Autumn is here and the warm, comfort food cravings are definitely on the rise. With being well settled into fall quarter/semester, schedules start to get pretty busy and cooking can sometimes be a bit of an afterthought. Give your family and yourself a boost with this fall-inspired dish that leaves you full, nourished and satisfied. I got the chance to make it on Sunday, and have been grateful for the leftovers for a quick lunch or dinner. Feel free to experiment with the wonderful array of vegetables in season now too! The recipe calls for sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts, but I even tried it with butternut squash and kale. » More …

A strawberry banana smoothie is my go-to morning smoothie. It is simple, affordable and gives great nutrition for a fast snack or breakfast. I give one almost every morning to my boyfriend as he does lawn work out in the heat all day and can use the extra electrolytes from the coconut water and potassium from the banana. I also enjoy it as an after work/school snack. You can’t go wrong with this classic! » More …

Raspberries are an amazing fruit. Not only are they sweet and flavorful, but they also have several nutritional benefits including they’re low in calories, high in fiber and have a lot of Vitamin C. In addition, they also offer a rich source of flavonoids and antioxidants that help prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer. Try this vinaigrette to get some easy impact from this fruit’s benefits in a variety of ways! I love it over a strawberry spinach salad but I even used it over crostini with some greens and roasted grapes to get a balanced amount of flavors and nutrients. » More …

I have never been the one to skip breakfast, no matter how late I am running. Although this can sometimes lead into some not so healthy options. Most breakfast items that are quick are either pastries, bagels or processed cereal.

Frittatas are the perfect solution to many breakfast failures. Once you make a batch, they are ready to take with you to eat on the run the rest of the week, they have a lot of flavor, are totally customizable and offer the energy you need to start your day off right. Feel free to experiment with different flavor combinations as well! Last week I used red pepper, swiss chard, potato, onion and ham. You can’t go wrong with these guys, so have fun with it! » More …

Last week the ESFCOM Admissions team got the pleasure to receive the ESFCOM Medical Bag from the NEP team. We were so honored and extremely grateful that they chose us to receive this. Part of the tradition in passing on the medical bag is you include something that represents your team, and one of which were recipes! This grape salsa was one of them, and it was absolutely delicious! I particularly enjoyed it with tortilla chips but feel free to experiment having it with different things like as a side to chicken breast or even on top of a salad. It is very refreshing and is a wonderful mix up to your traditional salsa!

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I always have been intimidated by vinaigrette’s since I never gave myself the opportunity to make them. However, they’re actually quite easy and a much healthier option than creamy, store-bought dressings that have more ingredients than you would care to read let alone try to pronounce. This was my first one I tried making and I was very happy with it! I hope you are as well, definitely try it over your strawberry spinach salad next time you make it! » More …

Rich in flavor and nutrients, strawberries are my favorite fruit to look forward to in the springtime. Did you know that just 1 cup of strawberries (equivalent to about 8 strawberries) gives you 160% of your Vitamin C recommended daily value? These little guys are awesome, and they go with a lot of foods, even a salad! While simple and delicious, this salad is my favorite to eat and is well loved around my family. I hope you get to try it soon and impress your guests with this easily elegant side dish. Stay tuned next week for the perfect dressing combo to go with it.

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When I first heard of roasted grapes, I thought that putting grapes in the oven as a very weird concept. However when I first tried them, I was pleasantly surprised! Roasting grapes brings out their naturally sweet flavor and pairs wonderfully as a side to pork or turkey, or as a topping to salads and sandwiches (trust me, it’s good that way too). As a bonus, I am also sharing a homemade “candied” pecans recipe I tried out this weekend that went nicely with the grapes.

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