One of my favorite tapas dishes to have in Spain is grilled lettuce drizzled with olive oil. I was excited when I found this recipe because it takes that concept and turns it into a complete meal by adding grilled shrimp and grated Parmesan cheese. To make it more authentically Spanish, I'll toss minced garlic in with the oil that's used to coat the shrimp and romaine. Serve with crusty bread Read more

Start off the week on the right foot with a wholesome meal that's both healthy and hearty. Chinese-inspired lettuce wraps — made with leftover ground turkey — are sweet, thanks to hoisin sauce, and spicy, courtesy of five-spice powder, which contains cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, anise, and Szechuan peppercorns. If you want to get a head start on your meal plans, you can make the filling a Read more

Last week, I woke up (no surprises here) slightly hungover. It seems I had played one three too many rounds of beer pong. As I lay in bed, my head pounding, I suddenly realized I was in the best place in the world to be hungover: my parents' house — where the fridge was always stocked! Sure enough there was bacon, eggs, an assortment of cheese, and bread. It was time to make the ultimate Read more

Store-bought salad dressings are a wonderful ingredient to have on hand. Besides their original purpose, they make a great seasoning for a variety of dishes. In this recipe, an Asian-style sesame and ginger vinaigrette is tossed with chicken chunks and grated carrots. The deliciously textured combination is served inside lettuce cups. Topped with crunchy peanuts and fresh squeezed lime, this meal Read more

At the Junior Achievement's Wine Tasting and Auction, I was inspired by their servingware. Instead of offering guests olives and marinated cheeses in regular bowls, they were festively placed inside radicchio leaves. The bright purple leaves made the antipasto display pop with color! This is a great idea for the eco-conscious hostess. No bowls need to be washed and the empty leaves can be placed Read more