Dr. Seuss once wrote, “Remember that life’s a great balancing act,” and with every passing year, I nod in agreement more and more. This quote sticks in my head, particularly as I zip from work to school to sporting events to library to kitchen with the kids. It seems like so much of our life is spent on the go, heading to or from one thing or another. And that’s not a bad thing. I am all for a full and active life. But sometimes at the end of the day, you just want to curl up and do nothing.

That rarely happens — there is always more to be done.

Still, you can help the balance tilt closer to center by choosing easy dishes for dinner when you’re so busy. It’s a logical choice — something simple that takes the pressure off. This shrimp dish? Ridiculously simple.

This recipe is based on a basic method for sauteing shrimp that I use often. Start by cooking the just-seasoned raw shrimp in a little olive oil. Add a little liquid (white wine is a fave), cover and cook for a few minutes. Then uncover and let the liquid evaporate. Done, and all it took was about 10 minutes. It always yields tender, juicy, well-seasoned shrimp. With the addition of Chinese five-spice seasoning, these get a sweet-spicy twist that’s irresistible.

So, yes, shrimp is a great choice for a super quick meal — especially when your kids love shrimp like mine do.

After a day of sporting events this weekend, the kids and I dashed into the grocery store for a few things for dinner. They didn’t know it, but shrimp were on the menu. Shrimp cook so quickly and are always a huge hit. When we neared the fish counter, Paige looked at the display and then turned to me, “Mommy, can we have shrimp? They’re my faberite.” It was so easy to say yes.

Sauteed Five Spice Shrimp
serves 4

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp dry white wine

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and season with Chinese five spice, salt and pepper. Let cook, flipping once, until almost opaque (about 5 minutes). Add the wine and cover. Cook for 2 minutes. Uncover and cook until the wine evaporates, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately.

When Will started playing soccer three years ago, I was adamant that I wasn’t a soccer mom. Nor would I ever be. At time, it was a distinction that mentally didn’t jive with who I was. Yes, I was a mother. Yes, I had a child paying soccer. But I wasn’t the mom with the minivan, doling out snacks and managing homework while simultaneously watching soccer practice. No, I was a working writer with deadlines who took meetings in New York regularly and also managed to get her son to soccer on time. I’m still most of those things (getting anywhere on time can be a challenge and I take a lot more conference calls than face-to-face meeting these days), but I’m also a lot more comfortable with where I am. Perhaps even who I am.

Back when I bucked at the idea of being a soccer mom, I still harbored fantasies that my family would move to Manhattan or Brooklyn. I thought that being closer to the publishing industry would boost my work and provide opportunities to the kids that they can’t have here. It’s true, but it’s not everything. I can do my job from here and be happy. My kids have plenty of opportunity here too. And we can always run into the city to enjoy all those things. It’s not that I don’t still love the city. I do. But when I close my eyes and picture my ideal home, it’s not a New York brownstone (as much as I wish it was), it’s a home on a beach with waves lapping the shore.

Maybe it’s getting older, but I feel like it’s time to just admit that I love the beach more than I love the city. I adore New York. Going in for meetings or brunch or for visits with the kids makes me so happy. But the beach is home.

As for being a soccer mom, that’s okay too. Looking back, I really don’t know what was wrong with the image to me. Perhaps it just didn’t fit then. Or maybe I was just in denial. It doesn’t matter though. I’m okay with it now. It’s fun even.

Being comfortable with who I am and where I am in life is an important thing. It’s like a warm embrace. Or comfort food shared among loved ones. Risotto, to me, falls firmly into that comfort food category (and is loved much like the beach).

If you are scared to make risotto yourself, don’t be. The first time or two is a little nerve-wracking. But risotto is generally easy to make despite being time consuming and requiring organization and preparation. Before you start cooking, you need to gather your ingredients, chop and mince everything that needs it and have pretty much everything measured. You also need to warm the stock so that it absorbs easier into the rice. If you’ve done that, then you just quickly cook the garlic, rice and add the white wine. Then, once it’s absorbed you just stir in one ladle of stock at a time, letting it absorb into the rice, until you’ve used it all. Then you stir in the seasonings and veggies and cheese and voila, you have a craveworthy dish.

You can do this. I swear. Just give yourself time to do it right.

And yes, the cheese is important. It finishes off the delicate, creamy risotto on a graceful note. I always grate mine from a block just before using so that the Parmesan I swirl in is at its softest and freshest. The little things like this make a difference.

Herbs stirred into this risotto brighten the flavor of this creamy, sweet roasted vegetable dotted dish. It’s a combination that will envelop you in its happy flavors — especially those roasted vegetables. I don’t think I will ever tire of roasted veggies. They have a special spark to them.

The only problem with making this is that I immediately want to make it again the next night. And the next. Or maybe that’s not a problem.

What’s your ideal place to call home?

Garlicky Roasted Spring Vegetable Herbed Risotto
serves 4

1 1/2 cups cut fresh asparagus (1-inch pieces)
4-5 spring onions, sliced thin
1 shallot, chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock (unsalted recommended), warmed
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss together the asparagus, spring onions, shallot, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper in an oval baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are lightly browned and slightly more tender than crisp.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and tender but not browned. Stir in the rice and toss to coat. Cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the white wine and cook, stirring occasionally until fully absorbed. Add one ladle of stock, stirring well after the addition, and let cook until fully absorbed. Repeat until all the stock has been added and absorbed. Stir in the vegetables and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Enjoy immediately.

“Winter was not kind to my body this year.” Those words escaped my lips at the beach last week. It erupted forward before I could self-censor myself and tuck the sentiment away. My cousins, to whom I spoke, quickly tried to argue with compliments, a sweet gesture but the scale doesn’t lie. I’ve put on more weight than I am comfortable carrying around. I hate it. And I especially hate the constant battle with my weight. What happened to the days when my weight was constant? (Yes, I know the answer: age, time, kids, work, stress, rinse, repeat.)

Then one of my cousins suggested we all try the Mediterranean diet, which is more a lifestyle or eating philosophy than diet. I’m familiar with the principals of the Mediterranean diet, which I have loosely followed for several years. In the past few months, I’ve been lax about it … Perhaps that’s to blame for the weight gain. Anyway, I agreed. We’re trying it.

The Mediterranean diet is inspired by the actual diet of folks in the Mediterranean region.  Before modeling my own diet after it, I researched it a bit and read The Mediterranean Prescription. Basically, you eat lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Olive oil is used freely. You can dairy in moderation. Fish is eaten several times a week, along with some poultry. Healthy fats and red wine are ok too — in moderation. Red meat is seldom had.

As far as eating styles go, this is something I can really get behind. It’s natural to me to eat lots of fruits and veggies. And 12-grain bread is my absolute favorite. The challenge for me is to eat enough fish. And to eat red meat seldom (I typically have it once a week). But these are things that I can overcome.

Our conversation and collective decision inspired me to pick up flounder fillets when I was at the store this weekend. Flounder is a low mercury fish, and these thin wild-caught fillets were perfect for the recipe I had in mind. This is something I’ve made a few times, using whatever white fish I had handy. It’s good with catfish fillets, cod or tilapia as well.

Basically, the fish is bathed in an olive oil garlic mixture, salted and topped with fragrant thyme. Yes, it sounds like a lot of olive oil, but in reality you don’t eat all that oil — and the flavor it gives is worth it.

Then you bake it until the fish flakes effortlessly when pricked with a fork. Serve it with lemon wedges (yes, it’s required. Lemon and fish is a must). It’s a simple recipe, but one that produces a tender, delicate fish that the kids and I love.

What about you? Do you have an eating philosophy you follow?

Oven Poached Flounder with Garlic and Olive Oil
serves 4

1 lb flounder fillets (thin fillets — about 1/4 inch thick)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme (one for each fillet)
sea salt
lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with cooking oil spray. Rinse the flounder under cool water and arrange in the pan.

Whisk together the olive oil and garlic. Then pour over the flounder. Place a spring of thyme on each piece of flounder.

Salt, to taste, with sea salt.

Slide the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

A salad like this is a perfect ending to a cheery day. It hits all the right notes — crisp, crunchy, sweet, savory and belly-filling. And despite the length of the ingredients list, it’s ready in 10 minutes or less. An invaluable recipe to have in your repertoire, right?

This healthful salad was actually the ultimate finish to my Friday, the last weekday of spring break for my kids. We’d had a playful day filled with laughter, thrills and our collective favorite place — the beach. Yes, again.

What really made it significant though was that the whole week had been filled with memory-making good times. That’s no small feat, considering it was a work week for me. It was as though I had a fundamental shift in thinking that allowed me to just let go and enjoy — while still keeping up with all my work responsibilities. Good times, people.

But I will be the first to admit that the merriment of Spring Break 2012 is a complete 180 from previous years. In the past, the words ‘spring break’ have made me shudder. I struggled to balance work with having the kids home, and never seemed to do it well. Instead of enjoying spring break, the inevitable disruption in our schedule was an overwhelming challenge. And then there were all my good intentions of being one of those families that actually traveled during spring break. It never happened, a reality that inevitably produced dreaded feelings of inadequacy. Spring break in past years was just a bundle of blech.

This year was different. Anticipating the start of spring break, I was excited for the welcome respite. We’ve been in a whirlwind of activity for the past few months, including the week we were away. The beautiful weather and not wanting to travel (yes, really) made a difference too.

You know what else made a difference? Being a little spontaneous. Little excursions — to the playground, to the beach (um, twice) and even to track practice with friends — made the week really count. The little things can really mean so much.

So spring break this year? It was awesome. Summer vacation can’t come fast enough now.

While I can’t fast-forward through the last two months of school (and really, I wouldn’t want to … there is something to be said for anticipation), I can clutch a tiny bit of summer by trading the heavy foods of winter for the lighter bites of summertime — like this Edamame Chicken Dinner Salad.

A little more about the salad … This is crazy simple to make. Start with a bed of lettuce. Top with cucumber, tomatoes and roasted red peppers. Fry up a slice of bacon (yes, just one) and then brown edamame in the grease (ok … that I could have made a little healthier, but everything in moderation, right?). Top the salad with the bacon (crumbled, of course), edamame, a sliced grilled chicken breast (perhaps leftover from last night?) and a little oil and great quality balsamic vinegar. Oh, and a touch of salt and pepper.

Done. Grab your fork and dig in. It’s calling to you. Seriously.

So tell me … how do you feel about spring break? Is it something to look forward to, or a total dread fest?

Edamame Chicken Dinner Salad
serves 1

2 cups sweet baby lettuce
1/2 cup peeled, sliced and quartered cucumbers
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers
1 slice bacon
1/4 cup shelled edamame (frozen is ok)
4 oz grilled chicken breast, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar (best quality)
salt and pepper, to taste

Arrange the lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and roasted red peppers in a large bowl.

Heat a small skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook till crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and let cool. Add the edamame to the skillet and cook, shaking the pan occasionally for 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned.

Crumble the bacon onto the salad. Top with edamame and chicken breast (hot or cold, it’s your choice). Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

On Sundays, I cook. Maybe it’s cliche, I don’t know. But Sunday is the day when I make a big batch of something for lunch that we can nibble from during the week. Hopefully that something is also good for Will’s lunch on Monday too. It’s also the day that I usually bake to fill the cookie jar, which is a fun indulgence. Oh and I test out new recipes too.

Sunday is also the day that we go to the library and enjoy fresh donuts from the local bakery. If I have time, I sit on the couch and read too, getting lost in books. It’s a good day.

This past Sunday started out busy. Too busy. I was rushed, so my breakfast was merely the coffee I drank before dashing out the door with the kids. Don’t worry – they ate, polishing off special toasted bread, berries and more. By the time we arrived home for lunch, I was beyond starving, which added some pressure. Lunch couldn’t be complicated. No, it needed to be fast, simple and still be worth making and eating.

Fortunately, I have a few tricks that I turn to for a quickie meal for the kids and I. First, I keep chicken sausage in my fridge (and freezer). Precooked chicken sausage is so easy to heat up and serve. I’ve served fat apple maple links with omelets for lunch. Sweet Italian chicken sausage with sauce for dinner. Caprese sausage with mashed potatoes. This weekend, we were down to two varieties: spicy mango or chicken chorizo. I opted for the latter.

Second, beyond having a treasure trove of uses for the sausage, I have my standby dish, which is basically a formula for a foolproof throw together pasta: 8 oz dried pasta (cooked) + 4 cooked and sliced sausage links + cheese of choice + tomatoes, peppers or vegetables, all tossed with a touch of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. It couldn’t be easier.

For this week’s dish, I combined the slightly spicy chorizo with salty feta and sweet diced tomatoes. It was a symphony of flavors and textures that was different enough to not seem repetitive, but familiar enough to make us enjoy it. With the mere addition of salt, pepper and walnut oil, the dish was transformed from a bunch of random ingredients into something that the kids couldn’t wait to eat again (a good thing, since we had it for dinner tonight too).

There’s already been requests for me to make this again. Sounds like a winner.

Do you have a go-to dish? What is it?

Toss Together Chorizo, Feta and Tomato Pasta
serves 4

8 oz medium shells pasta
4 chicken Chorizo sausage (precooked)
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp walnut oil (or extra virgin olive oil, if you prefer)

Prepare the pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the Chorizo up (I do it in the oven at 375 for about 8 minutes). Let it cool slightly and then slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds.

Once the pasta is done, drain it well and then add to a large bowl. Add the sausage, tomato and feta. Toss well. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Toss again.

Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

I’ve probably said this a million times, but sometimes the simplest preparation — like roasting vegetables with just olive oil, salt and pepper — can yield the most extraordinary results. That’s the case with this Roasted Vegetable Quinoa, a bake that’s sweet, savory and totally craveworthy, which I made for a special dinner over the weekend.

This past weekend, the kids and I loaded into my car and headed south to New Jersey for a Bloggers Valentine Feast with Joanne from Eats Well with Others and Cate from Sweetnicks. The drive takes just under two hours, which usually means the kids play and talk the whole way there and sleep the whole way home. This is our second food bloggers holiday get-together in the past year, the first being our Thanksgiving Feast.

What I love most about getting together with the girls is that the little quirks of being a food blogger and writer don’t phase them — because they do the same things. Delaying dinner for photos? No one complains. Cameras being omnipresent? No biggie. And my kids see that they aren’t the only ones with a mom who is constantly photographing everything.

When I was deciding what to contribute to the dinner, Cate immediately requested Cheesy Heart-Shaped Crackers, which I made a version of using puff pastry (I was out of pie crust dough). The pie crust version is definitely my favorite, but the airy puff pastry crackers were totally gobbled up. (Note: if you make them with puff pastry, the cooking time increases to 12-15 minutes, until golden and puffed.)

For my second dish, I wanted to go simple with items I already had in the pantry and fridge. Vegetables are literally everywhere in my kitchen, and we eat a ton of them, so something that used them seemed a natural fit. Roasted vegetables sprung to mind — they are easy to prepare and the roasting brings out the natural sweetness in them. I seriously can’t get enough of roasted vegetables. I literally roast everything. But why stop there? Mixing the vegetables with cooked quinoa — a fabulous source of protein — and a little parmesan cheese took the whole thing from yum to satisfying and meal-worthy.

Everyone enjoyed it. Always a good thing.

Ready in about an hour, Roasted Vegetable Quinoa is easy but a little more time consuming than you might want for a weeknight. So whip it up on the weekend and enjoy the cold leftovers for lunch for days. Love a meal that does double duty like that.

Are you a quinoa fan?

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa
serves 6

1 large red onion, quartered and sliced
2 cups quartered fresh Brussels sprouts
1 broccoli crown, chopped (stem too!)
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle more
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking oil spray. Prepare the vegetables and combine them in the baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the vegetables are soft and some are slightly golden.

Meanwhile, combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a heavy rolling boil. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or so until the water is all absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Little white tendrils should be trailing around.

Once the vegetables are done, add the quinoa to the pan and stir well to combine. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil. Taste and season as desired with additional salt and pepper. Then, sprinkle with parmesan. Serve warm or cooled.

The kids and I have been establishing new routines this year. We’ve shed the lazy weekends that used to feel so empty and instead started packing Saturday and Sunday tight with grocery shopping at the good store, cooking, library time, church and family dinner with our extended family. Though I thought the structure of weekend routines would be a burden, it’s really made the weekends feel longer and more fulfilling. I guess it goes to show that change really is good.

Since Sundays seem to be our most packed day, I usually try to make a fast, homemade meal for lunch that can double as lunch for Will during the week. It makes life easier during our early morning rush and also means that we don’t have to rely on sandwiches for school lunch. Variety is a good thing.

This recipe, adapted from Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut “Pesto” in The Food Matters Cookbook, was perfect for that. It takes about five minutes to make. Total. You simply whirl the ingredients in the food processor — garlic first, then with the walnuts and sunflower seeds, then with the basil and red peppers and finally with the olive oil. Season it, stir in the cheese and you are good to go. If you can successfully operate your food processor, you can totally make this.

The flavor of this pesto is tangy, slightly sweet and a little bold. Like stripes with plaid. Toss it with pasta, quinoa or whatever for a simple and easy meal. You could also use it as a sandwich spread or on crostini. Or, hey, spread some on some pizza instead of marinara sauce. Mmm.

This is week three of The Food Matters Project! Get the original recipe at Girlichef. Also, visit The Food Matters Project page to see more posts about this recipe.

Roasted Red Pepper, Sunflower and Walnut Pesto
yields 8 servings
adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
7-8 roasted red bell peppers
1 cup fresh basil, optional
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Add the garlic to the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly to break up. Add the walnuts and sunflower seeds to the food processor and pulse until the pieces are even sizes (5-6 times. Add the roasted peppers and basil. Run the food processor and pour in the olive oil in a thin stream until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parmesan. Use with two days or freeze in small portions for later.

Last year, a restaurant dedicated solely to macaroni and cheese opened nearby. Shawn and I had heard about it months in advance and were so excited to try it. Once it opened, we were almost instantly there with the kids. The premise is genius — take a classic comfort food and make it a bunch of different ways. Serve it in skillets. The restaurant has really taken off and is even expanding into a larger space.

Pretty awesome, right?

Well, eating there has made me rethink mac and cheese. I’ve always been of the creamy cheddar mac and cheese persuasion. But it can be so much more — you can change up the cheeses, do more than one, add toppings, mix-ins and drizzles. And you can bake it (or not). There is so much room for adaptation with basic macaroni and cheese.

This one? I was mulling over it after having a pulled pork macaroni and cheese at that mac and cheese place. So when the Wisconsin Cheese Board contacted me about participating in their annual 30 Days 30 Ways with Macaroni and Cheese, I immediately sent this idea over. They loved it as much as I did. Head over there to read my blog post on my mac and cheese philosophy.

Then come back, so you can read a little more about this plate of heaven. It’s okay … I’ll wait.

Now, about this recipe … It’s like a BBQ joint on high.

The silky cheese sauce is laced with a familiar smokiness usually reserved for fall-off-the-bone-tender treats from the smoker. You can thank the Apple Smoked Wisconsin Cheddar and the smoky brisket on top (I used leftover Smoky Slow Cooker Beef Brisket). But it doesn’t stop there … it’s drizzled with sweet honey barbecue sauce and sprinkled with sharp Wisconsin blue cheese.

When you dig in with your fork, you have to stab a bit of the creamy macaroni and a piece of the brisket — preferably one that is laced with barbecue and blue cheese. It’s a total explosion of flavor … kind of like when they shoot off all the confetti at the end of the Super Bowl. (Psst – This would be perfect to make for Super Bowl Sunday.) If you like mac and cheese and brisket, you will adore this. Swear.

Be sure to check out all the mac and cheese posts at 30 Days 30 Ways with Macaroni and Cheese. Heaven!

Smoked Cheddar and Blue Cheese Brisket Macaroni and Cheese
serves 8

1 lb macaroni
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon ground mustard
8 oz freshly grated Wisconsin Apple Smoked Cheddar Cheese
kosher salt, to taste
2 cups leftover beef brisket
¼ cup honey barbecue sauce
4 oz crumbled Wisconsin blue cheese

Cook the macaroni according to package directions.

While the macaroni is cooking, heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the flour and cook until the mixture is smooth and liquid-y. Whisk in the milk and ground mustard. Cook, whisking occasionally, until  well combined and hot.

Whisk in the Apple Smoked Cheddar Cheese until smooth (if necessary, raise the heat on the burner a little to aid the cheese in melting). Taste and season as needed with salt.

Combine the cooked macaroni and the cheese sauce and pour into an ungreased 9×13-inch glass baking pan. Smooth into one layer.

Spread the brisket over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Drizzle with barbecue sauce and sprinkle all over with blue cheese.

Set the broiler to high. Slide the macaroni and cheese into the oven placing it about four-inches from the element. Broil for 5-10 minutes until hot and bubbly. The blue cheese should start to lightly brown in places.

Serve immediately.

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Disclosure: I was compensated for the ingredients that went into developing this recipe. All opinions are my own.

I’m mildly obsessed with superfruits, which are basically the health super heroes of the fruit world. They provide so many valuable nutrients like antioxidants and just taste so good too. Really, I can’t get enough of pomegranates, adore blueberries and crave cranberries (which are huge here in New England). Recently, I got to try another superfruit — tart cherries.

Are you familiar with tart cherries? I wasn’t until a big ol’ package of them arrived in my mailbox recently courtesy of the Cherry Marketing Institute and Kitchen PLAY. But after one sweet-and-sour taste I realized two things: I’ve had them before, and the tangy flavor is slightly addictive. They are available all year in frozen, dried  or juice form. The dried are my fave and make a great addition to salads, cookies and trail mixes. But the frozen ones are delicious too and they can be used in sweet or savory dishes.

So, what about these healthy attributes to the tart cherry? According to the Cherry Marketing Institute, more than 50 studies on tart cherries linked it to anti-inflammatory benefits, arthritis pain reduction and heart health benefits. It might even be helpful for post-workout recovery.

Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon with Rustic Tart Cherry Salsa is a great way to get some tart cherries into your diet (Psst! February is National Cherry Month). For this recipe, I used frozen tart cherries to make a slightly spicy and very zesty salsa that goes so well with the sweet Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon. The contrast of zesty spiciness and sweetness is irresistible. It’s the kind of thing that could lead to licking the plate clean … if no one is looking, of course.

Also, this is a recipe easy enough to make for a quick lunch or dinner. It’s ready in about 30 minutes, total … though you could also make it low-effort when you are in a pinch by making the salsa ahead of time. Save leftover salsa for dipping tortilla chips in or enjoying over tacos.

Have you had tart cherries before? Do you like them?

Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon with Rustic Tart Cherry Salsa
serves 4

Salsa:

1 cup chopped tart cherries (thawed from frozen)
1 small red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 tbsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
salt and pepper, to taste

Salmon:

1 lb salmon fillet, cut into four pieces
1/4 cup tart cherry juice (I used juice from the frozen cherries)
1/4 cup honey

In a medium bowl, stir together the ingredients for the salsa until well combined. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil or parchment (foil preferred). Rinse the salmon fillets under cool water and pat dry with a paper towel. Arrange on the baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cherry juice and honey. Spread half of the mixture over the salmon fillets, reserving the second half.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes until just about cooked through. Drizzle the second half of the tart cherry-honey mixture over the fillets and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes until slightly golden at the edges.

Serve the salmon fillets on a bed of greens with the tart cherry salsa on top. Enjoy!

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Cherry Marketing Institute and Kitchen PLAY. I am being compensated for developing this recipe and also for writing this blog post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Also, there is a special giveaway going on at Kitchen PLAY right now. Here are the details:

The Cherry Marketing Institute is also sponsoring a delicious giveaway at Kitchen PLAY. Simply recreate one or more recipes from this month’s Progressive Party, post about the experience on your blog and provide a link to your post on Kitchen PLAY to enter.  All qualifying bloggers in each course will be entered to win the following prize pack shipped directly to each winner (valued at $100).

- A recipe rock- Sur La Table red measuring cup set- Sur La Table red mixing bowls, set of three- Yaritza apron- 1 lb bag of dried tart cherries
- 1 bottle of tart cherry juice
- branded cherries toteNo purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited. Open to US residents only. The deadline is February 29, 2012. Please review the complete contest rules before entering. Good luck!

This dish is uncomplicated. It’s simple — just a few basic ingredients prepared without fuss. It’s a dish that proves that good food doesn’t require a lot of steps, ingredients or time.

Really, it doesn’t. Food can be amazing just by preparing it in a different way than you are used to. Tired of boiled? Try steamed. Tired of raw? Try sauteed. Or roast! Roasting is a perfect way to switch up your vegetable routine without getting fussy.

This dish has a naturally sweet flavor with ribbons of savory and salty running through it. Roasting each of these vegetables alone — butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and onions — draws out an inherent sweetness. They’re delicious. But roast them together — and with the magical ingredients of olive oil, salt and pepper — and they become this trifecta of sweet-savory goodness. This is the dish you make when you want to have an uncomplicated comforting dinner.

Serve this over brown rice, which brings a light nuttiness to the flavor as well.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts and Onions

serves 4

2 cups diced butternut squash (about 3/4-inch dice)

2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

1 white onion, peeled, quartered and sliced thin

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with either nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the squash, Brussels sprouts, onion, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the squash is tender and the sprouts are lightly browned.

To serve: This makes a great side dish. It’s also perfect served over rice as a main dish. Sprinkle with finishing salt just before serving.

Enjoy!