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Caribbean Caesar Chicken Salad is one of my all-time favorite summer salad recipes. It's super easy to throw together and low in calories. You can have it for lunch or dinner and can serve the chicken hot or cold. Whenever I bake chicken breasts for dinner, I like to bake a few extra so I can add them to salads. Preparing the chicken ahead of time greatly reduces the prep time!
Ingredients: 1 head Romaine lettuce 2 cups fresh Pineapple, cut into chunks 1 cup Mango, peeled and cut into chunks 2 4-ounce boneless, skinless Chicken breasts 2 Tablespoons Salad Dressing (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rinse chicken in cool water and pat dry. Place chicken in glass baking dish and bake in oven for 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.
Wash and dry romaine lettuce. Cut off bottom, trim leaves, and cut into bite-size pieces.
Place lettuce in medium bowl and add pineapple and mango chunks. Toss well.
Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Slice chicken breast and place on salad.
Add 2 tablespoons of your choice of salad dressing, if desired
This recipe and many more are available in my cookbook, "The Diva Diet". This spiral-bound cookbook provides more than 100 healthy, yet delicious recipes and can be purchased for just $23.49 at Lulu.com.
Orange Almond Salad is refreshing and incredibly easy to prepare. It makes for a great lunch or can be served as a side with dinner. One serving equals 2 cups of salad mix and 1 tangerine. Use a combination of iceberg and romaine lettuce, if desired.
1 head Lettuce, green leaf 2 Tangerine Oranges, fresh 2 tablespoons Almond slivers, toasted 1 Lemon, juice only (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash, rinse and dry green leaf lettuce. 2. Chop into bite-size pieces. Place into salad bowl. 3. Peel and separate tangerine orange slices. Place on top of salad. 4. Add almond slivers. 5. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top, if desired. 6. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tip: Instead of purchasing roasted almond slivers, roast your own. Heat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange almond slivers in a single layer on baking pan. Place in oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on how brown you like them. Keep a close eye though, as almonds will burn quickly.
Discover over 100 healthy recipes in my cookbook, The Diva Diet. Now available through Lulu.com.
The following homemade vegetable stock recipe is super easy to make. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen up to 3 months. Homemade vegetable stock makes a great soup base and is perfect for cooking rice, quinoa or millet or as a substitute for chicken broth. It adds an earthy flavor to Quick and Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings!
1 Onion, yellow (skin on) 3 cloves Garlic (skin on) 3 Celery stalks (with leaves) 2 Carrots, large (unpeeled) 1 bunch Spinach, fresh 1 teaspoon Olive oil 1 teaspoon each sage, thyme, marjoram, turmeric, parsley 2 Bay leaves 6 Black peppercorns, whole pinch of nutmeg and ginger 10 cups Water
DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash and rinse vegetables, leaving skin intact. 2. Sauté whole veggies in olive oil for 5 minutes until they begin to soften. 3. Add seasonings and cook an additional 2 minutes. 4. Add 10 cups water. Bring to boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 1-2 hours. If the taste isn't strong enough, simmer for an additional 1/2 hour. 5. Strain through a cheesecloth squeezing veggies to extract any juice. 6. Freeze or use within 5 days.
Cauliflower Medley Soup is a filling, yet light-flavored soup that is great year-round. Two cups of soup is a mere 62 calories and packed with vitamins and minerals. This cauliflower soup recipe can be made with water, vegetable or chicken broth. Personally, I prefer the added flavor of chicken broth.
2 Celery stalks, chopped 1 Onion (white or yellow), chopped 2 Carrots, shredded 1 head Cauliflower, chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 10-12 each Spinach leaves, freshly chopped 6 cups Water (or vegetable broth) Sea salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pan over medium heat, sauté celery, onion and carrot in water for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Remove from heat and set aside. 2. Steam cauliflower in a colander over boiling water or in a vegetable steamer until tender. Drain water and mash cauliflower with a fork. 3. Add the mashed cauliflower to the vegetable mixture, return to stove and cook over medium heat. Add the water or vegetable broth. 4. Add spinach leaves and salt and pepper to taste. 5. Simmer for 15 minutes or until soup is heated thoroughly.
The following Tart and Tangy Marinated Vegetables need to marinate overnight to release the robust flavors. This is a great recipe for brown bag lunches and is certain to be a hit at parties, picnics, pitch-in's and cook-outs.
2/3 cup Olive Oil 1 Lemon, juice only 2 teaspoon Sea salt 1 cup Broccoli 1 cup Cauliflower 1 cup Zucchini 1 cup Carrots 1 cup Red Onion, sliced
DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash, rinse and dry vegetables. Cut into bite size pieces. 2. Blend olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to make a marinade. Toss with cut-up veggies. 3. Marinate in refrigerator for 24 hours, stir and serve.
The following Green with Envy Tossed Salad recipe is perfect for parties, cook-outs, as a brown bag lunch or served for dinner. Add a grilled chicken breast or salmon fillet for a satisfying low-calorie meal. The main ingredient of any tossed salad is lettuce. To add variety and
enhance the flavor try using a variety such as Romaine, Red or Green
Leaf, Chicory, Escarole, etc.
1 head Romaine lettuce 1 bunch Spinach leaves, fresh 2 Carrots, medium, sliced 6 Radishes, sliced thin 4 Green onions, sliced 1 cup Broccoli, chopped 1 cup Cauliflower, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash, rinse and dry all vegetables. 2. Chop lettuce into bite-size pieces. 3. Remove stems from spinach leaves. 4. Slice carrots, radishes and green onions. 5. Chop broccoli and cauliflower. 6. Toss all ingredients in large salad bowl, cover with lid and store in refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
Introducing Gourmet Fresh Fruit Club: Helping You Succeed in Fruit and Veggie Day!
In celebration of our new "Fruit and Veggie Day" program, I'd like to introduce you to Clubs of America Gourmet Fresh Fruit Club. Joining the club will make it so much easier for you to participate in the Fruit and Veggie Day program because each month you will receive five pounds of seasonal gourmet fruit delivered straight to your door.
The Gourmet Fresh Fruit Club offers perfect freshly harvested and handpicked fruit directly from the grower. Each 5-pound order includes succulent, ready-to-eat fruit bursting with flavor. Each month, Gourmet Fresh Fruit Club members receive two different kinds of fruit harvested by hand at the peak of the season.
Recognized as a prominent gift club specialist,Clubs of America has been in business since 1994. They know what it takes to satisfy their customers and go above to ensure members are completely satisfied with their product order.
Every Monthly Fruit Club order is backed by an ironclad 100-percent satisfaction guarantee. There are no subscription requirements. Club membership can run for the length of time you specify. Choose from one month to twelve month programs. Should you decide to order a one-year subscription, Clubs of America is currently offering an instant $25 savings.
In addition to receiving the world's finest gourmet fruit, members also receive Fruit Expeditions™, a monthly fruit club newsletter containing interesting facts on current selections, along with opportunities to stock up on your favorite varieties at discounted prices.
Fresh Fruit Club makes an excellent gift certain to be enjoyed by everyone who receives it. Currently, all orders include free shipping. If you are looking for high-quality, freshly picked gourmet fruit, join Clubs of America Monthly Fruit Club today. Both your wallet and your body will be glad you did!
Click on the banner below to place your Monthly Fruit Club order today!
P.S. Visit TheCheapGourmet.com each Friday to download your free "Fruit and Veggie Day" menu planner.
I am excited to announce "Fruit and Veggie Day" ~ a fun way to improve your health. Fruit and Veggie Day is the brainchild of my friend and business associate, Viveca Stone-Berry. Viveca is the founder of FatigueBeGone.com and author of "Fatigue Be Gone Jumpstart Guide"; a step-by-step guide for easy transition into a healthy, energetic lifestyle.
Fruit and Veggie Day isn't some far-fetched diet plan where you are forced to eat nothing but kiwi or strawberries for a week. In fact, it isn't a diet at all. It is simply making a conscious decision to eat nothing but fruits and vegetables for an entire day once a week. Give it a try. You'll be amazed at the difference it makes!
An entire series of events surrounds Fruit and Veggie Day, which you can read about further down in this post if you would like. It's really a great story, but not everyone cares to hear the details. For those of you who like to cut to the chase, this section is for you.
Each Friday, The Cheap Gourmet and Fatigue Be Gone will publish a new Fruit and Veggie Menu Planner. This gives you time to shop over the weekend. On Monday, we commit to eating only fruit and vegetable dishes throughout the day.
We invite you to participate in this energizing nutritional experiment and interact with us. Share your fruit and veggie recipes. Ask questions. Offer feedback and suggestions. Share your results.
In reality, you can't get much cheaper than eating fruits and vegetables and they are far better for your body than fast food or processed garbage. Research shows eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber offers a host of health benefits.
This experiment is presented compliments of The Cheap Gourmet and Fatigue Be Gone. There is no fee. We aren't charging for the menu plans. You don't have to interact if you don't want to, but we'd love it if you did.
All you have to do is:
Stop by the The Cheap Gourmet blog each Friday to download your menu plan.
Or, subscribe to The Cheap Gourmet RSS feed (upper right corner) or Viveca's newsletter. It's that simple.
Every week through the end of August we will publish menu plans consisting of two Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner recipes, plus six healthy snacks. Choose one recipe from each category and follow the plan outlined in the guide.
We hope you enjoy the recipes and reap an enormous boost in energy. Feel free to share the Fruit and Veggie menu planners with friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for joining us in our journey toward vibrant health!
Viveca and I met in a health and wellness forum. We both suffered from similar ailments and were sick and tired of being sick and tired. In our quest to feel better we tried a myriad of products, remedies, alternative therapies and nutritional programs.
Viveca has recovered from adrenal fatigue; a little-known disorder that affects nearly 80-percent
of Americans. Throughout her quest to regain her energy, Viveca went to
various doctors and specialists and tried numerous prescription
medications, nutritional products, alternative therapies and altering
her diet. She shares her experiences, along with what worked and what
didn't in "Fatigue Be Gone Jumpstart Guide" ebook.
A few weeks ago, Viveca and I were conversing by phone and she told me that she and a friend visit local food markets each weekend to purchase their fruit and veggie day
menu items. There's nothing better than spending a few hours with a
good friend and discovering a plethora of fresh (and oftentimes
organic) fruits and veggies. If you would like to locate local Farmers Markets visit LocalHarvest.org.
Each Monday Viveca, her husband, Michael, and her friend eat nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables. They juice, create smoothies, make fruit salads, vegetable salads and even desserts! When
she told me this story, I wanted to join in the fun.
Although we live
in different states and can't shop together, we can offer support,
share recipes and feel great together. As we discussed inviting our
friends and family to join us, we were struck with the idea to share
our concept with readers of our blogs. After all, the more the merrier
(and energetic!).
We decided to offer complimentary Fruit and Veggie Day menu planners each week for the rest of the summer. Many of the recipes are extracted from "The Diva Diet"; a cookbook I wrote for people suffering from autoimmune disease.
If you're tired of feeling tired all the time, I HIGHLY recommend Viveca's guide. For less than $10 you can discover simple techniques to help determine if you are suffering from adrenal fatigue. Printable questionnaires can be filled out and provided to your doctor. She even reveals one simple home test that only requires a small glass of water and your spit. It's amazing what your spit can reveal about your health.
*This ebook is sold through Clickbank; the most trusted provider of information products. It's backed by a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee. You have nothing to lose, and a whole lot of energy to gain. I don't mean to come across sounding like a sales pitch. It's just that Viveca's book changed my life and helped me regain my energy. I'm excited to share it with others because it feels great to feel great!
In closing, we are excited to have you join us in Fruit and Veggie Day. If the mood strikes you, please Tweet us, or post a link to Facebook or Myspace, or Stumble us. Our goal is to help people feel better and have plenty of energy to enjoy life!
Everyone knows eating a healthy diet means consuming seven to nine servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. For many, trying to accomplish this is a daunting task but with a little creativity and a bit of planning you can easily obtain the USDA's recommended daily allowance.
The following tips can help you easily and effortlessly integrate more fruits and vegetables into your daily routine. Incorporating these tips will provide you with more energy, radiant skin, healthy bones and help you shed those extra pounds.
Fruits ~ Recommended Daily Allowance: 4 to 5 servings per day
Serving size equals: 4 ounces 100% fruit juice, 1 medium fruit, 1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit, 1/4 cup dried fruit.
One way to easily consume more fruit is to keep a bowl of whole fresh fruit within eyesight. Purchase an inexpensive, yet pleasing-to-look-at fruit bowl and place it on the center of the dining room table, countertop or at eye-level on your refrigerator shelf.
Place chunks of fresh fruit on wooden skewers and make delicious and fun-to-eat fruit kabobs. Use banana slices, pineapple or mango chunks, grapes, apple slices and berries. Wrap in plastic wrap to preserve freshness. Fruit kabobs are a big hit with both kids and adults and perfect for lunch boxes and afternoon snacks.
Make homemade fruit salad using watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, berries, banana slices, pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, raisins, figs or any of your favorites fruits.
For dessert, try baked apples, peaches or pears drizzled with honey.
When baking, substitute applesauce for half of the oil.
Vegetables ~ Recommended Daily Allowance: 3 to 5 servings per day
Serving size equals: 4 ounces low-sodium vegetable juice, 1 cup raw leafy green vegetables, 1/2 cup cooked vegetables, 1 small potato, 1 sweet potato.
Vegetables are organized into five sub-categories: dark green leafy vegetables, orange vegetables, starchy vegetables, dry beans and peas, and "other" vegetables. For a complete listing visit MyPyramid.gov.
Keep a tray of cut vegetables in a clear container placed in the refrigerator for easy snacking. Baby carrots, carrot sticks, celery sticks, sliced cucumbers and zucchini, and radishes make for quick and convenient healthy snacks.
Shred carrots or zucchini into meat loaf, casseroles or bread and muffin mixes.
Garnish plates and serving dishes with brightly colored vegetables such as slices of red, green or yellow peppers, carrot sticks and radish slices.
Add chopped veggies to pasta sauces, casseroles and lasagna.
Instead of potato or tortilla chips, dip fresh veggies in salsa for a tasty treat.
Create a luscious salad consisting of dark leafy greens, sliced red onions, radishes, carrots slices and beets. Use salsa instead of salad dressing.
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