Basics

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 [...]

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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.

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All About Quinoa and How To Cook It

January 17, 2013

I’ve been surprised lately how many people I’ve talked to who are not yet familiar with quinoa (keen-wah). I thought I’d write a quick post to encourage anyone who has not tried it to do so. This is one super grain that you need to have in your diet. It cooks in just 18 minutes, is packed with nutrition and tastes terrific. Interestingly enough, 2013 has been declared the Year of Quinoa by the United Nations.

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Homemade Vegetable Broth

January 13, 2013

If you want to follow a more plant-based diet, try using vegetable broth instead of chicken or beef broth in soup, risotto and other dishes. Vegetable broth can also be used instead of water when cooking rice or quinoa to provide more flavor. Store brands taste pretty bad and have scary ingredients. Homemade tastes great and is guaranteed to be healthy. This is one foundational ingredient you need to make from scratch – and its easy.

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How to Roast Beets

October 7, 2012

Beets are a love-hate vegetable. People seem to be either in the “dirt” camp (hate them) or the “earthy” camp (love them). Even though my husband hates them, I love them and often roast fresh beets for myself. I add roasted beets to salads or enjoy them as a side dish. Beets are super nutritious and a great way to add more vegetables to your diet, plus they are easy to make.

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Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary

July 31, 2012

Sometimes the most simple dishes are the best. Crusty on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, roasted red potatoes are irresistible. Put them in the oven and work on the rest of dinner. Once you make these you won’t need the recipe again because it’s so easy. It’s about method: a side dish you will turn to over and over again. Oh, and they taste fantastic. Make extra. Besides being a great side for roast chicken, pork, or that occasional steak, they are great for [...]

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Basic Broccolini: A Fast and Healthy Side Dish

March 5, 2012

For a quick, easy and healthy dinner side, try broccolini. In less than three minutes, plus the time to get water to a boil, you’ll have one of my weeknight go-to side dishes on the table. But don’t serve it plain. Add a drizzle of good oil, some herbs or spices and you have a versatile and delicious vegetable packed with nutrition.

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How to Roast a Whole Chicken

February 27, 2012

Roast whole chicken is a Sunday dinner tradition in our house. Golden-crusted and crisp-skinned, the classic simplicity of a whole roast chicken is always welcome. Roasting a whole chicken saves you time and energy in the week ahead. Cook once and eat twice; leftovers make great meals during the week. And don’t toss that carcass. Save it and freeze to make stock.

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Liquid Gold: Homemade Chicken Broth

January 16, 2012

This year, step away from the box – boxed chicken broth, that is. Simmer chicken pieces (or bones) for a few hours with carrot, onion celery and herbs, then strain, cool and freeze. The house will smell heavenly and you will have “liquid gold” in the freezer to use for fantastic soups, stews, risottos and more.

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Homemade Raw Almond Milk

January 1, 2012

Happy New Year! If your goal is eating more healthfully this year by adding more unprocessed and whole foods to your diet, here is an easy, healthy recipe for homemade almond milk. It’s a great alternative to cow’s milk. We use it every morning for our breakfast smoothies. It’s good over cereal, oatmeal, or just for plain drinking. Homemade sure beats the stuff in a box, which is very processed. It’s also simple to make. What isn’t better homemade? 

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