After last week's earthquake and hurricane, its time for comfort foods.  Comfort foods are traditionally fattening fare, but you can slim down your shepherd's pie with a few tweaks. Created in northern England and Scotland, where sheep herding was big, shepherd’s pie evolved from classic meat pie dishes made in the Middle Ages. Today, this stick-to-your-ribs meal is an American favorite. Many comfort food is food prepared traditionally that may have a nostalgic or sentimental appeal. I have heard that “fat equals flavor.” The problem with this is that  much fat can lead to health issues. like…

This quick and tasty main dish is sumptuous, succulent and healthy. The shrimp is easily stir-fried in oil. And takes only 15 minutes to make! It's the perfect dish to serve any night of the week. This dish goes nice with rice. Even your family will go wild for this shrimp recipe. Stir-frying was first developed in China as a cooking method that worked efficiently on simple brick stoves. Oil and chopped food were stirred and tossed in the skillet, cooking in minutes. Nowadays stir-frying fits hectic lifestyles and health-conscious tastes. Vegetables retain their color and texture and remain …

Filet mignon is a special-occasion classic. This recipe is very simple, super delicious, and healthy. Filet mignon is Frrench for "cute fillet" or "dainty fillet" and is a steak cut of beef taken from the tenderloint. Filet mignon is considered the king of steaks because of its tender, melt in the mouth texture.  When grilling filet mignon and almost any other grilled steak less is definitely more, Less seasoning, less grilling time, less flipping, and less poking and prodding. This recipe is going to become one of your main red meat meals for your next celebration, perhaps for your …

I love Chinese food and crave it at times!  What can I say, I’m from New York, and most of us New Yorkers love good Chinese food.  This Chow mein recipe is excellent and very tasty. It’s like take out Chinese food, but is low cal, doesn’t have that horrible grease and no msg. Yum!! Chow mein is a Chinese term for a dish of stir-fried noodles, of which there are many varieties. In American cuisine, it is a stir-fried dish consisting of chicken (pork, beef or shrimp can be used), onions and celery. This recipe is so easy to make after work and very delicious. Your family will love it. Happy …

It’s summer time, and the living is easy with this quick and delicious salad. It made a perfect dinner for a hot summer evening and it was very simple to prepare with lots of flavor. I made this salad because I was looking for a healthy, light, simple shrimp dish. This fit the bill perfectly. The simplicity of this salad allowed the shrimp to stand out and not be overpowered by other ingredients. I had everything on hand and was able to use my basil from my garden — always a plus in July. The great thing about this dish is that it required a few basic ingredients. The total time to prep and …

Feeding your family on busy weeknights feels like a small victory if you can just get a quick meal on the table as they race in or out of the house. Every day might not be a major holiday, but spending time at the table with your family and healthy food is reason enough to celebrate. This simple and old fashioned recipe is very delicious, quick to make and makes a wonderful meal. This is real comfort food that brings back good memories and is very satisfying. Kids love it, it makes great leftovers, and it freezes beautifully, what else could one ask for. Try it out and season to your liking! …

Some of the best recipes involve fish and just two or three other ingredients. One of my favorite summer meals is salmon.  Salmon is truly the king of the sea. It’s light, flavorful, slightly oily, has a nice consistency, and marries well with a wide variety of other flavors. This salmon recipe is simple to make and has really good flavor. Using a citrus marinade brings out the taste in the salmon. It’s also loaded with omega-3, which is good for both your waste-line and your heart.  For this recipe I grilled the Salmon with a Lemon Peppercorn lmarinade and it was perfectly moist, flakey and …

I am partial to Mediterranean foods and a big fan of feta, so this healthy sandwich rates high with me. The filling reminds me of Spanakopita. Spanakopita or spinach pie is a Greek savory pastry with a filling of chopped spinach, feta cheese, onions or green onions just to name a few ingredients. Instead of pastry, Italian bread is used. For this recipe I added cooked chicken, which complements the spinach.  The Pine nuts are an excellent source of protein. Toasting brings out the flavor of pine nuts. Unfortunately pine nuts are quite expensive, but there is no substitute nut that comes close…

I am always looking for healthy meals to cook, so when I came across this recipe, I knew I had to make it. The recipe was adapted from Country Living Magazine. I made some modifications based on what I had on hand.  This recipe is easy to prepare and very tasty. It is not every day that you get a sweet and tangy sauce that also has a healthy dose of antioxidants. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), blueberries are near the top when it comes to antioxidant activity per serving. Antioxidants consist of a group of vitamins, minerals and enzymes that have health enhancing …

Independence Day honors the birthday of the United States of America and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  It’s a day of patriotic parades, concerts, picnics, family reunions, fireworks, and barbecues, and a reason to fly the American flag. If you don't have plans this Fourth of July weekend, don't fret. Patch is here and we have you covered for a perfect grilling weekend. The Fourth of July is a time to bring out your favorite grilled foods. So get creative and celebrate the holiday weekend with these delicious grilled dishes.  Impress your family and friends …

I love Thai food and this Green Curry Shrimp & Jasmine Rice dish is as good as the restaurants serve, if not better.  It’s spicy and very delicious.  This is one of Emeril's recipes from the Food Channel that I adapted. A bit of advice: slowly add curry paste until it is right for you. You can substitute carrots for the eggplant.  Also you can add a combination of yellow, red and green peppers. They say the best foods to eat during hot weather are spicy foods. It’s not a coincidence that many people in hotter climates of the world eat spicy food.  Spicy food increases perspiration which cools…

Memorial Day is this coming Monday.  It’s a holiday that honors soldiers and is observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. Memorial Day weekend also marks the start of the summer vacation season, community swimming pool openings, shopping, family gatherings, trips to the beach, the National Memorial Day Concert that takes place on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol, fireworks and the official kick-off of Barbeque Season. There could be no more fitting way to celebrate Memorial Day than with a …

If you’re looking for that perfect summer dinner idea, look no further.  This is a quick and easy meal for those hot summer evenings. It’s a hearty salad topped with steak, French fries and blue cheese.  Yes, I said French fries. I first had my doubts when I read French fries were on the salad, but after one bite I was a believer.  What’s nice about this salad is that it can be easily customized to suit individual tastes. Instead of using sirloin steak, you can use rib eye, filet mignon or flank steak.  You can substitute the blue cheese with cheddar (shredded), Munster cheese (shredded) feta…

A few weeks ago I made a road trip to Ikea with my friend Jo. After shopping for a little we decided we were hungry.  So for the first time, I tried Swedish meatballs. Oh, my goodness, what have I been missing? They were so delicious. And why did I wait so long to try them? I read that people have actually driven 2 ½ hours to eat these awesome meatballs.  All I can tell you is if you have never eaten them, next time you're shopping at Ikea, do it. It will be worth it. If you do not want to fight the crowds at Ikea and want your meatball fix right now, you can make these wonderful meatballs at…

The Georgia Reuben is a twist on the classic Reuben.  It is made with roasted turkey, Switzerland Swiss Cheese, Russian dressing and coleslaw on grilled Rye bread.  From what I have read online, the Georgia Reuben is popular in Michigan, despite the southern name connection. I love the classic Reuben, but the Georgia Reuben has a lot going on.  The turkey, coleslaw, Swiss and Russian dressing made a wonderful combination. I picked up healthier versions of the necessary ingredients, and I created this tasty, lean, low-cal sandwich for dinner.  Yes, you can have sandwiches for dinner...…

In the United States, ham is a traditional Easter food. In the early days, meat was slaughtered in the fall. There was no refrigeration, and the fresh pork that wasn't consumed during the winter months before Lent was cured for spring. The curing process took a long time, and the first hams were ready around the time Easter rolled around. Thus, ham was a natural choice for the celebratory Easter dinner. Easter conjures up images of baskets, bunnies, peeps, egg hunts and a holiday favorite — ham. However, while ham is the star of the Easter feast for more than two-thirds of Americans, almost …

Passover is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the escape of the Jewish people from slavery and flight from Egypt.  This year Passover starts on Monday night, April 18.  Although traditions vary throughout the world, the basics area s follows.  The first night of Passover begins with a ceremonial dinner called a “Seder,” where the story of the exodus is told. The story is passed down from generation to generation to ensure that we never become slaves again. It represents a story of freedom for any people. For me, the word “Passover” brings back so many memorable memories I have of such sweet …

Parmigiana is a Southern Italian dish made with a shallow-fried sliced filling, layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked. I haven’t made chicken parmigiana in years. So sticking with my Italian food craving, I decided to prepare it. This time, I was in search of making the breading more crispy than in previous attempts. This recipe turned out excellent, it’s about as easy as it gets and it tastes great. I used Iron Chef Garlic panko bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs and that gave it a great crunch. The panko bread crumbs made a world of difference; the chicken turned out …

Two weeks ago, I cooked Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce and this week, Shrimp and Linguine Fra Diavolo;  what can I say, I’ve been in an Italian recipe state of mind. This is a great little recipe that’s simple, light healthy, fun, tasty and makes a very quick dinner, about 25 minutes total.  This recipe is a modification of a Food Network recipe.  Shrimp Fra Diavolo is a classic, slightly spicy Italian dish. Fra diavolo means "brother devil"—a hint that this shrimp dish is spicy. You can fire it up or tame it down to your taste buds.  It's perfect for a weeknight dinner, but fancy enough for …

Today is the anniversary of the planting of the pecan trees by George Washington on March 25, 1775, at Mount Vernon.  The pecan trees were a gift from Thomas Jefferson. Pecan trees are the only nut tree that's native to North America, which is a good reason to celebrate Pecan Day.  The name "pecan" is a Native American word of Algonquin origin that was used to describe "all nuts requiring a stone to crack.”  Besides their delightful taste, pecans are also beneficial to your health, with research showing that they have antioxidants to help reduce the threat of cancer. I'm a big pecan fan, so …