Easy Mediterranean-Style Roasted Cod

Mediterranean- Style Roasted Cod

The holidays are over and this is when I usually start craving lighter and healthier foods. I'm on a mediterranean flavor kick which is full of fresh seafood, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lots of garlic, lemon and fresh herbs. This savory, fresh fish recipe is a great way to kickstart my mediterranean diet. This dish is so delicious, that's what happens when you have fresh and favorable ingredients that can stand on their own come together.


Serves 2 or more depending on the size of fish

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of cod (scrod, or any white fish)
• Olive oil
• Course salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 lemon, sliced
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 clove of fresh garlic, chopped
• 1 handful of fresh spinach, sliced thin 
• 1/4 cup of black olives, pitted and sliced
• 1 TBLS of capers 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Drizzle olive oil on top and bottom of fish making sure to coat well. Season the top of the fish generously with salt and pepper.
2. Place all other ingredients on top of fish and squeeze some extra lemon on top. 
3. Roast in the oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes.

A deep baking dish to capture all the healthy juices.

Place all the fresh ingredients on top.

Out of the oven with all the lemony juices. 

Delicious over couscous or brown rice!

Crispy Kale Chips

Crispy Kale Chips

And than Kale Chips came along! I'll be honest, I was skeptical at first but who isn't on the hunt to discover the next secret delicious snack that you can munch on without all the guilt and regret when you're done? I won't lie, salt is key here so don't skimp and best eaten right out of the oven. 

Grilled Rosemary Chicken Wings

Grilled Chicken Wings Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza

If you have ever visited south Florida and ate at one of Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza Restaurants, you know what I'm talking about when I say I've been craving these wings ever since my last visit!

Michael Symon's Grilled Skirt Steak

Marinaded Grilled Skirt Steak

There's no doubt about it, skirt steak is absolutely on my top 2 list for cuts of red meat. It's so flavorful, juicy, versatile, great on the grill, and everybody loves it! I am in love with skirt steak and 
actually prefer it to a filet any day of the week. I love it straight over a mixed green or caesar salad, rolled in a soft tortilla with all the fixings or straight up with rice or potatoes.

Perfect Holiday Scalloped Potatoes

Perfect Holiday Scalloped Potatoes

I grew up on scalloped potatoes, my Mother usually served these on a special occasion or for a holiday dinner. Although they were good, it was always a little bit of a guessing game if the potatoes were going to be evenly cooked or even worse, was there going to be a bite that had a little uncooked flour pocket.

Christmas Wreath Appetizer

Bacon and Cream Cheese Appetizer Christmas Wreath.

This festive cream cheese appetizer spread is just as delicious as it is pretty to look at. The combination of the cheeses, scallions and smokey bacon compliment each out so well. Decorate the top any way you like and you will have a show stopper that your guests will devour!  

The Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew

The Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I was given a challenge by my friend Maureen to find her the best beef stew recipe that will bring her family runny back asking for more. I just love a cooking challenge and beef stew was a dish I hadn't really made before, or at least, I didn't have a favorite go-to-recipe to call my own. Until now that is!

Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip!

If you are looking for a crazy delicious addictive dip for your next game day spread, look no further. People go crazzzy for this quick and easy appetizer. All the flavors of what we love about hot wings are right here.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

I think I have an obsession with butternut squash soup. Adding a little curry puts this delicious heart warming Autumn harvest soup over the top. It's just so delicious, it's hard to believe there isn't any butter, sugar, cream, honey or fruit in this recipe.

Greek Orzo Salad with Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette

Greek Orzo Salad with Mustard Dill Vinaigrette

If you love a Greek or Mediterranean salad like I do, you are going to love this zesty orzo salad. The flavors of the fresh dill and mustard make the perfect vinaigrette and bring the tasty flavors over the top!

It's Guacamole Season

Fresh Guacamole

Guacamole is one of my favorite appetizers. It's fresh and simple to make. The only tricky part about making guacamole is guessing when the avocados are the perfect amount of ripeness and ready to use. I use Hass avocados and they will turn black from green when they are ripe and if you push in with your finger it will leave a slight indent. When the stars align, you are ready to go.

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Asian Orange Sauce

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Orange Sauce

This is a really fast and healthy way to make coconut shrimp. Baking the shrimp instead of frying saves loads of calories without sacrificing taste or that little crunchy bite we all love about coconut shrimp. Using cornstarch helps the coating to adhere much better to the shrimp rather than using flour. Best of all, they can be made ahead of time and than popped into the oven when you are ready to bake.

Light and Airy Ramen Noodles

Ramen Noodles

This is almost too simple that I am a little embarrassed to even post this, but I had to share this simply yummy secret with you. I was recently having dinner at a new sushi bar and we decided to bring home an order of the house lo mein for our son. Lo mein is one of our favorite dishes but this one was a little different. I realized it was made with raman noodles resulting in a very light and delicious noodle dish.

Crispy Chicken a l'Orange and Brown Rice

Crispy Chicken a l'Orange Baked Over Brown Rice.

I can't decide if my favorite part of this dish is the sweet taste of the orange marmalade mixed with the asian flavors of the soy and honey with a bite of juicy chicken or if it's a spoonful of rice that cooks so nicely under the chicken, capturing the savory juices, and crispy pieces along the sides of the pan. Which ever part you like best, this is a winner all around. It's just as good reheated too!

Baked Spinach Manicotti

Baked Spinach Manicotti

Why haven't I made this for so long. It does take a little bit of time to fill all the shells but everyone loves this baked dish so much it's well worth the effort. The best part is, make a whole batch and freeze the rest so that you can take them out for an easy to prepare dinner. I use the inside packaging from the box the shells come in for an easy way to freeze the prepared shells and prevent them from sticking. Served with just a simple tossed salad, this baked creamy classic is a delicious and light comfort dish that everyone will love.

Chicken Fricassee

Happy New Year Everyone!

I was recently invited to a friends for dinner who just so happens to be a French Trained Chef. I was so excited because I knew the dinner was going to be fabulous and I couldn't wait to find out what we were having. To my surprise, he serviced us chicken. Nothing I would think of serving company unless I was having a barbecue. Well, this chicken was so delicious, juicy, tender, and flavorful. I told him that I would have chicken every night if it came out like this. 

Easy Crock Pot Lasagna

Crock Pot Lasagna

The Best Lasagna!

I was so intrigued when I first read about the idea of making a lasagna in a slow cooker. I have been wanting  to try this for a while and finally the perfect cold winter day came along. Actually, if you want lasagna on a hot day, this is really the way to do it since using a crock pot doesn't heat up the kitchen. When you live in New England, there is just something so comforting knowing that a delicious meal is cooking in the kitchen all day long on a cold day and the best part is, you don't even need to be home! The bottom line, this turned out to be the very tastiest lasagna I have ever made.

Mom's Traditional Apple Pie

Traditional Apple Pie

Simply delicious traditional apple pie. I will never win a beautiful pie contest but I'll go up against any pie for flavor, texture and consistency. I like to think of my design as rustic! Over the years I have tried different recipes with varying ingredients or changing up the method and I have had a lot of good pies in my time, but I always come back to the old stand bye childhood favorite recipe that my Mom always made. The ingredients are simple and the list is short and you can't beat it. I always brush the top crust with egg whites and sprinkle sugar all over the crust to make it pretty just like my Mom always did.   

Mix all the apples together with ingredients and pour into the bottom crust.

Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar all over the top.

Traditional Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds of apples (Baldwin & Macintosh)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 egg white
• sugar for top of crust

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

1. Line a 9" or 10" pie plate with favorite pie dough
2. Peel and slice the apples and mix together with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. 
3. Put on top layer of pie dough. Crimp the sides together and cut 3-4 slits near the center to allow the steam to escape.
4. For a pretty glaze, brush top with egg white and sprinkle of sugar.
5. Bake 15 minutes at 500 degrees until brown. Turn oven down to 350 degrees for another 40 minutes. 

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Lentil Sausage Soup

Lentil Sausage Soup

There is just something about a big pot of soup simmering away on the stove on a cold fall or winter night. This soup is so rich in flavor, despite it's simple ingredients. I usually have everything on hand and tend to always have a package of sausage in the freezer because it's so versatile. I haven't met a sole that doesn't like the smokey flavor of sausage. The best part is, it's a one pot wonder. This soup is so good, it's the kind that keeps you coming back for more!  

Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

Why have I waited so long to make this? It's absolutely delicious! Is this a soup or is this a stew? Rachel Ray calls it a Stoup! Another great recommendation from my friend Maria. She insist that I stick to using the ground chicken and gnocchi. The mini meatballs are like little chicken dumplings and cook right in the soup. Yes, you can use another type of pasta but it won't have the same special creaminess that you get with the gnocchi. Forget the chili, I'm making this at the next football party. This is a hearty, fresh and delicious Stoup!

Hearty Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup

Satisfying, delicious, easy and cheap! Lentil soup is the perfect fall soup...or is it a stew. I hope you trust me on this one, the picture doesn't do this soup justice. It's not the prettiest but believe me, this flavorful hearty soup makes up for it. I made this for the first time and my husband just loved it. I'm on my 3rd batch now and it's great because it last all week. It's a great starter or as a whole meal serve with crusty bread. A delicious, fast and homey soup! 

Spinach and Mushroom Crustless Quiche

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche...Crust-less!

I think quiche is a forgotten pastime. That's unfortunate because it's really an easy dish to hold any kind of vegetable. It's a perfect light lunch or dinner with a salad. I removed the crust to make it lighter and take away the guilt. So, is it breakfast or a dinner.....either way, it reheats nicely. Get creative and add sliced tomatoes or serve with a little tomato sauce drizzled over.   

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing with a Farmers Market Salad

Easy Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing.

I can't help but get inspired when I go to the Farmer's Market. How can you resist all the fresh locally grown vegetables. The colorful variety of tomatoes caught my eye on this day and I started to think about a light lemon vinaigrette to compliment the fresh baby lettuces, prime ripe tomatoes, crispy radishes and fresh crunchy cucumbers. 

Linguini with Clam Sauce

Linguini with Clam Sauce

It was one of those nights, what am I going to make for dinner? There has been a can of whole baby clams steering at me for a while now and there you have it, Linquini with Clam Sauce. This recipe is easy, fast and very delicious and gives an extra boost of flavor from the red pepper flakes and squeeze of lemon. If you are looking for a really wet sauce to dunk your bread, just double the olive oil and clam broth.  

Party Red Sangria

Easy Party Red Sangria

Party Sangria is easy to make, easy to drink and even those that don't drink wine will drink the Sangria. It's the perfect party summer drink to make for a crowd. Use any red wine, mix bottles or use what you have left over from the night before. Don't go crazy to find the perfect wine, inexpensive is best for Sangria so this is the time to have fun and pick from The Bin!

Vietnamese Lime Chicken Wings ........on the Grill

Vietnamese Lime chicken Wings

These are finger-licking good! This is a great recipe to have for a holiday weekend or a gathering, big or small. Marinate the wings in a sealed container and you are ready to get grilling at anytime. Great for those pop in guests. Everyone loves chicken wings, you can't go wrong. The flavor of these wings are sweet and spicy but not too spicy. Wings on the grill are the perfect party food!

Fresh Strawberry Sauce





Fresh Strawberry Sauce ready for strawberry shortcakes!

I can't resist all the fresh strawberries, although this recipe works great with blueberries too. It's real simple, just a few ingredients and you have fresh strawberry sauce. A simple sauce to drizzle over about a million things. One of my favorite things to do is to whip something up out of nothing.

Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Goat Cheese, Tomato and Basil Sauce



Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Goat Cheese, Tomato and Basil Oil. 



A great summertime dish, this is an incredibly delicious recipe. I like to serve these eggplant stacks with grilled steak or chicken but these tasty stacks are good enough all on their own.

Summer Solstice Black Bean Salsa

Black Bean Salsa!

This recipe is easy, delicious and the perfect party dish to serve as a dip with chips or as a side dish with burgers, fish, chicken or any grilled food. Made with all fresh ingredients, all the flavors blend together and the hint of lime and cilantro make this dip taste special. The best part is, it lasts for days in the fridge. I think this Black Bean Salsa is the perfect party dish to bring to your next barbecue or summer solstice party!

 Ingredients

• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (17-ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 large avocado, peeled and diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Juice of one fresh lime
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• Course salt and fresh ground pepper 

Directions

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Cover and chill for several hours or over night. Season again with salt, pepper and add more lime juice as necessary. 

Serve with tortilla chips as an appetizer, or this is great as a side dish with grilled foods.

Use a big bowl to mix everything really well.

Black Bean Salsa!

Quinoa and Shrimp with Fresh Corn and Cherry Tomatoes

Quinoa and Shrimp with Fresh Corn and Cherry Tomatoes

I did it ....I jumped on the quinoa bandwagon!! I was so inspired by a recipe I had seen on Food Blogga  and I used this recipe as a way to introduce myself to the quinoa (KEEN-wa).  Quinoa has a nutty flavor and is a really nice light and fluffy alternative to long grain rice. It's considered a "superfood", high in protein, gluten free, and it cooks rather quickly. I'm sure it has many other superpowers but what really matters is that this simple recipe is super delicious!!!  

Margherita Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Margherita Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Margherita Cauliflower Crust Pizza Slices!

This cauliflower pizza crust has been one of my most popular posts. I have made this recipe many times now and have a few tips to help you make the best low carb delicious pizza that you'll ever have. Follow my recipe for Cauliflower Crust Pizza and the tips below and you will have a fabulous tasty pizza everytime. 

Caramelized French Onion Tart

Caramelized French Onion Tart

French Onion Tart
A pizza cutter cuts perfect pieces.  

I love onions! I like them roasted, grilled, breaded, battered, fried, raw, but there is something extra special about caramelized onions. Good enough to eat alone. When onions are slowly cooked, the natural sugars begin to caramelize and bring out a delicious richness that is so savory. Add in a little pastry and creamy base and voila, we have a french onion tart. Serve as an appetizer or perfect for lunch with a simple salad. The perfect new addition to my Easter table. Elegant yet so simple!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza.....you won't believe it!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza with onions and cheese.

Yes, really.......this pizza was made with a cauliflower crust! I can't tell you how excited I am about this recipe. When I first saw this posted I thought the pizza looked so appetizing that I knew I had to give this a try.

Not Your Mama's Meatloaf

Not Your Mama's Meatloaf with red pepper and red wine.  

I know what you're thinking, "ugh! meatloaf?" To that I say, "Yes Meatloaf!!" This was the meatloaf that changed my mind.

Maple Syrup Salmon, it's a keeper!

A delicious, simple and quick recipe submitted for Julie's "I Do" Cook Book. A perfect recipe for a newbie bride just starting to explore in the kitchen. My very favorite cousin, who let's just say isn't fond of spending too much time in the kitchen, and happens to be celebrating a birthday today, pulled this little gem out of her hat! Who knew?!?! This salmon recipe is absolutely delicious and it's as easy as it gets. The sweetness from the maple syrup combined with the slightly salty soy is a perfect combination. It reminds me of teriyaki salmon but with a delicious maple flavor. The fish is moist and melts in your mouth like butter. This one is a keeper!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium Tamari)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 pound salmon 

Serves 2-4

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

1. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients accept for salmon.
2. Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover and marinate for 20-30 minutes.
3. Bake salmon uncovered for 15 minutes and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes to crisp the top. 

Happy Birthday Cuz!

Easy Valentine's Day Treats!

Put a big smile on your Valentine with one of these easy to make treats!

Palmiers for Valentine's Day!
Check out the recipe  Valentine's Day Palmiers.

Pretzel Hugs for Valentine's Day!
Check out the recipe Valentine's Day Pretzel Hugs.

Silver Palate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Silver Palate Oatmeal Cookies  

I've been in a cookie making mood lately and on the hunt for a really good oatmeal raisin recipe. There was only one place for me to go, The Silver Palate Thick & Rough Oatmeal box. It's actually the only oatmeal that I enjoy because the oats stay firm and hold their texture when cooked.