Please meet one of my favorite new food writers, Jessica Fechtor, who writes on her blog Sweet Amandine and whose first book, Stir, reached the NYTimes bestseller list in recent weeks! What a grand success for a newly published author! Yes, I read it and, yes, it was wonderful! Stir, by the way, is not just about food. It’s about how finding her way around the kitchen was how Jessica found her way back to living after a brain aneurysm and its aftermath left her overwhelmed and unsure of absolutely everything. Continue reading
Category Archives: Recipes
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: October Pumpkin Chili
This is one of those recipes that comes straight out of your pantry and right into the pot. It’s a perfect choice for when you haven’t had time to go shopping, but you’re still looking for something yummy and nourishing that sticks to your ribs. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Roasted Butternut Squash Extraordinaire
If I were to pick a single food that best embodied the fall season, it would definitely be squash. And if I were to consider how best to prepare that squash to make it taste as delicious as possible, showing off its very best qualities, then this is the recipe I would choose. I would definitely recommend that you give this recipe a shot! Now (speaking of shots), you should feel free to try it with or without the whiskey. In case you were wondering, the alcohol burns off with the cooking, leaving behind that little extra dimension of flavor. But if it doesn’t appeal, just skip it. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Sweet Apple Breakfast Bowl
People are always asking me for new breakfast ideas, and I’ve listed more than a few in these blog entries. In this recipe, using an idea I had never seen before, the apples supply the moisture that allows the chia seeds to grow and supply texture, crunch and protein. Make yourself a Sweet Apple Bowl for breakfast, or put your meal into a small bowl with a tight lid, and take it to work for lunch. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Brown Rice, Carrots & Raisins
Some recipes are just more than the sum of their parts. This is one of those kinds of recipes. Make it in advance if that works better for your schedule, and just plan to save the almond sprinkling ’til it’s party time! Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Tomato Quinoa Risotto
The most important part of this beautiful dish is the gorgeous tomatoes. First find the tomatoes, and then organize the rest of your ingredients. The rest will all come together beautifully once the tomatoes are chosen.
Plan to make this recipe only if you’re going to be around to keep your eye on it. It’s a great choice for a small group of friends planning to spend the day together and looking for something special to make. It goes great with a mixed green salad and a glass of wine. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Armenian Vegetable Stew
If you’re starting to think ahead, and you’ve got time to stop at the produce section, then try this gorgeous stew. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Apple-Pomegranate Salad
This very beautiful salad is a perfect gift for your table at this time of year. You can make it with or without the feta. It’s delicious either way. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: End-of-Vacation Salad
This recipe reminds me of a tiny little funky restaurant that I once stopped in on my way home from southern Florida, headed home to the Great Lakes.
It was so refreshing and delicious to feel the different textures and flavors of this inspired salad in my mouth after having taken the trouble to uncurl myself from the back of an SUV where I’d sat, folded and crumpled, in a tiny little corner under an ever-shifting pile of boxes, suitcases and children, all of us trying hard not to think about the fact that we had come to the end of a long and happy vacation.
We had been driving all day. Maybe we were in Tennessee, or it might have been West Virginia. A college town clearly on break. It was almost sundown and the streets were mostly empty. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Oven-Dried Grape Tomatoes
At the farmer’s market this past Sunday morning, I brought home a bucketful of tomatoes for this recipe. It’s simple, elegant, and (most importantly) out of this world! And it keeps you in tomatoes for just a little while longer… Continue reading