Easy Cucumber Recipes

Cucumbers are one of my favorite vegetables. They are most always available, come in a variety of types, easy to add to salads and sandwiches, and are high in water. At 96% water, cucumbers are a great way to help with hydration and add crunch to dishes. English cucumbers (the long skinny ones usually wrapped […]

What I Learned at Cooking School- Part 1

Cooking is my passion. I am fortunate that this passion often overlaps my career in nutrition as we work to build healthy recipes, test cooking techniques, and write curricula that helps everyday cooks make healthy food for their family. As with any passion, you should sharpen your knives from time to time. The way I […]

In Need of Meal Planning Inspiration This Week?

In need of meal planning inspiration this week? Pam Outen was recently honored by NC State University for her 50+ year career as an Extension agent. Pam’s goal was to help people plan quick, easy, and nutritious meals. You can find Pam’s videos on her YouTube channel Pam’s Kitchen*. I hope this will fuel your […]

cabbage stir fry

Indian-Style Cabbage Stir Fry

I am sharing my favorite recipe for cabbage stir-fry made Indian style – it is super easy to make. The combination of green cabbage with carrots and peas makes this dish so colorful and tempting. The spices bring out a flavor that is hard to resist. You can adjust any of the spices listed in […]

A serving of roasted vegetables over grains

Farro, Bean, and Roasted Vegetable Salad

If you have never tried farro, this is a great way to start. Farro gives this salad a wonderful texture. You can, however, use another grain you may have on hand such as brown rice, barley, or bulgur. This recipe uses roasted carrots and zucchini. However, you can use any roasted vegetable or even leftover […]

Prepared kim chi

Cucumber Kim Chi

Kim Chi is a staple in the Korean diet. It is usually made with Napa Cabbage and is fermented. It takes several days to make. This recipe is not fermented so it is technically not Kim Chi. It is, however, delicious and is a great side dish with salmon or other fish. It is also […]

A serving of rice and beans

Rice with Lima Beans and Cumin

This is really an amazing rice dish. It is so creamy and has an exotic flavor thanks to the tang of the yogurt and cumin. You can use any whole grain in the place of the brown rice. Recipe available on Med Instead of Meds and adapted from Culinary Institutes of America. Watch this video […]

Okra after grilling

BEST way to cook okra – GRILLED

I grew up in the south. This means that fried okra was on the menu frequently. In fact, I am not sure I knew that you could eat it any other way until I was an adult. Lucky for me, my mom was a health-conscious southern cook and did not use heavy batter or deep […]

Prepared sweet potato casserole in a ceramic dish

A Healthy Holiday Classic – Sweet Potato Casserole

With the holidays just around the corner, many of us are dusting off recipes that we use only a few times a year. If your family is like mine, Sweet Potato Casserole is always on the menu at the holidays. Sweet potatoes are full of vitamins, minerals, and a great source of fiber, but with […]

Sweet Potato and Banana Casserole

This year I decided to experiment with a healthy remix to a holiday classic. I landed on two takes of Sweet Potato Casserole – one that is velvety in texture and reminds me most of the traditional version and the one below that has more of a firm texture with a yummy banana flavor.  If […]