Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

If I could, I would make sure I have these on hand all the time. These treats are always so delicious and the fact that they are healthy, makes me love them even more.

Most of all, my daughter thinks these are the best things she has ever eaten. I do love making them as well, especially because they are so easy to make.

My daughter has been reminding me everyday to make these jelly filled duffins- and finally I did. I made them while she was skiing with her Daddy and was gone all day. When she came back, she sniffed her way into the kitchen and discovered these on the counter. Although she was extremely tired, she still found the energy to eat her dinner and devour a duffin.

I used raspberry jam but of course any flavor will be fabulous as a filling. The key is to make sure the filling is added in the middle of the duffin mixture. I added about two tablespoons of the mixture and then added a teaspoon of filling before covering the filling with the rest of the mixture.

A duffin is perfect snack to give your kids, especially with a tall, cold glass of milk. My daughter has it as a snack after school with some fruit on the side. It is keeps her going until dinner and I feel good about giving her something homemade and not processed.

Make these treats for your kids..
Click here for the recipe… »

Yum- this was a delicious meal. I bought some tri tip roast from Trader Joes and was thinking of a way to use it up. As usual I was watching or reading something about food and beef stroganoff stood out.

I realized I hadn’t eaten this dish in years. In fact I can’t even remember where I had it- I do recall eating it on top of egg noodles.

In the recipe I read, the beef was served on top of toasted sourdough bread. I decided to do the same but I was able to find a whole wheat sourdough at Trader Joes- I am always trying to make dishes healthier where ever I can.

I started the delicious dish by sauteing the mushrooms with garlic. I used the same pan and sauteed the meat and added lots of flavor including red wine- yes you read correct- I used red wine. Actually I was planning on using white wine but when I opened the fridge, there wasn’t any- but I did have a light pinot noir and it was perfect. In fact I think next time I will use red instead of white wine. It gave the dish a nice color and a deeper flavor. Creme fraiche and dill made this dish unbelievable. I toasted the sour dough slices with some olive oil and rubbed a garlic clove all over the hot bread. I then added the stroganoff on top and served a green salad and the same red wine I used to cook the dish.

Make this beef stroganoff next time you have friends or family over- they will keep coming back for more…
Click here for the recipe… »

I made these potato cakes for get together a friend was having. She was expecting about 7 to 8 women and wanted me to make some snacks for the ladies. My initial thought was to make some chicken tikkas but then we realized some of the women were vegetarian. Instead of making two separate dishes, I decided to do a vegetarian one.

After doing a lot of thinking, I came up with these potato cakes. I grew up eating these on the streets of Delhi, India. They are called ‘Aloo Tikki‘(aloo means potatos and tikki is like a cutlet or croquette). The typical ones include boiled potatoes, onions, cilantro, etc and are served with a green chutney.

I decided to make a potato mixture with onion, ginger, green chilies as well as some bread crumbs and a sharp cheddar cheese. The cheese made the cakes soft and gooey on the inside. I also added flavorful dill and cilantro into the mix.

These cakes are great to serve as appetizers or a light meal. A nice salad and green chutney on the side is an ideal lunch.
Click here for the recipe… »

This is a great vegetarian meal with tons of flavor. After watching Food Inc, I am trying to incorporate more vegetables and different proteins (other than meat) into our diets. Besides being careful about where our chickens and beef are coming from, I am also very careful about buying local fruits and vegetables.

We all love tofu in our family but again- I have started looking for non-GMO soy products. I found this extra firm tofu at Whole Foods. I usually use tofu in a stir fry but this time I wanted to make something different. I decided to marinate tofu sticks and then use the same breading technique I use to make crunchy chicken fillets. The tofu sticks were delicious- crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside- really good.

I also found Udon noodles in Whole Foods- the best part is the noodles are made out of whole wheat. I chopped up some broccolini and used the shredded carrots I always have in the fridge and made a delicious noodle dish. It was a great looking dish and we all ate it up. My daughter loved both the noodles and the tofu.

Try this fabulous vegetarian dish and I bet your kids will love it…
Click here for the recipe… »

I love Jamie Oliver! I have always loved watching and cooking Jamie’s recipes. I have his show set on my dvr and have saved them all in there. My daughter likes him as well- especially after I told her he is my favorite chef to watch. We watch his shows on the weekends and I love watching him cook in his garden in a rustic kitchen in the UK- I wish I could be there.

Now that he is all over television with his show, The Food Revolution, I love him even more. I remember watching him in the UK doing the same thing for the schools there and thinking I wish he would come here. Essentially, he is trying to make our schools healthier. He goes to a school and talks about all the processed food our kids are being fed and tries to teach the school how to make simple, healthy food out of real ingredients. All I can say is – why didn’t someone else do this a long time ago???

Healthy eating comes from the homes but our government makes it hard to eat healthy especially for families who are on a tight budget and find the processed foods a lot cheaper than fresh fruits and vegetables- something is wrong.

When our kids are younger, like mine is (she is seven), we can still control what they eat. I pack my daughter’s lunch everyday except one day when she eats pizza. I am okay with one day of pizza as long as the rest of the days I can give her lunch- but I feel, as she gets older, she is going to want to eat at school and the thought makes me cringe. All the unhealthy food being served is very depressing. I am trying to raise her with healthy eating habits and it gets harder as she gets older. Everywhere I look there are tons of unhealthy food choices, chain restaurants, candy and sugar…

Since Jamie Oliver is trying to make a difference, I want to do everything to help. He has a petition we can all sign on his website. Please go ahead and do so and cook something healthy tonight!