Living on a Mediterranean island means I am no stranger to calamari, let alone every other sea creature that resides in the ocean. I’ve had my fare share of calamari, in fact, I have eaten if for days at a time. It goes without saying that I love calamari! What is usually a fancy ingredient on Italian or Greek restaurant menus,  is actually quite attainable and easily prepared for the average at-home chef. If the sight or the idea of gutting a calamari scares you, but you love the flavour, simply ask your local fishmonger to clean it up and do the dirty work for you!

Quick and risotto really don’t go hand in hand when it comes to preparing an authentic dish. Opting for some quick tricks can help you spare some time in the kitchen, yet still ensure the final dish is just as flavourful and as the original. The easiest trick in the book? Using pre-cooked arborio rice. The second easiest trick? Prepare the calamari in a pan and create a flavourful, soupy broth that will get soaked up by all the rice once combined.

This easy, quick risotto may have few ingredients in it, but if you choose them wisely – fresh and local, the overall flavour is a palate-pleaser – sweet, tender calamari cooked in a light broth of sweet onion, tangy capers, tart cherry tomatoes, and bitter olives, and combined with starchy Italian rice that adds texture and creaminess. This recipe is a winner, and one your entire family will enjoy!

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The summer heat is still going strong here in Sardinia. In fact, this week has been one of the hottest since we arrived in early July. At any given point of the day – that is, if we’re not frolicking in the Mediterranean sea, we are searching for refuge from the heat; ice water, which is a rare find in Italy, since according to an old wive’s tale, can cause ‘blocco di stomaco’, (which could apparently kill you), air conditioner set to max, and super fresh meals, mainly salads prepared with fresh veggies from our garden. Albeit I love a fresh summer salad, I’m a grain kind of gal, and often incorporate grains into my summer salads. I love a hearty grain like quinoa or rice since they’re very versatile and can be served hot or cold. As of late Ive been preparing mostly cold rice salad recipes, like Sweet Pea Prosciutto Rice Salad, Italian Rice Salad, and this new addition to my repertoire!

You’d think that the best part of this salad would be that it is so easy to prepare – albeit a bit time-consuming if you do choose to experiment with black rice. Even better, it tastes even more delicious the longer the flavours have to sit and mingle. That means you can double the recipe and enjoy leftovers for days! My one suggestion would be to add the cherry tomatoes right before you serve the leftovers so they don’t create too much excess liquid in the salad, and top off the salad with some more fresh arugula for a crunchy bite.

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Summers in Sardinia are hot, and consequently the oven rarely gets turned on. Fresh salads are an integral part to summer fare, but since they are prepared so often they can get so predictable and boring. This salmon quinoa salad is definitely more interesting than your average salad. It was a no-brainer to prepare for lunch today since I had all of the ingredients on hand, including the green beans which were freshly picked from our garden this morning! The delicious combination of avocado, salmon, green beans, lemons, and capers actually surpassed my expectations. The lemon caper vinaigrette really makes this salad pop, while the quinoa makes it hearty enough to be considered a meal all on its own. On that note, I’m over lettuce-based salads at the moment. Eating lighter fare for the summer does come with the territory, but sometimes you just need a heartier, richer, and more flavourful salad to satisfy your hunger. And this salad is it! 

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Cooking to have leftovers is my ultimate secret to meal planning. Sunday mornings are usually reserved for making big batch meals, as well as cooking grains and legumes for the week so I can whip up easy buddha bowls on the fly. I got my hands on some fresh wild salmon filets at the grocery store the other day, and I won’t lie – I was giddy! For a while now, the farmed counterpart has turned me completely off, with the increasing news about its quality and potential health risks. Of course, if you prefer a more cost effective option, you could always use a good quality canned salmon or tuna. Either way these wholesome fish burgers will be delicious. Cooking proteins at their peak freshness is another key to ensuring optimal flavour in meals, so I usually prepare fish and meats the day I purchase them, even if we don’t consume them that specific day. Besides that, another plus to pre-cooking proteins is that it reduces much of the prep time, which is ideal for quick and easy weeknight dinners. Adding these salmon filets to my Sunday meal prep list was a no-brainer. Besides, when you’ve got three burners going at once, turning on one more doesn’t make a difference in terms of time or effort.

These healthy salmon rice burgers are more filling than you might expect, yet they’re still light and fresh in flavour. They’re a great way to get some more fish in your diet and can be served in a bun with a bit of tartar sauce or avocado, or alongside a simple salad for a light and clean lunch or dinner. They have a crispy, light exterior, and they’re crumbly and moist on the inside. They can be stored in the fridge of the freezer. To reheat you can either warm them in the microwave, or sauté them in a pan for a few minutes to get that crispy, browned exterior.

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The combination of light and creamy coconut milk combined with sweet tomatoes, earthy garlic, aromatic curry powder, and a hint of lime makes this light and fresh curry a show-stopper, and not to mention a quick and healthy family meal.

I was first introduced to curry back in the early 1990’s when I lived in London, England. I lived in the outskirts of central London (Zone 3 to be exact!) in a predominantly south-central Asian area where the streets were lined with traditional Indian restaurants.

Nowadays, I often find myself reminiscing about the pungent aroma coming from the restaurants and homes and how the smell of curry and coriander filled the streets.

You see, back then I didn’t have the same appreciation for Indian food as I do now, partially because my love for food was only beginning to evolve, and also because I had (and still have) an extreme aversion to coriander.

After all these years I have come to the realization that had I been just a bit more adventurous, I wouldn’t have missed out on a such a delicious and authentic cuisine.

Fast forward to the present.

Now that my palate has evolved, I have come to love a good curry (but not coriander!). I’ve been making up for all those years of denying this amazing cuisine by making my own (knock-off) renditions, like this super easy tomato-coconut shrimp curry.

This 30-minute dish has a much simpler flavour profile than traditional curry-because, let’s be honest, most of the ingredients required to make a traditional curry are probably not stocked in your pantry or fridge on a regular basis, and a traditional curry most likely takes more than 30 minutes to prepare!

Although the list of ingredients may not be as lengthy and the recipe may not be as labour intensive and time-consuming as traditional curry recipes, this tomato-coconut shrimp curry is equally rich and delicious!

The earthy, aromatic flavours will make your kitchen smell amazing-and who knows, perhaps a roaming pedestrian might have the pleasure of getting a delicious whiff of the aromatic scent escaping from your kitchen windows!

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me onInstagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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I love salads, but when it comes to additions I can be quite finicky. I’m not a fan of raw veggies like peppers and broccoli in salads, nor can I stomach heavy calorie-laden dressings, like Caesar or Thousand Island.

Pasta salads are a great alternative to lettuce-based salads, but gluten-free pasta simply doesn’t cut it, especially since pasta salads taste best the day after (and gluten-free pasta does not!).

Needless to say, this limits my salad variations greatly. But I’m cool with that, because ever since I whipped up this delicious combo I have yet to crave anything but this black bean tuna salad.

The contrasting flavours and textures makes this salad a winner-creamy avocado and black beans, sweet tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, rich tuna, earthy scallions, and tart lime juice.

In a nutshell, a wholesome, quick and healthy lunch that you can put together in just 5 minutes! Devour it in the comfort of your own home, or please an entire crowd by bringing this delicious side dish to a family barbecue.

This salad is delicious as is, but I’m sure extra additions, such as bell peppers, roasted corn, and perhaps some mango, would make it even more delicious. The simple, clean flavours of the olive oil and lime perfectly cut through the richness of the salad, but a touch of your favourite vinaigrette will also do the trick!

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me onInstagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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Rice bowls (or in this case, quinoa bowls) will revolutionize your notion of what is a quick dinner. In fact, they will save your life. Well, not literally. They will however, save your life in terms of how much less of it will be spent in the kitchen! Rice bowls unify all those ingredients wasting away in the fridge. Plus, tossing everything into one bowl means less kitchen clean-up. Have I reeled you in yet? We all know that one less dish to wash on a busy and exhausting weeknight is almost like winning the lottery, right?

A little advanced planning is necessary in order to make this 15-minute meal. My regular Sunday prep includes cooking up a pot of rice or quinoa (or both), which I then store in the fridge as a base for meals throughout the week. My weekly recipes often alternate between Tex-Mex-inspired-with salsa, black beans, avocado, corn, scallions, salmon with pesto and pine nuts, and a Middle-Eastern-inspired lentil bowl with raisins, caramelized onions, and cumin. This recipe is foolproof. Simply add your condiment of choice-the flavour combinations are endless, and serve.

On a side note, Murphy’s Law would have it that the one time I prepare a meal and purposefully double the recipe for lunch leftovers the following day, my kids decide that they do in fact, like shrimp. *Sigh* I’m also quite certain that had I prepared this for the kids intentionally, it wouldn’t have been as well-received. Why does everything look so much tastier to them….when it’s not on their own plates?! Needless to say, despite my frustration over the kids ‘stealing’ my leftovers (which in turn required me to whip up another quick lunch), I’m happy that this warm shrimp quinoa bowl has been toddler-approved and can now be added to my recipe rotation.

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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These salmon croquettes were a hit with my kids. They’re mild in flavour, light and tasty, and fun for the kids to eat, yet they’re elegant enough to serve at an adult dinner party. They are full of fresh flavours, such as lemon juice and fresh dill, with an additional subtle bite from tart capers and spicy Dijon mustard.

Serve these delicious two-bite morsels with a fresh side salad, such as an Autumn Quinoa Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette or Fresh Lentil Salad or with a Sriracha and dill-infused avocado dip.

Salmon is one of my favourite foods and is on my recipe rotation at least 2-3 times a month. Some of the kids’ favourite recipes are Honey Soy-Glazed Salmon, and Salmon Wrap with Dill Lemon Mayo.  These salmon croquettes received rave reviews from the entire family and have become a go-to recipe. I’m positive they’ll become a requested addition to your meal rotation as well.

These can be prepped in advance and stored in the freezer for a quick, on-the-fly meal. Simply remove from the freezer, thaw, and warm in the oven. They are delicious served alone but taste great with a dip as an accompaniment, such as Greek yogurt with fresh dill, garlic, and lemon juice, or a spicy Sriracha avocado dip (recipe below).

These salmon croquettes can be prepared pan-fried, deep-fried or baked in the oven. Although I usually opt for the latter, I have to admit that there’s just something magical about deep-fried finger foods.

And the fact that these salmon croquettes are made with super healthy ingredients helped me justify my choice. A nice fry-up every now and again won’t hurt anyone!

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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Dinner time is often ‘crazy time’ for many parents so preparing a meal often leads to frustration and stress. With this easy and quick family-friendly dinner you can rest assured that you will relieve a ton of stress during dinner prep. If your kids like to help in the kitchen this simple meal is a great one to get the kids involved in preparing.

This recipe is easy to personalize; add your favourite ingredients, such as fresh cilantro, black beans, chopped tomatoes, salsa, jalapeno or red pepper flakes, the list goes on.

I opted for a very small portion of mozzarella, since the tuna and avocado mixed together is already quite rich however, you could add an entire layer of cheese, if desired. For those of you don’t like tuna, cooked chicken, finely chopped would work well too.

This recipe couldn’t be any easier to prepare; simply mash the ingredients in a bowl, dollop onto the tostadas then pop into the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. These tuna avocado melt tostadas also make great leftovers. Reheat in the microwave or warm in the oven to revive some of the crispiness of the tostadas.

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me onInstagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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This simple tuna olive tapenade spaghetti is a no fuss, healthy family meal to make on a busy week night or when you don’t have any pasta sauce on hand.

Although this pasta is super light and healthy it’s packed with so much flavour. The subtle flavour of the tuna is complemented by the salty black olive tapenade and aromatic capers.

The base components of the sauce-sweet garlic and aromatic extra virgin olive oil add a depth of flavour in this light, fresh-tasting pasta dish.

My kids are huge fans of olives (and tuna) and so this has become one of their favourite pasta dinners. We also spruce up this dish by adding a dollop of fresh, Sardinian bottarga (Yes, my kids each fish roe!).

If it were up to my husband and kids we’d have pasta for dinner every night! I, on the other hand have more of an appreciation for vegan fare.

Nonetheless this tuna olive tapenade spaghetti has become one of my faves, especially for a simple, delicious, on-the-fly dinner for busy nights!

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