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Archive for the ‘Soups and Salads’ Category

Chicken & Rice Soup -Friday Night Bites

Chicken & Rice Soup -Friday Night Bites

It’s time for Friday Night Bites and tonight we have some soup for the soul! We love serving a one-pot meal on Friday night, it makes clean-up easy, so we can start enjoying the weekend, as soon as dinner’s done.    Add some fresh bread and Vino (lightly oaked Chardonnay is a great match) if you like, and you have a meal that’s just right for inviting guests to join.   Print Chicken & Rice

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Spinach and Strawberry Salad – Simple and Special Recipe!

Spinach and Strawberry Salad - Simple and Special Recipe!

This salad recipe from Whole Foods is the perfect compliment to an Easter ham.  I’m serving it holiday, minus the nuts because my son Jake has an allergy.  Spring is when baby spinach is in season so chances are good you can buy it fresh locally.  I recommend replacing almonds for pine nuts, but it’s really a matter of taste.  For those that do not like goat cheese, Ricotta Salata is a great alternative – it

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20 ‘Soup Or Bowl’ Recipes – Perfect Super Bowl Food!

20 'Soup Or Bowl' Recipes - Perfect Super Bowl Food!

  I wanted to try something a little different this year for the Super Bowl, so I curated a collection of 20 recipes from the blog on Pinterest.  Included are appetizers, soups, entrees and even a dessert.  Each recipe is served in a bowl (or a bowl shape) which means guests won’t miss a single tackle, pass or play, because they can eat and watch the big game at the same time.  Plus, not only

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Fresh Onion Soup with Bagel Chips

Fresh Onion Soup with Bagel Chips

With winter in full swing and more cold weather around the corner, soup is perfect for party time.  Give this fresher version of french onion soup a try.  It makes a great first course for a dinner party or the main course for a luncheon, serve it with a Roquette salad. Onion Soup with Bagel Chips Kings Cooking Studio Recipe – Serves 4 Ingredients: 4 Tablespoons Butter, Divided 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil 1-1/3 Pounds Onions,

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How To Cook Quinoa – 2013 HOT Food Trend

How To Cook Quinoa - 2013 HOT Food Trend

As you know this month, we’ll be covering What’s HOT in Food for 2013.  Today, we’re embracing #12 on the list of TOP 20 Trends: Non-wheat noodles/pasta like QUINOA. You can mix anything you like with quinoa.  It serves as an excellent base for vegetables, meat, spices and even fruit.  You can serve it hot or cold, and as a main dish, side, soup or salad.  It’s as versatile as it is healthy for you! 

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Bacon Pomegranate Spinach Salad – Friday Night Bites!

Bacon Pomegranate Spinach Salad - Friday Night Bites!

Photo Credit: Alexandra Mascali It’s time for Friday Night Bites and tonight we have a fun salad featuring crunchy bacon bits.  This Bacon Pomegranate Salad also includes tangy red onions and a pop of tart and crunchy pomegranate seeds.   It’s a perfectly simple and special way to start the weekend.  Enjoy! Print Bacon Pomegranate Salad Author: Elizabeth Mascali Recipe type: Salad Cuisine: American   Ingredients 12 oz. spinach/spring mix lettuce, washed and dried 1 medium red onion,

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Citrus Salad – Friday Night Bites

Citrus Salad - Friday Night Bites

  It’s time for Friday Night Bites and tonight we have a “lite bite” that’s perfect for feeling right! The combination of sweet mandarin oranges and tartly sweet Craisins®  add a punch of flavor and festive color to this delicious salad.  Enjoy!   Print Citrus Salad Author: Elizabeth Mascali Recipe type: Salad Cuisine: American Serves: 6-8   Ingredients 12 oz. spinach/spring mix lettuce, washed and dried 15 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained ¾ cup Craisins Italian dressing (use your

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Turkey Rice Soup – Friday Night Bites

Turkey Rice Soup - Friday Night Bites

Photo Credit: Alexandra Mascali It’s time for Friday Night Bites! Tonight we have Turkey Rice Soup. This surprisingly hearty and healthy soup is one fortifying meal that warms you up from your head to your toes. It’s a great “make-ahead” dish that is a true treat to share with friends. Print Turkey Rice Soup Author: Elizabeth Mascali Recipe type: Soup Cuisine: American Serves: 6-8   Ingredients 1 turkey carcass 1 lb. leftover turkey, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 stalks

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Pumpkin Soup In A Crock Pot!

Pumpkin Soup In A Crock Pot!

When you think of October, you think pumpkins.  I just picked up 3 last night with my little man to carve for Halloween.   They make everyone happy; and don’t forget they taste great and offer big benefits for your health too (read: Pumpkin Superfood!) October is the also the time of year I dusk off my crock pot and get it going again, so what better way to kick off crock pot season than

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Potato Corn Chowder Recipe – Friday Night Bites

Potato Corn Chowder Recipe - Friday Night Bites

  It’s time for Friday Night Bites and tonight’s recipe is great for a cold Friday night. This potato corn chowder instantly warms you up. The best thing about this full-flavored soup is the contrasting textures of the potato and corn, which enhances this hearty dish. Plus, it’s easy to make, easy to reheat, and easy to enjoy! – Alexandra Mascali   5.0 from 1 reviews Print Potato Corn Chowder Author: Elizabeth Mascali Recipe type: Main  

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Perfect Gluten Free Party Salad Recipe!

Perfect Gluten Free Party Salad Recipe!

This delicious, gluten free salad is packed with flavor.  Fresh cilantro, cranberries, lime, edamame and Tamari Ginger dressing give it an incredible taste and texture.  It’s a party in your mouth and it makes a perfect salad for entertaining this fall and through the holidays! Coconut Quinoa Salad Created by: Amie Valpone Ingredients 1 cup uncooked quinoa 2 cups cooked shelled edamame 1 (15 oz.) can white beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup finely diced red

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Butternut Squash Soup Appetizer

Butternut Squash Soup Appetizer

Here is a great recipe for fall entertaining, Butternut Squash.  It’s in season, so enjoy this sweet treat while it’s here.  It’s a one of our  party menu favorites.  These soup shot appetizers are fun to serve and keep guests happy until dinner is on the table.  They’re also perfect for homegating parties, simply sip while watching the game on Sunday. Butternut Squash Soup Shots (Makes 8-10 Shots) Ingredients: 3 lb. butternut squash, halved and

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Julia Child’s Vichyssoise Cold Leek & Potato Soup – #JC100

Julia Child's Vichyssoise Cold Leek & Potato Soup – #JC100

“Dining with one’s friends and beloved family is certainly one of life’s primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal.” – Julia Child Elizabeth and I were invited to celebrate Julia Child’s 100th birthday by joining several other foodies in promoting a Julia Child recipe each week.  You can imagine how excited we were – a Birthday Party for a culinary icon like Julia Child!  That’s our wheel house – so

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Perfect Italian Pasta Salad!

Perfect Italian Pasta Salad!

Here’s the perfect match for grilled meats from the BBQ.  You can mix up a big bowl for guests or bring it along to a summer party where you’re the guest.  As tomatoes come into season, it just gets better!   Print ELIZABETH’S ITALIAN PASTA SALAD Author: Elizabeth Mascali Recipe type: Side   Ingredients 1 16 oz. box medium shells, gemelli or farfelle (bowtie) pasta – (I like the way these pastas work in a pasta salad

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Fresh Fig and Prosciutto Salad

Fresh Fig and Prosciutto Salad

I’m so excited to report we finally have a fig tree (the little guy is pictured below)!   I can’t wait till it bears fruit, but many say this could take a few years.  Until then, I will continue to rely on the kindness of my neighbors at the beach, who share their bounty with us each year.   I love fresh figs, and enjoy them on cheese plates, roasted, stuffed, baked in desserts or raw in

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Ziploc® FreshOver Haul – Asian Cobb Salad Recipe!

  Tonight Elizabeth and I are headed to the Ziploc® FreshOver Haul event with Rachel Ray, in NYC tonight.  We will be enjoying some of America’s favorite dishes that Rachael has given a “freshness makeover”. We can’t wait to share Rachel’s recipes and tips for incorporating more fresh foods into your daily diet.   Ziploc® and Rachael Ray will also shed light on their mission to help Americans eat fresh.  We’ve always been a proponent of

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GLUTEN FREE CRUNCHY CHICKEN PEANUT SALAD by San-J

Give this delicious, healthy and gluten-free salad a try.  The flavor of the fresh ingredients is really brought to life  with San-J Gluten Free Tamari Peanut Dressing.  YUM! GLUTEN FREE CRUNCHY CHICKEN PEANUT SALAD Created by: Carol Kicinski Serves 6 as entrée Ingredients 1 1/2 cups San-J Gluten Free Tamari Peanut Dressing 1 head Napa cabbage, shredded 1 small head red cabbage, quartered, cored and thinly sliced 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded 2 cups shredded

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Elizabeth’s Easy Tomato Soup Recipe

This soup screams fresh healthiness! I’m always searching for an easy way to get more servings of vegetables into my diet. How much easier does it get than dicing up a bunch of them and blending them up into a delicious soup – you would never know this tomato soup is loaded with veggies, it’s that good! Elizabeth’s Easy Tomato Soup Ingredients ¼ cup Olive Oil 2 carrots (peeled and thinly sliced) 2 stalks celery

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Gluten-Free Lentil, Sausage and Almond Soup with Nut•Thins® – Considerate Entertaining

Warm Up with a Healthy, Gluten -Free & Hearty Meatless Soup and be sure to check out more recipes at BlueDiamond.com When entertaining you need to consider the dietary restrictions of your guests.  One issue that keeps coming up for me is the need for many of my friends and their children to eat gluten-free.  If you are gluten-free or entertaining someone that is this winter, try this delicious soup.   To make it more special,

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The Best Potato Soup

Potato soup in all its glorious forms (potato chowder, baked potato soup, potato & corn chowder) has always been a favorite of mine, but it can be so heavy. So driven by my love for potato soup, I entered the kitchen inspired to create a “lighter” version without sacrificing the flavor. No one can believe there’s no cream or even dairy in this recipe, it’s that good!- Elizabeth Ingredients 2 tubs chicken Knorr Homestyle Stock

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The Best Tomato Salads For Summer!

It’s tomato season and time to enjoy.  Being a Jersey girl, I was raised on the juicy beefsteak, plump cherry and perfect plum varieties from my Dad’s garden.  I love them all and truly tomatoes possess a very special power over me.  I can eat them plain with a dash of salt, in a salad or in sauce and not much tastes better to me.   One of my favorites ways to enjoy tomatoes is

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The ‘Surprise Guests’ Summer Salad!

The 'Surprise Guests' Summer Salad!

Try serving this gorgeous salad when guests pay a surprise visit this summer.  It’s perfect for impromptu parties because it takes just 15 minutes to make.  I love the way it tastes and looks with its delicious layers of sweet, sour and crunchy!   Add a fresh loaf of country bread and you have a hearty lunch or lite dinner.  The recipe comes from the Betty Crocker website, which is full of great ideas for everything

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Two Super Spring Salad Recipes!

Spring is here and so many fruits and vegetables we missed all winter are back in season.  Here are two delicious and easy recipes for putting some spring into your salad and wowing your family and guests.  Note: Grilled Chicken or Shrimp on either can turn this salad into a meal. Spring Greens Fruit Salad (Crowd Size) – From Betty Crocker Ingedients 1/2 cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar 1/4 cup olive or vegetable

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Grilled Cheese Is Cool Party Food!

An American Mom Classic and in my book one of the greatest comfort food pairings of all time, tomato soup and grilled cheese is now being featured on the menus of high-end restaurants across the country.  It’s stealing the spotlight as the trendy comfort food of choice; toppling the very played-out gourmet versions of mac and cheese we have seen over the past few years.  So, take your cue from the culinary world and serve

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Score Big with Taco Soup and Sunday Football!

Reposting this recipe from last year, because it’s so good! Let’s get ready for some Football!  Sundays during Football Season provide the perfect opportunity for some stress free entertaining.  Invite friends and family over to share the day cheering on the home team and enjoy some good food.  Score big by serving up Taco Soup.  It’s a perfect dish for this type of get-together – easy to make, delicious to eat and inexpensive for serving

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Applewood Grilled Shrimp & Plum Salad with Cinnamon-Honey Dressing

Here is another “keeper” recipe from from McCormick Spice.  This one incorporates some very unique flavors that add up to a Sensational Summer Meal.  Perfect for lunch or a light dinner when it’s hot.  It’s special enough to serve to guests and is super simple to make! Applewood Grilled Shrimp & Plum Salad with Cinnamon-Honey Dressing Makes 6 servings. Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes INGREDIENTS Cinnamon-Honey Dressing: 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

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Cauliflower Soup with Tandoori Yogurt

Recently, Elizabeth and I spent a few days at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA and today I want to share a delicious recipe from our stay.  We had the opportunity to see this one being made in the kitchen by demonstration chef Katie Hickey and then enjoy a bowl with lunch.  The soup was a huge surprise for me, because I’m not a cauliflower fan.  I pretty much always ignored the bland colored vegetable and

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The Best Balsamic Dijon Dressing!

image credit: http://www.contrarycook.com Recently, Elizabeth and I spent a few days at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA.  I will be sharing recipes from our stay here, even a few we got to see being made in the kitchen by demonstration chef Katie Hickey.  To begin with, I wanted to post the recipe for Canyon Ranch’s Balsamic Dijon Dressing.  Hands down the best balsamic dressing I have ever had and probably the most healthy too! Elizabeth

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Simple Spinach Salad and Dressing

Fresh salad in the winter is a real treat and here is a hearty favorite in our house.  You can amp up the volume on the bacon, egg or onion to your taste – in my opinion there can never be enough bacon! Tossed Spinach Salad – Serving Size: 8 (when serving as a side) 1 pound fresh baby spinach, or regular spinach torn in pieces 4 boiled eggs, sliced 8 slices bacon, cooked and

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When The Party’s On Hold – The Merritt Of Soup

When The Party's On Hold - The Merritt Of Soup

Soup is good food. You’ve been hearing that for years, but serious soup can be better than good, it can help heal you. Deidre Merritt author of the Food For Thought Blog, Nutrititional Merritt  and the Dee-Lish Nutrish TV shared this wonderful soup recipe with me to help my boys get over the flu. Deidre calls it her Healing Elixir, and recommends avoiding a serious sodium overload by puting down the can and making some healing

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Butternut Squash Soup Shots

Butternut Squash season has arrived, so enjoy this sweet fall treat while it’s here. FACTS: Butternut Squash is available in early Fall through Winter. It has a thick tanish, yellow skin and a sweet beautiful orange flesh with lots of seeds. When picking a Butternut Squash you want to choose one that is heavy with few blemishes. They can can range from 8″ to 12″ and can weigh up to 3lbs. Butternut Squash can be

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Autumn Salad

Sad to say it, but yes, Summer is over and just like you need to update your wardrobe for a new season, you  must update your salad.  One of my favorite fall salads is the one pictured above.  It is a Harvest Salad (Red Leaf Lettuces, Shaved Fennel, Walnuts and Pomegrante Seeds) that Elizabeth and I created a few years back for one of our Wine Pairing Dinner Parties.   Try creating your own signature harvest

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Bloody Mary Salad

Summer can be the most special and simple time to entertain family and friends.  We get to eat outside so no worries about cleaning the whole house, the grill means no big mess in the kitchen to clean up afterward, plus everyone feels a little more relaxed come summertime and fun is yours for the taking.  Capitalize on these great reasons to invite guests over to your house.  Grill up some steak and corn and

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