One of JollyCooks favorite dishes is steak, and Summer is the best time to grill. For an easy meal, with a southwestern flavor top your steak with lightly browned sauted onions and green peppers, serve along side a cool salad and plenty of refried beans. I know, maybe too simple but its fabulous, quick, and delicious. Your family will love it too.

Get these wonderful kitchen towels while they last. Their bright, very absorbent and will make drying off your dishes a breeze. Makes a great gift, or get them for yourself.

Kitchen Towel Set $14.99 Bright, super-absorbent waffle-weave towels are pure cotton and come in an assortment of five colors with coordinating twill stripes. 30"L x 20"W.

Italian Vegetables with Creamy Fettuccine is full of tender broccoli and other garden treats. Try this satisfying dish for a change from meat and pasta combinations.

cook enough fettuccine, cooked, drained and kept warm
1 Tbs olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup (2 large stalks) diagonally sliced celery
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 tsp dried basil, crushed
1 1/2 cups (12 fluid-ounce can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Fat Free Milk
3 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
2 Tbs cornstarch
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup (1 large) thinly sliced red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup loose-pack frozen peas
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, celery, onion, garlic and basil; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in evaporated milk, cheese and pepper; bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, for 5 minutes.
Combine cornstarch and small amount of broth in small bowl; add to skillet. Gradually stir in remaining broth, bell pepper and peas. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and vegetables are tender (do not boil). Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.

This dish goes great in winter or summer. The fresh rosemary in this dish can be found in most grocers or grown fresh in a windowsill garden. JollyCook doesn’t suggest using dried rosemary unless absolutely necessary.

8 oz Ditalini, Orzo or Alphabets, uncooked
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 lb lean, boneless pork loin, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 13 1/4-oz. cans fat-free, low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 Tbs minced fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 Tbs lime juice

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot until hot. Add pork; cook until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain well. Toss pork with red and black pepper in a bowl; set aside.
Add 1/4 cup beef broth to pot; add onion and celery, and cook until tender. Add pork, remaining beef broth, rosemary and salt. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and sweet potatoes and boil, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in spinach and lime juice. (Stew will continue to absorb liquid.) Serve immediately.

This homey and comforting tuna casserole is a welcome addition to any weeknight dinner. Round out this quick and easy dinner with a tossed green salad.

1 1/2 cups wide egg noodles, cooked, drained and kept warm
1 Tbs butter or margarine
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp dried dill
1 cup Evaporated Milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp Instant Chicken Bouillon
2 (6-oz.) cans tuna, drained
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup    crushed potato chips

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 1-quart casserole.
Melt butter in medium saucepan. Stir in flour and dill; gradually stir in evaporated milk, water and bullion. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Stir in pasta, tuna, peas and pimiento. Spoon into prepared casserole. Sprinkle with chips.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until chips are golden brown. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

This dish is sometimes called the Vietnamese poor mans or working mans dinner. It cooks up in one pan (plus rice) and it can feed a whole family. A nice warm dish for a cold winter or fall evening.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 teaspoons red or yellow curry paste
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 diced medium onion, yellow.
2 cups diced potato (peeled or unpeeled)
1/2 pound mini washed carrots or cut carrot.
1/2 pound fresh green beans
2 cans coconut milk. I don’t recommend using the low calorie or lite version.
6-8 cups cooked rice

Place the peanut or vegetable oil into a large Dutch cooker or sturdy pot, heat to a nice hot temperature and then add the sliced onions. Brown onions until soft and they begin caramelizing slightly. Add diced chicken and stir occasionally until almost cooked. Stir in 2 cans of coconut milk, add the curry paste and stir in thoroughly. Reduce heat and add diced potatoes and carrots and bring to slow rolling boil. Reduce heat again and simmer for 15 minutes, stir in trimmed fresh green beans and cook another 10 minutes or until vegetables are done.
Serve over rice.

Makes 6 Servings
Serving Size: 1 cup sauce over 1 cup rice.

From the Origins of Spices websites comes this:

There are a number of uses for spices other than for flavoring or cooking. Medicinal use of spices, anti-bacterial uses and more. Read on for more about other uses for spices.

Turmeric - Part of the curcumin plant, turmeric helps reduce inflammation. A study in the Journal Arthritis & Rheumatism finds turmeric stopped further cartilage destruction and blocks inflammation and is shown to reduce swelling. Use: Eat lots of dishes with curry several times a week. You can also find supplements. Take 1,000 mg turmeric capsules two or three times per day depending on symptoms. Always follow directions on bottle if available.

Rosemary - Used often in Mediterranean cuisine. Rosemary contains phytochemicals and antioxidants that research says reduces inflammation and as a pain reliever. Use: Do not use during or just before pregnancy. 4-6 drops of rosemary oil in warm bath water, or mix 4-6 drops with a capful (1 tsp.) almond oil and massage into your sore joints.

Read the rest here.

Get Small - If you have standard size dinner plates, get some smaller plates. It easily helps reduce your portions.

Think Out Of The Box - Boxed and processed foods usually have fewer phytonutrients which studies have shown help reduce the risk of heart disease. Eat fresh cooked foods whenever possible.

Go Big on Veggies - Increase the portions of veggies on your plate. Veggies should consist of 2/3 of the average plate size.

Take Away - Remove the salt shaker, only add necessary salt for flavoring during cooking. Salt increases blood pressure.

Fish Please - Fish, especially white fish has lowfat, cooks easily, and is heart healthy. Eat quality fish, once or twice a week. Discuss with your doctor if planning or are pregnant.

Eat Seasonally - When in-season, increase your in-take of fresh veggies and fruit.

This dish is a favorite of mine. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine.

3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste
3 cups cooked linguine (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked)
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried basil
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup pitted black olives, quartered
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Thread shrimp onto skewers and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Grill over a medium heat about 3 minutes per side or until white. Remove from skewers and keep warm.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Saute garlic and basil until tender. Add tomatoes, black olives, and shrimp and heat through. Toss all ingredients together and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 Servings
Serving Size: 12 ounces

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 298
Total fat: 7 grams (21% of calories)
Saturated fat: 2 grams
Cholesterol: 119 mg
Sodium: 459 mg
Carbohydrate: 38 grams (51% of calories)
Protein: 21 grams (28% of calories)
Dietary fiber: 3 grams

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups water
3 Tbs raspberry liqueur or framboise (optional)
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 recipe Raspberry-Chocolate Frosting
1 cup fresh raspberries (optional)

- Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease and lightly flour two 9×1-1/2-inch round baking pans; set aside. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl; set aside.
- Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until well-mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Add the dry mixture and the water alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition, just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans; spread evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Cool cake layers thoroughly on racks.
- Place one cake layer, cut side up, on serving plate; spread with half of the raspberry jam. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Spread with about 2/3 cup Raspberry-Chocolate Frosting.
- Place another cake layer, cut side up, on top of frosting; spread with remaining jam. Top with last cake layer, cut side down.
- Frost top and sides with all but 3/4 cup of the remaining frosting. Pipe remaining frosting on top of cake. If desired, garnish with raspberries. Makes 14 servings.

Servings: 14
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour and 30 minutes