Kasia the Expert

         With the abundance of produce, the hot summer season is the perfect time to make salads. For more variety, here are a few restaurant inspired salads that I've made at home. Mix your favorite lettuce, tomatoes, shredded carrots and thinly sliced onion, then add the following for:

     Over the 4th of July holiday weekend, I enjoyed spending time at my family reunion on the beach and cooking on the grill--without the guilt of typical BBQ fare.  I love to grill hotdogs, especially Hebrew National 97% Fat Free, since they're about half the calories and fat compared to regular dogs, but with the same great taste.  To get the most "nutritional bang for my buck," I also love experimenting with veggie-based toppings that are sure to please even the pickiest palettes.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• Pico de Gallo-for a garden fresh taste, top your dogs with this recipe from Startmakingchoices.com.
• Bean Salad-summertime is too hot for chili, so instead, I substitute a delicious combination of Ranch Style Beans with Sweet Onion, Ranch Style Pinto Beans, Ranch Style Blackbeans, feta cheese, diced cucumber and red pepper.

     Which foods and traditions did you enjoy over the 4th of July?

      When it comes to dinner preparation, I start the week with a solid meal plan. Then, usually by Thursday night I'm out of ideas, time and motivation, so we order a pizza. Having a pizza night can be a great dinner solution, until your child announces "Pizza? - not again!"

In my quest to improve our meal variety I turned to the most common ingredient in my pantry - pasta. Instead of serving the usual spaghetti with meat sauce I tried a new recipe, Spaghetti alla Carbonara. "Alla Carbonara" is an Italian term describing a pasta dish made with cream, eggs, Parmesan cheese and bacon. Now, are you wondering why a nutritionist would make such a rich dish? By skipping cream, replacing shell eggs with Egg Beaters and bacon with Canadian bacon, this is a tasty and nutritious recipe you can feel good about.

What's your favorite quick and easy pasta dish?