Good Dinner Mrs. Mellen

Last year I purchased a Philips Air Fryer and since then I've enjoyed creating recipes specifically for the air fryer. I love sweet potato fries and adapted a recipe for the air fryer. These sweet potato fries are healthy, spicy and tasty.    INGREDIENTS: 3 medium peeled sweet potatoes   2 tablespoon olive oil 1   tsp sea salt 2 cloves crushed garlic 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt DIRECTIONS: Preheat air fryer to 400°F 8 minutes. Lightly spray the fryer basket with oil. Slice each potato into even 1/4 inch thick fries. Toss with oil, salt, garlic, paprika and red pepper. Cook in 3 or 4 batches, without overcrowding the pan 8 minutes, turning half way. Place on serving plate and top with pink Himalayan sea salt. Enjoy!

I love this flavorful vegetable soup that is filling yet very healthy. Make and freeze in individual serving sizes for a deliciously easy soup. I added a Parmesan cheese rind for added flavor that is your option. If you want a strictly vegan soup omit the cheese. Serve with freshly baked bread along with a big salad for a fabulous easy quick dinner.    Vegetable Soup with Israeli Couscous 2 tablespoon olive oil 4 cloves minced garlic 1 chopped shallot 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 tablespoon Penzeys Mural of Flavor 64 oz.( 8 cups) vegetable broth 1cup dry red wine 1 can (14.5 oz) Hunt’s Petite Diced Tomatoes without salt. 12 oz French green beans cut into 2 inch pieces 6 celery stalks thinly sliced 1 package (16 oz)  baby carrots sliced 1 can (15.5 oz) small white beans, drained and rinsed 1 4 inch piece Parmesan cheese rind (optional) 1 cup Israeli Couscous In a large stock pot heat oil then add garlic and shallots cooking just until transluc...

Roasted Tomatoes with Grilled Polenta This summer I just can't get enough of farm fresh tomatoes especially multi-colored cherry tomatoes. I love to create so many different recipes that use these beautiful farm fresh bounty. Sometimes I serve over pasta, or farro. I have to admit making a polenta loaf, slicing, brushing with olive oil then grilling has to be my favorite accompaniment for roasted tomatoes. Polenta can be time consumer to make so I use Bellino Instant Polenta, ready in 3 minutes. Ingredients 1pkg. Bellino Instant Polenta 4 cups water 4 cups milk, can use 2% 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup snipped fresh basil 2 cloves minced garlic 2 tablespoon butter pinch of kosher salt 4 cup assorted cherry tomatoes 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon capers 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, snipped Directions Preheat oven to 450F. Grease a loaf pan. In a large pot bring water and milk to boil. Lower heat...

My town like many towns has a wonderful weekly farmer's market each week where local farms sell fresh produce. Beautiful ripe heirloom tomatoes glistening with morning dew, the deepest aubergine eggplant, plump zucchini along with a red, orange and yellow peppers just beckoning to be grilled. 3 red peppers 3 orange peppers 3 yellow peppers 2 large eggplants 2 large zucchinis 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh french thyme, finely chopped Remove stems and seeds from peppers then slice in quarters. Slice eggplant and zucchini horizontally. Place vegetables in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, basil and thyme. Pour over vegetables then toss. Let sit for 30 minutes to marinate flavors. Preheat grill. Grill vegetables turning ever five minutes until tender. Arrange on platter. Serve at room temperature. You can grill a...

In the book The Blue Zones by Dan Beuttner, Blue Zones are the longest living cultures in the world, one common dietary staple in all the areas is beans, all different kinds of beans. I love to use any kind of bean in my recipes, from soups, chillies, pastas and especially salads. Chickpeas( garbanzo beans ) are one of my favorite to use in my recipes like this Live to 100 Chickpea Salad.  I've added some crunch and sweetness to this salad with pecans and dried cranberries. Nuts also play an important role in Blue Zone cultures! You can like I do use this salad as a base for a more hearty dinner salad combining a protein such as tuna, chicken, tofu just to name a few. If you want to keep the salad vegan you can add more crunchy veggies such as red peppers, carrots, fennel and so many more different colors and textures. Experimenting you can find so many different uses for this basic salad while adding years on your life! Live to 100 Chickpea Salad Ingredients:...