Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

This is a simple salad I served for a little get together we were having the other day. I like to keep things simple when people are coming over. I don’t go over board and cook lots of dishes- my philosophy is to focus on a few dishes and make them absolutely delicious.

For this dinner my plan was to make a lasagna and garlic bread. I decided to make a nectarine salad and baked nectarine dessert. If you didn’t guess- I love nectarines.

This salad is super simple- I used mixed greens. I added some walnuts and cut up a nectarine. I had recently purchased a bottle of walnut oil. I used it to make a delicious vinaigrette. I looked in my fridge and found a bottle of mango apricot nectar. I used that in addition to some white wine vinegar. Some salt and pepper and I had a yummy dressing. It was a great start to the meal. It had a great crunch from the walnuts and a burst of sweetness from the nectarines. The walnut oil flavor came through loud and clear and tied all the flavors together.
Click here for the recipe… »

I am always looking to eat something yummy with the gg crackers I eat everyday. Since they are not the yummiest things to eat, I like to pair them up with a healthy and delicious protein. I usually eat a couple for breakfast with some low fat cheese and hummus. I try to have few for lunch as well and sometime run out of ideas.

I usually eat them with cheese and salmon or whatever protein I have in the fridge.

For this meal I decided to make an omelet for myself. I love eggs for the protein and taste. They fill me up, especially with the gg crackers. I took two eggs beaten with a splash of milk. I also added feta cheese – just a bit. Feta is lower in fat than the other cheeses so it is a good choice. I then added a cup or more of mixed greens right into the omelet. It is like having a salad with my eggs. I folded the omelet and served it with the crackers.

The omelet is simple and super healthy with just a bit of oil. Try this meal next time you run out of ideas for lunch or breakfast especially if you are eating the gg crackers.
Click here for the recipe… »

I was in the kitchen listening to the radio the other day- which, by the way is my favorite thing to do- when I heard someone talk about summer tomatoes. They were saying how good the crop is this year because of the hot hot weather. I realized it to be true as I thought about the bumper tomato crop I have been harvesting from my backyard. The tomatoes have been unbelievable. I mostly grown cherry tomatoes- I love them. They are super versatile and delicious.

Anyway, the radio person suggested a peach and tomato salad- and that is where I got my inspiration.  It is so simple that I am almost embarrassed to post it as a recipe.

The key ingredient is balsamic glaze. You can buy it at a specialty store- I bought my from Italy but you can make your own as well. It is as simple as cooking regular balsamic vinegar down on a medium heat until it cooks down to a syrupy consistency. That is all this salad has- salt, really good olive oil and thyme.

It is very delicious- the combination of tomatoes and nectarines is unbelievable. Before summer is over- try this super simple salad…

• 2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 to 2 nectarines cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic glaze
• 2 teaspoon fresh thyme

Add the cherry tomatoes and nectarines into a medium bowl. Add the salt and olive oil. Let them sit for at least an hour. Add the fresh thyme and balsamic glaze and serve.

This is my version of a spicy calamari I had at a new Thai restaurant in Chatham- Thai Passion. I reviewed it a couple weeks ago.

This salad got my attention- it was fabulous- although I realized it was a bit over the top with the flavoring. I really enjoyed it but while I was trying to decide how to replicate this salad, I decided to tone it down a bit. At the same time, I didn’t want to lose the essence of the dish- which was a lot of spicy, savory, tangy and a bit of sweet. Writing about it makes me want to eat some- my mouth is salivating. If you live in the area- you should go try it in Chatham. If you don’t live in the Jersey area, try the recipe I have created.

As I mentioned before, this version is a bit toned down. I used tamarind concentrate, lime juice,Worcestershire sauce, palm sugar, sriracha sauce, etc. Once the dressing was made, all I had to do was to cook the calamari. I will attach the video that goes with this recipe.

Try this salad- it is a great dish to make in the summer time…

• ¼ pound calamari, defrosted and cut into ½ inch rings
• 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Heat a non-stick frying pan and add the olive oil on high heat. Add the calamari and sprinkle salt. Saute on high heat for two minutes just until the rings turn opaque. Turn the heat off and drain on a paper towel.

• 2 cups mixed greens
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
• ½ cup green beans, blanched
• 1 medium tomato, cut into 1-inch squares

Toss the mixed greens with the basil, mint, green beans and tomato. Add the calamari and mix well.

Vinaigrette

• ½ teaspoon tamarind concentrate
• Juice of half a lime
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil

Add the tamarind, limejuice, Worcestershire sauce, tamari, fish sauce, sriracha and palm sugar into a small bowl. Drizzle the olive oil while whisking the dressing. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and toss lightly before serving.

This is yet another great side dish to serve with any kind of protein. It will go really well with burgers, hot dogs, steaks and fish.

I made it with some grilled chicken. I used the harvest grain blend from Trader Joes which includes a few different grains including Israeli couscous.

I kept it simple with dried cranberries and pecans.

I made a quick orange dressing with fresh orange juice, orange zest, white wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. I mixed the yummy dressing into the cooked couscous blend and I had a delicious and healthy side dish.

My daughter didn’t care for the cranberries and nuts- so I took them out for her and she ate the grains. I made a simple green salad on the side and we had a light and delicious meal.
Click here for the recipe… »