Fast and Easy Homemade Tzatziki

Tzatziki sauce has a fresh vibrant taste that is an ideal accompaniment to summer grill-outs. It is traditionally served cold with Greek and sometimes Turkish foods. Most Americans may know this sauce as the creamy, flavorful sauce that comes on gyros. But if you only eat tzatziki on gyros you are missing out! It works well with conventional greek tastes--such as lamb--but you'd be surprised how

Not your ordinary smoothie: highly nutritious fruit and vegetable smoothie

Leafy greens are amazing for you. From pregnant women to healthy adults and children, every time we turn around we seem to find another study touting their benefits. Women's Health Magazine recently reported, "A study in the journal Neurology reports that getting two-plus servings per day of veggies--especially leafy green ones like kale--slows cognitive decline by 40 percent."So if we know they

Arugula salad with goat cheese and summer fruits

I am profoundly sorry, but no picture on this one. I realize it is one of the grave sins of food blogging not to provide a mouthwatering photo. But I was starving for lunch, and those farmer's market peaches were just calling to me. And I've been on such an obsessive arugula kick lately that the salad began to take shape before I knew what was happening and then it just looked so mouthwateringly

Andreae's Vegetarian Moroccan Stew with No-knead Bread

This dish has that certain kind of tantalizing heat that makes it delightful year round, and I find it particularly perfect for these annoyingly chilly Chicago "spring" days. I first became acquainted with Andreae's Vegetarian Moroccan Stew when our friend Michelle volunteered to bring us dinner after we'd brought our newborn son home from the hospital. Michelle showed up at the door with a huge

Moroccan Spiced Bulgur & Chickpea Salad

The hard crunch of carrots and almonds, the chewy toothsomeness of chickpeas and cranberries, against a backdrop of whole grains, touched off with the bright hint of fresh mint, which seems incongruous and yet somehow perfectly ties it all together. Having been raised on casseroles, meat and potatoes, I'll admit to a certain Midwestern bias in me that tends to view with initial skepticism

Garlic Oregano Oven Fries with Pecorino Romano

I have a completely embarrassing addiction to french fries. Just the idea of warm, crisp potatoes fills me with a sense of euphoria and makes my little mouth salivate like a Pavlovian dog. And nothing calls to the fry addict quite so much as a home baked french fry, redolent in olive oil, Pecorino Romano cheese, garlic and oregano, still bearing the earthy potato peel, soft inside, crisp outside,

Tortilla Espanola

Several years ago I took a trip to Spain with a childhood friend of mine. We wound our way through small towns, being enchanted by local honey, olives and cakes of fig sold on the roadside by wizened old men. But we spent most of our urban time taking in Sevilla and Madrid, which were nothing short of foodie fantasies. We stumbled on a hole in the wall restaurant in Madrid packed with locals

Buttercup Squash Ravioli with Parmesan Butter Sauce

Some folks hear the term "hand-made" next to pasta and started heading for the hills. I can appreciate the convenience of store-bought ravioli, particularly now that grocery stores have started carrying good quality fresh raviolis. Even still there is something magical about the experience of making ravioli at home. I suspect the magic resides not only in the enhanced taste, but also in the

Ina Garten and the Best Pesto You'll Ever Make

For weeks now my darling husband has been eyeing my basil plants. He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and whispers that magic word: "pesto." This afternoon he finally got his wish. I took a scissors to my beloved basil. A little bit of time in the kitchen with industrious sounds of whirring and grating and then there he was, offering me a spoon with a touch brilliant green pesto. I like pesto

Olive and Artichoke Savory Quiche Muffins

These savory quiche-style muffins are bursting with Mediterranean flavors, handy enough to serve at a buffet or grab on the go, and packed with a powerful dose of hunger-fighting protein. That protein, along with a good dose of calcium, comes thanks to a secret ingredient: cottage cheese. The taster reviews on this little recipe are through the roof, and it is being fast-tracked to a "SG Best of

Easy Healthy Broccoli Soup with Rosemary Flatbread

We are checking back in with our new friends Butter Vixen and Sugar Daddy as they continue in their epic quest to eat healthfully and cheaply for a week with a minimum of waste. Part of Butter Vixen's commitment is to eat a great big serving of cruciferous vegetables every day. These vegetables have health benefits (like cancer fighting) that routinely help them score in those endless lists of "

Ethiopian Berbere Potatoes, Carrots, and Green Beans

I believe that Ethiopian cuisine makes a credible claim to be considered an equal among the world's many diverse and celebrated culinary traditions. Yet many people have never experienced the succulent rich blend of flavors that characterizes Ethiopian cuisine. Even better, Ethiopian cuisine, when prepared at home with methods that conserve on oil, offers a flavorful and interesting set of tastes

Gourmet Italian Pasta Salad

In this dish, pasta salad, that iconic American summer food, grows up and goes gourmet. I bring in high flavor touches like sun-dried tomatoes, hot marinated artichoke hearts, and creamy Asiago cheese to create a high-taste, low fat pasta salad that is bursting with well-balanced Italian inspired flavors. This is a dish that everyone raved about, and had many of my friends eagerly asking "Where

Rainier Cherries and Chevre Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

This is a sweet and tangy summer salad topped with a naturally fat free dressing that will have you licking the bowl. The dressing gets its thickness from the pectin in natural raspberry preserves and omits oil from the dressing all together. The fats you need to maximize nutrition from all those fruits and greens comes in the form of creamy and smooth soft chevre cheese. The sweetness of Rainier

Kumquat Madeleines

You should, under no circumstances, make these madeleines. Put down the scalloped pan and step away from the stove. Why? Because they are good. They are good in that "oooh, can't I have just a little bit more?" kind of way that can be very dangerous. For me, this is dangerous because, while I have made some health improvements, they aren't exactly super healthy. And because if they are within

Quick and Easy Cucumber Tea Sandwiches with Chevre Herb Spread

If you already have an eye to the summer season of picnics, chances are you know how tough it can be to find something that is tasty, healthy, easy to put together and a breeze to pack. These little cucumber tea sandwiches are just that. You can put the spread together in under five minutes. Then it is just grab and go. Leaving you plenty of time to worry about the more important things. Like

Orange Fig Buttermilk Bran Muffins

One of the things I love about bran muffins is that they are so choke-full of good things it almost seems disingenuous to call them "muffins." These muffins have a rustic, hearty taste that is a far cry from the sugary, buttery, over-sized muffins being pimped to us from every coffee counter. On the other hand, this version of my bran muffins has a subtle orange that plays off the chopped figs

Basic Beans Recipe

Beans are a bit of a quandary. They are an excellent source of fiber and protein, both of which are a powerful way to keep hunger at bay. But they can be sort of a pain to cook. I first learned to cook beans while living in rural Costa Rica. I lived in Manuel Antonio, and in that area "Gallo Pinto" is the national dish (rice and beans). Twice a week I made a huge batch of red beans. Although I

Mango Salsa Sushi Fusion

I recently agreed to participate in a food blogger exchange of sorts, called Taste and Create. You are paired with another blogger and then challenged to look through their site, pick a recipe, make it yourself, and blog about the experience. I have been impressed by all the high quality blogs out there, so the exchange sounded like a perfect way to get my feet wet. I hesitated, only for a moment

Chilled Asparagus with Wasabi Dipping Sauce

If you are looking for an easy, healthy, and elegant holiday appetizer, look no further. This recipe for chilled asparagus with Wasabi dipping sauce has to be one of the simplest and most elegant appetizers I know. Since I first learned the recipe from my mother-in-law, this has become a family favorite. We served it last year at our New Year's party to rave reviews. People simply could not