Caribbean Style Potato Salad

6 big potatoes
8 cups chicken broth from cubes
1/2 cup fresh mint
salt

2 apples
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 minced garlic cloves
1 cup corn
1 red pepper cut into very small pieces
1/2 red onion cut into very small pieces
2 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon tabasco sauce (optional) Spicy
salt and pepper to taste

*you can also add celery, peas, carrots, bacon bits (be creative)

Peel potatoes. Boil chicken broth, add potatoes, mint, salt and cook until done. Drain potatoes, cool (to room temperature) and cut into 1/2″ cube pieces, set aside. In a bowl mix rest of ingredients and gently fold potatoes into the mix. Serve at room temperature or place in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or until serve. Serves 10

Advertisement

Asparagus Almondine

1 pound asparagus
1 cup of water
2 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt and fresh black pepper to taste

Cut asparagus the ends. In a wide pan simmer asparagus in hot water, until crisp not soft, about 3 to 5 minutes, rinse. Set on a serving plate and top with rest of ingredients. Serve 6-8.

FYI; Asparagus is a good source of fiber and protein, both essential for good digestion and immunity.
It contains a number of anti-inflammatory compounds that protect you from type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
It has antioxidants, including one called glutathione, which is known to protect the skin from sun damage, pollution and the effects of aging.
The Vitamin K in asparagus is excellent for healthy blood clotting and strengthening bones.
Asparagus contains a unique carb called inulin, which remains undigested until it reaches the large intestine, where it helps to absorb nutrients better, and cut the risk of colon cancer.
Good news for those struggling to manage their blood sugar: asparagus is a rich source of B vitamins, which are known to regulate blood sugar levels.
Green asparagus is much more beneficial than white, say reports. The goodness is in the stalk, which contains vitamin A for better vision, potassium for smooth kidney functioning, and trace minerals that help boost immunity.

Sonia's Puerto Rican Lobster Salad – Coqui

3 lobster tails
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion cut into small pieces
6 minced garlic cloves
1 hard beef tomato cut into small pieces
1/3 cup shredded cabbage or celery cut into tiny pieces
1 lime juice
1 teaspoon old bay
sea salt and black pepper

For cocktail party appetizers add 1/4 cup Pernod and serve on top of tostones or toasted garlic bread pieces! Coqui

Cook lobster tails in sea salt for 16 minutes. Let it cool and cut into 1″ pieces. In a bowl mix all of the ingredients. Serve at room temperature or cold. Place in refrigerator until time to serve. Serves 4 hungry Puerto Ricans, jaja

FYI- Lobsters are low in fat content, making them one of the best choices for health conscious people. The high content of protein makes this food beneficial, especially for athletes.

Lobsters are low in cholesterol and thereby, they assist in maintaining triglyceride levels in the body and keeping the heart healthy.

Like other seafood, lobsters are also a good source of omega 3-fatty acids that are essential for the proper functioning of the heart and brain. These fatty acids help in lowering the risk of arrhythmias, which can lead to sudden cardiac deaths. Furthermore, the compounds in lobsters facilitate in reducing the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque and lowering the blood pressure.

Lobster can be very effective in preventing various health disorders such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and chronic conditions involving bone, connective tissue, heart and blood vessels.

Zinc found in lobsters is necessary for increasing activities of the brain, boosting the immune system and preventing loss of vision. In addition, this mineral also effectively heals injuries in body tissues.

Phosphorus, found in abundance in lobsters, aids in the formation of teeth and bones. It facilitates the rate of metabolism, enhances the functioning of kidneys and lessens joint pain.

Being a great source of vitamin B12, lobsters also help in maintaining the red blood cells and nerve cells. It improves the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and prevents other neurological problems.

Lobsters possess the trace element, selenium, which is beneficial for triggering the activity of thyroid glands as well as the immune system. Selenium is known to protect the body cells against free radicals during the process of metabolism, apart from monitoring the oxidation of cholesterol to prevent coronary artery disease.

Shrimp Louie Salad

1/2 pound large cooked shrimp, chilled
2 bags romaine lettuce
2 tomatoes each cut into 8 pieces
1 medium cucumber cut into pieces
6 hard boiled eggs cut in half
2 lemons cut into half moon pieces

Louie Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise I use lite mayo
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1/2 cup sweet relish
1/4 cup mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons white onions, grated or 1 teaspoon onion powder

For dressing mix all ingredients and chill for 1 hour. Assemble salad (follow picture) and top with dressing. serves 6

Caprese Tortellini Salad

1 (around 19-oz.) package frozen cheese tortellini or just fresh tortellini if you have a market close to home
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 minced garlic cloves
2 cups red cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 cups small buffalo mozzarella balls or pieces of buffalo mozzarella
big bunch fresh basil cut into strips
4 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh black pepper or red pepper flakes(spicy)

top with good quality shaved parmesan cheese

In a pan heat olive oil and cook garlic for 1 minutes, stirring accordingly, pour into big serving bowl. Cook tortellini following the package instructions, using the minimum amount of minutes. Drain and pour into serving bowl, stir and let it cool for at least 10 minutes. Add rest of ingredients, stir and serve or refrigerate up to 3 days
as a side dish serves up to 4 people

Thousand Island Dressing Wedges

3/4 cup lite mayo
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons sweet relish
3 drops tabasco sause
fresh black pepper
lettuce

Garnish with bacon bits

Mix first 4 ingredients and refrigerate for al least 15 minutes or until time to serve. Cut Lettuce into wedges, pour dressing and top with bacon bits.

Pears, Walnuts and Gorgonzola Salad

I love pears!
3 bags of your favorite greens
2 pears cut into thin slices
1 cup candied walnut halves or just plain
1 cup gorgonzola cheese crumble
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
juice of one lemon

Dressing
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt optional

Mix pears slices with lemon juice, set aside. In a salad bowl place greens. Add the crumble cheese, walnuts, pears and sprinkle with pepper. Add 1/4 cup dressing and toss lightly to coat greens. Place dressing on the side for dressing lovers. Serves 12

* You can change the cheese for goat cheese, the pears for apples, the walnut for peacans and the mustard for raspberry jam, BE CREATIVE!

Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

1 bag of fresh spinach
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup crumble goat cheese
2 tablespoon crumble bacon optional

For dressing;
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoon pomegranate vinegar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
pinch of nutmeg and salt

*Traveling has made me be aware of how international this recipe is, and that’s why I created my version.

FYI;Low in calories and high in vitamins, spinach is one of the most nutrient-dense foods in existence. One cup of the leafy green vegetable contains far more than your daily requirements of vitamin K and vitamin A, almost all the manganese and folate your body needs and nearly 40 percent of your magnesium requirement. It is a good, very good or excellent source of more than 20 different measurable nutrients, including dietary fiber, calcium and protein.

Sonia's Grilled Peppers Onions and Golden Cherry Tomatoes

1 pound of cherry tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow
2 red peooer
2 red onion
1 tablespoon herbs the provence
4 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves crushed
3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Preheat grill over medium for 15 minutes. In a sauce bowl mix 2 tablespoon olive oil, balsamic, crushed garlic, herb the provence, salt and pepper to taste, set aside. Cut each pepper into half moon pieces, cut each onion into half moon pieces. Mix the ingredients with rest of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a vegetable grilling pan and grill for 4 minutes each side or until desire crisp. Place the vegetable on a serving plate and top with mix. Serves 6

* for a kick you can add a tablespoon of dijon mustard to the mix

Sonia's Maple Orange Beets – Recipe

3 fresh beets sliced into pieces
4 sliced mandarine orange or just a small can of mandarine oranges without the juices
2 tablespoon maple sirup or 2 tablespoon of brown sugar splenda with 1/4 cup balsamic
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper optional

Mix all the ingredients, pour into medium high pan, and cook for 10 minutes turning beets to coat. Serve warm. Serves 6.

*I grew up with beets as part of my diet because my father loves beets!

FYI-Beets

The pigment betacyanin, which gives beets their distinctive hue, is just one of several disease-fighting phytonutrients found in this root vegetable. Beets are also a good source of folate, which guards against birth defects, colon cancer, and osteoporosis, and are high in fiber and beta-carotene.