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..
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I make this for dinner, lunch or brunch whenever I run out of ideas. Most of the times I forget about this easy to make, spicy omelet. I grew up eating this at home for breakfast. It is flavorful and gorgeous to look at. Indian omelets unlike the french ones are cooked thoroughly and are cooked with all the flavorings and herbs instead of being stuffed with them.

It is also easy to make since most of the ingredients are always available. I have green chilies, green onions, tomatoes and of course cheese at home. I feel lost if there is no cilantro in the house. It is a pantry meal- pair it with a delicious green salad and it is a healthy, balanced meal.

You can make this omelet with almost anything in the fridge. My daughter was eating some leftovers and my husband was going out after work and so I was the only one without dinner plans. I made this delicious meal for myself and enjoyed it with a glass of white wine.

Make this spiced omelet when you run out of ideas…
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I wrote about these healthy donuts on the New York Times, The Local blog. This is the new favorite in our house. I have made many batches of these muffins/donuts.

I first had them at a bakery, Brownie Points at the Mall at Short hills. They were oblong shaped muffins, covered with sugar. When we tasted them, we were hooked immediately. They tasted fresh and light and not too sweet.

After finding out the bakery was not there anymore I got obsessed with making them at home. It was quite difficult to find the recipe on the Internet but I was able to get something and tweaked it to my taste.

The great thing about this treat is that it is healthy. I have used white whole wheat flour, extra light olive oil and turbinado sugar.

My daughter loves it and has one everyday for a snack after school. She washed it down with a glass of milk and then has some fruit. I have already made duffins with apples as well as jelly filled ones. My husband has one in the morning as well.

Try the duffins- you will love them!
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We love eating pizza at home. I usually buy a pizzeria dough and divide it into 4 pieces to make four individual pizzas. I am always looking to make something new or at least try some new toppings for the pizza.

My daughter likes her usual- tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese and either sauteed mushrooms or black olives. She doesn’t like to mess with perfection and likes to stick to her usual. My husband is very similar- well, he is a bit more adventurous- as long as the pizza has red sauce on it. I love white pizza but am the only one in our family. My favorite is a white pizza with ricotta, spinach and lots of garlic- hmm- that sounds delicious- I could use some right now.

While picking up the pizza dough, I also stopped at the wine store. I couldn’t believe I had run out of wine- completely. As I was running my errands I was thinking what pizza to make for myself. I wanted something white and different. Pasta carbonara came to mind- I love eating it. The problem is that it is full of cream, bacon and eggs- definitely not an option for me these days. I guess once in a while it is okay to eat this stuff- right?. So, I decided to make a pizza carbonara for myself.

I sauteed some pancetta and turned the heat off. I stirred in eggs beaten with half and half (instead of cream). I then poured it all over my already rolled out pizza. Just in a few minutes the pizza crust turned golden brown and the topping rose way high. It looked beautiful. I added a lot of black pepper- that is what comes to mind when I think of carbonara. It was delicious. This would be great for breakfast, lunch or dinner- anytime, really.

Try pizza carbonara next time you want to change it up a bit.
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What do you do with leftover chicken? Well, I usually make chicken salad, stuff quesadillas, make soup or fried rice.
This time I wanted to make something different. I kept looking at the leftover chicken breast I had from the day before- and couldn’t come up with anything.

Somehow, after a few minutes, chicken hash came to mind. I envisioned chopped chicken paired with things that were sitting in my vegetable crisper in the fridge. I had green onions, chilies and a red pepper. I also had potatoes and tomatoes in my pantry. I chopped everything up and started cooking.  As the base flavor, I used my favorite condiment- Trader Joe’s tomato chutney. I love using it for everything including sandwiches and as a topping for eggs and meats. In this case I added a few tablespoons and it gave the dish a tangy, salty and sweet flavor. I finished it with a dusting of feta cheese and chopped cilantro.

It was such a beautiful dish- multi colored and delicious. I had some ‘bake at home’ baguettes. I baked one and served a green salad with the chicken hash. It was a big success. This meal would be a perfect for a brunch party!
Click here for the recipe… »