Happy fourth of July!  I hope you’re enjoying your day of Family fun!  Here is today’s menu.

Breakfast: Fruit and Granola

Lunch: Seafood Salad

Snack: Freezepops!

Dinner: Pulled Barbecue Chicken Sandwich

Dessert: White Cake with Berry Toppings

Seafood Salad is a perfect dish for a beach day.  Just make sure to keep it in a well chilled cooler!  Its a nice cool down treat and easy to handle with the kids running in and out of the house, pool or water at the beach.

Seafood Salad

Hello Everyone!  Here is another tasty salad to enjoy for lunch.  It’s a cool treat as the summer gets a little hotter.  I hope you like it!

Breakfast: Orange Sticky Buns

Lunch: Cherry Tomato salad

Snack: Whole Grain Toast with Apple Butter

Dinner: Mozzarella Chicken

Dessert: Dessert Pizzas

Cherry Tomato Salad

Ingredients

• 40 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup pitted and sliced green olives
• 1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced
• 2 green onions, minced
• 3 ounces pine nuts
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a big bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, green olives, back olives, and spring onion.
2. In a dry skillet, toast pine nuts over medium heat until golden brown, turning frequently.
3. Stir into tomato mixture.
4. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, and oregano.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Pour over salad, and gently stir to coat.
7. Chill for 1 hour.

Yum! Enjoy!

Hi everyone and happy Monday.  Today’s menu will be featuring Asparagus and Carrot Noodles which is an absolutely delicious recipe!

Breakfast: Fruit Smoothie

Lunch: Asparagus and Carrot Noodles

Snack: Mango Slices

Dinner: Chicken Stuffing Casserole

Dessert: Vanilla Cake

Yum! Yum! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Tahini
• 1 tbsp Pure Sesame Oil
• 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tsp Honey
• 1/4 tsp Spices, Crushed Red Peppers
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 8 oz Whole Wheat Spaghetti
• 16 stalks Asparagus
• 2 Whole Carrots
• 1/2 cup Scallion
• 1 tbsp Raw Sesame Seeds

Directions

1. Bring water to boil for pasta.
2. Prepare sesame dressing in a small bowl,
3. Whisk together tahini, oil, vinegar, 2 tbsp water, honey, crushed red pepper and salt; set aside.
4. Add spaghetti to boiling water and cook according to package.
5. Add two inches of water to another saucepan and fit with a steamer basket.
6. Bring water to boil
7. Add asparagus to basket
8. Steam until tender, about 2 minutes.
9. In a large bowl,
10. Add asparagus, carrots and scallions.
11. Add spaghetti and sesame dressing;
12. Toss to combine.
13. Sprinkle mixture with sesame seeds.
14. Serve warm or chilled.

I hope you enjoy it!  Have a great day!

Happy Friday!  As the Rain continues to fall in the Capital District, I hope this fun salad will help bring some pep into your day.  It combines a number of delicious flavors that really pleases the palate. Plus it’s pretty healthy!  I hope you enjoy it.

Breakfast: Mint and Cilantro Melon Salad

Lunch: Bartlett Pear Salad

Snack: Crispy Fried Tofu

Dinner: Cuban Paella

Dessert: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

Salad
1 (10-oz.) package washed and ready-to-eat fresh spinach
2 to 3 large, ripe California Bartlett pears, cored, quartered and sliced
1 avocado, peeled and diced
3 to 4 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup pine nuts or other nut, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup fresh mushrooms, optional
Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
1 to 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt

Preparation

1. Combine spinach, pears, avocado, bacon, pine nuts, cranberries and mushrooms in salad bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients and drizzle over salad.
3. Toss before serving.

Short and sweet.  Enjoy!

Breakfast: Strawberry Melon Salad

Lunch: Cuban Lentil Soup

Snack: Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Dinner: Buttermilk Ranch Chicken Breast

Dessert: Peanut Butter Cookies

Happy Wednesday my fellow food lovers!  Today’s feature recipe is soup!  I love soup and I enjoy soup all year round.  Here is a yummy Cuban Lentil Soup for your enjoyment!

Cuban Lentil Soup, also known as sopa de lentejas, is delicious!  One thing I really love is having a few spoonfuls and then adding lime to the soup.  It completely changes the flavor.  Being from the Caribbean, I’m used to it being hot all the time, so soup is something we enjoy year round.  I hope you like it as much as I do.

Preparation

1. Over low heat, pour the water and add the lentils in a large sauce pan.
2. Bring to a boil
3. Reduce heat to low
4. Cover and simmer for 15 mins.
5. Add vinegar, onion, garlic, beef bouillon, celery, tomatoes, potato, bay leaf, cumin, basil and oregano.
6. Stir ingredients well
7. Bring to a boil
8. Reduce the heat to medium
9. Cover and simmer for 45 mins.
10. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
11. Add salt and pepper and wine and stir well.
12. Cook an additional 5 mins.
13. The soup should be somewhat thick and not very watery, and the potatoes tender.
14. To thicken, let stand for several mins.
15. Serve on soup bowls and enjoy!

I typically enjoy the soup with a side of rice, but it’s hearty enough to enjoy by itself!

Happy Father’s Day!  I hope you have all taken the time to honor the important men in your life.  Today we will be having Curried Coconut Shrimp, a yummy treat to enjoy by the pool or on the patio.

Breakfast: Pumpkin Bread

Lunch: Curried Coconut Shrimp

Snack: Yogurt and Graham Crackers

Dinner: Honey Baked Ham

Dessert: Fruit with Sorbet

Curried Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, pulse the coconut until coarsely ground and transfer to a shallow bowl.
3. Mix coconut with bread crumbs, curry powder, and salt, and set aside.
4. Beat egg whites until slightly foamy.
5. Dip shrimp in egg whites and coat with coconut mixture.
6. Repeat to form a double coating.
7. Place shrimp on rack placed within a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes.
8. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.

Enjoy with a pina colada or a nice cool lemonade.  Have a wonderful Father’s day!

Hi Everyone!  Today we will be having Ginger Steak Salad.  It really delicious!  I absolutely love it and it’s a lot easier to make than you would think!  I hope you enjoy it.

Breakfast: Make Ahead Muffins

Lunch: Ginger Steak Salad

Snack: Graham Crackers and Fruit

Dinner: Chicken Crunch

Dessert: Oreo Cheesecake Squares

Ginger Steak Salad

Ingredients

MARINADE INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Sherry
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
• 1 whole Rib-eye, Strip, Or Sirloin Steak
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

FOR SALAD DRESSING:

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons White Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
• 2 cloves Garlic, Finely Diced
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, Minced
• ½ whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Diced

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

• 2 whole Green Onions
• 8 ounces Salad Greens

Preparation

1. Combine steak marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag.
2. Mix and place steak into bag.
3. Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
4. Combine salad dressing ingredients and slice green onion.
5. When steak is finished marinating, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a hot skillet.
6. Cook steak about 1 1/2 minutes per side, or until medium rare.
7. Remove from skillet and keep on a plate, allowing to cool slightly.
8. Toss salad greens in 3/4 of the salad dressing.
9. Place steak on cutting board and slice thinly, then pour juices from the plate over the top.

10.  Mound tossed salad on a platter, then place sliced steak on top of salad.

11.  Pour remaining salad dressing over the top.

12.  Sprinkle green onions over the salad

I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend.  Now that we are back to business here is a lovely menu for Tuesday.  I hope you like it!

Breakfast: Parmesan and Cheddar Cheese Grits

Lunch: Shrimp and Crab Salad

Snack: Grapes and Cheese

Dinner: Fried Round Steak

Dessert: Banana Fritters

I‘m a down south girl (many like to say Miami isn’t down South, but my parents raised me in a down South/ Caribbean home) so I love grits.  It’s like a little piece of home every time!  I love Shrimp and Crab salad.  It’s nice and cold and I can also have it on a sandwich if I wanted to.  Bread really brings out the flavor and gives it an extra texture.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) imitation crabmeat
• 4 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• Leaf lettuce

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, horseradish and seasoned salt
3. Mix well.
4. Add to the shrimp mixture and stir well.
5. Cover and refrigerate.
6. Serve on a lettuce-lined plate

Shrimp and Crab Salad

We’re having guests today and I have a few meetings.  This can be the perfect recipe for a larger crowd who loves Italian food.  At the same time, it is a very easy meal that can be ready whenever you are ready.

Breakfast: Apricot – Wheat Germ Muffins

Lunch: Scallop Pasta

Snack2: Corn Fritters with Roasted Red Pepper

Dinner: Chicken Parmesan

Dessert: Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Chicken Parmesan

As previously mentioned, today’s recipe is perfect for the larger group.  Ideal when guests with kids are joining you for dinner.  You cannot go wrong with Chicken Parmesan!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (for 10 guests):

• 10 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3 cups breadcrumbs
• 10 tablespoons olive oil
• 300 gr mozzarella
• 150 gr parmesan cheese
• 150 gr pecorino romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• salt & pepper to taste

For the sauce

• If you have time to make the sauce, 600 g ripe tomatoes
• If you don’t have time, then buy 2 cans (28-ounce) whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 3/4 cup grated peeled carrots
• 1 3/4 cups onions
• 4 garlic cloves

Preparation:

1. Start with the sauce by adding the onion, garlic and parsley in the blender and chopped it all together
2. Take a saucepan and heat the olive oil, add the mix you just chopped and saute until the onions are golden for about 7 minutes.  Then add the carrots and thyme for another 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and leave it boiling for about 1 hour.  Just remember to add the water gradually.  Don’t ever let the sauce change the red color.
4. In the meantime place the chicken breast between two sheets plastic wrap
5. With a meat mallet, pound the breasts to 1/4-inch thickness andadd the salt and pepper
6. Place the breadcrumbs on a flat plate
7. Place the flour on another flat plate
8. Whisk eggs to blend in a bowl
9. Coat both sides of chicken with flour first, then the eggs and then the breadcrumbs.
10. Preheat oven to 350 F.  In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
11. Take a saucepan and heat olive oil
12. Add chicken breasts making sure you leave enough room between them.  Cook until they turn brownish.
13. Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of a large baking dish
14. Arrange 1 layer of chicken over sauce. Spoon 2 cups sauce over. Cover with mozzarella, parmesan and pecorino.
15. Repeat step 14 with all the remaining chicken
16. Bake until cheeses melt and chicken is cooked for about 30 minutes.
17. Sprinkle with parsley, parmesan and marjoram when served

Buon Apettito

On with our super easy recipes while the kids are at home.  I try to introduce fish to our diet at least twice a week.  It helps the kids a lot because of the high level of proteins, but also to expose them to new and different flavors.

Breakfast: Baked Apple – Cinnamon

Snack1: Whole Grain Toast with Apple Butter

Lunch: Burritos (using the rice and meat from yesterday)

Snack2: Matcha Shortbread

Dinner: Scallops in Garlic Cream Sauce

Dessert: Ginger Yogurt with Fruit

Scallops in Garlic Cream Sauce

This is super easy to cook and decorate.  You can serve it on pasta (as shown on the top) or alone with some veggies.  The kids can have a lot of fun with the decoration.  I tell my kids that scallops are fish nuggets! so they eat it with even more pleasure.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 800 g scallops
• 5 tablespoons  of heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons white wine

Preparation:

1. Take a flat pan and add the butter
2. When the butter has melted and it’s warm, add garlic, parsley, wine, salt and pepper
3. If serving with pasta, this is a good time to start boiling your pasta
4. In the meantime, move the mix for 5 minutes and add scallops
5. When scallops are mixed, add the cream and move for another 5 minutes
6. Keep moving until the scallops are well cooked (it takes about 5 to 8 minutes based on how fresh your scallops are).
7. If served with pasta, serve the plates of pasta and pour the scallops on top.  Otherwise, you can serve them alone with spinach or baked potatoes.  You won’t go wrong with this.

Enjoy it!