Search Results for: blog kicked up chicken salads

Thanksgiving Recipes: Super Stuffing and Sensational Sweet Potatoes

There’s one in every family–the one must-have dish that makes a Thanksgiving meal complete. For some it’s Aunt Kay’s Pumpkin Pecan Pie, for others it’s grandma’s Extra Creamy Mashed Potatoes or mom’s to-die-for Turkey Gravy. In our family it’s my dad’s Cornbread Stuffing and my great aunt’s Orange Sweet Potatoes with Cookie Crumble Topping. If you are looking to add to your family favorites this year, consider trying the following recipes: ORANGE SWEET POTATOES WITH COOKIE CRUMBLE TOPPING Ingredients: 6 large sweet potatoes 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar Fresh orange juice 1 cup sweet … Continue reading →

Chicken Lovers Unite

If white meat is being served then expect my daughter to be first in line. From the age of eight months my little girl has been a chicken connoisseur. Actually, she loves any type of white meat, including turkey and pork. Given that chicken is still relatively affordable these days (which is more than I can say for other types of meats) we tend to eat “the bird” (as my daughter calls it) at least three times per week. The following recipes are ones we incorporate into our monthly menu plan on a regular basis. The first is a traditional … Continue reading →

Salads for Your Graduation Party

Posted on by

Are you throwing a big bash for your graduate? These salads are unique and have just the right amount of sophistication for your many guests that will come through your house wishing the graduate well. One nice thing about featuring salads at a graduation party is you can quickly pair them with some finger sandwiches or order pizza, a graduation cake of course, and then you’re done with the meal! Best of all, this can all be done in advance! Cucumber and Bleu Cheese Salad This salad has a hint of Mediterranean flavor. Although it’s not your typical green salad, … Continue reading →

Kicked Up Chicken Salads

Forget about the traditional chicken salads your grandma used to make. You know the ones where it was hard to see the chicken chunks through all that mayonnaise. These next recipes add a new twist to the childhood classic. The first recipe combines crunchy apples and pecans with the tartness of cranberries and the sweetness of coconut. (All that, plus the chicken.) The dish couldn’t be easier to make and it never fails to get guests excited about eating salad. I like to serve this recipe in lettuce leaves and eat it like a wrap. It’s also a fun way … Continue reading →

Lite and Healthy Summer Recipes

If you are struggling to fit into last season’s swimsuit, then you might be interested in the following recipe line-up. These dishes prove that reducing calories and fat doesn’t mean sacrificing taste and texture: SPICY FISH TACOS Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt 1/4 cup Lite mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon lime zest 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro Few dashes of hot sauce 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 pounds fresh white fish fillets (ahi, grouper, halibut, or tilapia) 2 sliced red, yellow peppers 10 small flour tortillas 4 cups … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Menu: Then and Now

Leave it to domestic diva Martha Stewart to school her own cooking guest about the dishes served up at the very first Thanksgiving dinner… on national TV. Did you see Stewart doling out her on-air corrections last week? Whereas I felt bad for the visiting chef, I did learn a lot about what was really on that first Thanksgiving menu. Did you know that the Thanksgiving holiday as we know it is only about 150 years old? Back in 1863, following a stalwart campaign by Sarah Josepha Hale (a writer best known for penning “Mary Had a Little Lamb”), then … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Recipes: Vegetables

As much as your children would rather you forget them all together, vegetables are a vital part of a traditional Thanksgiving spread. While my brother’s tot will happily munch on carrots sticks (drowned in Ranch dressing) as though he were part rabbit, my preschooler needs to be bribed to take even a nibble of the crunchy orange vegetable. This is why our family meals such as Thanksgiving must include a variety of veggie dishes. The first one I’m sharing with you is the only carrot recipe my daughter will eat. Once you scan the ingredients you’ll see why. The second … Continue reading →

Not Your Mama’s Thanksgiving Recipes

Back in my previous life as a TV journalist, I had the opportunity to cook with local “celebrity” chefs when they appeared on our morning show. I actually did more eating than cooking, but I learned some culinary tricks just the same. The holidays always included a steady stream of cooking segments featuring proud pro chefs whipping up unique dishes. The following is a sample of some of the recipes I saved from those segments. They’re nothing like my mom served us on Turkey Day, but boy were they popular with our studio crew. THANKSGIVING GRAVY Ingredients: 1 can cream … Continue reading →

Watermelon Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

This recipe is the result of a search for salads that didn’t require tomatoes. Because we live in the inner city and our grocery store is not necessarily of great quality (nor do we own a car to go somewhere and buy tomatoes locally), we have decided to forego tomatoes on our food right now! However, my kids don’t like cucumbers, and a salad with just lettuce and dressing is a little boring. Consequently, I turned to my greener friend–spinach. There is nothing more appealing than a spinach salad speckled with brightly colored in season fruit. There’s something about the … Continue reading →