In the summer months my tastes turn tropical. If you’re looking for a taste of the tropics, turn to the symbol of hospitality; the pineapple.

Choose pineapples that are slightly soft to the touch with crisp green leaves and no yellow or brown tips. It should have a strong, fresh pineapple smell.

Don’t you just love the rich, buttery texture of an avocado?

Look for avocados that are unblemished and heavy for their size. A ripe avocado will yield slightly to palm pressure. If you need to speed up the ripening process, place several avocados in a paper bag and leave them at room temperature for a couple days. Once they’re ripe, you can store them in the fridge for a few days longer.

A rose is a rose….. is a strawberry? It’s true!

I’m shooting Salad segments for HomeWoRX today. Here’s one of the trio of recipes I’m putting together. It’s so easy, creamy and rich tasting but packed healthy, good -for- you ingredients. Add grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a main dish salad.

Summer Citrus and Avocado Salad with Cashews and Creamy Yogurt Dressing
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Hint: Substitute Dole Pineapple Chunks in 100% Pineapple Juice and Dole Mandarin Oranges in Light Syrup for fresh fruit if desired

Creamy Yogurt Dressing
3 tablespoons honey

One of the nicest parts of Summer is that dinner is usually something easy on the grill along with a simple side. Dole Coleslaw is a fresh and easy side dish for just about anything, from chicken to fish to beef. Its naturally fat free, cholesterol free, low in sodium and packed with vitamins. A package of coleslaw mix is like starting with a blank canvas. Toss in additional ingredients to make your own masterpiece. Add a really simple touch like your favorite ranch dressing, some crumbed bacon and sunflower seeds. Get a little more adventurous and create an Asian-inspired slaw using Ramen noodles, sunflower seeds, almonds and green onions with a light vinaigrette. Make a sweet slaw by stirring in pineapple and raisins. One of my favorite coleslaws is made with Italian dressing and crumbled blue cheese- it

All-American Tacos
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

1 pound lean ground beef
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1

If you like Minestrone soup like I do, I think you

For most of us, food memories center around our Moms. This Mother

They say the way to a man

I love Asian flavors and I love this recipe for Asian Chicken Spring Rolls with Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce. If you haven