garlic

A World of Flavor at CIA: Brazilian Palm Puree, Homemade Italian Pasta & Vietnamese Veggie Curry

Thumbnail image for A World of Flavor at CIA: Brazilian Palm Puree, Homemade Italian Pasta & Vietnamese Veggie Curry April 3, 2011

I spent last weekend in Napa cooking in the beautiful kitchen of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). A conference was being held by a subgroup of the American Dietetic Association so the group was mainly comprised of culinary dietitians. The theme was “Passport to Flavor: A World Cuisines Culinary Workshop.”

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Green Goddess Bites

Thumbnail image for Green Goddess Bites February 16, 2011

A special congrats to Tina of Washington, lucky #37, for winning my latest giveaway. Hope you buy something special with your Macy’s Gift Card! Also, a warm thank you to Jen of A Girl & Her Carrot and Elyse of The Cultural Dish for awarding me the Stylish Blogger Award. These ladies are so sweet. You [...]

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Red Lentils with Stewed Tomatoes

Thumbnail image for Red Lentils with Stewed Tomatoes January 5, 2011

One of my new year resolutions is to work on my memory. Somehow I have forgotten big pieces of my past. And this really saddens me. My hubby is always like, “remember when…?” And I stare blankly back at him, honestly not a trace of memory. He kind of gets annoyed, I can see it. [...]

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Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup

Thumbnail image for Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup December 22, 2010

I promised myself I wouldn’t fall into the Christmas frenzy trap this year. So much for that. If only I was a better planner. Is there an award for most skilled holiday procrastinator? If there is, I think I definitely deserve that award. But I have finally put together my Christmas menu! And I’m sharing [...]

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Parsnip & Sweet Potato Bisque & a Giveaway!

Thumbnail image for Parsnip & Sweet Potato Bisque & a Giveaway! December 1, 2010

I know what you’re thinking…parsnips, how exciting… But really, this soup is fabulous. We’ll get to that. First, a couple of things I wanted to mention. 1. All month long, I’ll be the featured nutrition expert on Sweat & the City. You’ll be able to find my recipes, tips, and articles during the month of [...]

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Baba Ganoush

Thumbnail image for Baba Ganoush September 3, 2010

At the farmers’ market the other day, I picked up a few beautiful Rosa Bianca eggplants. They are Italian, small in size, and tender. Their color is amazing – bright purple hues with marbled white mixed in. They are known for their mildly delicious taste.

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Baked Eggplant Parmigiana with Onions & Fresh Tomatoes

Thumbnail image for Baked Eggplant Parmigiana with Onions & Fresh Tomatoes July 26, 2010

The word “parmigiana” literally means from Parma, but don’t be fooled in this case. This dish has its roots in Sicily and Sardinia, the regions that first introduced eggplant to mainland Italy. The origin of the dish actually came from the word, “parmiciana,” a Sicilian dialect word meaning shutter or shingle because the eggplant layers [...]

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Pizza Provençal

Thumbnail image for Pizza Provençal July 18, 2010

For some reason southern France has been on my mind lately. I went a few years ago and I fell in love with it. I promised myself I’d go back, if not to live, for a very extended vacation. Although I’m not visiting any time soon, I did the next best thing: eat in its [...]

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Share Our Strength: Cooking Matters (Operation Frontline)

Thumbnail image for Share Our Strength: Cooking Matters (Operation Frontline) June 30, 2010

This past weekend, I wrapped up my volunteer work with Operation Frontline. The program is a 6-week series of cooking and nutrition classes that helps teach families how to prepare tasty, healthy meals on a limited budget. Share Our Strength funds its work and its mission is to end childhood hunger in large part through [...]

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Ode to Spinach

Thumbnail image for Ode to Spinach May 19, 2010

Oh spinach how I love you. Spinach was the favorite vegetable of Catherine de Medici of the famous Medici family of the Italian Renaissance. She left her hometown of Florence, Italy in 1533 to marry King Henry of France. She was really big on spinach, so much so that she requested it at every meal. [...]

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Garlic Curried Lentils

Thumbnail image for Garlic Curried Lentils April 28, 2010

When I started cooking more plant-based dishes I got really interested in Indian cooking. Indian cooking uses a lot of veggies and dresses them up nicely using fragrant spices, herbs and oils. Many dishes in Indian cuisine are naturally healthy, delicious and many of them are not that costly. My ultimate favorite spice is coriander. [...]

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Spicy Cauliflower Curry

Thumbnail image for Spicy Cauliflower Curry January 28, 2010

This a beautiful, flavorful side dish. It’s so vibrant in color. My husband loves curry but is not that fond of cauliflower. This dish- he eats! I prefer to use a wok to cook it in. I also prefer to use peanut oil (for a change from ordinary olive oil). You can really use whatever [...]

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Savory Mushroom Bites

January 7, 2010

I made this for dinner last night and I was reminded how much I adore these little bites. If you can find fresh porcini mushrooms, I recommend using them. Otherwise, just use whichever fresh mushrooms look best – porcini, portobello, cremini, shittaki or button mushrooms. They can be shaped into the size of meatballs. Savory [...]

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Herb Lentil Loaf

Thumbnail image for Herb Lentil Loaf September 24, 2009

Cooler weather always gets me the mood for hearty casseroles and loaves. This is a wonderful hearty dish. It has a yummy earthy taste from the mushrooms, nuts and cheese. It’s packed with flavor thanks to the variety of herbs and garlic. I made this for Thanksgiving one year as a vegetarian option and it [...]

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