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fattoush with heirloom tomatoes

by Jackie Newgent  |  April 11, 2021  |  1 Comment
If you don’t already have a favorite fattoush salad, you need this fattoush with heirloom tomatoes in your life. It’s fresh, vibrant, and even fun. And for me, it’s quite comforting. I know, I know! Leafy salads aren’t usually thought of as comforting. But it is for me since fattoush is the first salad I ate as a child. And it’s the only one I actually liked until I was a teen and started to experiment with “diet” salads. (Yikes!)
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lemon-ginger farro salad with pomegranate & pistachios

by Jackie Newgent  |  January 21, 2018  |  7 Comments
I make this salad a lot when pomegranates are in season! I never actually wrote down a recipe for it … I just wing it, which is the way I prefer to cook. But I wanted to share this farro salad, so here’s the official recipe! It’s so refreshing and satisfying and loaded with colors, textures, and aromatic delight. A couple of its flavor “secrets” are freshly grated gingerroot and lemon zest. Since I get to use my Microplane Zester/Grater to do that, it’s a perfect time to share this since “Favorite Kitchen Tool” is the theme of this month’s Recipe Redux. You’ll actually feel so good after eating it knowing you punched up your plant quotient for the day...
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grilled hummus toast with middle eastern salsa

by Jackie Newgent  |  February 12, 2017  |  3 Comments
Sure, I’m a big fan of avocado toast. I know I’m not alone in that! But when I don’t have a ripe avocado, this is my toast of choice! It’s inspired by my heritage—-I’m half Lebanese. That means I’m pretty much going to enjoy hummus anything. For this recipe, instead of toasting bread, I grill it for extra interest and smoky flair. And yes, a pan grill works well. The salsa is inspired by Mexican pico de gallo, but it includes cucumber and the herbs are switched up a bit. (I enjoy this salsa anytime; but it’s especially delicious when tomatoes are at peak season, of course!) As for the hummus, make your own or take a shortcut and buy...
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fresh pineapple-cucumber salsa

by Jackie Newgent  |  December 22, 2015  |  4 Comments
The new year is fast approaching! If you plan to eat healthier or lose weight this year, it’s the best time to remember that small changes can and do really add up to big differences over the year. With that in mind, I wanted to share something tasty with you to help kick-start your healthful eating efforts. The Recipe Redux task for the month was to “grab a book and cook.” Specifically, I needed to choose a recipe on page 54 or 154 in the chosen book (that’s because the Recipe Redux is 54 months old)! So I pulled Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibañez from my cookbook armoire, and found Spicy Fresh Pineapple Salsa on page 54. It’s already a...
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sesame soba noodle bowl

by Jackie Newgent  |  June 25, 2012  |  3 Comments
Makes 4 servings: 2 cups each Surprisingly, the biggest caloric issue with sesame noodles is often not the sesame oil or the peanut butter … it’s the actual noodles. So here’s how I solve this quandary. Bell peppers basically become part of the noodles to provide fewer calories and bigger flavor. You’ll cook the bell peppers right along with the noodles; so there’s no extra cooking step required either. This cool meal-in-one is a definite winner (for lunch, dinner or a picnic) for my eyes and palate. It was for my summer intern, Sarah Gelman, too (who helped me test this recipe). Hoping you fall in love with this delicious dish like we did. Please let us know what you...
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