Tossing a Salad and Other Fun Kitchen Activities

Spring Break is right around the corner so I’ve been working on getting bikini ready. I’ve been exercising more but have also been eating smarter in hopes of losing those last few pounds of winter weight before I head to Mexico and gain them all back.

In order to lose those last few pounds, I’ve replaced a few traditional dinners of meat, starches and vegetables with some amazing dinner salads. The veggies are great but only because they are dressed to the nines with some of my favorite vinaigrettes.

These dressings are so easy are much better tasting (and better for you) than those additive-laden store bought varieties. Make double batches and keep some in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Dinner Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette and Pan-Seared Sea Scallops

In this salad: Baby Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced Red Onions, Red Bell Pepper Strips, Carrot Ribbons, Sliced Mushrooms, Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles, Pecan Pieces and Dried Cranberries.

For the Scallops: Dry each scallop completely with paper towels and then sprinkle with a dash of freshly ground pepper. Heat a sauté pan on medium-high and add about a teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When oil is hot, gently place the scallops in the pan, careful not to put them too close to each other. Let them cook on one side for 3-4 minutes without moving them (set a timer and back away from the stove or you won’t get the caramelization!). Using a metal spatula and/or tongs, flip them and then let them cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add to a salad tossed with maple-balsamic vinaigrette.

Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette

½ cup tomato juice (or ¼ cup tomato paste and ¼ cup water)
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
¼ cup real Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon fresh Rosemary, Minced
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2½ Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients except oil, stirring well. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk until well combined.

Tossed Salad with Herbed Vinaigrette

In this salad: Baby Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced Red Onions, Baby Carrot Coins, Blue Cheese Crumbles, Pine Nuts and Dried Cherries.

Herbed Vinaigrette
¼ Cup tarragon vinegar (or white wine vinegar and 1 Tablespoon Dried Tarragon)
4 teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 cloves fresh Garlic, Minced
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon fresh rosemary (or ¼ dried rosemary)
3/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with a whisk until sugar and salt are dissolved. Slowly drizzle in the oil while continuing to whisk. Mix until vinaigrette thickens.

A little bit goes a long way with this dressing. Gently drizzle about a tablespoon or two over a bowl of mixed greens and other fresh chopped veggies and toss until all ingredients are lightly coated. Serve with a piece of naan to round out the meal.

Hello Cupcake!

We’ve been eating so healthy since New Year’s Day but we needed a break from all the salads and grilled chicken so we decided to go all out for Super Bowl Sunday.

We made the usual (stuffed jalapenos, pigs in a blanket, Carolina pulled pork, Queso Dip, etc.) but the real stars of the evening were the Carrot Cake Cupcakes. Everyone was stuffed by half time but somehow we all had room to do some major damage to the 2 dozen cupcakes I baked.

Keep in mind that this is a very easy recipe to half if you're watching your calories and can’t commit to 24 cupcakes.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups finely shredded carrots (about 4 large carrots)
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-oz package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3½ to 4½ cups powdered sugar

For the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 12-cup cupcake pans (use cooking spray if you prefer).

In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon carrots, oil, and eggs) and beat with an electric mixer until all ingredients are combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s).

Bake for about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. Cover and store in refrigerator.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in enough of the remaining powdered sugar to reach desired spreading consistency.

Brie is Proof That God Loves Us and Wants Us To Be Happy

I love brie cheese so much that I normally can't make any recipes with it because I usually end up eating it prior to cooking with it. However, for a recent get together, I used all the willpower I had and didn't eat the brie right out of the fridge so that I could make a baked brie appetizer.
My baked brie looked a little ugly because I was impatient with the puff pastry, but the looks are more than made up for in the gooey, sweet, savory, perfect flavor!

Baked Brie

½ Package (i.e., 1 sheet) Frozen Puff Pastry
1 egg
¼ cup dried cherries or cranberries chopped into tiny pieces
¼ cup toasted pecan pieces
¼ cup honey
½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
1 teaspoon hot water
1 small- to medium-sized round Brie cheese

Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature until it's easy to handle (about 1 hour).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. When defrosted, unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and roll the pastry sheet with a rolling pin to seal any cracks in the pastry that may have occurred if you were impatient and unfolded it before it was ready (like I did). Be sure to roll it well (not like I did) if you want it to look pretty.

Stir the diced cherries or cranberries, pecan pieces, honey, rosemary and hot water in a small bowl. Spread the cherry mixture into the center of the pastry square and then top with the cheese round.

Beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork and then brush the edges of the pastry with the egg.

Begin wrapping the pastry over the cheese, trimming the pastry as needed to avoid too much dough in one place. Press the edges together to seal the pastry. Place the wrapped cheese seam-side down on an ungreased baking sheet and then brush the pastry with the beaten egg. If desired, decorate the top with pastry scraps (don’t forget to brush the decorations with the egg.)

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden brown. Let stand for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve with crackers or thin slices of French bread.

Cowboy Caviar: A Little Work, Alot of Flavor

I love having company over but I hate being stuck in the kitchen when I would rather be visiting with friends and family so I rely on some easy make-ahead appetizers to keep everyone happy and "unhungry" when they come over for an afternoon visit.



One favorite I rely on is my black bean dip, affectionately named, Cowboy Caviar. It's super easy and is always a big hit at home, at tailgates and at potlucks. Give it a try at your next gathering....

Cowboy Caviar*

1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 small can chopped olives, drained
1 small onion, diced
1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1-2 teaspoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼teaspoon chili powder
¼teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup tomatoes, diced
½ cup Monterrey Jack or cheddar cheese, grated

Spread the cream cheese onto bottom of a serving plate (a 9 inch pie or quiche plate works nicely). Meanwhile, mix the beans, olives, onions, lime juice, oil and spices together and spread evenly over the cream cheese. Top with the diced tomatoes and Monterrey Jack cheese and garnish with chopped green onions, if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

*Make at least 2 hours in advance of serving so flavors have time to meld.

Recession-Friendly Hostess Gift

It’s that time of year again—which means parties, parties and more parties. Yay!! But all those bottles of wine we've been bringing to the hostesses have really begun put a dent in our Christmas fund, so when an invitation arrived in the mail the other day, I vowed that instead of dropping more cash at the liquor store, I would take the time to make a nice homemade gift to bring the hostess. I chose to make caramel popcorn and put it in a pretty Christmas tin.

It was so easy and sooo budget friendly-I hope the host and hostess liked the treat halfway as much as the Husband and I liked celebrating the season with all our friends on Saturday night.

Caramel Popcorn

½ cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
10 cups popped popcorn (from 2/3 cup kernels)

Optional ingredients:

1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts

1 to 2 1-Oz. semi-sweet chocolate baking squares

1 to 2 1-Oz. white chocolate baking squares

Pop popcorn in an air popper or in a large pot over the stove top and set aside in a large bowl. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 250. Next, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the caramel mixture is boiling, boil without stirring for 4 minutes. Remove the caramel sauce from the heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour the caramel in a thin stream over the popped popcorn (and peanuts, if using), stirring gently to coat.

Place the coated popcorn in a large (or two medium) shallow baking dish(s) and bake in preheated oven, gently stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. (For added sweetness, drizzle caramel popcorn with a tiny bit of dark or white chocolate or both!)

Don’t Let This Great Pumpkin Pass You By

It’s usually difficult for people to admit to their flaws, but I have no issues admitting one of mine: My pies suck. No matter how many times I try, no matter how closely I follow a recipe, they're simply inedible. You would think that with a mom who is known to “make the best pies in the world,” I’d be able to come up with something halfway decent but so far, I’ve had no such luck.

That’s why I was thrilled when I came across a recipe for a delicious pumpkin pudding. It’s basically a piece of pumpkin pie, without the baking, the hassle and for me, the disappointment. This pudding is also a relatively healthy way to end any fall or winter meal and the best part is that it can be ready in about 5 minutes.


Quick Pumpkin Pudding (inspired by Health Magazine)



2 cups pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
¼ cup low-fat cream cheese
2 Tablespoons low-fat vanilla yogurt
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon, nutmeg, mint leaves and whipped cream for garnishing.

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until combined. Add additional honey and spices to taste. Divide into 4 ramekins and garnish with cinnamon, nutmeg and mint leaf.

Is it possible to fall in love with food?

I love fall foods, especially, butternut squash. I also love cooking indulgent, yet easy meals on Sundays and making a dinner that covers both bases is exactly what I did last night. I made butternut squash risotto-a dish that was a huge hit and left both of us feeling a lot like George Costanza's date in that hilarious Seinfeld episode about the risotto she ate...........
mmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmm One bite and you'll be ready to move in! :)

Chef’s note: When you make this, you’ll be standing at the stove for a while so be sure to have a glass of wine close by before you start.

Butternut Squash Risotto


Caramelized Squash
1Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
12/ large butternut squash, peeled, and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
Dash salt
Dash pepper
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Risotto
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Cup minced onion (I used red onions but white onions will be fine)
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup Arborio rice
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

To gently caramelize the squash: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter and oil together over medium heat in an oven-safe sauté pan. Add the squash cubes and season with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is slightly tender, about 4 minutes. Add the brown sugar and gently stir until the sugar is well-incorporated but not burning, about 3 minutes. Place the sauté pan in the oven and cook the squash for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through but not mushy. Set aside.

Meanwhile, to make the Risotto: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the rice, stirring constantly, until the rice is coated with the oil and it turns a milky opaque white color, about 2 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the wine, stirring constantly, and cook until the wine is completely reduced and absorbed by the rice. Slowly add about ½ cup of the broth at a time, stirring more or less constantly through each addition, until all the stock is almost completely absorbed by the rice. This should take about 20-25 minutes.

Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the caramelized squash, the Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley and prepare to be completely satisfied.