Tag Archives: Spinach

Easter Sunday Sides

Easter is traditionally a time when families (immediate and extended) come together to celebrate the season and share a large meal. After all, you can’t have a family gathering without food, right? If you are planning to attend an Easter potluck or you are simply helping your Easter party hostess by preparing a couple of side dishes to supplement the holiday ham or lamb, then consider these easy crowd-pleasing casseroles that are a cinch to make and are loaded with flavor. BAKED POTATO CASSEROLE Ingredients: 1 (2-pound) bag frozen country style hash browns potatoes, thawed slightly 1 (16-ounce) container of … Continue reading →

Easy and Affordable Chicken Recipes

The price of a regular gallon of unleaded gas rose 11 cents in our city in less than five days. Good gracious! Fortunately, the price of chicken breasts went down about 50 cents since last week. Guess what we’re having for dinner tonight? And the next, and the next? Chicken is a frequent visitor at my family’s dinner table. Luckily, I have an abundance of recipes to turn plain chicken breasts into sensational entrees without breaking the bank. MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN Ingredients: 6 ounces linguine (or your favorite pasta) 8 ounces chicken breasts 2 ounces marinated artichoke hearts 2 ounces kalamata … Continue reading →

Getting Your Greens—Simple Recipes for Meatless Meals

You can always tell when Lent is near because fast food companies start inundating the airwaves with ads for their fish sandwiches. Last night I saw a commercial for Wendy’s fish sandwich six times in less than two hours. Personally, I can’t stand those deep-fried filets and question whether they contain actual fish. But I digress. With Ash Wednesday just a week away, Catholics will undoubtedly be looking for meatless dishes to serve up on Friday night. The following recipes are great additions to meatless meals. What’s more, they’re almost as easy to make as pulling into a drive-thru. SPINACH … Continue reading →

Three-Course Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner for Two

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and if you are celebrating without the kids this year you might consider the following romantic recipes. Your sweetie will fall in love with these amorous eats, and if you are lucky he (or she) will do the dishes after you’re done feeding each other. RASPBERRY SPINACH SALAD Ingredients: 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar 2 tablespoons raspberry jam 1/3 cup vegetable oil 8 cups spinach, rinsed, stemmed and torn into pieces 3/4 cup coarsely chopped Macadamia nuts or toasted almond slices 1 cup fresh raspberries 3 kiwis, peeled and sliced Directions: For the Dressing: Combine vinegar and … Continue reading →

Healthy Recipes for 2009

Many of us started the New Year resolving to get into shape by eating healthier and exercising. How’s that going for you? With the recent stretch of bitterly cold winter weather, I felt more like digging into a warm bowl of macaroni and cheese than a plate of cold celery and carrots. But, now that the Artic blast is moving out it’s time to get back on track. The following healthy recipes are some of my favorites. They do not compromise on flavor. Rather, they are loaded with low calorie ingredients and won’t leave you hungry an hour after you … Continue reading →

Save Money—Make Your Own Pizza

I think my jaw is still on the tile floor at my local supermarket. It hit the ground yesterday when I went to grab a frozen pizza from the freezer. My young daughter loves pizza and twice a month she is allowed to indulge in her favorite frozen classic-—thin crust pepperoni and cheese. The brand we buy typically sells for $3.33 a piece or 3 pizzas for $10. I usually grab three pies and we are set for more than a month. But yesterday when I went to replenish my supply I noticed that the neon 3 for $10 sign … Continue reading →

Tarragon Chicken and Spinach Salads

Summer is still several weeks away. Yeah, try telling that to residents living along the West Coast of the U.S. where record-breaking heat is saturating the region. Highs in the mid-to-upper 90s are predicted for cities from Oregon to Arizona, which means you can bet that most household ovens will remain off today. Rather, today might be the perfect time to try out one (or both) of the following recipes for cool and simple salads. I grew up in Hawaii and my parents prepared hearty salads for dinner on a regular basis. The following recipes do not require turning on … Continue reading →

Pizza for Breakfast

My best friend loves eating pizza for breakfast. She always orders a large pie so that she is guaranteed a few extra pieces to munch on the next morning. Frankly, I find the idea of biting into a cold slice of pepperoni, mushroom and black olive pizza (her favorite) rather revolting. Yet she swears the flavor only gets better with age. Still, I can’t stomach the thought of sinking my teeth into hardened cheese and chilled oil clumped on a cardboard crust… first thing in the morning. Which is why on my pal’s 23rd birthday (nearly a decade ago) I … Continue reading →

Two Side Dishes That Make the Dinner

Are you a one dish Betty, preferring to schlop all of your vegetables, meat and potatoes in one casserole dish? Don’t get me wrong, casseroles have their place at our dinner table. They are quick, easy and can often be prepped ahead of time. On the other hand, it sets a certain mood to have dinner where there is one main meat and several delicious side dishes. These particular side dishes go well with anything, are fairly easy to prep and will complete your meal with a touch of elegance! Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms You will need: 3 tablespoons butter … Continue reading →

What Is E. Coli?

With the recent cases of E. coli infection in twenty states thanks to contaminated spinach from California, you may be wondering what it is, what it does, and how it spreads. Escherichia coli is a bacteria with hundreds of different strains. The current E. coli outbreak is specifically caused by E. Coli O157:H7, a leading cause of food borne illness. Every year in the United States, there are approximately 73,000 cases of E. coli infection. The bacteria was first recognized in 1982, when an outbreak of severe diarrhea and abdominal cramping was traced back to undercooked, contaminated hamburgers. How does … Continue reading →