A high-quality cutting board can be quite an investment, but it’s also something you’ll use nearly every day. And it can last forever if you take good care of it. I’ve had my thick maple cutting board for quite a few years, and with stains, cuts and lots of Arizona dryness, it was definitely in need of some TLC. I couldn’t wait to try out the JK Adams Wood Care Kit.

The JK Adams Classic Wood Care Kit comes with everything you need to restore a cutting board and make it practically brand new. It includes:

• A fine-grit sanding sponge to gently smooth out any cut marks
• A bottle of mineral oil with a special sponge applicator to moisturize the wood
• A jar of beeswax to seal and waterproof the wood

The JK Adams Natural Wood Care Kit includes a sanding sponge and an all-natural, food-safe wood conditioner made from coconut oil, organic carnauba wax and beeswax.

Both kits are great, but I personally love the classic kit because of the mineral oil and easy-to-use applicator sponge. My dry cutting board drank up the mineral oil.

If you use a wood cutting board, it’s essential to use either beeswax or a good wood conditioner like this one. Both help seal the cutting board and prevent liquids, odors and bacteria from penetrating the wood. I tried the beeswax on one side, and the wood conditioner on the other; they worked equally well, and water beaded up with both finishes.

I found the JK Adams Wood Care kits very easy to use, and I highly recommend them for anyone who wants to give their cutting board a new lease on life.

These air fryer apple chips really do get all crispy and crunchy. And they’re so good for you. Full of all that soluble, cholesterol- and blood-sugar-lowering fiber.

And can we talk about the chocolate tahini dip? It’s kind of like Nutella…if Nutella was full of antioxidants and healthy fats.

Before You Make These Air Fryer Apple Chips:

• Slice the apples super thin if you want crispy chips. Thicker slices will result in chewier chips, which is good too.
• You don’t need any cooking oil for these apple chips.
• You can peel your apples, but there’s no need to. The skin is pretty and adds more fiber.
• These are best eaten the same day. If you keep them overnight, they will soften up. If that happens, you can always pop them back in the air fryer for 10 minutes or so and they’ll crisp back up.
• Even if you don’t love tahini, please try the dip. It’s more chocolatey with just a hint of nuttiness, and it’s really good.

Air Fryer Apple Chips with Chocolate Tahini Dip

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 large apples
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 2 tablespoons tahini

Instructions:

Cut the apples crosswise into very thin slices (about one-sixteenth of an inch). Lightly tap out any seeds from the center.

Place the apple slices in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss to coat the slices well.

Place the apple slices in the basket of an air fryer. Set the machine to 200°F and set the timer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, toss the apple slices, and set the timer for 30 more minutes at the same temperature. Toss again. Set the timer for 15 more minutes.

The apple chips will crisp up as they cool. If you’re not sure that they are done, take one or two out of the air fryer basket and let them cool. If they’re still chewy, return them to the basket and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.

To make the dip, combine the syrup, cocoa powder and water in a small bowl. Using a fork, whisk well until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the tahini and whisk until smooth.

Hot honey isn’t really a new thing. I think I first discovered a recipe and article about it at least four years ago. Probably in Food & Wine or Bon Appetit.

But lately, I’ve been seeing it at grocery stores — in the cheese department. So, that means it’s officially “a thing,” and it occurred to me you should know how to make it! There’s no need to buy hot honey because it really is the easiest thing to make.

What is Hot Honey?

It’s exactly what it sounds like. Honey that’s hot. But hot as in spicy, not warm-hot. You can make it hot by adding red pepper flakes, Sriracha or other types of hot sauce. But I think the easiest way to make it is to simmer some honey with a few hot peppers, and then strain the peppers (and any loose seeds) off.

When you make it this way, you don’t risk swallowing a red pepper flake or having red honey.

Two-Ingredient Hot Honey

Ingredients:

• 2 medium jalapeño peppers (more or less depending on how hot you like it)
• 2 cups honey

Instructions:

Remove the stems and slice your jalapeño peppers lengthwise. Remove any loose seeds but leave the rest of the seeds and white pith intact for hotter hot honey.

Pour the honey into a medium saucepan and add the peppers. Bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Let the honey cool and remove the pepper pieces. If you have loose seeds, strain the honey to remove them.

Store your hot honey in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. It should last at least a month or more. When using it, if it’s too thick, let it come to room temperature or run the jar under hot water for 30 seconds.

Cooking note:

• Makes 2 cups.

It’s no secret that I have more kitchen gadgets than I have space for. So, when my son asked what I wanted for my birthday recently, the last thing on my mind was another kitchen gadget (although I do love them). He was persistent, though, and insisted I would love an air fryer.

He even said I would want to make a spot on my counter so I could keep it out constantly. If there’s one thing that drives my family crazy, it’s that I hate appliances sitting out on my counter. Except for the coffee maker. That gets far too much use to have to set up every day.

Testing it Out

One of the first things I tried was air fryer kale chips. I often make them in the oven, but they’re hit or miss with the timing and crispiness. No matter what I do, I get about half a pan of good kale chips, with a quarter overdone and another quarter underdone.

No more of that my friends! It’s like the air fryer was made for kale chips…and shoestring sweet potato fries…and super tender buttermilk fried chicken fingers… stay tuned!

In case you’re wondering, air fryers don’t really fry. In fact, you don’t have to use oil (but I do use a drizzle or spray). Instead, they’re like mini convection ovens that circulate hot air around the food. Whatever dish you’re making — it cooks faster, browns better and gets crispy faster.

Garlic Parmesan Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces raw kale, washed and dried (about 6 cups) tough stems removed, if desired. Use bagged, chopped kale if desired.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese or more to taste

Instructions:

If you’re using whole kale leaves, chop or slice the kale into about 2-inch pieces. Place the kale in a mixing bowl. Pour the olive oil over, and sprinkle with salt and garlic powder.

Gently toss the kale and massage the salt and garlic powder into the kale. Make sure everything is coated with the oil.

Place the kale into the air fryer basket. Set the temperature to 300 °F and the timer for 9 minutes. Open the air fryer and toss the kale with tongs after about 5 minutes. Check it as it gets close to the finishing point to make sure it’s not overcooked.

Empty the cooked kale chips into the mixing bowl, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and let cool for about 2 minutes.

Cooking note:

• This will cook down to about 2 cups.

One of my favorite things about this salmon pasta dish is that even though it has many ingredients, there’s virtually no work involved, because they all come out of a can or jar! You literally just have to drain them and put them in the pan. Easy peasy!

Salmon is full of heart and brain-healthy omega-3 fats. It’s also low in mercury. And even though many people worry about only eating wild salmon, it’s pretty easy to find farmed salmon that’s raised sustainably. Farmed salmon is quite healthy, and it’s a really good option for when wild salmon is out of season.

But seriously, sometimes I get tired of the same old grilled or poached salmon. When I have leftover cooked salmon and some time on my hands (at the same time, which is rare), I do enjoy salmon cakes. But most of the time, I’ll just grill or poach it and eat it. I tend to add leftover salmon to a salad the next day.

Recently, I found a recipe for pasta with salmon. I made a few tweaks to use a few more vegetables (most of which come out of a can or jar). I also used one of my favorite secret ingredients — pesto.

Pesto works so well with the other flavors in this pasta dish. It’s full of artichokes, olives, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and a few handfuls of arugula stirred in at the end. So many delicious flavors.

This salmon pasta keeps well for an extra day in the fridge and tastes just as delicious the next day. You can even eat it cold the next day for lunch.

Mediterranean-Inspired Salmon Pasta

Ingredients

• 6 ounces salmon
• salt and pepper
• 8 ounces bowtie pasta
• ⅓ cup prepared pesto
• 1 cup drained, marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
• ¼ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
• ¼ cup pitted green olives, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes, sliced
• 3 cups baby arugula

Instructions

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Cook the salmon on a hot grill for about 8 minutes or in an oven at 350°F for about 12 minutes, until it’s opaque and flakes easily. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.

While the salmon cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta. Add salt to taste. Drain the pasta when it’s al dente, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.

In the empty pasta pan, add the pesto, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, olives, sundried tomatoes and about ¼ cup of the pasta water. Heat it over medium high heat and add the cooked pasta.

Stir in additional pasta water as desired, to make a sauce. Add the arugula by the handful. Stir it in so it wilts.

Turn off the heat. Flake the salmon and stir it into the pasta. Stir to combine everything and serve.

I had never baked a loaf of real, artisan bread in my life, but like so many others, I recently jumped on the sourdough bandwagon. I bought and learned how to maintain a starter, and my kids sent me 10 pounds of organic rye flour for Mother’s Day. The one thing I’ve been missing is a bread baker, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review the Emile Henry Artisan Bread Loaf Baker.

Beautiful, sturdy and ceramic, this two-piece bread baker is generously sized (13.6 inches by 8.9 inches), so it accommodates a very large loaf, as well as a smaller one. While you can bake bread without a ceramic bread baker, it’s a little tricky to get that perfect crunchy brown crust. This bread loaf baker does the trick — and so easily.

I’ll admit I’m still learning about sourdough and the whole bread baking process. Previously, I tried baking a loaf on a stone baking sheet and in a Dutch oven. Both require preheating the pan or baking sheet, changing the oven temperature midway, removing a very hot lid and too much babysitting as the bread bakes.

The Emile Henry Artisan Bread Loaf Baker makes the process so simple. Just pop your proofed dough into the baker, cover it with the lid and put it into a hot oven. I used it to make a large loaf of sourdough rye with sesame and pumpkin seeds on top. I’m thrilled to say the crust was perfect and the bread was chewy and moist inside. And no need for any temperature changes, lid lifting or babysitting!

I love this bread baker, but I do wish it had handles. It’s large and a bit heavy with a big loaf of bread inside. I was nervous that it might slip out of my oven mitts while removing it from a 425°F oven.

Overall, I highly recommend the Emile Henry Artisan Bread Loaf Baker. If you bake bread and want a perfect crust with no fuss, this piece of cookware is worth the investment.

I often end up tweaking it a bit each time I make it based on the ingredients I have on hand. That’s the beauty of soup. It’s such a versatile meal and so easy to make it your own.

The star of this soup is the fennel. Don’t tweak that ingredient whatever you do! If you’re not sure what fennel is, or what it looks like, it’s similar in flavor to anise (used in anisette liquor or some Italian cookies), and it looks like a giant onion bulb with green stems that have wispy green fronds at the ends. It’s the bulb you chop or slice very thin for the flavor. Don’t be afraid. Fennel has a delicious fresh flavor, and to me, it tastes like Italian sausage. Probably because it’s one of the primary spices used to flavor Italian sausage.

This soup calls for both a fennel bulb and some ground seeds. If you think that’s too much of a good thing, start with the bulb and taste it before you add the fennel seeds. But when it comes to fennel, I say the more the better.

I make this soup very often and I savor every delicious bite. It’s a little bit spicy, and the pasta, beans and chunks of ground turkey are so hearty and filling, in a really good and healthy way.

Chunky Italian Turkey Fennel Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 3 medium carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 medium fennel bulb
• 2 to 3 large kale leaves
• 4 cups low-sodium tomato juice
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
• 1½ teaspoons ground fennel seed
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (more or less to taste)
• 2 cups small pasta shells, uncooked
• ¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon (or to taste) kosher or sea salt
• Optional garnish: shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Heat oil in a stock pot over medium heat and add the turkey breast. Stir to break up the turkey into small pieces and cook through.

While the turkey is cooking, place the carrots, onions, garlic, fennel bulb and kale in batches into a food processor, and pulse until they are chopped into small, bite-size pieces.

Add the chopped vegetables to the stock pot with the turkey and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add tomato juice, chicken stock, kidney beans, fennel seed and crushed red pepper to the pot.

Bring the soup to a boil and add the pasta. Reduce the heat, cover and let it simmer for about 20 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the chopped basil. Taste and season with salt as needed. Serve with passed Parmesan cheese if desired.

Any leftover soup can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. The soup may thicken up after refrigerated, so if it’s too thick, add a cup of water or chicken stock to the desired consistency.

After I panicked a bit, I did what any good dietitian food blogger would do. I bought some blue cheese, pulled out my blender and got right to work. And I’ve got to say — I nailed it with this recipe. It’s so delicious that I put it on everything. It’s positively heavenly on my favorite BLT salad or a plate of fresh sliced tomatoes. I’ve even added a drizzle to my turkey, tomato, and avocado sandwich — so good.

I’m kind of embarrassed that I bought bottled blue cheese vinaigrette dressing for so long because this is so simple to make.

Healthier Blue Cheese Vinaigrette Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 ounces blue cheese
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• pinch sea salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a bullet blender or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Add extra water if a thinner consistency is preferred. Store leftover dressing in a small jar for up to three days.

A vacuum sealer is one of those small appliances you might not think to buy for yourself. But once you own one, you’ll appreciate how useful and convenient it is — especially if you’re a bulk shopper or major meal prepper.

I’ve had a new vacuum sealer on my wish list for a while. I can’t pass up those 3-pound pieces of salmon and other family-size food packages at the warehouse club store — even though I don’t cook for a family anymore. Unfortunately, regular zip-top freezer bags leave most foods covered with ice crystals and freezer burn in no time.

Now, thanks to the Weston Professional Advantage Vacuum Sealer, my freezer is packed with foods that will retain their quality for months. Compared to another vacuum sealer brand I had in the past, this machine feels more substantial. You have to apply a bit of pressure to lock the lid, but once you do, it creates an air-tight vacuum seal. So far, it has done a great job of keeping my foods fresher for longer.

I love the attractive stainless finish on this vacuum sealer, as well as the fact that you can seal foods either automatically or manually. The automatic seal setting allows you to quickly vacuum out all the air in the package, while the manual setting allows you to control the amount of air removed, so you can seal more delicate foods such as bread or fresh fruit.

The Weston model comes with different sizes of BPA-free freezer bags, and there’s an assortment of additional sizes on the company’s website. You also can use any other brand of freezer bags, as long as they’re designed for a vacuum sealer.

This machine did a fast and fabulous job with salmon fillets, chicken breasts and 2 pounds of mozzarella cheese to store in my freezer. I also sealed 2 pounds of whole-wheat flour to keep fresh in my pantry. The Weston appliance is nice and wide, allowing you to seal bags up to 11 inches wide. I tested the extra-large bags and manual seal function on a loaf of sourdough bread, and it worked perfectly to provide a tight seal without crushing the bread.

Although I don’t use a vacuum sealer daily, it’s such a convenient and practical thing to have. I hate to be without one! Use this handy appliance for grocery items and meal prep or home-grown vegetables and fruits.

If you have a spiralizer, you probably love them too, because they make totally awesome veggie noodles or “zoodles”. Other than that though, I always feel like most people throw them in ratatouille, or grill up a few slices and decide they really don’t love zucchini.

Personally, I think zucchini tastes best when it’s eaten raw — kind of like a cucumber with some flavor and texture. I love slicing it thin and using it in fresh spring rolls.

When I have lots of it at the end of the summer though, it’s so perfect for making zucchini fritters. Add some oregano and Parmesan cheese for an Italian fritter, keep it simple with salt and pepper, or add a southwest twist with some grilled corn, Hatch chiles, cilantro and scallions like I just did here.

Zucchini fritters can be a healthy meal if you use a non-stick pan and just a little bit of olive oil to sauté them crispy-golden. Or, if you want to make a big batch all at once, pop them in a hot oven and cook them until they’re crispy and light-golden.

This recipe is so easy to make ahead, freeze and reheat on a night when you’re just not in the mood to cook. Try serving them with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt with a pinch of salt and some fresh lime juice and zest.

Baked Zucchini Fritters with Grilled Corn and Hatch Chiles

Serves 10

Ingredients

• 6 small zucchini, ends trimmed (about 1½ pounds)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 scallions, sliced thin
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 3 Hatch chiles (or other mildly spicy chili pepper)
• 2 ears fresh corn
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• pinch of fresh ground pepper, and additional salt, if necessary
• 1 large egg, beaten lightly
• ½ cup brown rice flour (or regular flour)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Optional Toppings for Serving:
  • sour cream
  • Greek yogurt
  • pickled Hatch chiles

Instructions

Shred zucchini in a food processor fitted with a shredding blade. Toss with salt and place in a colander for about 15 minutes to allow zucchini to release some water. Squeeze dry and place zucchini in a large mixing bowl.

Preheat the oven to 400°F, and line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat

While the zucchini is draining, grill the corn and Hatch (or other) chiles. When both are charred, remove from the grill and let them cool.

Cut the corn from the cob and add it to the mixing bowl with the zucchini. Peel the skin from the chiles, remove the seeds, and chop the chiles. Add them to the bowl.

Add scallions, cilantro, and cheese and stir to combine. Season with additional salt if necessary, and fresh ground pepper.

Mix in beaten egg, flour and baking powder and stir well combine.

Form batter into 3-inch wide by ½-inch tall patties and lay out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for about 10 minutes or until light golden brown on the bottom. Flip zucchini fritters over and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes on the other side.

Serve hot or at room temperature, with sour cream, Greek yogurt or pickled Hatch chile peppers if desired.

Cooking Notes:

• Any leftover fritters can be refrigerated or frozen and reheated. If garnishing with sour cream or Greek yogurt, add some lime zest to brighten it up.

I used to think that deliciousness was some kind of a secret recipe available only at good restaurants. Until one day when I was trying to figure out what to do with an abundance of tomatoes and I hit on this Sheet Pan Restaurant-Style Salsa.

Roma tomatoes are my favorite for this recipe because they have more meat and less water and seeds.

If this isn’t the most perfect sheet pan meal, I don’t know what is. Yes, I did say meal, because when you’re an empty nester, this can be dinner.

Sheet Pan Restaurant-Style Salsa

Ingredients

• 2 ½ pounds Roma tomatoes (about 6), sliced in half
• 2 large jalapeños, stems and seeds removed and sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and sliced in quarters
• 4 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (packed)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).

Place the tomatoes, jalapeños, onion and garlic in a mixing bowl. Pour the olive oil over and toss well to combine.

Spread the vegetables onto a lined sheet pan, in a single layer. Roast the vegetables for 20-25 minutes, or until they start to blacken in spots. Turn them after about 15 minutes, so they cook evenly.

When the vegetables are cooked, remove from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes.

When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, remove the skins from the garlic, and place all of the vegetables into a blender or food processor, along with the salt, cumin and lime juice.

Pulse several times or blend/process to almost desired consistency. Add the cilantro, and pulse 3-4 more times to incorporate.

Taste and adjust any seasonings. Serve warm with chips or vegetables.

Cooking Notes:

• This makes about 2 cups of salsa

This kefir salad dressing is a perfect way to use preserved lemons. Don’t worry if you don’t have preserved lemons – you can stick to fresh lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice. But, if you happen to find a bunch of fresh lemons, why not preserve a few? You’ll have them on hand to use in recipes for months.

Lemon Herb Kefir Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• ½ medium avocado
• ½ cup plain kefir
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons preserved lemons (or zest of 1 lemon plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice), minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh dill, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh chives, minced
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 to 3 tablespoons water as needed to thin
• Salt and ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the avocado, kefir, vinegar, olive oil, herbs, garlic powder and ½ teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add water to thin as needed. Taste and add additional salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Cooking Note:

• This recipe makes about ¾ cup and can be doubled. Keep any leftover dressing in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I’ve never been able to find the right olive oil and vinegar dispenser bottles until now. Either they’re too tall for my pantry shelves, too narrow to easily fill, inconvenient to clean or they pour too fast or slow.

The Eparé Oil and Vinegar Jar Set is perfect for anyone who buys olive oil and vinegar in bulk but needs a convenient way to store and use them. I especially love the design of these bottles: With nice and wide openings, they’re very easy to fill and clean. They also feel sturdy in my hand and are easy to handle and pour when full.

Another bonus is the clear markings for milliliters, ounces and cups. I enjoy making my own salad dressings, so using these bottles means one less measuring cup to clean. They also have an attractive design, so they can stay on your kitchen counter or dining room table.

My absolute favorite thing about these dispensers, though, is the stainless no-drip pour spouts. They make it so easy to drizzle just the right amount of olive oil when cooking, and no more worries about drowning your salad greens in vinegar. The pour spouts also have air-tight BPA-free silicone covers, which is important for maintaining the quality of oils and vinegars.

The Eparé Oil and Vinegar Jar Set is a great item for anyone’s kitchen, and it’s already gotten lots of use in mine.

SERVINGS: 8
SERVING SIZE: 2 pieces (30 grams)
PREP TIME: 15 minutes and 12 or more hours to marinate
COOKING TIME: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce package tempeh
• ¼ cup (60 milliliters) low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) water
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon (1 milliliter) liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 cup (about 1 inch) water and bring to a boil.
2. Place tempeh in the saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes, flipping it over after 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Remove tempeh from pan, pat dry and with clean cloth or paper towel and set on a cutting board.
4. Slice tempeh in half crosswise, then slice each half lengthwise, making 4 thin pieces (about ¼-inch thick). Cut each piece into 4 triangles (16 small pieces).
5. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine soy sauce, maple syrup, water, garlic powder, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, liquid smoke and sesame oil and set aside.
6. Arrange tempeh pieces in a single layer in a shallow baking dish.
7. Pour marinade over tempeh, then turn over tempeh pieces to coat both sides with marinade.
8. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, turning over tempeh pieces once or twice while marinating so they absorb liquid evenly.
9. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and set oven rack to the middle position.
10. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay tempeh pieces on the baking sheet in a single layer, reserving any remaining marinade.
11. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sesame seeds over tempeh. Flip over tempeh pieces using tongs, then sprinkle remaining sesame seeds on top.
12. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip tempeh pieces.
13. Spoon any reserved marinade over the pieces, and bake for an additional 15 minutes until very golden brown.
14. Watch tempeh carefully for the last 5 minutes and flip again if necessary to prevent burning.
15. Best enjoyed warm or cooled on the day of making, jerky also can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: 93 calories, 5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 239mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 3g sugar, 7g protein, N/A potassium, N/A phosphorus

There’s no better way to welcome summer and grilling season than with a clean grill and a fun set of skewers. My grill grate and 20-year-old metal skewers were due for an upgrade, so I was more than happy to test Proud Grill Company’s Q-Swiper BBQ Grill Cleaner and Slide & Serve BBQ Skewers.

If you use a traditional grill brush with metal bristles, you know how quickly the brush gets dirty and worn. Plus, there’s always the chance that metal bristles will end up in your food. The Q-Swiper BBQ Grill Cleaner is a two-step, bristle-free cleaning system outfitted with a fresh, clean wipe each time you use it.

First, use the metal scraper edge to efficiently scrape off any burnt-on grime. Next, attach a wipe that is pre-moistened with cleaning solution to the Q-Swiper brush to clean off any remaining grease. The starter kit includes a pack of 25 wipes, and larger refill packs are sold separately. The Q-Swiper BBQ Grill Cleaner washed my grill grates nicely, and I appreciate that I can use a fresh, clean wipe each time. No more dirty grill brush bristles!

Once my grill was clean, I was able to test the set of stainless-steel Slide & Serve BBQ Skewers. Unlike traditional metal stick skewers, which allow food to spin around when flipping over on the grill, these are flat — a genius idea! They also are shaped like a fish and a steer, making them a fun conversation piece.

I used the skewers to make shrimp, pineapple and mushrooms, and everything I placed on the prongs sat securely and tightly. To flip a skewer, grab the end (or anywhere, really) and turn the entire skewer over. My food cooked much more evenly, and nothing fell off.

I definitely recommend these Proud Grill Company products. They make a great gift for anyone who uses a grill — or for yourself.

I often see it made with iceberg lettuce, fried chicken strips, LOTS of bacon and a creamy dressing, which can very quickly turn a healthy meal into a calorie bomb. We’re not going there, my friends!

My version of a Cobb Salad is just a little bit lighter and more colorful than the traditional one. I love to do this salad with each section of ingredients all laid out on a huge platter. That way, each person can add the ingredients they like, and skip those they don’t. Not a fan of blue cheese? Skip right by. Want extra avocado? There’s enough! I served this salad for girls’ night recently, and it was a total hit with everyone, no matter what diet they follow, or what their taste buds prefer. It’s really that versatile.

Here’s How to Make Traditional Cobb Salad Healthier

• I subbed out the traditional tomatoes for strawberries because I found the biggest, sweetest and most delicious strawberries at the store the other day. I just love the sweet-salty combo of fruit and salad.
• I also cut way back on the bacon (it’s best to limit processed meats). I used just a little bit of uncured, nitrate- and sugar-free bacon — because what’s a Cobb salad without a little bacon?
• There’s really no need to go for iceberg lettuce when colorful leafy greens are everywhere. Remember the rule: the brighter the color, the more good stuff in the food.
• No fried chicken here! Instead, I used my favorite lemon-herb marinade and grilled up my chicken.
• I also made a simple 4-ingredient balsamic honey-mustard dressing. It’s light, sweet and tangy all at the same time.
• A sprinkle of roasted pumpkin seeds adds some crunch and healthy fat.

As soon as the weather starts to warm up, I’m so over anything cooked in the oven. I’m also big on no-cook nights, and this Cobb Salad checks both boxes. It’s sure to become one of your summer dinner staples. The recipe sizes up or down so easily. If you’ll be eating it for lunch the next day, or dinner the next night, make sure you only add the dressing to what you’ll be eating tonight, or you’ll get soggy greens.

Cobb Salad with Balsamic Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Ingredients

Lemon-Herb Chicken

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Honey Mustard Balsamic Dressing

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper or to taste

Salad

• 4 cups mixed baby greens (packed)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
• 6 large strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 2 ounces good-quality blue cheese
• 2 strips nitrate-free bacon, cooked until crisp crumbled
• 1 medium avocado pitted and sliced
• 2 tablespoons roasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions

To prepare the Lemon-Herb Chicken:

1. Place the chicken in a bowl or shallow container.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a measuring cup. Mix well, and pour over the chicken breasts. Turn to coat well. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.
3. Heat the grill, and oil the grill grate. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F on a meat thermometer.
4. Set the chicken aside to cool. Slice into strips when cool.

To prepare the Honey Mustard Balsamic Dressing:

1. Combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a jar. Shake well to combine. Set aside until ready to use.

To prepare the salad:

1. Combine salad greens, sliced eggs, strawberries, cheese, crumbled bacon and avocado slices. Add the sliced chicken.
2. Pour the dressing over the salad and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds.
3. Portion the salad onto two plates and serve immediately.

Living in Arizona, my grill gets year-round use, so I was thrilled to receive the JK Adams Vermont Country Grill Stone to review. Made from basalt rock, this grill stone has small volcanic pores. I expected it to be very lightweight, but it’s surprisingly heavy and sturdy. It covers enough of the grill to hold a large piece of fish or several skewers. Two stones would cover most of an average-size gas grill.

I grill fish and vegetables often, and my biggest challenges are preventing the fish from falling apart or sticking to the grill and keeping asparagus spears from falling through the grill grates. No more worries, thanks to this grill stone! I made salmon that cooked perfectly and stayed moist, with absolutely no burnt bottom or sticking. And no more lost asparagus. I also tried this grill stone to make chicken, which worked equally well and produced super-moist chicken breasts.

Just like the grill, you do have to oil the stone before grilling fish or meat. Once the stone is brushed or sprayed with oil, it has a great nonstick quality. The volcanic pores allow the stone to heat up quickly and evenly. Because food isn’t sitting right on top of the flame, it’s more moist — and healthier for you. The best part of this stone is that it’s self-cleaning, meaning no more scrubbing the grill. When you’re ready to grill again, flip the stone over and any remaining food or oil will cook right off.

I highly recommend the JK Adams Vermont Country Grill Stone for anyone who wants to enjoy healthier and tastier grilled fish, meats or vegetables — with no cleanup required.

Meatless Mondays aren’t about an all or nothing approach. No need to go vegan, or even call yourself a vegetarian. It’s just about incorporating more fruits, vegetables, grains and beans into your diet — maybe just once each week. There are so many benefits for your health and the environment.

Vegetable noodles, made with a spiralizer, a mandoline or a julienne vegetable peeler are a fun and easy way to make vegetables the star of your plate.  I also really love this twist on sesame peanut noodles. It’s made with sweet potato “noodles” and it incorporates lots of veggie deliciousness!

I topped these “noodles” with maple miso tofu for a more substantial meal but they also work fine without it. Leftovers are pretty terrific served cold as a side salad too.

Sesame Peanut Sweet Potato Noodles

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
• 2 scallions
• 2 tablespoons Thai basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons cilantro
• 2 tablespoons peanuts
• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili paste or to taste
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• ¾ cup broccoli florets

Instructions

1. Cut sweet potatoes into thin noodles or strips with a spiralizer, mandoline or julienne peeler and set aside.
2. Chop scallions, basil, cilantro and peanuts and set aside in a small bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chili paste and sesame oil. Stir well so ingredients are combined and peanut sauce is smooth. Set aside.
4. Heat oil on medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add garlic, ginger and broccoli and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add peanut sauce to the pan. Reduce heat to low and let the mixture heat through for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and add sweet potato noodles. Gently stir to combine with sauce.
7. Top with chopped scallions, herbs and peanuts. Serve immediately.

I’m gonna bet that one of your goals for 2019 is to eat more vegetables. Am I right? If it’s not a goal, it should be! Vegetables are quite possibly the healthiest thing we can all eat, and the thing that most of us don’t eat enough of. I’m guilty too. I’ll take fruit over vegetables any day, because like the rest of the world, I prefer sweet over savory — and fruit is just easier. Throw an apple or banana in your lunch bag; slice up a pear and slather on some almond butter; add a handful of berries to your oats…easy!

But vegetables need all that peeling, trimming and something to make them taste delicious.

So here’s what you should do.

One day this week, cut up a head of broccoli (and cauliflower while you’re at it), peel a whole pound of carrots and cut them into bite sized pieces, trim up some celery and peapods, slice up an onion, mince up a few cloves of garlic, and just stem and wash any leafy greens, and wrap them in paper a long sheet of paper towel. Seriously — if you spend about 20 minutes doing that, you’ll have a week’s worth of vegetables ready to roll. It’s called meal prep, and it’s the best way to save yourself some serious time throughout your workweek, and get more veggies into your diet every day.

Most of those veggies can go right into this super-simple stir fry dinner. It features (in addition to the vegetables), black, forbidden rice, which is jam-packed with antioxidants, and it just looks so pretty and exotic. It’s really more of a dark purple than black.

I order the Forbidden Rice Bowl from my favorite Scottsdale fast casual restaurant, almost every time I stop in for dinner. I know — I’m boring that way, but I really, really love it. This recipe is my copy cat attempt. I often get it with shredded chicken, but I’m keeping it vegan here with some tempeh (It’s the super-high protein cousin to tofu). Hope you like it as much as I do!

Forbidden Rice Tempeh and Vegetable Power Bowls

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce more or less to taste
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 8-ounce package organic tempeh
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1½ cups broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets
• ¾ cup snap peas, ends trimmed
• ½ large onion, sliced thin
• 1½ cup bok choy leaves and stems, sliced
• 2 large carrots, cut into very thin rounds
• ¾ cup cooked forbidden rice
• Tamari or soy sauce optional

Instructions

1. Mix together the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and water, and set aside.
2. Place the tempeh in a small sauce pan, with enough water to just about cover. Steam the tempeh for about 3 minutes. Drain.
3. Heat the olive and sesame oils in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add the broccoli, snap peas, onion, bok choy and carrots to the pan and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
5. Crumble the steamed tempeh into the vegetable mixture.
6. Add the sauce mixture to the pan, and reduce the heat to low.
7. Add the rice, and stir to combine everything and heat through for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add more water if the sauce seems too thick.
8. Taste and season with tamari or soy sauce if desired.

I switched from electric to an induction cooktop recently, and the one piece of cookware that was not compatible in my new kitchen was my old stewpot. I’ve been making do with saucepans and a soup pot, but I didn’t realize just how much I missed a good stewpot until I received this one to test out.  

The Lagostina Rossella 5.8-quart stewpot is a high-quality 18/10 professional grade stainless steel pot with a beautiful red ceramic exterior that can go from stovetop to oven, to table. I loved the wide, flat bottom which works well with an induction cooktop, as well with gas or electric. The straight sides make mixing or scraping with a spatula very easy and efficient. 

This stewpot also has a nice weight, which is important for even heating and cooking, but at the same time, it’s not too heavy to lift. I tested it out with pasta, and because of its two sturdy handles (which stayed cool), it was easier to life and drain than my large saucepan. I also made a beef stew, and found that the pot sautéed meat and vegetables evenly on the cooktop, and it was easy to transport from the cooktop to the oven – oven mitts are required for oven use. While I didn’t test it with soup, I anticipate that it will perform as well as my favorite soup pot, and since I’m only cooking for two these days, it will be much easier to lift and require less refrigerator space than a soup pot. 

Because high-quality cookware is an investment, I only hand wash my pots and pans (and knives), and I panic if I see anyone try to load it into the dishwasher. Luckily, I’ve been in that habit for a while, so I don’t mind that the product instructions state the stewpot is not dishwasher safe, and should be hand washed without abrasive sponges or powders. Not to worry, because I also found that this stainless interior cleans up very easily. 

Whether you’re sizing down or just starting to pick out kitchen equipment this stewpot is a very worthwhile investment and I highly recommend it. It’s a perfect size for cooking pasta, stew, or soup, and because it’s not too deep, you can also use it to sauté meat or vegetables, so it’s perfect for almost any use. It is a bit of an investment, but if you care for it properly, this type of high-quality cookware should last a lifetime.