Sylvia's Scenario

I couldn't wait for the vegetables to grow in the garden so I had to throw together this dish for dinner tonight with spinach, zucchini, tomatoes and some asparagus.  You can make this in less than 30 minutes for a delicious, healthy meal. Serves 6 1/4 cup olive oil 2-3 cloves of garlic, diced 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise 1 15-ounce can tomatoes or 1 pound freshly diced tomatoes 1 pound farfalle 1 bunch of asparagus or about 12 spears, cut into 1/2-inch lengths 4 cups baby spinach leaves 1 Tbsp chopped tarragon or 1 tsp. dried tarragon salt to taste fresh Parmesan cheese, grated 1.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the farfalle pasta and prepare the asparagus. 2.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the garlic and sliced zucchini and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 3 minutes.  3.  Add the diced tomatoes  and the spinach and continue to cook sti

The taste of the South was calling today.  It was another dreary, wet Spring day so a spicy dish to liven things up around here was just what the doctor ordered.  But besides shrimp, I added a few more items to spice it up a bit.  This recipe is a take on an old fashioned recipe my mom use to make called polish sausage casserole...only Southern style!  I actually like grits.  They're pretty bland but we ate them for breakfast with cheese and Worcestershire sauce with our breakfast chops when we lived in Iowa.  Not that Iowa is the South, but I'm not sure why we ate grits in Iowa.  People also ate biscuits & gravy but I've never been able to get into that.  We also ate side pork for breakfast which is uncured bacon   Interesting.  Lots of pork in Iowa!  I did eat grits last year when we traveled to Augusta, Georgia, Savannah and Charleston, South Carolina and I love Southern cooking.  So try this recipe and enjoy. Serves 4 4 Tbsp. butter 1 cup grits 1/4 cup hea

It took me a week to recover but a week ago I was soaking up the rays, wining, dining and shopping in sunny Arizona with husband, Bruce and daughter, Lauren. (My son, Nick, has gone back to Japan for work)  I had 5 days off work so we headed south for some fun and relaxation, a perfect Mother's Day weekend.  Whenever I travel, the thought of looking for a "food experience" is always a mission in the back of my mind and this trip was no different.  And boy, did we find one. The restaurant is called The Farm at South Mountain which was actually less than a mile down the road from where we were staying.  We'd only been at the resort less than a day before we started hearing everyone recommending we go there so that's exactly where we headed for our first dinner, which was Saturday evening before Mother's Day. This restaurant is on 12 acres with three separate buildings for each meal.  The breakfast restaurant is called the Morning Glory Cafe, the

Today, I am remembering my mom who passed away 2 years ago but I still think of her all the time and wish I could still call her and tell her about all my adventures. It's because of her I became a dietitian because she was a GREAT cook and she was always reading about nutrition from books by Adelle Davis and Prevention magazine. She was always providing us with delicious meals and traditions growing up. Some of my favorite food memories were making homemade fudge which basically took the whole evening and it was such a big deal to us, she made a delicious walnut bread for special occasions, fruitcake for Christmas, homemade jams and preserves, Dutch Babies, fruit pizza, stuffed cabbage rolls, hamburger twirls, polish sausage casserole, goulash and countless other recipes I can't even list here. Many of us in the family took on the tradition of making many of her recipes as she got older. She always loved hearing about what I was up to and what was going on with her gra

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  And what is the best recipe to make on Cinco de Mayo?  Margaritas, of course!  They really are not that hard to make from scratch.  Last summer we started making "homemade" margaritas because I had just bought a Magic Bullet at Costco and we couldn't believe how much better they tasted than the frozen mixes.  So, we ended up making them all summer long and they were so refreshing!  We ended up keeping a big bag of limes in our frig ready to go!  Then we started experimenting with different flavors like watermelon, strawberry, etc and they were equally delicious.  We had friends over for a Bar B Q one summer evening and I made watermelon margaritas with my new Magic Bullet.  We also had guacamole made with the Magic Bullet and whip cream for coffee drinks and cobbler for dessert.  The next morning, I got a message on my Facebook that my friend had gone straight out and bought a Magic Bullet the next day!   So, I think this is a good recipe for C

Here is a recipe everyone has in some version in one form or another.  This is a real Cinco de Mayo party recipe or like in our house, a Super Bowl Party must have.  (My teens loved it and always looked forward to the Super Bowl just so they could eat Velveeta.)  The first time I made this recipe, I couldn't find the Velveeta cheese in the grocery store.  I didn't realize it was on the shelf in a box, not in the refrigerated section with the cheeses.  What is this stuff, anyway???  Not real food, that's for sure.  This recipe is the only time I've bought the stuff.  I must admit, it is tasty... Taco Dip 1 pound ground pork or beef 1/3 envelope taco seasoning 1 pound velveeta cheese 1 tomato, chopped 2 Tbsp chopped green chilies 1 tsp. crushed red pepper 1 to 2 Tbsp. taco sauce sliced black olive and chopped green onions for topping 1.  Brown ground meat and drain.   2.  Mix in taco seasoning.   3.  In another pan, melt che

This recipe is a little more involved than the last one but worth it! And it's a vegetarian dish so when it's not Cinco de Mayo, you can make it for Meatless Monday. White Bean Enchiladas Serves 3 (2 enchiladas each) 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream 1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat Mexican blend or cheddar cheese, divided 2 tablespoons canned chopped green chiles 1 tablespoon sliced green onions 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce, divided 1/4 cup water 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas Cooking spray 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro (optional) Preheat oven to 350°. 1. Combine the sour cream and beans in a food processor; process until almost smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese, chiles, onions, chopped cilantro, and cumin.  2. Combine 1/3 cup enchilada sauce and 1/4 cup water in a small nonstick skillet over medium

Start getting your blenders ready for those Margaritas and get your grocery list ready for making some delicious Mexican food!  This is a really easy and yummy recipe. Mexican Chicken Casserole Serves 8 1 cup  chicken broth 2  (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, divided 1 3/4 pounds   skinned, boned chicken breasts 2 teaspoons   olive oil 1 cup   chopped onion 1 cup   evaporated skim milk 1 cup   (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/4 cup   (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese 1  (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce 12  (6-inch) corn tortillas Cooking spray 1/2 cup   (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese 1 ounce   tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips) 1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2.   Combine broth and 1 can of chiles in a large skillet; bring to a boil.  3.  Add chicken; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once.  4. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving c

It was such a beautiful Spring day today that we had to have something for dinner that reflected the beautiful day! So, we thawed out a whole organic chicken and it was ready to go by late afternoon for a delicious Sunday dinner. This is a super easy recipe . Roast Spring Chicken 2 tsp.  kosher salt 2 tsp. lemon zest 2 tsp. minced fresh marjoram 1 whole chicken (2 lbs.) 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.   2.  In a small bowl, mix salt, lemon zest and marjoram.   3.  Place chicken in roasting pan.  Coat evenly with olive oil, rub with herb mixture.   4.  Roast until juices run clear or to an internal temp of 180 degrees, approximately 1 hour. And don't forget dessert.  This doesn't require any cooking. Strawberry Ricotta Parfait 3/4 lb. sliced strawberries 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar 1-1/2 cups ricottta cheese 1/8 tsp. almond extract 1/4 cup toasted almonds, sliced 1.  Toss strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar an