Let's make something that tastes like summer, requires zero "cooking" and takes about 15 minutes. Sound good?This caprese salad is one of my summer staples, and it never fails. It's perfect for pot lucks or cook outs and it works great on nights when it's too hot to heat up the kitchen. So here we go! 
First, you'll need:8 oz grape or cherry tomatoes cut into bite-size piecesOne container (8 oz or so) of pearl sized fresh mozzarella (or you can buy a big roll of it and cut it up -- your choice)A big handful of fresh basil2 tbsp olive oilSalt and pepper to taste 
First, chop up your tomatoes. Yum.
Second, chop up your basil and add to the tomatoes and mozzarella in a large bowl. Third, drizzle with 2-3 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let this mixture stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes so all the flavors mingle.
And then you serve it. SO DAMN EASY. Also, it's the perfect thing to make before you get on a plane and need snack food for a long trip. Or to take to the cabin. Whatever fate may have in store for you :)
For a bowl like the one above, this recipe makes 6 servings and they are about 134 calories each. No internet share today, I'm on vacation and I want to get off the computer. You should do the same. Enjoy!
Today we're going to learn how to make authentic Mexican tacos. How do I know they are authentic? Because I stole this recipe from the bartenders who kept making them for us 
You'll need (for four tacos):• 4 small flour tortillas (1 per taco)• 1.5 chicken breasts pulled off the bird and hand torn (we just buy rotisserie)• 1 can black beans. Buy the Kuner's with Cumin and Spice. Trust me. And don't drain the can! Put all that juice in!• 1/4 large onion, sliced• 4 tbsp olive oil (or butter, but the tortillas cook better in the olive oil)• 1 avocado• salsa of your choice (to taste)• cilantro• fresh lime juice
Start by browning the tortillas in 2 tbsp olive oil (or melted butter if you don't have olive oil on hand). Just heat the fat and then brown each side for a few minutes. Dry them off between paper towels to remove excess grease. Then set aside.
While the tortillas are browning, slice up your onion. After removing the last tortilla, you'll add the rest of the olive oil or butter to the pan and begin cooking the onions until they soften.
Once the onions are soft, add in the black beans. When I shot this, we accidentally drained them first. DON'T DO THAT! You want that juice. It makes them better! You'll want to warm the beans with the onions for 2-3 minutes and then use a potato masher to mash them all up, combining the flavors.Once the beans and onion are all mushed up (technical term), add in the chicken and stir it all together. If you want to add any additional seasoning (I add a dash of cumin or garlic salt -- you might want cayenne pepper or something to add a kick), this is the time to do that.
Keeping the filling mixture on a very low heat, pull out a delicious tortilla and mash 1/4 of an avocado onto 1/2 of the tortilla (like above).
Then scoop on some filling from the pan, spoon on some salsa, add a little fresh cilantro and sprinkle with fresh lime juice.
Voila! And you have delicious Mexican tacos! These are pretty darn filling, so I'd start with making one per person, but I'm sure after a night of cervezas, two would be no issue.
Now for the down side. Each taco has 508 calories. So yeah, maybe stick to one?For your internet share of the day, 
Today I'm going to show you one of our favorite pasta salads. This one is, again, adapted from our favorite chef Jamie Oliver. It's perfect in the summer when the tomatoes are ripe and the herbs are plentiful, and it's great to bring to cookouts or potlucks because it makes at least 10 servings (also, it doesn't have enough protein to serve as a main course, fyi). And, again, this is a perfect side salad for those who are mayonnaise averse. Whoever you people are (other than my husband).
So let's begin! Here's what you'll need:• About 8 oz of small shell pasta• 3 cloves of garlic• 12 oz. cherry tomatoes• 1/2 of a cucumber• 1 handful pitted black olives• 1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese (or to taste)• 1 handful fresh basil• 1 handful fresh chives (or more if you love it like me)• 7 tbsp olive oil• 4 tbsp white wine vinegar• salt and pepper to taste
First, bring a pot of water to boil and then add the pasta and the garlic cloves. It's ok to leave the skin on! You want to cook the pasta al dente, so just follow the package instructions.
While that's cooking, you want to dice up your tomatoes, cucumber (we remove the seeds to keep the excess liquid to a minimum) and olives.
Next you want to dice up your cheese and your herbs. Sometimes I can find fresh mozzarella in teeny tiny balls and I don't need to cut it up. Not this time though...
Mix all that stuff in a bowl! Yum! And by now your pasta should be done cooking, so run that under some cold water and pull out the garlic cloves.
You want to squeeze the cloves out of the skin (let them cool a little first though so you don't burn your fingers). Then you mash the cloves with a fork.
Then you mix the garlic, the oil and the vinegar (and salt and pepper) to make the dressing. Stir up the salad and stir in the dressing. YUM.
And there you have it!
A serving of this pasta is about 230 calories.Ok! Now for something WAY less healthy and far more decadent. I found this recipe for 
So let's talk about dates, shall we? No... not like the romantic kind! (Although I do love to dish about those as well!) Rather the kind that grow on palm trees in California.I had never tried a date until about 3 years ago because a) I've never really seen them in the market b) they look kinda like dead cockroaches? c) no one had ever told me how good they were.YOU GUYS! Dates are like God's creation of a fruit that tastes like a brownie. Yes, you read that right.So when I first heard about a date smoothie this winter, I was intrigued... but freezing because this is Minnesota, and I put it on my list of things to try this spring. And I tried it about 2 weeks ago and have had one for breakfast every single day since then. SO DAMN TASTY.I know this might seem exotic or whatever, but please, please trust me and try this just once. It is so delicious and filling and perfect for summer breakfast.
OK. Let's get started. First, here's what you need:• Five dates. I find them in the grocery store near the prunes and raisins. Keep looking. There's usually only one brand and it's at the bottom and kind of buried. The nice thing is that dates are dried, so they last a really long time. And they are so sweet that you don't need a ton.• One frozen banana. LISTEN UP. I once tossed a banana in the freezer and then went to make a smoothie (years ago) and was like, "Oh! Hahaha! How do you peel this??" Yeah, you can't. Just go buy a bunch of ripe bananas and peel them, slice them up and put them in ziplock baggies in the freezer. Then when you need "one frozen banana" you have exactly that measured in the baggie in the freezer. Also! This ingredient is key as frozen bananas make smoothies super creamy. Trust me.• A spoonful of almond butter or peanut butter. To keep this recipe paleo, I use almond. But regular peanut butter is fine.• One cup coconut unsweetened coconut milk. I buy these by the quart at Trader Joe's. I suppose you could use regular milk if coconut milk is too hippie-dippy for you. What am I saying? You're making a date shake, you probably already have coconut milk.• A large handful of ice cubes.Ok, you ready? The first step is to put the milk and the dates in the blender and blend them all up. Dates are super tough little things and if you put everything in the blender at once, it will work but the dates will be chunkier and chewier. Mixing just the milk and the dates first gets things smoother. See the photo above.
Step two: Add in the rest and blend.
Step three: Slurp down your delicious new breakfast treat that will keep you full until lunch!
Ok. Let's talk calories. This might shock you because dates, while in fact being a fruit, are not exactly low-calorie. Which is why you only need 5 in a shake. For a large shake like the one above, it's 375 calories. But! It will keep you full all morning, I promise.And if you're feeling super decadent, try adding a table spoon of cocoa powder to make a CHOCOLATE DATE SHAKE. Which is totally divine as well.Now! Onto your internet share of the day. If you are bummed about a sweet breakfast and would like something savory instead, how about this 
It's a holiday weekend! Let's celebrate my laziness and I'll teach you how to make decadent, heart-burn inducing delicious hot dogs! These will feel gourmet, when in fact they are far from it. But look at that up there! You know you want to eat that!
So, my heart-attack dogs are inspired by a wonderful dinner I had at 
First step: Cook your dogs. I prefer to cook mine on the grill pan on the gas range so they are nice and even, but any method will work. You should also toast your bun if you're into that.
Second step: Pile on the goods. See? Easiest recipe ever. I layer my dogs like this:• Dog in bun• One line of mustard• Chili• Coleslaw• Radishes• Herbs• Chips
And voila! Now go impress all your friends for the holiday. Oh, and I'm not doing a calorie count on this baby. Who wants to know THAT? NO ONE. If you are eating these hot dogs, you are cheating on your diet. And that's that.Now! On to spring cleaning. Do you guys clean your coffee grinder? Because 
Another salad! I know I'm bombarding you with them, but it's finally warm out and it's so great to have these big salads for dinner -- especially when, like this one, they make enough to work all week long as leftovers.I got this recipe from Martha Stewart a few years back, and here it is with my alterations. Also! She makes it with a mayonnaise, which I think would make it even better. But my man hates mayo with a passion, so we leave that part out. If I were you, I would try it that way first though :)This salad is great on its own (and totally paleo friendly!) but you can also eat it in tortillas or pita for sandwiches, or you can add about 1/2 lb cooked pasta to the mix for an even heartier salad (which is divine as well). 
OK! Let's get started. This salad is more complicated than last week, so stick with me on the ingredient list. the good news? You basically chop and mix, so it's another fantastic recipe to make the partner/kids pitch in on (if only dogs could chop...).What you'll need:• 1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced• 1 cup diced pickles (Claussen dills are our favorites)• 1 shallot, thinly sliced• 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon• 2 tbsp mayo (optional)• 1/2 cucumber, diced• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered• 1/2 cup slivered almondsFOR THE DRESSING• 1 tbsp dijon mustard• 2 tbsp honey• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar (I used red since my white expired, um, 8 mos. ago -- oops!)• 1/2 cup olive oil
OK, here we go. First? Chop up all the salad ingredients (chicken, pickles, celery, shallot, tomatoes, cucumber, tarragon). I put all this in a bowl and stir it up with the almonds so the flavors mingle with the tarragon while I make the dressing. If you are using mayo, add that in here as well.
In a smaller bowl, mix the dressing ingredients (honey, mustard, oil, vinegar). You can whisk it with a fork, or put it all in a jar and shake it up, if you prefer lighter dressing and want to save some for later.
Stir the dressing into the bowl with the other goodies. Toss and serve! It should be noted here that I *always* make my salads in a bowl that seems WAY too big for them. This gives you more room for tossing and ensuring that all the ingredients are evenly coated. Salt and pepper to taste.
Voila! So dang tasty. I know it's a lot of chopping, but man is it good and you can eat it so many ways. For a serving a little larger than the one above (without the tortillas or the mayo) the salad is 339 calories per serving. This makes about 8-10 servings.
And for dessert, how about this 
Hello 60-degree weekend! And happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there! How about something easy and delicious today, eh? Something maybe someone ELSE could make for mom? Or something that takes 10 minutes to make from stuff already in your fridge?A few months back, Bon Appetit ran a piece on constructing the perfect salad (which I would link to except I just spent 20 minutes trying to find it online and HOLY COW MAKE THAT EASIER PLEASE CONDE NAST). I was inspired by their formula, which was basically greens + protein + fat, and decided to rummage through my cupboard or fridge and see what I could pull together right that moment.This salad is what I came up with, and I really love it. I also served it to a few guests who raved and raved about it, so even though it's SUPER simple, I thought I would share it with you. My favorite part is that I always seem to have these ingredients lying around and it requires zero planning and totally fills me up.
First, you'll need:• Some greens. I use about 1/2 bag (maybe a little less?) of baby mixed greens from the store. I buy it prewashed in a bag because I am lazy.• Some cucumber -- about as much as you see above... 6 slices or so.• Some salty nuts. I eyeball it, but I would guess 3-4 tablespoons. I prefer cashews, but I have also used macadamia nuts (yum!) or sunflower seeds.• Feta cheese -- again, probably 3-4 tablespoons or to taste• Avocado (of course). I dice up 1/2 and save the second half for tacos the next day.• White beans (about 1/4 cup)• OPTIONAL: If you want the salad to serve as a meal, you should add in some leftover rotisserie chicken.
Step one: Chop up the ingredients (cucumber and avocado and chicken if you're using it). This is a salad, not rocket science.
Step two: Put it all in a bowl and toss with your favorite dressing. My very favorite salad dressing on the planet is Paul Newman's balsamic vinaigrette (either light or regular). I know many people make their own delicious dressings, but this is my favorite. And pouring from a bottle is easy. Have I mentioned how lazy I am? I use 1.5 capfuls for this salad.
Voila! Toss and serve. For a side salad (half of this serving) it's 313 calories (which would fill you up for lunch). If you are starving after a long day at work and you eat the whole thing (oh c'mon, we've all been there), it's 626 calories.For your internet share, 
Today I'm gonna show you how to make one of my very, very favorite summer meals. Maybe THAT will usher in some warmer weather to Minneapolis, because at this point I'm willing to try anything.I originally got this recipe from 
First! You'll need:• A rotisserie chicken (we peel the meat from 1-2 of the breasts)• 9 oz cous cous• 1 1/3 cups cold water• 3 large red bell peppers (we always wish we'd added a 4th -- be warned)• 1 handful asparagus (I like the tiny ones)• 2-3 zucchini or yellow summer squash (or both)• 1 small bunch of scallions• dried red pepper flakes to taste• 3 huge handfuls of mixed fresh herbs. We use cilantro, chives and basil, Oliver also suggests mint or parsley• 1/2 cup olive oil• Fresh juice from 1/2 lemon (squeeze it ALL out)• Salt and pepper to taste (I think this should be seasoned pretty heavily)• Dash of red wine vinegar
OK. Got all that? The very first thing you're going to do is get a great, big bowl and put the cous cous and the cold water in it. While you're cooking the rest, the grains will soak up the water just perfect.The next thing you're going to do is place your red peppers directly over the flame on your gas oven (or the grill outside -- everything here can be grilled). You want each side of the peppers blackened, so just keep turning them until they look all burnt and crispy.
When done, put them in a bowl like so, and then immediately cover them with plastic wrap for about 5 minutes until they cool. The plastic wrap is key.
While your peppers are cooling, slice up your zucchini and begin grilling it and the asparagus. Since it's still freezing in Minnesota and I'm doing all of this on the stove top, I use a grill pan (no oil or anything) and just use high heat and keep flipping the veggies. You want them all cooked, but not overdone. Also, I have to do them in batches because my pan isn't big enough.
While the other veggies are cooking, run the now cooled peppers under cold water and peel the skin right off. Mmmmm.... You also want to remove the core of the pepper and the seeds at this point as well.
Once your veggies are all cooked, dice 'em up! And dice up that red pepper as well. And dice up that chicken. And dice up those herbs. It's like a big chop salad.
Mix all the magic into the bowl with the cous cous (which will have soaked up the water by now). Pretty, no?
Then stir in the olive oil, seasonings (including red pepper flakes), lemon juice and vinegar. At this point, I start tasting the salad and making adjustments. It seems to *always* need more salt than what I put in, but as we know, I like things salty.
And voila! Serve it out of the fridge or at room temperature. Perfect for luncheons or office pot lucks (or just to hoard to yourself). This makes 8 generous servings and 10 medium servings. If you're going with 8 servings, it's 331 calories (the plate above is not a generous serving, fyi).For your internet share of the day, how about