I have made some version of this recipe at least a dozen times in the past 6 months. I’m not even sure if I’ve made it the same way twice. The original Chicken Capri recipe is on page 214 of The South Beach Diet Cookbook. …

Everyone loves my Mom’s potato salad—even when I make it! I have been making my mom’s potato salad for several years, mostly for large gatherings. I’ve made  it for 4th of July parties, potlucks, and even a wedding with hundreds of people. This is one …

When invited to someone’s house for dinner, or a party, my Mom taught me to always ask if there was anything I could bring.  So, when my husband and I were invited to an impromptu barbeque at a friend’s house, and asked what we could bring, …

One Friday night after a long week at work, I ordered something “new” at a Mexican restaurant called Pollo Nevado. My college education was substantial enough to clue me in this translates as “snow chicken.” I’ve eaten at this restaurant several times since, but now, …

When my husband and I have a busy in our lives we have a tendency to not think about what we eat.  We derail from a health lifestyle – and throw all dietary guidelines out the window, eating whatever we want whenever we want.  When …

I used to be intimidated to make a whole side of salmon. Not anymore! Making seafood has been a learning curve and it takes practice. This is a salmon preparation that I now serve to guests! Broiled Wild Salmon1 large fillet (about 2 pounds)3 tablespoons …

These Easy Oven-Roasted Asparagus are crispy yet tender from end to end because part of the stalk is peeled. They are quick and easy enough to make for a week night dinner, and elegant enough to serve to guests. Sometimes you can find tender thin …

If you are trying to reduce the amount of your sugar intake in your daily diet be sure to check the ingredient list of your salad dressing. I’ve read the back of a few bottles of dressing, and not recognized an ingredient or two. Now, …

I love steak. My Dad does too and I remember eating it quite often growing up. However, I grew up in the low-fat craze of the 80’s and I spent many years being fat phobic. In high school I probably would have thought ribeyes were …

I wanted to have another chicken-based soup in my repertoire with more fiber than my traditional chicken noodle soup recipe. After several experiments, I settled on using a gourmet blend of brown rice, plus zucchini and spinach as my added vegetables. I’ve been reading about …

Walking through Whole Foods the other day I noticed a giant display of gorgeous Swiss chard. I bought a bunch thinking that at the very least I could wilt them in olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper. In reality, when it came time to …

How many times are you inspired to make a recipe because you flip through a cooking magazine or see the cover of one while waiting to check out at the grocery store. I decided to make this family-style chicken pot pie for just such a …

Cauliflower Gratin is one of my favorite cauliflower recipes. Although my “Smashed-cauliflower Potatoes” are a close second, I have literally made this cauliflower gratin dozens of times. I love that I can have a large portion of it if I’m especially hungry. It’s a delicious …

The following recipe is one of my brother’s go-to recipes. He has made it so many times that he no longer needs the original recipe, and now just cooks it by feel and what looks good. I love when that happens! It all started one …

When I lived near a Trader Joe’s, I would sometimes buy a carton of spicy Cuban black bean soup that they carried. I thought it was reasonably healthy for being so convenient. The only listed ingredient that bothered me was cane juice. The soup didn’t …

A few weeks ago I happened to catch Food Network show with Giada. One of the dishes she made really stuck in my mind. So much so, that the next time I went grocery shopping I bought fingerling potatoes. As Giada was cooking the potato …

I have made this recipe a several times now. I usually triple or quadruple the recipe, put it in my crock pot and then chili is waiting for us when we come home with guests.  What makes this special is all the optional fixings.  It …

Penne Pasta Bake is not only great on a weeknight, but also for any occasion you would like to have something assembled before hand. Then all you have to do is bake it.  It’s easier than lasagna but just as tasty, and this casserole can …

Our new winter favorite—Turkey Dumpling Soup. Our Christmas dinner is usually Thanksgiving dinner part II. What can I say? My husband loves my Roaster Turkey, Classic Turkey Stuffing, and Mashed potatoes. Therefore, I had plenty turkey bones to make a batch of homemade turkey stock. …

Using a slow cooker is very useful for making sure Thanksgiving day (or any special dinner with guests) goes smoothly.  After all, there are so many dishes to make sure we get to the table hot – why not take an opportunity to make it …

I never heard of making a turkey in an electric roaster until I saw my mother-in-law make her turkey this way. Of course, after I saw this method I had to get an electric roaster myself! If this is the turkey my husband grew up …

Now I understand why my husband gets so excited about having turkey stuffing every year. The first time I tasted his Mom’s Classic Turkey Stuffing while my husband and I were still dating, I knew I would need to learn how to make it. My …

Several years ago I worked at a camp and conference center. We had a full time chef that prepared some pretty amazing meals for groups of 50 to groups of 300 plus. One morning I saw how he made the breakfast bacon on large sheet …

I have made this recipe several times now, and it just keeps getting better and better. I used to try to put all sorts of spices on top of the chicken, stuffed inside of the chicken, stuffed in between the skin and the chicken (not …

Who knew that a “food stuff made of ground meat” could taste so good? I had no idea how many different kinds of meatballs there were until I did a little reading on Wikipedia. There must be thousands of recipes using every kind of meat …

This Quick Red Wine Tomato Sauce recipe is easy to make, less expensive than store-bought sauces, plus there is no extra sugar or preservatives. This is one of those recipes that was given to me word of mouth from an American born Italian mom. Sure, …

The other day I was walking through Whole Foods admiring their salad bar area (I often cruise by to get ideas) and I saw the biggest station of roasted garlic cloves that I had ever seen—hundreds of little cloves in a light amount of olive …

A couple of weeks ago I was given the gift of a grocery bag full of garden-grown basil and I knew I was going to make homemade pesto which I had been craving for months. The plan was to freeze most of it so that …

For the last couple of years in preparation for November’s Thanksgiving feast I have made two half turkey breast roasts, or one whole turkey breast roast. Really? You may be wondering why. Answer: homemade turkey broth for Thanksgiving day stuffing—of course! While turkey broth might …

While I was grocery shopping in the produce section, I noticed that the pico de gallo was $3.99 for an 8 oz tub. Now, it is not beyond me to pay for something chopped up and ready made once in a while for a quick …

Now that I have homemade mayonnaise, I have a week to use the batch. To begin with, my itch to make the mayonnaise started with my craving for a tomato sandwich. A what? Yes, a tomato sandwich. I must have had a hundred of these …

Years ago I read an article about how the taste of homemade mayonnaise is worth the extra effort. I filed that away in the back of my mind on the “to-do-someday” list. Years later I ran across a recipe. I tried it. I crashed and …

Mom’s salmon patties were an ingenious method for her to get us kids to eat more fish, I’m sure. We always ate them without complaint, albeit with ketchup. I imagine my mom used this as fast weeknight dinner she could make with ingredients she kept …

Pan-Seared Talapia with Clarified-Butter Lemon Sauce is a good beginner’s recipe for fish. Most of us know fish is good for us because it is full of heart healthy Omega 3s. And, because it is so good for us we know we should eat more …

I love bread. Sometimes, I really think that I could survive on wine, bread, and cheese alone. (But it would have to be really good bread). Even though there all countless types of bread. My favorite type of bread has a crispy crust with a …

This is a super easy recipe as it consists of 2 ingredients: tea and milk. I first had this beverage back in 1987 on my first night in Spain with my host family. In all honesty, it was the only thing she offered that I …

Quick Fish Tacos are perfect for a busy weeknight since dinner can be on the table in 30 minutes. Trader Joes has some great convenience food options—some are healthier than others. One day they were sampling their lightly breaded fish sticks. Within the 10 second …

The idea for French Chicken in a Crock Pot came about because I wanted to be able to have the moist, tender, and flavorful dish without heating up the house, and I wanted to be able to leave the house and come back to a …

I love Trader Joe’s.  The perfect example — they sell almond meal. If you are trying to cut back on gluten or white processed flour, this is a fabulous substitute. And, Trader Joe’s has it ground and packaged for convenience.  One way I thought about …

Tired of the same old side dish vegetables? This is good enough to turn into a meal by adding some protein. I was doing some shopping in my new favorite health-food market Jimbos, and in the vegetable section they had about a pound of asparagus, …

Herb-Stuffed Chicken Breasts is an easy way to use fresh herbs you might have on the counter or in your fridge. I have been buying more fresh herbs lately. Sometimes I feel like those fresh herbs are like a ticking time bomb in the fridge, …

You have heard of wilted spinach, right?  Well, here is another version of a wilted green, and it is oh so good for us.  According to Wikipedia “Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory.  Kale is …