edamame

Thai Quinoa Salad

This easy Thai quinoa salad combines protein-rich grains with healthy nutrients from fresh veggies, for a lime-infused flavor bomb with crunch in each bite.

This easy Thai quinoa salad combines protein-rich grains with healthy nutrients from fresh veggies, for a lime-infused flavor bomb with crunch in each bite. It’s great as a side for potlucks and as a main when you add chopped chicken. It’s also an easy and complete weekday lunch too.

I remember being at a Weight Watchers meeting where a woman emphatically stated that she did. NOT. like. quinoa. There was no changing her mind. But in my head I couldn’t figure out why she was putting up the quinoa roadblock.

Quinoa is one of my favorite protein sources, probably because it’s so unassuming. Like a seventh grade girl, it takes on the flavors it’s paired with.

For this quinoa salad, that means the salty flavors of a limey Thai dressing with plenty of veggie crunch. It’s the perfect side dish or main meal if you’re feeling the hug of your waistline just a little too much.

Quinoa is a bona fide super food. It’s gluten-free, packed with protein, fiber and flavonoids with studies showing it as an anti-inflammatory. It’s also loaded with antioxidants to keep those free radicals at bay.

continue to the recipe… about Thai Quinoa Salad

Asian Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe

Crunchy ramen noodles and cabbage make this easy Asian ramen noodle salad with an addictive dressing an instant picnic and pot luck favorite.

This salad is pretty enough to take a picture of. And pretty enough to share that pic. That’s why today I’ve partnered with Adobe to share a new app they’ve developed for your smart phone that makes it incredibly easy to resize and add text to your smart phone photos, even for the tech challenged.

Because isn’t good food meant to be shared? I’d say so.

That’s why I love sharing recipes that have stood the test of time. The recipes that when you’re stumped as to what to make, you just go to the proven standards that you’ve made over and over and over again..

That is this Asian Ramen Noodle Salad. It’s probably on the all-time top 10 list of the most-favorite, often-requested, go-to-because-it’s-incredibly-easy pot luck and picnic salads. Ever.

Funnily, it’s not a salad I normally make for an average Wednesday night dinner. And I have no idea why not. It’s always just seemed to have that retro, convivial sharing quality. It’s a salad meant to be eaten with a crowded table of friends and family gathered round a bunch of burgers and beers at the BBQ.

But then, what isn’t?

Probably one reason this Asian ramen salad has stood the test of entertaining time is that it is incredibly easy to make and lasts for a beyond average length of time on the card table draped with a tablecloth disguised as an elegant banquet buffet.

Or is that just at my house?

Or maybe it’s so popular because it bears the ying and yang of sweet and savory. It’s the teriyaki chicken of Asian salads. It’s non-threatening, there’s nothing too weird in it, and it’s a salad that nearly every picky eater will try. Even the onions!

For today’s recipe post I wanted to create an image with the ingredients on the photo to share on Instagram and Facebook—and for you to download if you’d like. I made it with Adobe Post and I’m sharing how I did it at the end of this post.

But first, the recipe…

continue to the recipe… about Asian Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe

7 Spice Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

Homemade Japanese 7 Spice (Shichimi Togarashi) infuses homemade teriyaki sauce to boost the flavors of this healthy teriyaki chicken bowl, featuring chicken thighs, edamame, and sushi rice.

There’s a trend afoot. A food trend you’re seeing right, left and center, and it starts with a capital F. No, we’re not talking french fries, fondue, or finger food. While I dig all of those and am especially partial to another F-word (I mean my my mom’s Fudge), they’re not on the scale for making major inroads into every cook’s kitchen.

So what F word is trending? It’s simple, really. The big F starts with flavor. Cooking these days is all about flavor. Trés trendy? Or just good, old fashioned recipe making? I’m betting it’s both.continue to the recipe… about 7 Spice Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

Sesame Shrimp With Asian Greens Rice Bowl

This sesame shrimp stir fry with Swiss chard, edamame, and spinach, and served over brown rice for a quick, easy, and healthy recipe for a weeknight dinner!

You’re right there with me, aren’t you? Please say yes.

All the new year resolutions are in full swing. Exercise more. Be kind. Take 10,000 steps. Drink less wine. Drink more water. Get organized. Have better life balance. And of course, eat better—and healthier.

But will those (re)solutions turn into actual habits? Yes. Yes they can.

Let’s do this together, okay?

continue to the recipe… about Sesame Shrimp With Asian Greens Rice Bowl