A Guide to Plant-Based Protein – Part 1

by Sally on May 15, 2013 · 5 comments

in Food For Thought

image of plant-based proteins

It’s almost impossible to escape the buzz about the benefits of moving towards a plant-based diet. Bill Clinton adopted a plant-based diet, lost weight, reversed his heart disease and re-gained his health. Famed NY Times food writer, Mark Bittman, adopted a plant-based diet, dropped 36 pounds and avoided a health disaster. Moving towards a more plant-based diet can have huge health benefits for us all…but how do we get enough protein?

[click to continue…]

Continue Reading A Guide to Plant-Based Protein – Part 1 →

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

by Sally on May 13, 2013 · 2 comments

in Beans, Legumes & Grains, Salads and Dressings

Southwestern black bean salad

Everyone loves recipes that are easy and quick to put together, healthy, and versatile in how you can use them. In honor of May being National Salad Month, I have two new salads for you. The first, a colorful, flavorful Southwestern Black Bean Salad. The second, which I’ll post soon, is a new “green” quinoa salad recipe with spinach, cucumber and herbs.

[click to continue…]

Continue Reading Southwestern Black Bean Salad →

Chicken Breasts Baked in Parchment

May 6, 2013

Trying to figure out what to cook for Mother’s Day dinner? Look no further. Here is a terrific make-ahead technique for baking chicken breasts in parchment. Its so easy and healthy, yet looks impressive. Make the chicken packets hours ahead and bake them when you are ready. Spend your time enjoying mom on Mother’s Day, not in the kitchen.

Continue Reading →

Five Minute Fresh Green Beans

May 1, 2013

Fresh green beans in just five minutes. Yep. That’s all it takes, excluding the time for water to boil. So simple! After just five minutes you can dress the green beans in a variety of ways and eat immediately or chill for heating later. I shared this simple technique with a friend recently and she told me her kids will now eat green beans.  I hope it will help you get a quick vegetable dish on the table for your family. Plus there are many [...]

Continue Reading →

The Best Banana Bread (Gluten-Free)

April 23, 2013

This Mother’s Day, remembering my mom and all of the baking we did together, I decided to overhaul her 1950’s recipe for banana bread. Out with the white flour, refined white sugar and nasty partially hydrogenated fat. In with gluten-free flours, coconut sugar and coconut oil. What a difference 50 years makes. This is the best banana bread I have ever made!

Continue Reading →

Baked Corn Tortilla Chips

April 16, 2013

Details, details. The right little garnish can make a simple soup or salad a lot more fun, interesting and tasty to eat. Lately I’ve been making these thin, crisp, golden tortilla strips or chips to garnish soups, salads and chilies. They provide a nice, satisfying crunch. Everyone has gone crazy for them, so I thought I’d share this quick basic recipe.

Continue Reading →

Food Photography – Behind the Scenes

April 6, 2013

Many people have commented about how much they love the photos on A Food Centric Life. Several years ago when I started the blog, I asked my photographer-husband, Kent, to use his photography skills to take some shots of my food. Kent quickly found that making food look good on camera has its own special set of challenges.

Continue Reading →

Steel Cut Oatmeal with Hemp Seeds and Dried Cranberries

April 2, 2013

Spring might be here on the calendar but mornings are still chilly. Instead of my frozen fruit and protein smoothie, I was craving something warm to start my day. The solution? Steel-cut oats. But being used to a high protein smoothie, how could oatmeal do the job? Here’s how.

Continue Reading →

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

March 28, 2013

Creamy, tangy, eggy bites of deliciousness. Deviled eggs and I go way back. So much, my mom used to tell me to please leave some for everyone else when she made them. Deviled eggs are a perfect appetizer for any celebration. Who can resist a good deviled egg? Then I got a crazy idea to combine my smoked salmon dip with the deviled egg filing. Can’t leave a classic alone, so here’s a new twist. Smoked salmon deviled eggs.

Continue Reading →

10 Tips for Using Dried Herbs & Spices and Cooking Planit Spice Giveaway!

March 24, 2013

Dried herbs and spices are an important backbone of every pantry. With dried herbs and spices you can transform simple dishes into something special, flavorful and different each day. Here are 10 tips and helpful information about using dried herbs and spices, plus how to enter the Cooking Planit Spice Giveaway!

Continue Reading →

← Previous Entries