Kristine's Kitchen

Deconstructed Falafel Salad

June 25, 2014 by Kristine 16 Comments

This Deconstructed Falafel Salad is a lovely mixture of flavors and textures. Chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, herbs, and avocado are all tossed in a flavorful lemon-cumin-tahini dressing. Easy, homemade pita chips add a delicious crunch! What do you usually eat for lunch? I tend to make sandwiches, since they are easy and don't require much thought. Sandwiches can get boring quickly, though. I find that when I eat a healthy salad for lunch, I have more energy in the afternoon and am less likely to want to nap! The key to a healthy and filling salad is to have a good balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. This Deconstructed Falafel Salad has all of that, plus plenty of ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Appetizers, Easy Weeknight Meals, Lunch, Main Dish, Salads, Vegetarian Tagged With: chickpeas, healthy, lunch, quick & easy, salad

Southwestern Pasta Salad

June 23, 2014 by Kristine 12 Comments

Full of all of the southwestern flavors that you love, this Southwestern Pasta Salad with a spicy chili-lime dressing is sure to be a crowd-pleaser! Pretty much everyone is a fan of pasta salad, right? It's a great crowd-pleasing dish that's easy to make and share at BBQ's and potlucks. The best pasta salads are full of pasta (of course) and veggies, all coated in a flavorful dressing. I've made all sorts of varieties of pasta salads, including this flavorful Greek pasta salad, an amazing pesto pasta salad, and one with orzo, tomatoes, and mint. I know I'm not alone in my love of southwestern flavors, and I thought they would make an awesome pasta salad. And was I ever right! ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Easy Weeknight Meals, Lunch, Main Dish, Pasta, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: main dish, Pasta, side dish, vegetarian

Turkey and Cheese Roll-Ups

June 20, 2014 by Kristine 12 Comments

These turkey and cheese roll-ups are a quick and tasty option when once again you are wondering, “What's for lunch?” This recipe is part of my Healthy Bites for Kids series, featuring easy recipes for breakfasts, lunches and snacks. While I’ve designed these recipes to be enjoyed by kids, adults will love them too! Do you struggle with finding fresh ideas of what to eat for lunch? How about what to feed your kids for lunch? I know I'm always looking for new ideas for what to feed my two. At least now that it's summer I don't have to worry about packing lunchboxes. But when 11:30 rolls around and everyone starts to get hungry, it's nice to have a plan in mind. So far this week we've ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Healthy Bites for Kids, Lunch, Main Dish, Turkey Tagged With: kid-friendly, lunch, tortillas

Grilled Vegetables in Foil Packets

June 16, 2014 by Kristine 25 Comments

Easy grilled vegetables in foil packets are perfect for summer. Make these delicious vegetables without turning on your oven and heating up your house! Are you as obsessed with grilled and roasted veggies as I am? Even with just a light seasoning of salt, pepper, and olive oil they are SO good it's hard to stop eating them. In the summer, I tend to stick to grilled veggies so I don't have to heat up my house by turning on the oven. I'll often use my grill pan to grill up some zucchini as a quick side dish, or we'll grill some portobello mushrooms for a quick and delicious sandwich. But these grilled veggies in foil packets - they are so flavorful and they could not be ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Grilling Recipes, Side Dishes, Summertime Eats Tagged With: side dish, vegetarian

Broccoli Cheddar Mini Frittatas

June 13, 2014 by Kristine 10 Comments

Broccoli Cheddar Mini Frittatas are delicious and healthy little bites! This recipe is part of my Healthy Bites for Kids series, featuring easy recipes for breakfasts, lunches and snacks. While I’ve designed these recipes to be enjoyed by kids, adults will love them too! I like to serve my kids eggs for breakfast a few times a week, but the old standby, scrambled eggs with cheddar, can get boring. With just a little bit more effort, you can make these Broccoli Cheddar Mini Frittatas. They are fun to eat and filled with veggies and protein. A winning recipe all around! To make these, you start by steaming the broccoli in a small amount of water. It cooks really quickly – 5 ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Breakfast, Egg Dishes, Healthy Bites for Kids Tagged With: Breakfast, eggs, healthy, kid-friendly

Fresh Apricot Crisp

June 11, 2014 by Kristine 18 Comments

Made with delicious, subtly sweet apricots, this Fresh Apricot Crisp is a real treat. It's sweet-tart and juicy, with a hint of cinnamon and ginger. My parents have an apricot tree in their backyard, so every year for a week or two in the summer, we have an abundance of apricots to enjoy. Usually they ripen around the 4th of July, but this year many of them were ready early. The squirrels and birds were beginning to enjoy a few too many of them, so we picked most of the crop last weekend, even some that weren't totally ripe yet. Laid out on a baking sheet, even those that were slightly green ripened at room temperature. Apricots are a treat eaten plain, and William has ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Desserts, Pies & Tarts, Popular Tagged With: apricots, crisp, dessert, fruit, summer

Refreshing Fruit Water

June 9, 2014 by Kristine 12 Comments

This refreshing fruit water will make it easy to reach your goal of drinking eight glasses a day! This fruit water is my latest obsession. If you have a hard time drinking your eight glasses a day, then you've got to try this. I actually love drinking plain water, and wouldn't have any problem drinking enough of it, were it not for being so busy. Sometimes I just forget to sip water throughout the day. When I have a glass of this refreshing fruit water, however, I'm much more likely to remember to stay hydrated. The flavors of the fruit, cucumber, and mint are infused into the water, making it taste amazing. You can adapt what you add to your water depending on your taste preferences. ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Drinks Tagged With: beverage, entertaining, healthy, mint

Apple Dippers with Honey-Cinnamon Yogurt {Healthy Bites for Kids}

June 6, 2014 by Kristine 16 Comments

Apple Dippers with Honey-Cinnamon Yogurt {plus a new series - Healthy Bites for Kids!} | Kristine's Kitchen

Apple Dippers with Honey-Cinnamon Yogurt are a nutritious snack that can be prepared in less than 5 minutes. This recipe is part of my Healthy Bites for Kids series, featuring easy recipes for breakfasts, lunches and snacks. While I've designed these recipes to be enjoyed by kids, adults will love them too! I'm starting a new series on the blog today! I am super excited about this Healthy Bites for Kids series, because it allows me to combine my passions for cooking, healthy eating, and kids (I am a mom and teacher, after all!). We'll get to these Apple Dippers with Honey-Cinnamon Yogurt in a minute. (Don't they look scrumptious?!) If you don't have kids or grandkids, you'll ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Healthy Bites for Kids, Snacks Tagged With: apples, healthy, kid-friendly, snack, yogurt