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Zucchini Salad Rolls

May 10th, 2015

zuchinnisaladrolls

If you are looking for a salad that will turn some heads, these beautiful Zucchini Salad Rolls are just what you are looking for.

1 Zucchini (you can also use squash)
5-6 thin slices of Pork (you can also use chicken or steak or prosciutto)
4oz Goat cheese
4-5 Asparagus
1 Cucumber
1/2 cup mixed greens
1 Green Onion
Salt and Pepper

Take the goat cheese out of the refrigerator and leave out to soften for 15-30 minutes. Wash, dry, and thinly slice the zucchini into strips (use a potato / vegetable peeler). Salt and set aside.

Julienne slice the cucumber, wash and clean the asparagus (if you like your asparagus blanched, you can do that as well but make sure they stay crisp and green), Cut long strips of green onion. Place all these items around the cutting board where you will assembling your zucchini salad rolls.

When you are ready to assemble, place a strip of zucchini on the cutting board and spread a layer of goat cheese from one end to the other. Lay the vegetables, one next to the other, on one end of the zucchini. The tops of the vegetables can stick out of the zucchini, but the bottoms should stay tucked in. Once you have added all the vegetables, start rolling until you have created your roll. If you have spread enough goat cheese, it should secure the roll. If the roll is coming apart, add more cheese to the end of the zucchini. Arrange on a plate (you can also have salad dressing on the plate and arrange the rolls directly on top of the salad dressing). Salt and pepper to taste.

Jack-O-Lantern Orange Fruit Cups (In a Pumpkin Patch)

May 10th, 2015

Are you ready for an easy (and healthy) Halloween treat?!  These wonderful fruit cups are made with oranges and… as you can guess… various fruit.  I made these two jack-o-lantern fruit cups this evening for dinner and served them to my boys.  Surprise! Surprise! I was officially the”Coolest Mom Ever”! Needless to say, after such a positive reaction, I made sure to add this to my recipe collection.

Making the Jack-O-Lanter was incredibly easy.  I cut the top off each orange and scooped out the insides into a separate bowl.  I washed the oranges, made sure they were completely dry, and drew jack-o-lantern faces on each with a permanent marker.  I put the discarded oranges in a blender and blended until the entire orange was nothing but juice.  In a separate bowl, I cut up apples, grapes, pears, mandarin oranges, and bananas.  I poured some of the orange juice over the salad (use as much as you like) and refrigerated the salad for about an hour.  Once the salad is chilled, I spooned it into the oranges and served.

If you are having a party and planning on serving many kids, you can place the jack-o-lanterns on a bed of kale to make it look like they are sitting in a “pumpkin patch”.  It’s a beautiful presentation!

orangepumpkinpatch

HALLOWEEN MADE SIMPLE: CHEESE PUFF JACK-O-LANTERN

May 9th, 2015

Halloweencheesepuffs

Sometimes, you just have one of those days.  You need a Halloween themed snack but you just don’t have the time to prepare it…  well, you know what?  That’s OK!  Because I have the perfect addition to your Halloween table and all you need is a sharpie… you’re welcome!!

Purchase a round container of cheese puffs, they are nice and orange, perfect for a Jack-O-Lantern.  Next, find a Jack-O-Lantern face that you like and want to paint on your plastic cheese puffs container.  You can find something on the web or magazines.  Something that has eyes, a nose, and a mouth.  They can be “evil” or “happy”, whatever you like.

If you are feeling confident about your art skills, you can just draw the face with a black permanent marker or a sharpie directly on the cheese puffs container.  If you are feeling less confident and want to be able to erase any mistakes, use a black “dry erase” marker first.  Draw your face, get it the way that you like it and then go over it with a permanent marker.

This project is easy and will make a great statement on your Halloween table!

Two Ingredient Cucumber Salad

May 8th, 2015

twoingredientcucmbersalad

Yep, you read it right… two ingredients! Just goes to show that you don’t have to have a ton of ingredients to make a fabulous salad.  Plus, no matter what time of the year it is, cucumbers seem to always be available!!

Ingredients

  • 2 Cucumbers
  • 1 large bunch Dill
  • Salt

Preparation

Slice the cucumber into thin slices and arrange on a plate. Add a generous amount of salt and set aside for 15-20 minutes! This will allow the salt to work its magic on the cucumbers so they become moist and delicious, to the point that you won’t need any dressing.Once the cucumbers are ready, chop the dill and sprinkle generously over the cucumbers. You can use as much or as little as you like. Serve immediately.

Halloween Bone Breadsticks – YUM!!

May 8th, 2015

halloweenbonesThis may be the most classic Halloween food that there is, breadsticks made to look like bones.  Let me just say, if you are having a Halloween party, whether it’s for kids, teens, or adults, this absolutely is a MUST for your table.  It’s easy and delicious and requires very little skill.  Below are the bones I created on my very first try.  Trust me, it’s a “no fail”.  Just make sure to serve them fresh, unless you want for people to gnaw on them like croutons, which could be a whole different kind of snack!

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg Refrigerated Breadstick Dough
  • 3 tbsp Butter
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
  • Dried Dill, Rosemary, or any herb of your choosing

Preparation

Remove the breadstick dough from package and cut in half. With scissors, simply cut the ends of the breadsticks and roll them to the sides to make them look like bones. Place on a cooking sheet and prepare according to package instructions.Remove from oven and brush with melted butter, sprinkle with garlic salt and your favorite dried herb. You can also add parmesan cheese.

Presentation

Serve on a platter with Marinara sauce (the chunkier the better). Makes for a great looking display on your Halloween table.

 

Baked Capri Salad

May 6th, 2015

bakedcaprisalad2

If you are looking to do something “out of the box” with your salad without compromising the taste? Why not try baking it? This Baked Capri Salad will be the hit of your next party and will impress your guests… guaranteed! Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 Beefsteak Tomatoes
  • 7-8 oz Mozzarella Cheese
  • 24 Black olives (sliced)
  • 16-18 Fresh Basil Leaves
  • 3 Tbsp Balsamic Reduction Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Basil Leaves for Garnishing

Preparation

Slice tomatoes into thin slices. Drain and slice the Mozzarella. Slice the black olives. Start constructing your tomato stacks. Start with a layer of tomato, then a slice of mozzarella, sprinkle a bit of olives and basil on top and then begin the process again. Stack three to four layers and top off with Mozzarella and olives. If you stack the tomatoes too high, they may fall over during the broiling process.Place the stacks into a preheated oven set on “broil” or “high”. Leave in oven for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has melted on top and in the layers. Take out of oven, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.Transfer the Baked Capri Salad to a plate, sprinkle olives and fresh basil on top and as a last step, add the balsamic vinegar reduction (or use plain balsamic vinegar) and serve.

SIMPLE VEGGIE PLATE

May 5th, 2015

veggieplate

Sometimes the simplest thing can be the most beautiful on your table.  That is what I love most about fruits and vegetables, they are so gorgeous and no matter how you arrange them, they WILL look beautiful.  This simple vegetable platter was created by my sister for one of our parties a few weeks ago.  I bought a large vegetable tray at Sam’s and I’ve used it non-stop for YEARS!!  I don’t even bother putting it away, because it gets used on a regular basis.  It looks great with all kinds of things, but it looks the BEST with fruits and vegetables.  My sister also made sure to separate the colors, which plays a big part in presentation.  But all in all, it was one of the simplest food items at our party and the most popular!

Simple Vegan Salad

May 5th, 2015

vegansalad

I love Greek salad… I mean LOVE!!! So tonight I decided to make a simple Greek salad.  Unfortunately, the meal plan I’m currently on, doesn’t allow me to eat cheese and my husband and kids recently announced to me that they hate olives. So those two key ingredients had to be omitted and all of a sudden I wasn’t making a Greek salad anymore.

I thought, oh well, I’ll just throw my other ingredients together and we’ll see how it goes.  Well, it went superbly!!!  In fact, it is one of my favorite salads.  Simple, vegan, and delicious!  Typically, I love adding extra ingredients to a salad… something fun and out of the box.  Well, my friends, this salad doesn’t need anything extra… perfect the way it is! The mixture of lemon, dill, and garlic made my husband ask for more salad… and he is not a salad guy!  All he kept saying was … it tastes so “fresh”… amazing!!

What do I love most about this salad?  It’s a great “base” for any other salad invention you want to come up with.  Add salami and other cold cuts and you have a chef salad.  Add feta and olives, and you have a Greek salad.  You can really have fun with this!!

But if you are busy and you need a quick salad which your guests will be in love,  this is it!!  Pair it with a crusty bread, and you will be in heaven!!

2 Bibb Lettuce Heads
4 Tomatoes cut into fourths
1 cucumber
4 Tbsp fresh Dill (you can also use any herb… oregano, parsley, mint, etc!

Dressing
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 crushed garlic cloves
Salt and Pepper to taste

Make dressing by mixing oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a measuring cup or a small bowl.  Set aside.

Put the lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes in a salad bowl and add some salt.  You can leave the salad sitting for a bit so the salt brings out the fluids of the cucumbers and tomatoes.  Toss the salad.  Right before serving mix the dressing again and pour it over the salad and toss gently. Sprinkle with dill and serve.

 

A Veggie Kaleidoscope With Beet Hummus – FABULOUS Veggie Plate!

May 4th, 2015

veggiekaleidoscope

I don’t know if you heard the news, but the Kansas City Royals won the World Series!!  It’s a pretty big deal in KC.  In fact, they closed all the schools yesterday so that everyone can enjoy the Rally and Parade.  Over half a million people attended and it was a celebration like no other!  And while most of Kansas City was enjoying the parade, I decided to skip the crowds and instead, had a watch party at my house.   My friend brought over delicious Dean and Deluca salads, while I created this vegetable platter.  Unfortunately, no blue vegetables (Royals color)… but this  Kaleidoscope of colors did the trick!  The Beet and White Bean hummus was delicious.  I found the recipe on Marthastewart.com and played around a little with the ingredients, which I will post at a later date.  But for now,  Martha’s Beet and White Bean Hummus recipe is very good!!

Edamame And Quinoa Salad

May 4th, 2015

edamameandquinoasalad

If you are looking for a power salad… this is it!  Edamame, quinoa, eggs, feta cheese, I can go on and on!  But instead of me telling you how wonderful it is, why don’t you try it for yourself!  It will not disappoint!!

3 lb Frozen Edamame

1lb Cooked Quinoa

1 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

1 Bunch Chopped scallions

2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

2 Hard-boiled Eggs

1 Cup of Plain Yogurt

Baguette

Dressing:

6 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1-2 Garlic Clove (crushed)

salt and pepper to taste

First, mix the ingredients for the dressing. In the olive oil, add lemon juice, crushed garlic clove, and salt and pepper to taste. I also would recommend garlic salt. Set aside.

Cook the frozen edamame beans according to package direction. Once the edamame beans are cooked, salt and pepper them slightly and place in a salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the beans while they are still warm . Sprinkle with feta cheese, add the scallions, and toss until well coated. Sprinkle dill on top and arrange the eggs.

Serve warm with bread and have a bowl of plain yogurt for people to dip the bread in.  This salad is a meal within itself!  You will love it!