate. They like trying different ethnic cuisines, like Indian, Jamaican, and Thai, and…
Oven Roasted Vegetables with Sage and Thyme Recipe
Did you know that eating the right foods can help you feel more energetic and contribute to a good mood? According to Joy Bauer’s Food Cures, high quality carbohydrates and protein (found primarily in plant foods) contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that help contribute to a good mood. These include whole grains, legumes, vegetables…
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Millet Black Bean Pilaf and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
These Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers are stuffed with a millet black bean pilaf and topped with a beautiful roasted red pepper carrot pesto sauce. These beautiful vegetarian stuffed peppers happen to be vegan-adaptable and gluten-free too. If you’re vegan, either leave out the cheese in roasted red pepper carrot pesto, or substitute with a simple roasted…
Zucchini Carpaccio Salad with Avocado Pistachios and Pistachio Oil
This simple but elegant presentation of Zucchini Carpaccio Salad with Avocado, Pistachio and Pistachio Oil highlights fresh zucchini in season. As many of you know, I bought a share in a CSA (“Community Supported Agriculture”) this growing season, which means I pick up a box of local vegetables each week, full of whatever is ripe…
Arugula Tomato Salad and Arugula Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Salad with Lemon Dressing Recipes
This summer, I decided to join a Community Supported Agriculture group (“CSA”). A CSA allows consumers to buy local, seasonal produce directly from a farm. The way it works is simple: the farm offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Consumers buy a share and are then the recipient of a box of…
Healthy Hoppin’ John Recipe and a Roundup of Healthy Recipes for the New Year
A Healthier Hoppin’ John Around the world, people will be celebrating the New Year with their own special, symbolic foods, which they believe will bring them good luck in the New Year. Here are some of the foods enjoyed around the world in celebration of the New Year. Interestingly, these traditional New Year foods also…
Healthy Dinner Ideas for the Holidays
Coq Au Vin Is An Elegant Dinner Idea During the holiday season, I often find myself looking for dinner ideas that are elegant, healthy and easy to make, without much fuss. One classic French dish that I love is Coq Au Vin, chicken braised in wine, onions, mushrooms and bacon. Although not difficult, the traditional preparation…