Watermelon & Pomegranate Bruschetta.

This is a refreshing and easy dish that can be served at any meal. We enjoyed it for breakfast, alongside pancakes and fruit!

• 1 fresh baguette, sliced
• 1 cup chopped watermelon, chilled
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
• 1 T chopped cilantro
• juice of 1/4 lemon
• 2 to 4 ounces brie

Gently toss together watermelon, pomegranate, cilantro, and lemon juice.  Spread a small amount of brie on each slice of baguette. Top with fruit mixture and enjoy!

Pork Cutlets with Avocado Nectarine Salsa.

This recipe is a definite keeper. I (thought I) made more than enough for dinner tonight, foolishly believing I would have leftovers.  My swimmers came home from practice and literally ate every bite - of every dish - that I served.  I’ll take it as a compliment, though I now need to figure out what I’m having for lunch tomorrow!


The pork cutlets are a little fussy to prep, but cook quickly and evenly.  Three dipping/dredging bowls ensure good coverage & flavor: flour sticks to the meat and gives the liquid in the egg something to hold to; the egg provides a sticky base for the breadcrumbs; the breadcrumbs & seasonings give the cooked pork a crispy and flavorful outside.  Well worth the fuss in preparation!  Make the salsa first, prep the dredging bowls, and then cook the pork.  And the beauty of this recipe is that you can change the seasonings and the salsa to match your tastes - completely versatile!

Avocado Nectarine Salsa

• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 nectarine, diced
• 1 T chopped cilantro
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• juice of 1/4 lemon

Mix avocado, nectarine, cilantro, & onion together in a bowl.  Squeeze lemon juice over all and gently toss.  Set aside.

Pork Cutlets

• 4 boneless pork chops

Bowl 1

• 1/4 c flour
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground sea salt

Bowl 2

• 1 egg
• 1/4 c water

Bowl 3

• 1/4 cup panko
• 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground sea salt
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 T olive oil

Prepare three shallow bowls for dipping pork.  In Bowl 1, mix together flour, pepper & salt.  In Bowl 2, lightly beat egg and mix with water.  In Bowl 3, mix panko, breadcrumbs, pepper, salt, oregano, and garlic powder.  Set all three aside.

Trim all visible fat from pork and cut each chop in half.  Using a meat tenderizing mallet, pound each piece pork between two pieces of plastic wrap to an even 1/4 inch thickness.

Prepare pork for cooking in three steps: 1) dip in flour mixture, coating on all sides; 2) dip in egg mixture, allowing excess liquid to drip off; 3) dip in breadcrumbs, pressing mixture in all over pork.  Repeat for all pieces of pork.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Cook pork 3 minutes on each side, turning once.  If pork is cooked in more than one batch, you may want to wipe crumbs out of the pan and add a bit more oil.

Serve with salsa.

Chicken Corn Vegetable Soup.

I set out to make chicken corn chowder, but without the heavy, creamy consistency. This recipe will go through several more iterations before it's exactly what I am after, but this is a very good start. The chief taste-tester in my kitchen had only positive reviews.

• 2 T butter
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 64 ounces chicken broth
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 T heavy cream
• lime juice

Melt butter in stock pot or large soup pan.  Saute onion & red pepper until soft.  Add chicken broth and celery. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.  Add corn, clilantro, and chicken. Simmer another 5 minutes.  Stir in salsa. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cream. Serve with a splash of lime juice.

Lemon Mushroom Orzo with Cilantro.

I love reading recipes. I have shelves filled with cookbooks, some of which I purchased simply to read. Lately (I think it must be the cooler weather!), I've been reading a lot of risotto and orzo recipes and was inspired by a lemon and rosemary orzo posted at Eat Yourself Skinny.  This is my twist on a lemony orzo. There was great debate in the test kitchen about the add-ins, so I left them as optional. My preference is to add the pine nuts. One of my tasters preferred the original with no add-ins and the other went for both pine nuts and prosciutto!  Enjoy.

• 1 1/2 c orzo
• 1 T butter
• 1 c chicken broth
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1 box sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 T cilantro, chopped
• toasted pine nuts, optional
• prosciutto crumbles

Saute orzo in butter for 5 minutes.  Stir almost constantly to avoid over-browning.  Add broth, lemon, water, mushrooms, and salt.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and orzo is tender. Stir frequently to avoid sticking.  Stir in cilantro and, if adding, sprinkle pine nuts and prosciutto crumbs on top.

Tangy Mango & Squash Salad.

This recipe was inspired by a blog a friend shared with me. Thanks, Erika! Check out Eating Rules for a version of this recipe that uses sweet potatoes and a whole lot of great healthy eating information.

• 4 c butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 mango, cut into chunks larger than the squash
• 1 c cooked edamame
• 3 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 T lemon juice
• 2 T agave nectar (honey works too)
• 1 T rice vinegar
• 3 T cilantro, chopped

Note: This step can be done ahead of time to allow time for the squash to cool. The salad is best when chilled.  Toss the squash in 2 T of olive oil.  Sprinkle generously with sea salt & pepper. Spread in a single layer on a foil-lined baking pan and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Squash should be soft but not mushy.  Cool completely.

Mix dressing: 1 T olive oil, lemon juice, agave nectar, and vinegar.

When squash is cooled, gently toss with mango and edamame.  Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and drizzle with dressing.  Toss to mix.