red bell pepper

Easy Greek Chicken Kebabs

Boneless, skinless chicken breast marinated in the traditional Greek flavors of lemon, garlic and oregano then threaded on skewers with a few veggies makes these grilled chicken kebabs an easy and healthy weeknight dinner winner.

Dinner on the grill makes up about 95% of our summer dinner cooking routine, and with so much variety to be had (pork, steak, shrimp, and even cheese!) cooking skewers and kebabs is an easy, all-in-one healthy dinner that take as little as 15 minutes to marinate only about 15 minutes for the chicken kebabs to cook on the grill.

I’m not sure when I dropped the shish in shish kebabs, but whether you spell them kebabs or kababs, or maybe call them skewers too, these small chunks of chicken threaded on wooden or metal skewers with vegetable chunks are incredibly versatile to make.

Nearly every cuisine has it’s own ethnic flavor of chicken kebab (Indian, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Japanese and Thai) as a popular street food to eat on the go.

But today we’re staying at home to make our own, and cure my summertime Mediterranean flavor-craving with grilled Greek chicken kebabs, all day, all the way, babe-ae.

How to Make the Greek Chicken Marinade

This greek marinade is my favorite go-to recipe for anything and everything chicken and it does double duty as a dressing for salads too.continue to the recipe… about Easy Greek Chicken Kebabs

Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa

Comfort food chili cravings never tasted so healthy, until now. This easy slow cooker chili is protein-packed with lean ground turkey, light and dark kidney beans, plus quinoa for an extra safety-net protein source that will keep you filled and full all day long and into the night.

It’s 5:30 p.m. and the sun has set behind the mountains and the sky has already settled into dark. There’s a chill is in the air and comfort food is what we’re all craving now. Turkey Pot Pie? Mac and Cheese? Sausage Lasagna? All delicious in their own right, but not exactly the lightest of fare.

And now that the fall season is here, the wrangling and jostling for the T.V. remote has begun. The World Series? (go Dodgers!). The Voice? (I’m with J-Hud Productions). More tears and tissues while crying with This Is Us? (I mean, seriously!) Or finally, a new Walking Dead? (My Smudge and I are convinced our Big Daddy should be Negan for Halloween.)

Our television viewing habits are as hotly debated as what sounds best for dinner.

But tonight, there’s one less argument to make because Big Mama (that’s me) thought ahead (for once) and put dinner in the slow cooker. And just like that, a healthy dinner is served. And surprise, AliSmudge and Big Daddy don’t even complain that it’s oh-so good for them. But why would they? This homemade turkey chili is delish! And better yet, it’s so simple to make.continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa

Crunchy Asian Cucumber Watermelon Salad

All it takes to make this super simple, totally fresh, cucumber, watermelon and red bell pepper salad is a few minutes of chopping and an easy sesame and lime-flavored Asian dressing for a totally crunchy bite.

“But wait, I was going to make my Mediterranean panzanella salad…”

My recipe making plans were foiled once again. I had my heart set, but when my husband told me he was making his favorite Asian chicken lettuce wraps to take with us for our outdoor concert picnicking with the Drive By Truckers at SLC’s Red Butte Gardens, I said, “Hey, no big deal, I can switch things out to go with that.”

So with a simple pivot and a few ingredient swaps, I created a salad the fit right into my husband’s Asian-inspired menu plans.

That’s what I love about super simple recipes like this one: it doesn’t take much to change it to fit any ethnic flavor profile, creating something totally fresh and totally new that fits into whatever you’re craving now. Plus,because it’s sturdy ingredients, this one is a great salad for potlucks or brunch, lunch, or dinners, and it holds up in the fridge, even for a few days.continue to the recipe… about Crunchy Asian Cucumber Watermelon Salad

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

Nothing says summertime eating like a serving of the best, classic, old-fashioned, creamy macaroni salad with eggs and crisp vegetables dressed in a simple and creamy but still light mayonnaise dressing for any picnic, potluck, or barbecue.

Sometimes you just don’t mess around with the classics. While some might look at this macaroni salad recipe and think it’s too simple (where’s the twist? what makes it special? shouldn’t it be harder than this?) that’s exactly why it’s a time-proven favorite.

While I’ve always been a fan of potato salad (my mom’s potato salad recipe is THE BEST!) it’s taken me years to come around to macaroni salad. The reason being is that every time I tried one, it was never a good one. They were either too dry, too plain, or too heavily loaded with a goopy, flavorless mayo dressing that coated the macaroni like oil on a dipstick and likely came from a pre-packaged box from the deli counter—yes! That stuff usually comes from a box!

There’s nothing worse than that acrid taste of fake mayo macaroni salad. You know. You’ve been there.

But, this old-fashioned macaroni salad is everything those others were not. First off, it’s homemade—toss the box! It’s simple but well-seasoned. It’s dressed just right with a tangy but light mayo dressing. And the pasta is neither clumpy nor starchy, but smooth and satisfying with every bite.

I really do love this salad but I’m going to defer to my husband on this one, who as a self-proclaimed macaroni salad connoisseur did attest, “Honey, this is still the best macaroni salad I’ve had. Ever.”continue to the recipe… about How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

Outrageous Herbacious Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

This easy Mediterranean garbanzo bean salad is infused with flavor thanks to a heaping helping of fresh herbs with a garlicky lemon dressing that ups the crunch from red bell pepper, celery and red onion for a simple side dish or topping for greens.

Are you sick of me repeating myself yet?

I’ve said it before and I’ll likely say it 9,349 more times again: Salads are my favorite.

I’m far more tempted by a plate with a sampling of four varieties of salads than a plate of four desserts.

That’s why this salad, in all of it’s understated simplicity, is proof positive that eating real, whole foods doesn’t have to be a complicated affair when simplicity radiates from the whole ingredients its made with.continue to the recipe… about Outrageous Herbacious Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Creamy Chicken Pesto Penne with Broccoli

This creamy pasta combines the fresh bite of broccoli with grilled chicken in a creamy almond milk and pesto sauce, and is equally good served hot or chilled.

This post is brought to you by Almond Breeze

You don’t find balance, you create it. Everything in moderation. Too much of a good thing, is, well, too much.

These are all sayings to live by. I try. I really do try. But sometimes life gets the better of me and I find that little purple devil-horned emoji dude sitting square on my shoulder whispering in my ear, “You can have it. It’s just one bite. It’s not like it’s gonna kill you.”

But then that one bite turns into a whole meal, and that then turns into one week, and that makes it that much harder to get back on track.

But that’s where this creamy chicken pesto pasta recipe makes its power play. It’s creamy in a totally healthful way that cures my comfort cravings. It’s fresh broccoli and whole grain pasta turn off my guilt-0-meter. And with most of the ingredients simple to stock in the fridge, freezer and pantry, preparing it is far from a weeknight chore.continue to the recipe… about Creamy Chicken Pesto Penne with Broccoli

Salmon Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Leftover or canned salmon made into these crispy cakes creates a whole new meal with tons of flavor made extra delicious thanks to a super simple, creamy roasted red pepper sauce.

I have very vivid food memories of my childhood and I’ve shared so many of them with all of you here on the blog, with more to come. But one of the challenges I’ve struggled with over the past year or so is the fact that I’m not creating those same types of memories for my daughter.

Think about it. Most cooks rotate 10-20 favorite meals for dinner time. Some drop in and some drop out of the menu line-up, but mostly, our favorite recipes go on repeat.

Not when you’re a food blogger.continue to the recipe… about Salmon Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Latin Chipotle Quinoa Salad with Avocado

This simple Mexican-style quinoa salad gets tons of flavor from a dressing of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce sweetened over crunchy veggies, black beans and huge chunks of avocado.

Be forewarned, this might be one of those recipes you make once, then the next time you make it you’ll want to adapt it to suit your taste.

Than you chipotle peppers.

I think that challenge might be why they’re one of my favorite flavors, because they always keep me guessing.

I had this salad after picking it up at the grocery store when visiting my sister in Houston. I knew immediately I had to figure it out and share it here. I hope I’ve done it justice.

Word is, I did.

I took this salad to a 4th of July bbq and one of my friends who is gluten-free was SO happy someone had brought something besides pasta salad. Grateful even. I’m just here to make people happy to eat food. It’s my job.

continue to the recipe… about Latin Chipotle Quinoa Salad with Avocado

Chopped Grilled Vegetable Bowl with Farro and #FreshCoastRetreat

This vegetarian Mediterranean bowl is filled with grilled vegetables and farro, then topped with a garlic yogurt sauce, kalamata olives, feta and hummus.

Recipe inspiration comes in many forms. This recipe’s inspiration came from a mish mosh of veggies in my crisper and a trip to Michigan with a mish mosh of food bloggers.

Similarities in my kitchen and in my life never seem to end.

Thanks to my friends Liz of The Lemon Bowl, Dara of Cookin’ Canuck and Phi of Sweet Phi, the hosts of the #FreshCoastRetreat, 16 food bloggers reaped the benefits of connecting with one another, and the inspiration for this healthy, vegetarian, one-bowl meal was picqued.

But before I share more about the retreat, let’s talk about the recipe for this one-bowl meal.continue to the recipe… about Chopped Grilled Vegetable Bowl with Farro and #FreshCoastRetreat

Thai Zucchini Noodle and Quinoa Salad

Spiralized zucchini is the base of this crunchy raw vegetable salad that features a creamy, flavorful Thai peanut dressing for a healthy lunch or dinner.

I’ve been on a bit of a Thai kick lately, as witnessed by last week’s Shrimp in Thai Coconut Sauce.

Okay, I’ve been on a Thai kick, for, like, forever, as witnessed by this lengthy list of recipes here on le bloggity blog.

And after I ate the original version of this spiralized zucchini noodle aka zoodle recipe, I knew I had to add one more to the lineup.

Most likely, it won’t be the last. continue to the recipe… about Thai Zucchini Noodle and Quinoa Salad

Healthier Sweet and Sour Pork With The Clever Carrot

This recipe for the classic Chinese takeout dish is made healthier thanks to lean pork that’s sautéed instead of deep-fried, and a naturally sweetened honey balsamic stir fry sauce.

Emilie Raffa finds inspiration of all kinds, all around her.

In colors, textures, sounds, people, and travel.

Even in the form of a Hawaiian shirt. “The other day, I saw a complete stranger in a tropical t-shirt and suddenly, I was inspired to make a key lime pie (I ended up buying one at Trader Joe’s)!”

Like Emilie, we find inspiration everywhere we look, but we’re particularly inspired by her blog, The Clever Carrot. We’re captivated by her vivid images and charismatic charm, which pull us in with each post we read.

Her aesthetic is natural and unfussy, and her recipes (like this Healthier Sweet and Sour Pork from her new cookbook and shared at the bottom of this post) are seasonal, colorful, healthy, and creative.

But it isn’t just her great recipes and photography that lure us to her blog and her debut cookbook.

It’s her witty banter and totally engaging writing style that keep us coming back for each and every post. To discover what her young boys have gotten themselves into. Or to send her a virtual high five when her dad stops by to surprise her with the new issue of Oprah magazine where her recipes are featured (!).

In fact, it’s the combination of all of these reasons that Emilie was featured here on FoodieCrush as one of our 5 Food Blogs I’m Following Now. We may not be Oprah (cars for evvvvveryone!) but we do share her great taste!

When Emilie let us know she would be publishing a cookbook, we were elated, knowing if her book would be anything like her blog, we were in for a real treat.

And let’s make this clear. This cookbook isn’t just a listing of recipes. It’s smart. It’s a huge help in meal planning because it teaches how to use the precious time we have in the kitchen wisely. It truly delivers on strategies and tips and 100% lives up to it’s name, The Clever Cookbook: Get-Ahead Strategies and Timesaving Tips for Stress-Free Home Cooking.

If I were ever to publish a cookbook, it’s everything I would want my cookbook to be. But I don’t even need to think about that now. I have Emilie’s cookbook to save my day.continue to the recipe… about Healthier Sweet and Sour Pork With The Clever Carrot

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This healthy vegetarian quinoa salad makes for a simple lunch or dinner, thanks to staples like roasted red bell peppers, kalamata olives and feta from your fridge and pantry.

I get that feeling. I look at my watch. Scratch that, I look at the clock on my iPhone—after annoyingly plugging in my 4 number password twice because I have bubblethumbs—and realize, CRAP! It’s lunch!

Now what?

If I’m not going out to lunch with my husband (we’re pretty good at day-dating) you’ll find me in the kitchen adding odds and ends from the pantry and fridge for a cobbled together salad of leftovers, canned beans and anything with a pucker.

Where this salad may have started off without much of a thought in serving up me, myself and I for a one-on-one lunch, it proved its worth in spades when I pulled it out of my recipe hat and made it for a lunch to serve 16 food bloggers.

It’s a good one for that.

continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Beef with Broccoli Recipe and Crushing On Iowa Girl Eats

This incredibly easy but incredibly flavorful recipe for one of the most popular Chinese dishes can easily be made gluten-free or traditional style.

Kristin Porter has been entertaining us with healthy, easy recipes, motivational workout routines, travel tales, and more, since the birth of her blog, Iowa Girl Eats six years ago.

Suffice it to say, when she contacted me about creating an e-book about helping others go gluten-free by sharing her own story and personal struggles, I knew she had a winning formula and signed on right away. Her new e-cookbook and beginners guide, Gluten-Free for Beginners: 30 Day Meal Plan and Guide for Gluten-Free Success, is so much more than an e-book. It spells out everything one needs to lead a healthy, vibrant life by embracing their dietary needs.

First, contributor Hayley Putnam interviewed Kristin to find out more about her journey, where she’s been and the success she’s found now. Later in this post you’ll find one of the recipes from Kristin’s e-cookbook, Gluten-free Beef With Broccoli. Take it away Hayley.

continue to the recipe… about Beef with Broccoli Recipe and Crushing On Iowa Girl Eats

Classic Gazpacho Plus 5 More That’ll Make You Say “WOW!”

This classic, refreshing no-cook gazpacho is a mix of fresh veggies and store-bought tomato based vegetable juice for a perfect blend of smooth and chunky textures.

Why am I standing in the closet talking to my phone at 11:30 at night? My husband’s in bed. My Smudge has been tucked in for hours.

And I’m talking into my phone.

He probably thinks I’m crazy.

Or that I’m cheating on him with someone else on the line.

But I’m not either of those two. Or at least not the latter.

I’m dictating a blog post as I get ready for bed. Because something popped into my head, and Lord help me, if I don’t write it down, or talk it into my phone, the thought will disappear as quickly as my dog eats her dinner as if she hadn’t been fed for days. Oh…this brain of mine.

continue to the recipe… about Classic Gazpacho Plus 5 More That’ll Make You Say “WOW!”

Vietnamese Curry Chicken and Rice Noodle Salad Bowl

Curried chicken and rice noodles dressed with a lime and rice vinegar dressing, loads of fresh veggies and leafy green herbs make create a clean and healthy salad perfect for lunch or dinner.

At our house, our food cravings tend to lean in the regions of ethnic. Don’t get me wrong, we love a classic American Sunday dinner of pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, but when it comes to those dishes that make our mouth water with just a whisper of a mention, you’ll more often find us in other hemispheres of eating.

This Vietnamese noodle salad is one of those recipes that has been hanging around as a favorite staple in our kitchen for years. Literally years. I can’t even tell you how many times we’ve made it. Correction: How many times my husband has made it.

That’s probably why it took me 4 trips (FOUR TRIPS!) to the store in one afternoon — and back, and back, and back — to get just the right noodles.

My man. He’s particular about his noodles. And his curry chicken. Yet one more reason of the many that make me love him.

continue to the recipe… about Vietnamese Curry Chicken and Rice Noodle Salad Bowl

Thai Quinoa Salad

This power salad combines protein-packed grains with the healing nutrients from fresh veggies, for a lime-infused flavor bomb with crunch in each bite.

I think I’ve just been stung. By the looks of the welt beginning to swell, I’d have to affirm that I indeed I just did.

It’s what happens every year in spring. Wasps circle as the dogs try and nip them in mid air. This one got away from them, and headed straight to me.

I suppose that’s what I get for writing this post in the warmth of this spring afternoon on my deck instead of hunkered in front of my computer in my office.

I’ll take the sting. Sitting in the sun makes it worth it.

continue to the recipe… about Thai Quinoa Salad

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

There are many a day when I comb through the pantry looking for a snack to cure my craving.

A handful of potato chips dunked into cottage cheese was my go-to after school treat as a kid that I can’t seem to shake. And yes! Those Hot Tamales will keep me busy all afternoon as I pick the red jelly insides from my back molars. And don’t make me tell you where I keep my secret stash of dark chocolate with sea salt. Because I won’t.

Sometimes I do want it all—all naughty and not necessarily healthy.

Sometimes.

But most of the time the foodie devil on my left shoulder gets shot down by the secret angel on my right who deftly guides me to the lighter side of snacking with some hefty flavor.

continue to the recipe… about Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Herbed Ricotta

It’s mid-summer and I am soaking it in. Even my numbed-by-pain-killers-broken-wrist can’t dull the memories in my post-week-at-the-beach-where-did-the-humidity-go-summer-lovin-skin. It’s what summer’s all about and I have the tan to prove it.

With just 2 more weeks of July we’re narrowing down to the final 2 recipes for FoodieCrush Grilling Month. Break out the ticker tape because this week it’s a parade of a veggies on the grill.

So far this month we’ve sharpened our grilling skills with recipes for Grilled Pork Chops with Spicy Balsamic Grilled Peaches and headed to the sea for a bite of Grilled Swordfish with Smoked Paprika and Herbed Fruit Salsa. This week we’re circling back to dry land and the farmer’s market to take advantage of summer’s opulence.

Too often we get caught in our tried and true methods of steaming, baking and sautéeing when it comes to cooking veggies. But it’s summer, time to shake things up by biking rather than driving, wearing short shorts instead of maxi skirts and smiling extra sweetly at the cute barrista who always gets your name right…just because you know you can.

And when it comes to cooking, it’s time to break out of the expected because it’s summer and the grill is where the flavor. is. at.

continue to the recipe… about Grilled Vegetable Sandwich with Herbed Ricotta

Grilled Shrimp Vietnamese Spring Rolls

One of the things I’ve read in self-help business books, absorbed from my favorite podcasts and basically just learned along the way of life is that the most successful people are the ones who delegate.

Delegation = Getting Shit Done.

Once upon a time I fancied myself a great delegator. I could look at a situation, see the vision of what needed to get done, figure out the most efficient path to achieve it and direct the peeps in my camp to go forth and prosper.

But lately, I feel like I’ve lost my knack in finding the track. And it’s left me feeling a little defeated and floundering like a fish out of water.

That said, my husband will still say I’m bossy. I prefer to call it delegating to others by educating them in my view of efficiencies. Okay, I admit it, I’m a nag.

So why is it so hard to let others help? To not just do it all yourself? To share those details you’ve learned in the school of hard knocks? Hey, it’s okay to stop being the martyr!

One of the best and worst parts of working as a solopreneur behind the curtain of a 27-inch HD computer screen is exactly that: you work by yourself. You do the drudge work, you own the good with the bad.

But you can also find yourself reverting to that 6-year-old who has to learn how to share—all over again.

Because when you share, good things happen.

continue to the recipe… about Grilled Shrimp Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Chicken Sausage Pasta and a Virtual Baby Shower

This recipe for roasted red pepper pasta has been rattling around in my head for a while. It just needed an occasion to be born to the world. So why not deliver it in celebration of a virtual baby shower for one of my favorite food bloggers, the insanely funny and talented Bev of Bev Cooks.

If you’re a food blogger, you know Bev. She’s a regular voyeur on most blogs, commenting on bloggers’ recipes with announcements like, “GET IN MY FACE!” or “Where’s my diving board? I’m going in.” And with her blogging raves about Wilson Phillips and Phillip Phillips and probably other Phillips we don’t even know about, we all know she has her obsessions. Which is pretty much how we all feel about her recipes. Obsessed.

Whenever I think of Bev, I think of…well…sarcasm accompanied by juuuuuuust a litttttttle drama. Her burgeoning belly, thanks to being just one month away from delivering TWINS! Whoa, she’s a better woman than I. And some seriously delish comfort food. Pasta. Pizza. Crazy inspirations like Chicken Taco Twists and Buffalo Shrimp Tostadas.

I can only imagine what she dreams about at night. Okay, maybe I don’t want to do that.

But I do know one thing she’s been dreaming of. Make that two. Those little babes cooking in her belly. Will and Natalie. Soon to join the world. 20 baby toes to nuzzle. I’m a tad jealous of all of the baby love that will be going on.

continue to the recipe… about Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Chicken Sausage Pasta and a Virtual Baby Shower

Sausage and Marsala Pappardelle Pasta

We all have our favorite recipes. And we all have vices. This recipe combines the best (best?) of both of them in my little world.

I’ve been sitting on this recipe ever since I started blogging. It’s one of those recipes I make it at least once a month, a favorite staple in our house and one I break out when company shows up unexpectantly because I always have the ingredients on hand.

But because it’s such a favorite for dinner, it’s usually dark by the time I’m done cooking and we’re hungry and there’s no light to take a pretty picture or any pasta left anyway. Oh, the life of a food blogger, balancing hunger pains of the family for you my lovely readers.continue to the recipe… about Sausage and Marsala Pappardelle Pasta

Thai Basil Chicken and 5 Savory Basil-Enhanced Pasta Recipes

I plant basil in my garden every year. Which traditionally has translated to a bumper crop. But this year, meh. It was pretty much a bust.

My sweet basil bit the dust early, the purple basil was pretty much anemic all summer and my pineapple basil? Let’s just say next time I’ll stick to enjoying the fruit in my pina coladas.

But one basil did survive and even almost thrived. My beloved, licorice enhanced Thai basil. What’s the diff? Oh honey. Oh so much and that much more.

continue to the recipe… about Thai Basil Chicken and 5 Savory Basil-Enhanced Pasta Recipes