Holidays

Whole-wheat Irish soda bread for a real Irish breakfast

Nifer — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:55:31 +0000

A few years ago we asked some of our favorite EatingWell contributors to share healthy breakfast recipes from their part of the world. Darina Allen—chef, cookbook author and director of the legendary Irish cooking school Ballymaloe in County Cork—sent us her recipe for Irish Soda Bread, with this letter:

DIY chocolate-dipped strawberries (and more chocolate-covered treats)

Nifer — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:26:26 +0000

If you want to melt hearts this Valentine’s Day, dark chocolate-dipped strawberries are one of the most romantic foods to serve. They seem fancy and decadent, but they couldn't be easier to make. Just use your microwave to melt chocolate (no double boiler on the stovetop required!). Whip up a batch before dinner and they’ll be ready by the time you hit dessert. (For a gift, let the treats cool, wrap in wax paper and place them in a pretty box.)

6-ingredient fast & skinny one-pot jambalaya

Nifer — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:32:38 +0000

If you do a search for jambalaya recipes, you’re going to find more to choose from than you know what to do with. There are lots of great Cajun cooks out there—and lots of jambalaya recipes full of personal expression and ingredient lists as long as your arm. (What Makes Cajun Food So Great? Top Chefs Share Their Secrets.)

30-minute skinny pork chop suey

Nifer — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:27:42 +0000

We’re so busy at this time of year, between work and parties and shopping, that it’s awfully tempting to pick up takeout on the way home and call dinner done. But for me, that just adds to the feeling that I’m not doing all I could to eat healthfully and joyfully, reducing stress and overprocessed food. Trying to keep the household budget under control is important right now too. (Can you tell I’m working up to renewing my New Year’s resolutions?)

How to throw a holiday party for $25

Nifer — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:39:22 +0000

I love hanging out with my friends, but I used to avoid throwing parties at my house mostly because I couldn’t justify the expense. You have to buy food, booze and make your house look festive. And it all adds up pretty quickly. (Bah! Humbug!) But I can’t expect to be invited anywhere if I can’t (or don’t) return the favor! So how can I have my fun and throw a party that doesn't bust my budget? I’m going to challenge myself to throw a party for only $25. Can it be done? With a little ingenuity, the answer is yes. Here’s how:

Make-ahead dinner: healthier comfort-food sausage casserole

Nifer — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:24:06 +0000

Quick. Easy. Tasty. There’s just something about casseroles. People love them: we’re all just looking for comfort and deliciousness in one dish. While the word might conjure nostalgic memories of a well-coifed 1950s housewife in a frilly apron combining cans of creamy soup with leftovers to make dinner, our palates today call for dishes that are healthier and even more delicious.

Amazing quinoa & squash casserole and more quinoa recipes you must try

Nifer — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:43:53 +0000

You heard the buzz (Everybody’s talking about quinoa!) and succumbed to the lure of its popularity (Everybody’s eating quinoa!), so you bought some quinoa. Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a delicately flavored grain and one of the only plant foods that is a complete protein, meaning it has balanced quantities of 9 essential amino acids. Both white and red quinoa are available in most natural-foods stores and the natural-foods sections of many supermarkets.

The biggest calorie bomb at Thanksgiving dinner & 10 fun Thanksgiving food facts

Nifer — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:05:33 +0000

There’s a lot that’s changed about Thanksgiving in the years since the Pilgrims gathered for their first meal of thanks. For instance, they weren’t were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade while they basted their bird (that started in 1924) or rummaging through sale racks for a bargain sweater the day after on Black Friday. Here are a few fun Thanksgiving food facts to mull over while you enjoy your meal.

Healthy meals to use up Thanksgiving leftovers

Nifer — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:12:16 +0000

We have an open-door policy when it comes to Thanksgiving: we welcome in anyone who turns up. Especially this year, when the wild fall weather has made travel planning difficult and unpredictable, chances are a lot more people will be staying closer to home. Their last-minute plans mean I’ll want to cook a big turkey, to make sure we have enough. Chances are good that I’ll go overboard (Thanksgiving math always trips me up—is it 20 ounces per person or 20 minutes per pound?) and that means leftovers.

5 instant no-cook appetizers

Nifer — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 18:23:15 +0000

An invitation to dinner is just about all the appetizer I need—I’m so happy to have someone feed me that I’m not fussy about what’s on the menu. But if, when I arrive, there are little nibbles to start things off, it’s a delightful bonus. Appetizers really take gatherings up a notch, showing an attention to detail I appreciate.

Amazingly good end-of-summer party dips

Nifer — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:50:29 +0000

Now that we’re into the fourth steamy week of August, I can honestly say I’m ready for autumn. But I don’t want to bid summer goodbye without giving it a good send-off. That’s why I’m psyched to have a Labor Day bash next weekend. It’s a great opportunity to get all of the grilling, pool partying and lawn game playing out of my system before the onset of soup-and-sweater season.

Watermelon ice & 5 more refreshing summer desserts

Nifer — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 16:13:41 +0000

“Eat dessert first” is a motto I can really relate to—and when it comes to summer desserts, it’s also good advice. That’s because some of the best summer desserts are frozen desserts, and nothing stays frozen very long on a hot summer day. As the sun continues to blaze hot this season, I know that fresh, frosty treats are just what I want to make and eat right now.

Here are 6 very cool recipes to enjoy right away.

EatingWell’s best summer potluck salads

Nifer — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 22:46:57 +0000

Potlucks and BBQs tend to conjure up images of hot dogs, hamburgers and perfectly cooked grilled chicken in my mind. But we all know it’s your relative’s famous salad recipe that gets everyone coming back for second helpings. Salads are great dish to bring to get-togethers: you can prepare them the night before and cut down on prep time by buying precut vegetables. Here are 5 of EatingWell’s best potluck recipes to try:

6 simple secrets for perfect deviled eggs

Nifer — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:52:12 +0000

My sister and her husband have a lot of parties and they have the perfect setting: a big, beautifully restored barn in the Finger Lakes region. They have enough glasses, plates and silverware to entertain dozens of people—plus that special platter designed to hold dozens of deviled eggs, with an indentation for each creamy white-and-yellow oval. My sister makes a killer deviled egg, too, and they disappear about as fast as she can fill the platter.

Best and worst choices at a picnic

Nifer — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:46:31 +0000

This weekend marks the unofficial start to summer and that means it’s time for picnics (or, depending on where you live, you might call your outdoor gathering a barbecue or a cookout). I love the traditional foods of summer: burgers and dogs, creamy salads, yummy desserts.

Must-Try: EatingWell’s Top 50 Healthy Summer Recipes