Mentally, I am fully entrenched in summer. Picnics, beach days, camping, grilling … these are the things that totally fill my thoughts. But in reality, Will has a few more weeks of school. I have to work. It’s only May.

That’s okay. Summer break will be here soon enough, right?

In the meantime, I am working on new recipes for salads and the grill for this summer, like this Sweet Potato and Carrot Salad. The sweet potatoes are roasted, giving them that mouthwatering sweetness. Mixed with tender steamed carrots and a tangy dressing, this salad is perfect alongside grilled beef kabobs, burgers or whatever.

It’s a nice break from the typical potato salad, don’t you think? Read the rest of this entry…

It’s been nearly a decade since I last ate canned tuna (and that was once … the time before that? About five years prior). I don’t eat it. I don’t like it. Usually the smell grosses me out, and honestly I would rather have fresh. But when I recently told you about the Salmon Cakes that my kids and I adore, I discovered that canned fish does have its (awesome) uses. In well-seasoned patties, it’s great.

Ever since those Salmon Cakes, I have been considering being a little more open-minded about seafood in cans. It’s inexpensive, it’s accessible and if I can create something that the kids and I like? Then that’s another serving of fish for us each week. Gotta love those Omega-3s.

So, these Tuna Cakes? Well, I wouldn’t be telling you about them if I didn’t love them. They have a strong rosemary flavor, with a wonderful meaty texture. I ate mine on a slice of French bread (open-face sandwich style). Delish! They would also be great served on a bed of salad greens.

As for my kids? They both ate every last bite without complaint.

Just try ‘em. Read the rest of this entry…

Meet ramps …

In the bowl pictured above are some chopped ramps, a wild onion that grows in the Eastern part of the United States and Canada. Also known as a wild leek, it has a bold flavor with notes of onion and garlic. And until this past weekend, I had never had one, despite hearing raves about them. At right, you can see what they look like in their natural form.

Basically, you remove the root part and use the rest of them. Stems, leaves … it all works.

Are you familiar with ramps?

I’ve known about them for a few years, but have never been able to procure any. However recently when my Garlic Scape Carbonara recipe was featured on Saveur, I received a kind note from a new reader asking if ramps could be used in the recipe. I told him that it was possible — though I’ve never actually had ramps. He offered to send me some, and I excitedly agreed. Last week, they arrived.

Now, it’s one thing to read about the garlic-onion taste of ramps and a whole other to experience it. I sauteed a few up to get a feel for their taste and fell in love. Head over heels love. Then I whipped up a Ramp Pesto … oh my.

That night, the kids and I feasted on more sauteed ramps, Tortellini with Ramp Pesto and a Jamie Oliver recipe for braised cabbage (more on that tomorrow!). It was a delicious, decadent night. Will wasn’t a fan of the cabbage, but couldn’t get enough of the ramps — particularly the pesto.

Do you have a favorite ramp recipe? Share! I have a few more to play with and am trying to decide what to do with them.

A special thank you to reader Mark! And thank you to the Colrain, Massachusetts, farm where these were harvested. We LOVE them. Read the rest of this entry…

If I had a dime for every time that someone in my house requested pasta, I would be a very rich woman. Heck, I would be a woman on a whirlwind trip to Europe … for the rest of the year.

Growing up, pasta salad was one of my very favorite summer dishes. I could eat it and eat it and eat it … but as an adult, I just haven’t made it as often. As a result, my kids haven’t had it too much either … but after tonight, that has to change. I knew they would love the artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and olives in this. But when Will dove in for seconds, it was clear that this was a slam dunk

Pasta salad travels well — so it’s perfect for picnics, barbecues, school lunch, dinners, whatever.

This particular version brings in elements of Antipasti – artichoke hearts (marinated are best!), roasted red peppers, olives. You can also toss in some cubed fresh mozzarella and/or cubed salami, but it’s up to you. Choose an Italian dressing with balsamic vinegar that you love — the flavor of the dressing is an important influencer here. I used one from Trader Joe’s that I adore.

And this is also a fab recipe to make with kids. Simple, tasty, kid-friendly. Perfect!

Looking for more fun pasta salad ideas? Check out my latest post on Tablespoon, Fresh Takes on Pasta Salads. Read the rest of this entry…

When I wrote that I was making Caramel Corn today on the Sarah’s Cucina Bella Facebook Fan Page, I didn’t expect the huge response that I got. Really, I didn’t. New voices chimed in to inquire about the recipe and share their experiences and likes … it was absolutely awesome.

So, I scraped plans to write about something else and instead decided to just share this recipe today. It’s adapted from a recipe a found on Tablespoon (where, in full disclosure, I write for the TBSPblog). I made some small changes, such as removing the nuts from the recipe and adding a little more salt … and it was fantastic.

It was also … and I fear that I say this too much … so incredibly easy. It’s so easy, and so much better than the store-bought stuff, that I will never buy it again. Seriously. Totally worth it.

Are you a caramel corn fan?

Read the rest of this entry…

It’s Tuesday afternoon and I am sitting in my home office, with The Beach Boys’ Sounds Of Summer playing in the background. Outside my open windows is brilliant blue sky, bright sunlight and the sound of laughing children. It’s enough to make you throw open your arms and yell Welcome, springtime. This is weather that just begs for being outside in the fresh newness.

And what comes with warm temperatures? The strong allure of grilling, of course!

We actually started grilling about a month ago, but now that the temperatures seem more firmly planted in the warm category, we’ll be doing it a whole lot more often. Who wants to heat up a kitchen when it’s so beautiful outside, anyway? Not me!

When I was planning our meals for this week, I spotted this recipe for Grilled Island Chicken in Aviva Goldfarb‘s new cookbook, SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth-Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Dinners for Busy Families. Grilled pineapple? Marinated Chicken? Sounded perfect. And the fact that the marinade is whipped up in minutes and the whole thing can be cooked in about 10 minutes makes it just perfect for busy nights (and Monday is a notoriously busy night in my house).

So, how was it? Awesome. Will is a really good eater, but typically he stops at one serving (nothing wrong with that!). Last night? He had seconds. So did Shawn and I (and I never ever have seconds of anything!). The flavorful, rich grilled chicken tasted fantastic with the smoky-sweet grilled pineapple … and it all went so well with the rice and salad I served.

Loved it. We’ll be having this again soon. Very soon.

P.S. Looking for some easy chicken dinners? Check out my latest post on Tablespoon for inspiration!

Read the rest of this entry…

Sometimes you stumble. Sometimes you fall. This week was all about stumbling and falling in My Spending Diet. As I mentioned last week, it was the first time where my kids had to do the big weekly shop with me. It turned out to be harder (on me) than I anticipated. Add in an intensely busy workweek and an otherwise crazy schedule, and I just was off. Really, really off.

First, as a reminder:

The Plan: No spending from Saturday until the following Saturday. Cash in wallet can only be used in a true emergency.

What Happened: On Saturday, the kids and I hit two stores and got most of the stuff we needed. I had trouble finding the pork shoulder that was to comprise two of this weeks meals. In the end, I didn’t end up buying quite everything we needed on Saturday.

On Tuesday, after consulting with Twitter experts, I discovered that pork butt could be used (apparently, the butt can be part of the shoulder … in a pig, at least) and I knew where to find that. We never found the taco shells I wanted for Friday’s dinner (it’s hard to locate ones without those partially hydrogenated ingredients that I avoid). But that’s okay, because we ended up ordering pizza last night. Read the rest of this entry…

Canned meats totally and utterly freak me out. Seriously, they do. My husband happily enjoys canned tuna and chicken, but I cringe at the site of the stuff. However, when I saw a food magazine that I like tout the wonderful ease of using canned salmon, I was intrigued and bought a can. Naturally, it sat in my cupboard for months … completely unused.

Then, a week or so ago, I saw a post on The Perfect Pantry about Lydia’s Salmon Croquettes and I was totally intrigued all over again.

When I developed this recipe, I decided to make it devoid of breadcrumbs, betting that the egg would be enough of a binder — it was. The sweet red pepper bits and garlic make this a really dreamy combination.

From Will’s cleaned plate and Paige’s devouring, I would say this was a big SCORE!

Honestly, the portion size here isn’t huge — but with a big salad or maybe some rice and veggies, it’s just perfect for a light spring or summer dinner. Another good one to try? My Tuna Cakes. They won’t disappoint.

Read the rest of this entry…

Do you eat dinner as a family? We do, nearly every night. It’s important to me, and studies show that the benefits of eating as a family are huge. Unfortunately, with packed schedules and big work commitments, many families have abandoned the family dinner. It’s time to get back to it though.

I’ll be the first to admit that eating together isn’t always easy. Sometimes, my husband doesn’t make it home for dinner. Sometimes, I don’t. But on those days, we make an effort to sit down – whoever is at home – and eat together. What works for us may not work for you … the point is to make it work within the context of your own life.

Recently, I spoke with Jeanne Muchnick, author of Dinner for Busy Moms: Easy Strategies for Getting Food on the Table-Quick, which is coming out in April. Her book is a strategy guide for moms to help families eat together — even when life gets crazy. It explains how to pull together a meal easily and get everyone to the table. It’s a universal concept that reaches any mom struggling to get dinner on the table.

“The bottom line is to not make a mom feel guilty,” explains Muchnick.”Don’t over-schedule your kids so much. Plan to make plans … look at your calendar and try to be realistic about two or maybe three nights a week where you can sit down as a family.”

While I love to cook and do so daily, not everyone enjoys it … or has time to craft a homemade dinner nightly (I’ve been there!). So, what can you do? Muchnick says that moms need to play to their strengths when planning dinner. For instance, if the idea of preparing a main dish gives you the frights, then focus on the side dishes and pick up a rotisserie chicken. Likewise, you can focus on the main dish and go ultra-simple with the sides, says Muchnick. Read the rest of this entry…

“Mommy, tomorrow is hog day!” Will told me excitedly last night.

Now, Will is a smart boy who tends to remember everything (no, really, everything … he brought up a great time he had with our cousins in the summer two years ago this past week. The boy is four and a half – how did he even remember that?). So, it was safe to assume that he heard about this hog day somewhere … the question was where and what exactly was it.

It took me a good minute or two before I put one and one together …. Groundhog Day.

Right. So, today is Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Great! Thanks, Phil! That means, according to the lore, that there will be six more weeks of winter. Oh yay. Just what I wanted to hear on this dark, dreary day. Aren’t you excited?

Eh, the weather might be a bummer, but this dip is bright and sunny and so, so tasty. Will said that it tasted like frosting and was yummy. I’m not sure about the frosting part (maybe a cream cheese frosting? Sort of?). Meanwhile, Paige, 2, couldn’t stop eating it. She would have licked the bowl, if I let her. (Don’t worry, I didn’t! I swear!) But, heck, I couldn’t stop eating it either.

It’s pretty simple to make (just three healthy ingredients!). I used a low-fat yogurt, but you could use full fat, Greek, whatever you like … Just add, stir, serve … does it get any easier? Plate it up alongside some sliced apples, mini waffles or whatever else you can think of and go to town with dipping. Or just grab a spoon and eat it … It’s really delish.

Read the rest of this entry…