Wheatberry Salad with fire roasted corn!

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This salad is so yummy and healthy!! Wheatberry salad is one of my favorite multipurpose dishes. You can serve for breakfast with fruit and yogurt or lunch with salsa and black beans. For dinner it is delicious with grilled salmon. Wheatberries are the backbone of this delicious salad.

atberry salads are one of my favorite multipurpose dishes. Serve a wheatberry salad for breakfast (with yogurt, banana and walnuts), lunch (with sweet potatoes, black beans and salsa) or for dinner (with wild salmon, spinach and olives). Change your flavors to match the seasons as well – this version is the ultimate Fall salad and features butternut squash, cranberries, pomegranate arils and arugula with a maple-Dijon dressing.
Read more at http://www.katheats.com/the-ultimate-fall-wheatberry-salad#KJduPcgOulHfIkFQ.99

Wheatberry salads are one of my favorite multipurpose dishes. Serve a wheatberry salad for breakfast (with yogurt, banana and walnuts), lunch (with sweet potatoes, black beans and salsa) or for dinner (with wild salmon, spinach and olives). Change your flavors to match the seasons as well – this version is the ultimate Fall salad and features butternut squash, cranberries, pomegranate arils and arugula with a maple-Dijon dressing.
Read more at http://www.katheats.com/the-ultimate-fall-wheatberry-salad#KJduPcgOulHfIkFQ.99

Wheatberry salads are one of my favorite multipurpose dishes. Serve a wheatberry salad for breakfast (with yogurt, banana and walnuts), lunch (with sweet potatoes, black beans and salsa) or for dinner (with wild salmon, spinach and olives). Change your flavors to match the seasons as well – this version is the ultimate Fall salad and features butternut squash, cranberries, pomegranate arils and arugula with a maple-Dijon dressing.
Read more at http://www.katheats.com/the-ultimate-fall-wheatberry-salad#KJduPcgOulHfIkFQ.99

Quinoa salad- vegan and gluten free

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Watermelon and Spinach Salad!

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One of the great things about the summer is the availability of local produce, that I have talked about in many of my blogs. Nearly everyone loves watermelon and with the seedless varieties, they’re really great to use in salads. I love this salad that was introduced to me at Pearl Laguna spa. It is low fat, low calorie, vegetarian and gluten free...........and it is full of flavor!! 

Black and White Bowtie pasta salad!

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 Summer cookouts go hand in hand with potato salad, coleslaw, macaroni salad. This refreshingly light take on an all-time favorite. It's perfect for a fast weeknight dinner or festive weekend barbecue.  My friend Ruth was up to Seattle a couple weeks ago for a visit, then drove to Vancouver with her husband Jim. While in Vancouver she and Jim bought me 4 flavored salts and a couple of rubs....thank you very much! Next up, I was preparing a salad to take to my class reunion. I used the "Smoked Bacon Sea Salt", OMGosh!! This added such flavor to this delicious salad, it tastes like bacon is in the salad without the added calories and fat!!  I received so many complements on this delicious salad, it is really tasty!

Two new appetizers- Pancetta wrapped mango & veggie shooters!

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 Memorial Day holiday weekend is here! Have you decided who you will be celebrating with? Have you decided what you'll be eating? Whether you are hosting a barbeque or would like to place flowers on a loved ones headstone, we are hoping you enjoy your Holiday and have very pleasant memories. 

We decided we wanted to get one last pizza party in with our outdoor pizza oven, before we fly back to Seattle for the "Summer of babies"! What about you? If you're still figuring out what to make, here's 12 delicious ideas to consider that will be a great addition to the holiday table...

How to carve a watermelon baby carriage!

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Tink's Baby Madison shower- Part III

If you are hosting a baby shower sometime in the future, you may be thinking about cute centerpiece ideas for the main table of your party or for the food buffet. From flowers, balloons, apothecary candy to diaper cakes, there are so many options for celebrating the upcoming birth of a tiny baby. For those of you planning on serving fruit at the party, you should consider making a adorable watermelon baby carriage. This fun centerpiece is really easy to make and guaranteed to make your guests smile.

 

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

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This salad also doubles as a dip, paired with some tortilla chips and in this case, I used blue organic tortilla chips. It's refreshing and filling and a perfect dish to share at your Cinco De Mayo party you may be attending or hosting this weekend. It's a great meal or side dish in the hot summer months. I will be making this often!

Southwestern Black Bean Salad
-courtesy of SkinnyTaste.com 

Cashew mango salad!

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Right now Whole Foods and my local Safeway is featuring Ataulfo mangoes, also known as champagne or yellow mangoes, in their stores. Mango is my very favorite fruit, in fact I eat one or more every day!!  The health benefits are many including preventing the deadly cancer, clears the skin, lowers cholesterol, alkalizes the body, improves sex, helps diabetes, improves digestion, boosts the immune system and one cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry eyes. WOW!! Hard to believe these little innocent looking fruits can do all these wonderful things for us!!

Mediterranean Salad

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 Hearty, robust and delicious! This salad has everything you have dreamed about in a Greek salad, tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, bacon, hearts of palm and Calamata olives. It is one of my go to lunches....minus the onion strings! I did those for a twist. Not an original idea, they actually serve a chopped salad at our club with the onion strings on top. I admit, I give mine to Wee Bear.....I think he loves that I do that.

Baby Arugula, Frisee Salad with goat cheese crouton!

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 I love salad every possible version of salad, so much that Wee Bear frequently calls me a rabbit! I love to create my own salads or twist a version that I have eaten at a restaurant or learned from one of my many classes. In this case, I am giving you a tutorial straight from a class. This one from Chef de cuisine Joe Worrell at Chochise-Geronimo, Desert Mountain. Chef Worrell began his culinary career in 1992 at Ugashi Japanese of Portland, Oregon. Joe joined Desert Mountain in 2005 as the Sous Chef at Cochise/Geronimo Clubhouse and then in August 2007 took the helm as Chef De Cuisine of Apache Clubhouse. Joseph has now returned to Cochise/Geronimo as of February 2013 as the acting Chef de Cuisine taking over responsibility for all clubhouse catering as well as the club sponsored events.... he is amazing!

Chicken Farro Salad-True Food Kitchen

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In my January 30, 2013 blog I told you about having the pleasure of attending a rare class given by Chef Michael Stebner, of True Food Kitchen. He co-created this popular restaurant with Dr. Andrew Weil. Chef Stebner created several recipes during the course of this class and I am offering you another one today. I admit, this salad is one of my favorites when I am out shopping or having lunch with friends. We have two locations of True Food Kitchen in Scottsdale, in two of my favorite open air shopping malls, Scottsdale Quarter and Biltmore Plaza. Now I am making this delicious salad at home and so can YOU!

Field greens, pear and gorgonzola salad! Our family favorite!

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Thanksgiving is upon us and some of you may be panicking about everything that has to get done. I know, I’ve been there. I am notorious for making too many dishes and driving myself crazy trying to figure out how to get them all done. Thank goodness this year, my amazing daughter-in-law and son are hosting Thanksgiving and my equally amazing daughter and son-in-law are hosting Christmas day! I handed the Holiday baton over last year at a Thanksgiving celebration at our home in Scottsdale. Wee Bear and I didn't know what their reaction would be, but, they thrilled us with an overwhelming, "YES"! I told them I would assist and be there in every way, from setting the tables to menu planning, serving drinks, cooking, baking and clean up. But... they have embraced it, and are really having fun!! It has been a smooth transition, no drama, happiness and laughter abound! And no, we didn't stuff the turkey with Prozak!!

A few last minute tips to remember. These days there are a lot more people with dietary restrictions and it is likely you will have to accommodate some at your holiday dinner. Make sure you ask all of your guests ahead of time. If you are unable to fulfill their needs, ask them to bring something that they can eat. If you have vegetarians coming, make sure you offer them something other than just the side dishes. I like to stuff a acorn squash with truffle risotto (October 31, 2012 blog) or something similar so that they feel just as special as everyone else at the table.

 When you are figuring out the seating arrangements, make sure you place quiet people next to those who are great conversationalists. If you have a couple of joke tellers in the crowd, place them at opposite ends of the table or room. In our family, Wee Bear is the best conversationalist, I used to say, "he could carry on a conversation with a telephone pole"! If you have especially shy people coming, make sure you tell the people on either side of them some of their favorite topics or hobbies so they can keep the conversation going throughout dinner. If you have people who are not comfortable with each other, do not put them next to each other.....could be awkward for them.

If you are going to serve the meal family-style with dishes being passed at the table, keep your centerpiece and table decorations to a minimum. You don’t want your guests to have to peer around a towering flower arrangement, or juggle dishes to find room on the table. Go out into the yard and pick up some fallen leaves and acorns and scatter them around the table. Add a few votive candles (helps reduce the danger of fire), some beautiful plates, glasses and napkins, and you have the makings of a stunning holiday table. Amy's table is set and I had the pleasure of seeing it early, (actually I was offering to buy the flowers) it has the most stunning deer horn candelabras, napkins and rings ...needs nothing in addition. They are ROCK STARS! And TT has created a time line for preparations, he is in charge of turkey brining to cooking, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.

Another fun idea for the table is to create fun place cards that double as take home gifts. Small potted plants with the names written on the side, a bag of homemade candies or baked goods, or even bags of caramel corn labeled are all fun, inexpensive, and thoughtful ways to say thank you to your guests for joining in the holiday celebration.

At the end of the day, I think people are just happy and thankful to have fun with each other and eat together. (and the wine helps, no doubt!)


Here is a family favorite salad, it is gorgeous and heavenly!

Arugula Salad with Caramelized shallots, goat cheese and candied walnuts!

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I enjoyed this hearty salad for lunch last week, and it was a triumph for the taste buds!  It was soooooo tasty! I thought I would share this salad in prelude to the Halloween Sweets, which will be featured the rest of this week!  My favorite salads have lots of different things going on: some kind of fruit, some kind of nut, some kind of cheese. And almost always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing. There’s a little bit of prep involved, but the best part is that you can do all of it in advance! So perfect for dinner too! You will be delighted at how easy each step of this salad is!

TT's Favorite Chicken Salad!

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 I have been making this salad for 20+ years. My children loved this one growing up, and it continues to be a popular choice, for a gathering on a warm Summer day. Admittedly, Sweet One has been making it more than I in recent years, it became a popular choice in her family as well. But, last weekend TT and Sweet One invited the family to their "Block Party". I made this salad as it is a perfect one to transport.

Easy Italiano pasta salad! È fantastico!

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I love macaroni salad. I’m also particular, and picky about macaroni salad. Seriously! If I am going to eat macaroni salad it has got to be worth the carb load! I have issues, is what I’m saying. I don't like macaroni salad that is gloopy or overly vinegary. I do like a macaroni salad that is creamy, but still light, I like it with a subtle blend of spices and I like macaroni salad with a confetti of color, good texture, flavor and spice.

This side dish took about fifteen minutes, working time, to make. It was so easy. But more than that, it was absolutely delicious.

Back to health Monday! Caprese Boats!

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 My family loves Caprese, but, are always looking at ways to cut the calories and fat. This is a great way to make it healthy and it is transportable for a picnic or pot luck! Wee Bear likes to nibble while I am preparing dinner, he usually goes to the snack drawer, picks out some chips and has a few before dinner. I like to make these before dinner, so he has a lighter, healthier appetizer. These would be a nice lunch too. They are very easy!

Summer Cranberry Vinaigrette delectible!

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Summer is officially here and Seafair in the Pacific Northwest is underway! It is so fun! 

I came up with this new Summertime recipe a couple of weeks ago and thought you may enjoy it!! It is very simple! I love the colors!

A Taste of Enchantment! Southwest Chopped Salad!

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 We enjoy the cuisine of the Southwestern United States known to be popular in the southwestern United States, the west coast and state of California. It comprises a fusion of recipes for foods that might have been eaten by Spanish colonial settlers, cowboys, Native Americans and Mexicans throughout the post- Colombian era; there is however, a great diversity in this kind of cuisine throughout the Southwestern states. Wee Bear and I just love it!

Southwestern cuisine is similar to Mexican cuisine, but, often involves larger cuts of meat, and less use of tripe, brain and other parts not considered as desirable in the United States. Like Mexican cuisine, it is also known for its use of spices (particularly the chile, or chili pepper) and accompaniment with beans (frijoles), cooked in a variety of manners. Note that "chili" generally refers to a thick stew or soup prepared with beans and meat, while "chile" refers to to the peppers that grow in this region and have been eaten for thousands of years by native people.

I took classes to learn more about this cuisine from Barbara Fenzl, who is owner of Les Gourmettes Cooking School in Phoenix, Arizona, and author of three cookbooks (one collaborated with Jacques Pepin) focused on the cuisine of the Southwest. She hosted a PBS television series, Savor the Southwest, which aired in over 90 cities! She also teaches at La Combe en Perigord in southern France, Rancho La Puerta in Mexico, and the Spa at Lake Austin in Texas. I was thrilled that she came to Desert Mountain (my community in Scottsdale) to teach on several occasions! I will be featuring some of my Southwestern recipes in future blogs, let me know if you enjoy!

 My friend Ruth grew up in the southwest, is an accomplished home chef, and a successful career woman. She has opened up my eyes to many southwestern dishes that are delicious and eye appealing, over the years. This is a salad she created for us one evening, a few months ago. It is soooo tasty, I asked her if she would share the recipe with me, so that I could recreate and share with my viewers! It is easy to make and oh so Delicious! Don't you just love all the colors!!

Three Pea Salad

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I have had a lot of requests for a Summer Salad that everyone will love! This is the one for you!! It can be made a head, can easily go to the family pot luck or picnic!!


This combination of sugar snap peas, snow peas and green peas-dressed in a champayne vinaigarette blended with a touch of creme fraiche- this is yum, yum, yummy! 

Back to Health Monday!! Joan's Wheat Berry salad

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Wheat berries pack a hefty nutritional punch. Just half a cup of the tiny kernels contain a little more than 100 calories and are a good source of fiber, protein and iron. Wheat berries are the native grain from which flour, bread and pasta are made. They are also delicious when cooked and added to soups, salads, vegetables and fruit dishes. Some recipes with wheat berries will specify that the grains be soaked prior to cooking. Although soaking the wheat berries is not a necessity, it will cut down on the cooking time.