Brazilian Mayonnaise Potato Salad

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes, Salads, Vegetables & Sides

Brazilian Salad

 

The great thing about having 7 aunts and uncles is that they and their children provide so much diversity to the family dynamic. Yes, we’re all essentially Arab/Middle Eastern, but we’ve grown up all over the world, some of us are American, others are Italian, Australian, Dutch, Jordanian, Egyptian, Algerian, English and Brazilian. And some of us have lived in places like London, Malaysia, Kuwait, Dubai, Oman, and Singapore. But we all bring something to the table – literally and figuratively. We may face some language barriers and be able to hold a conversation, but we all understand good food. And with so many cuisines to choose from, we’re lucky enough that our table is always full. (more…)

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Frutti Di Mare (Seafood Salad)

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes, Seafood

Frutti Di Mare_3

 

I love all seafood. Really, I don’t discriminate. I’ve cooked all sorts of seafood before – from shrimp to red snapper. But I’ve never tried to make mussels or clams at home. This was the coolest cooking experience I’ve had in a while! It was so fun I Instagramed them popping! I had to do a little bit of research to find out how exactly to wash and prepare them. It’s a lot of work, but let me tell you … it is worth it. The most exciting step in this dish was steaming the clams and mussels. I have glass tops for my cookware and I was able to watch the shells popping open. At first, I had no idea what to expect with the clams. I wasn’t sure how how “open” they’d get. When I saw a sliver of an opening, I almost turned the heat off, but then I was pleasantly surprised when I watched the first shell pop completely open. If you’re not into the whole Frutti Di Mare, you at least have to steam your own mussels and clams. It’s pretty impressive too, when you present them to guests. (more…)

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Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Chicken, Posts, Recipes, Rice & Grains

Broccoli Chicken Casserole_3

 

The last time I made rice, it took me exactly 1 minute and 30 seconds. I basically pulled the plastic wrap off of minute rice, stuck it in the microwave and waited impatiently for one minute while it cooked. Needless to say, rice is not my forte. Even more needless to say, I barely eat rice at home, unless it’s minute rice of course. Despite this, I still decided to try my luck with a healthy, lower-calorie version of a rice casserole. I wasn’t sure. I’ve had too many experiences where the rice was either over (mushy) or under cooked. Trust me, if I can do this, so can you. (more…)

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Loaded Light Baked Potato Soup

categories: 500 Calories or Less, Posts, Recipes

 

Ah, the holidays. Cookies, cakes, 5-course dinners, drinks, parties. It’s the perfect time to throw your diet out the window and eat everything in sight, right? Wrong. It seems to be the endless Holiday cycle – starting with Thanksgiving where we go with the all-you-can eat mentality up through New Year’s Day. Then, it’s back to everyone’s favorite resolution, “this year I’m going to lose weight,” when you start eating lettuce again and fighting for a treadmill and space in your Zumba and Kick-Boxing classes. (more…)

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Browned Butter Sweet Potato Bake

categories: Desserts, Posts, Recipes, Vegetables & Sides

 

Sweet-Potato-baKE

Thanksgiving this year, much like every year since I can remember, we had our annual get together at my parent’s house. That means mom took over all the major dishes from the Turkey to green beans to stuffing and mashed potatoes, while she farmed a dish or two out to me. I can just imagine my mom at home working the turkey with the Thanksgiving Day Parade on in the background. It’s seriously tradition. The Turkey wouldn’t turn out if he didn’t spend all morning jamming to the parade with my mom. Then everyone arrives a couple hours before meal time to set up and put the finishing touches before all is devoured and no one can move because of a food induced coma. (more…)