so easy...roasted shrimp & tomatoes + a new video!

Last night was a little nutty between juggling my kid's dinner + bath + homework + bedtime needs, a friend stopping by for a (much needed) glass of wine, an 8pm meeting...and getting dinner made. This is one of my go-to recipes. It's just so easy. If you don't care for shrimp you can always make it with chicken instead. That's the beauty of this recipe, it's totally adaptable depending upon what flavors you like and what you have on hand.

Originally, a local friend Katharine passed this recipe along to me during one of those email recipe swaps. (Or maybe it was Siri? I can't remember, but one of these girls deserves credit!) The ingredients sometimes differ a bit, depending upon what I have on hand. When I wrote about it the summer of 2009, I happened to have these gorgeous multi-colored heirloom cherry tomatoes on hand and bell peppers. In the video, I had fresh mint, marinated artichokes and kalamata olives that I tossed in as well. Yesterday it was simply: cherry tomatoes, a large can of diced tomatoes, lemon zest & juice, fresh parsley, garlic, a drizzle of balsamic & olive oil, and Feta. And it was delish.

a fruit or veggie on every plate

I loved going into the city for Stephanie Sacks' FOOD SOLUTIONS event this week (pictured above). It wasn't so much that there was alot of "new" information, but it was invigorating to be in a room of people who are interested in working towards more healthful family meals.


Here's one tip MaryBeth Augustine shared during the Q&A that is easy for all of us to enact:

start with fruits and vegetables...add them to every meal

We're all in different places when it comes to preparing meals for our families. For some, this tip may be second nature. For others, it may be more of an a-ha moment. Either way, the guarantee is that your child's plate will be more healthful if it's colorful...and the best way to get color on the plate is through a variety of fruits and vegetables. I shot a video this winter where I assembled some "rainbow plates" for my kids that you may find helpful as you put this tip into action.

busy, busy-- but breakfast is made!

My head was happily swirling on the train home from the city, thinking of all of these recipes & ideas I wanted to share with you. And then, blogger (which powers "full plate") was down for 24 hours...it was way too gorgeous to sit inside...and a few new mealsinasnap videos were posted to YouTube. So, I got a little sidetracked. I will share a few take-aways from the nutrition forum, but today it's more timely for me to post one of my new videos since I just so happen to be whipping up a frittata and protein pancakes right now, in anticipation of a busy weekend ahead! The frittata I am making this afternoon includes asparagus, artichokes and kale-- but as you'll see in the video, you can use just about any veggie or meat you might have on hand for this fabulous make-ahead dish.



And, as you all know, the protein pancakes are one of my go-to make-ahead breakfasts. So, it was time for me to whip up a fresh batch of those to store in the fridge too. Here's that ("oldie but goodie") video as well, for anyone who may have missed the earlier posting of it. Enjoy these simple ideas for make-ahead breakfasts. I hope you have a fabulous weekend ahead.



If you cannot see the videos above, here's the link to the frittata one, and here's the link to the protein pancake one. Enjoy!

off to the city + taco night

I cannot wait. Tomorrow I am spending the day in the city at this culinary nutrition workshop. I feel good about the way I feed my family

but there's always something to learn...a new recipe, a research blip, a cooking tip...

I look forward to hopefully sharing some new ideas from this workshop.

Oh, and if the above looks appetizing, here's the scoop on last week's taco night. The filling was: cauliflower, mushrooms and zucchini (all diced finely) and white corn sauteed in a bit of olive oil with lots and lots of fresh cilantro, hearty shakes of cumin and chili powder, some minced garlic, a teeny bit of chipotle, and some smoked paprika. Everything else should be pretty self-explanatory except the white stuff. Instead of sour cream that's leftover tzatziki from the night before. Just as good.

we have a winner (finally)

The train is totally off the tracks over here. My little one is recovering from pneumonia, and despite being home bound for the bulk of the last two weeks, I have let too many things get in the way of taking care of myself. And it shows. As I tell my friends who ask "when are you going to post again?!!", if I don't have anything nice to say then I won't say anything at all. So, it's been almost a week without posts. Balance always seems to be my elusive goal. But, to start, I am going to announce the Sara Stover book winner and wrap up this post up quickly so I can go outside with the kids and enjoy this beautiful afternoon. Then I am going to make a quick, but delicious pot of bouillabaisse and put my feet up. I hope that all of you busy moms are doing the same (the putting your feet up part, not the bouillabaisse if you didn't also make a run to the fish market this afternoon...) this start to the Mother's Day weekend. Chances are I will not set aside time to post this weekend, so I want to wish each of you a relaxing day.

And now, without further babbling, is the winner [drum roll]. According to my trusty # picker Random.org, it is #5, Sarah, who wrote "I finally have given myself permission to say 'No.' It has made me SO happy!" I'll have what Sarah is having.

Sarah, please email me at mealsinasnap {at} gmail {dot} com and let me know where I should send your book! I hope you enjoy it!!