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I’m pretty obsessed with grilling all the veggies right now. I have been loving experimenting with different veggies on the grill from this cauliflower to this grilled broccoli I made a couple of summers ago.

A few years ago, I picked up a simple little grilling basket/wok at Target. Since then, I’ve been grilling vegetables in it like crazy. I normally stick to peppers and onions or some kind of squash medley, but this grilled cauliflower is definitely one of my favorites.

Before throwing it on the grill I added sliced Vidalia onion to it and seasoned it up with some dried oregano, salt, pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil. During this time I made sure I was preheating my grill basket. Preheating your grill basket is like preheating your wok on your stove, it ensures your vegetables will get a good char and stay a bit more crisp. I just started doing this recently and love the results.

We loved how the grilled cauliflower turned out!

Honestly, we could have eaten just as is. It was delicious and a side dish that I will definitely be making again. But since I had some leftover quinoa in the refrigerator begging to be turned into a salad, I went that route. Using up some odds and ends in the fridge, this Greek Grilled Cauliflower and Vidalia Onion Quinoa Salad recipe was born.

It was light, fresh but still substantial enough to stand as a vegetarian meal (I enjoyed leftovers for lunch the next day!). We served it along some typical barbecue fare: grilled steaks, chicken sausages, corn, potatoes, a tomato and basil salad. It really worked well as part of our meal and would be a great addition to barbecue or picnic this summer.

Enjoy!

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This recipe was created in partnership with Sabra in honor of National Hummus Day which is May 13.

I don’t know about you, but I would be totally okay with sitting down to a plate of these Mediterranean Nachos for an unofficial meal any night of the week. They would particularly be welcomed on a Friday or Saturday night, when I tend to lose my steam for putting together a real meal.

I like snacky food, I always have and I always will. There is not an appetizer plate I can resist and these “nachos” are officially on that list. The best part is how easy they are to put together (would I ever steer you to something complicated?) and how quickly they disappear once they are served.

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We have been lucky to know a few people with hens over the years, one being a friend who once came over with an incredible box. This box full of eggs. Apparently his hens were happy hens.

More recently, we got these from a neighbor…they have been supplying us with a good amount of fresh eggs for the last few years and I am ever so grateful!

How gorgeous are those eggs??

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In need of last minute appetizer ideas for Easter? Well you are in the right place…

For some reason, when I’m hosting any holiday meal, appetizers (finger foods, snacks, munchies…whatever you want to call them) seem to fall way low on the priority list as far as menu planning. It’s not because I don’t love them, they are actually my favorite part of any meal and I personally could eat a whole shlew of apps and happily forgo the rest of the food any day. But if I’m making the main meal, I usually get so preoccupied with that part of the meal I tend to forget the easy stuff like apps and snacks! However, if I’m planning to bring a dish to a holiday get together, I love to bring a dip or two with fresh veggies and pita chips.

I’m a snacky kind of girl – put some pickled or fresh veggies, dips, chips, cheese (like the one up there) and stuffed mushrooms in front of me and I will snack happy all day long.

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To say that I am obsessed with Greek food would be a total understatement. At least twice a month, if we are getting take out it is usually from one of our local family-owned Greek restaurants. I am in love with the flavors of the Mediterranean (if you can’t tell by the recipes I post), and Greek cuisine is high up on the list of food I love.

Today I am sharing with you a recipe from a beautiful cookbook I received recently, It’s All Greek to Me by Debbie Matenopoulos. When I opened up this book I could tell right away how authentic it was, and I was excited to read through it (am I the only one who likes to read cookbooks before they cook from them?).

When I looked through this book, it wasn’t just the beautiful and traditional recipes that caught my eye, it was also all of the gorgeous photos capturing the Greek culture that reminds me so much of my own Italian heritage – full of love, food and living life well. The underlying focus of this cookbook is not only delicious Greek recipes, but including and enjoying whole, natural ingredients as those in the Mediterranean part of our world do effortlessly as part of their lifestyle.

I love it. (and I love this Greek Village Salad too…the first of many recipes I want to try from this book.)

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Well, my slow cooker officially bit the dust this week. My mother in law gave it to me about 12 years ago when I first got married, and since I didn’t grow up with a crock pot I had absolutely no idea what to do with it (I still have the Fix It and Forget It Cookbook she gifted to me along with it too 🙂 ). I have come a long way…because I have been using the heck out of that crock pot the last few years. I’m a little sad to see it go.

Here’s a public safety announcement for you though…check the bottom of your crock pot bowls (the part that pulls out) for any cracks. I found out mine had a large crack this week when I was spooning out (with a metal spoon) some of this picadillo and I actually felt a bit of a shock. I felt it a couple of times actually, it was mild and I thought I was imagining it but once I saw that crack I realized how very real it was. So, check your bowls for cracks and don’t use metal utensils in the crock pot (is this something I should have known already??).

As sad as I was to say goodbye to my first slow cooker, I LOVE my new one and its amazing stove-top browning feature (you can purchase it on Amazon here, it’s been worth every penny to be able to brown the meat on the stove without using another pan).

Let’s talk about this Slow Cooker Picadillo from The Skinnytaste Cookbook.

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It’s all about you today Liz, SURPRISE!!! I am so so excited to share with you this recipe today in honor of my dear friend Liz of The Lemon Bowl and her soon to be baby boy! A group of bloggers and I are getting together to shower Liz with lots of love, well wishes and of course food…food that is themed around Liz’s all time favorite ingredient – lemon. Thanks so much to Rachel, Kristen and Sheila for hosting this for our friend!!

I connected with Liz sometime last year through our blogs and I’m so glad we did because I can honestly say she is one of my most dearest friends in my life today. We share a lot in common, including a passion for healthy living and cooking. The more I have gotten to know Liz, the more I felt like I’ve known her 20 years – she’s one of those people that is always positive, down to earth and just great to be around. She’s good people. And…the girl can cook!!! I swear every time I ask her what’s she’s having for dinner I basically drop my plan and end up making the same. We are definitely on the same wavelength when it comes to food.

And apparently babies, since Liz’s little boy is due just a short time after my little boy. 🙂 It’s been an absolute pleasure to be “preggo buddies”  the last 9 months. I’m not sure I could have stayed sane without her!

(Liz and I at Food Blog Forum at Disney earlier this year)

Knowing Liz, and her love of good, healthy food and fresh flavors of the Mediterranean, I put together a dish that I would serve her if she was actually over hanging out with me. This Kalamata Olive and Feta Dip is Greek yogurt based and includes a good pinch of a spice that Liz introduced me to called za’atar. And of course, it has some lemon.

The pita chips I served it with are baked up with some olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning. I got my daughter involved in the preparation of them by having her brush olive oil over the pita triangles and sprinkling the seasoning over each piece before baking up. Brushing olive oil on ingredients has become my daughter’s thing lately, I have not always been great about getting my kids involved in the kitchen so it’s fun to provide my little girl with a go-to job that is helpful and I know she can handle. No dip plate is complete without fresh crunchy veggies (and I think Liz would agree) so sliced radishes and cucumbers joined the party and were the perfect accompaniment for this delicious snack.

This Kalamata Olive and Feta Dip with Lemon Pepper Pita Chips made for a great munchie during one of our Saturday afternoons watching the Gators play. I can’t wait to make it again!

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I’ve made this Layered Greek Hummus Dip two weekends in a row for family get-togethers and let’s just say both times the clean-the-plate-club was in full effect. People hovered, people oohed and aahed, I even witnessed some pita chip jabbing.

I think it’s safe to say, this dip was a hit.

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Ahhhh, the 7-layer dip. The dip everyone gravitates too at a party, right? I’m a fan that’s for sure.

For some reason though, I have a hard time keeping it at just 7 layers. But this time I did. Only because I didn’t have layers 8 & 9 (which happen to be shredded lettuce and sliced jalapenos usually).

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I’ve been in quite the funk lately. For no reason really, other than maybe I just haven’t been treating myself very well…i.e. over-indulging in food and drinks, not enough sleep or exercise, and just too much stinkin’ thinkin’…you know the drill. I am at the point in my life where I really know myself and I know when I get in these “not feeling well” funks the only way out of it is changing my way of thinking and discipline. The power of Positive Thinking is no joke…it can really make or break your day whether your mind is in a positive place or not. And as far as discipline goes…for me, just recognizing the things that I know make me feel better, writing them down and putting them somewhere where I can look at them throughout the day really helps change my frame of mind. Also surrounding myself with positive people and quality family time are super important. Sometimes you just gotta know when to feed the soul.

Here’s what’s on my “What Makes Me Feel Good List” right now (taped to my bedroom mirror):

Take vitamins every day

Swimming

Yoga

Pilates

Running

Lots of Water

Unplugging early in the evening

Getting to sleep before 11

Waking up early

Routine

These are things I know I can accomplish most days…actually, every day. Daily exercise is very important to my mental well-being so rotating my favorites helps to motivate me and keep things interesting. It all sounds very simple…but I think when we get into those “funks” we really have to focus on simple…and before you know it you are feeling like yourself again.

On my quest to “de-funk” my attitude…I’m really trying to eat clean. Lots of fruits, veggies and good protein make me feel good so I’m trying to stick with all things healthy at the moment. I’m starting my days off this week with a Super Juice that I make in my juicer (bunch of kale, 2 celery sticks, 2 apples, 1 cucumber and 1 beet) and sip on it while I get the kids ready for school (and before my coffee!).

Of course, just because I’m eating clean and healthy doesn’t mean I won’t be eating well. This Spinach and Eggplant salad is one of my absolute favorite salads to eat for dinner or lunch. I can’t take credit for this creation, I actually have been ordering it at our local pizza place for some time now and just started finally making it at home.

I start with a base of fresh spinach leaves and then pile on the red onions, tomatoes, parmesan or mozzarella cheese and of course strips of the Baked Breaded Eggplant that I love. I make a quick dressing out of red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. If I have some kalamata olives around I add those too.

Delicious!!

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Spinach and Eggplant Salad

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Category: Salad

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Ingredients

• 1–2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
• shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese
• 2–3 slices Baked Breaded Eggplant, warmed in oven or toaster oven and cut in strips
• kalamata olives, optional
• Simple Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Simple Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon
• 1 small pinch dried oregano
• small pinch salt and fresh ground pepper

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Instructions

1. On large plate assemble salad starting with fresh spinach leaves. Top spinach with cherry tomatoes, sliced onion, shredded cheese, kalamata olives (optional) and eggplant. Dress lightly with Simple Red Wine Vinaigrette, to taste.

For the Vinaigrette

1. Combine all ingredients in a jar or air tight container. Shake until well blended.

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