The name of this salad just makes me smile. Its cool, refreshing, unconventional and looks like happiness in a bowl. Rachel has been posting completely original recipes on her blog, Coconut and Lime, since 2004, and when you scroll through the hundreds of recipes you will see that none of them lack creativity and innovation. Such is the case with her Sunshine Salad. She has removed the classic leafy greens and replaced them with red cabbage and grilled corn kernels. So, if you are growing a bit tired of the traditional salad, try adding a little sunshine next time!

Light in texture, but not in flavor, Jasmine Peaches with Lime Sorbet is a dessert that Gayle elegantly plated then featured in her blog Pastry Studio. It’s hard to go wrong when you combine fruits with dessert, and Gayle seems to have done everything right with this one.

She adapted a yogurt sorbet recipe and made it her own, then she combined sweet peaches with jasmine tea to infuse them with flavor and uniqueness. On her blog, Gayle says that this “is one not-too-fussy recipe that tries to elevate the simple gorgeousness of the peach”. She successfully enhances the flavors of the ingredients without producing a heavy or overpowering dessert. What’s more, by using fruit and lime juice to bring her dessert to life, Gayle creates a recipe that’ll deceive taste buds into thinking they’re eating something deliciously illegal, but her crisp dessert is anything but unhealthy.

Is it any wonder why Gayle refers to her blog as a studio?! Her beautifully captured dessert photograph is a masterpiece for the senses!

Quinoa is definitely the “it” grain right now. Amy may think she is a Neanderthal for just now discovering it, but she is not alone. I myself have just recently stumbled upon this grainy gem, and I’m sure many of you have been underneath the same archaic rock as I. To some of you expert culinarians this is old news, but for the rest of us here is a bit of information about this tasty “new” grain:

Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous.A common cooking method is to treat quinoa much like rice, bringing two cups of water to a boil with one cup of grain, covering at a low simmer and cooking for 14–18 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed. The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl and should have a slight bite to it (like al dente pasta). Alternatively, one can use a rice cooker to prepare quinoa. Vegetables and seasonings can also be added to make a wide range of dishes. Chicken or vegetable stock can be substituted for water during cooking, adding flavour. It is also suited to vegetable pilafs, complementing bitter greens like kale.

Ms. Glaze may be new to the world of quinoa, but she sure has adapted quickly, paring it with tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, parsley, olives, red pepper, lemon juice, olive oil. She also turned it into a breakfast treat by adding milk and honey. Delicious!

Moist and delicious, Camille’s Glazed Pork Roast probably has the kind of flavor that would make anyone think it wasn’t an easy dish to prepare, especially after taking a bite. In her blog Croque Camille, she even says that it’s ‘incredibly easy to make’. But how can this be when she made the glaze herself? This certainly isn’t a pre-glazed Christmas ham that contains more preservatives than we’d actually care to ingest. It’s fresh; Camille uses a variety of fruit juices, jam, and chicken broth to create a glaze that makes every ounce of the roast juicy, sweet, and savory.

With a glaze like this, too many seasonings aren’t necessary. Camille sprinkled the roast’s exterior with salt and pepper, then seared it over the stove in a bit of olive oil. What’s more, Camille’s pork was extra moist, and she concluded that it was due to it being from France…too bad I can’t get ahold of a plane ticket to Europe any time soon! I do imagine that a pork roast with this kind of glaze would taste heavenly on any continent, though :).

I have this tendency to fall into food ruts. I experience a new food in one particular setting and never diverge from it. Such has been the case with edemame. It is one of my favorite appetizers to order when going out for sushi. I have wanted to experiment with this delicious little soybean for some time, but just haven’t found any inspirational recipes until I came upon Donna’s recipe for edamame dip!

This is a simple and refreshing recipe that would serve as a great snack with tortilla chips or pita. On her blog, Donna Cooks, she suggests the addition of jalapenos or another pepper to spice things up a bit, and I couldn’t agree more. Just the thought of the tang of vinegar and spice of peppers is making my mouth water!

Fruity sorbets are always refreshing on a hot summer day, but sometimes I want something chocolatey, rich, and dairy-free. A dessert like that is hard to come by. Thankfully, Mary has a recipe for Dark Chocolate Sorbet that’s sweet and cool, in every possible way :).

Dark brown sugar and Ghiradelli cocoa powder are responsible for making the sorbet creamy and decadent. But instead of adding milk to the mix, Mary adds 4 cups of water which lighten up the deep flavors of the rich ingredients. Using a handful of ingredients, Mary whips up a cold dessert that even the lactose-intolerant folks can enjoy!

Check out the spoonful of chocolatey sorbet that Mary features on her blog Feeding Groom! Isn’t it tempting?! It even glistens!

It’s Monday, and you’ve just returned to work from a (hopefully) refreshing weekend, but if you’re like me you spent your weekend working on projects and every other little thing that you have put off during the week. You’re tired and in desperate need of some motivation. Well, I have found just the thing to get you through the work week: a relaxing dose of kitchen therapy sprinkled with a bit of lavender to calm the senses as well as the soul (the sugar soul!)

Sinead’s love affair with lavender has led her to create this tranquil little treat. She even gives tips on how to make your own lavender sugar on her blog Airy Fairy Cupcakes.

Lavender serves as a natural remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia and anxiety to depression and mood disturbances. Research has confirmed that lavender produces calming, soothing, and sedative effects. This dessert is a medical necessity! Sinead has taken stress eating to a whole new level!

Mastura knows how to prepare a dessert that can be enjoyed any time of the year. Take her Sweet Banana with Sago Dessert, for instance. She says it can be eaten warm or cold, and I don’t doubt it. When eaten warm, it’s sweet comfort food with the kind of flavor that might remind you of banana bread. What about when it’s cool? It’s like a creamy banana smoothie made with coconut milk, but it’s served in a bowl!

In her blog Foodilicious, Mastura talks about a couple of different ways that sago can be eaten. Remember those lightly sweet but very fun to eat pearls that were floating at the bottom of your favorite bubble tea drink a few weeks ago? Those were sago pearls! You can even eat sago with fruit! Try it out some time, better yet, try out Mastura’s Sweet Banana with Sago Dessert!

If you’re trying to eat healthy and lean but don’t know how to incorporate protein into your diet without eating meat, then you’ll definitely want to check out Ricki’s recipe for Lentil Pistachio Patties. Her patties are packed with more nutrients than you’d ever be able to fit into a traditional beef patty. So what’s Ricki’s secret to preparing a delicious, protein-rich meal? She loads the patties with naturally flavorful ingredients like pistachios and avocados. Let’s not forget to mention the soy sauce!

Like Ricki, I tend to forget about the bean family. I usually view them as something to eat on the side, in addition to a more recognized protein like meat or beef. It’s refreshing to come across a creative recipe like this, though! I’ll definitely have to keep her recipe in mind for the next time I want to prepare a filling but nutritious meal.

Ricki shares her passion for cooking and healthy living on her blog Diet, Desserts, and Dogs, be sure to check out all the other tasty ways she puts healthy recipes together.

When Leemei posted her recipe for Marbled Chocolate Muffins she not only gave us all another great muffin recipe, she gave us 100 great muffin recipes! She based her recipe from the book “1 Mix, 100 Muffins” by Susanna Tee. If you haven’t already gotten your mitts on this one I would highly recommend it! Leemei shares with us the “top tips for the perfect muffin” from the book on her blog, My Cooking Hut.
Leemei says, “The beauty of this book is that every single recipe is based on the Basic Muffin Mix. As soon as this is mastered, you can put just about anything in the muffin!” The possibilities are endless!