Mix this up a couple hours before you want to use it so the flavors blend really well. Then, grab your favorite crusty bread or crackers, spread on some cream cheese, and top with a spoonful of this salsa. Use pineapple cream cheese for an even more flavorful combination.

1/2 cup mango, pitted, peeled and diced
1 green onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/4 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped fine
2 tablespoons lime juice

Place the mango, green onion, pepper, cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice in a tightly sealed container. Shake gently to combine flavors and juice. Put in the refrigerator for at least 2 to 3 hours.

If you haven’t used hoisin sauce before, you are in for a treat. This tangy, sweet, and spicy sauce turns any dish into a real treat. The added ginger and cilantro makes this chicken breast meal company-ready… or a very nice family dinner, too!

2 chicken breast halves, bone in, skin on
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Put the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Heat the oil until hot and add the chicken and cook 4 minutes. Turn and continue cooking 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is nicely browned.

Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the chicken skin side up on the sheet.
Place in preheated oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the the hoisin sauce in a mixing bowl. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger and whisk until all the ingredients are combined well.

After chicken breasts have cooked once, brush with the glaze. Return to the oven and continue baking 3 or 4 minutes, brush with glaze again, and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Sprinkle chicken with the cilantro before serving. Any remaining glaze can be used on the chicken after serving.

This recipe is sort of a “taste of the Islands” style dish. The combination of lime and honey is very delicious and quite a change from the pork chops your family may have become accustomed to.

Also makes a great meal to serve company. Include a mixed green salad tossed with a dressing that echoes the same lime/honey/garlic flavors for a beautiful meal.

4 pork loin chops, boneless and about 3/4 inch thick
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 lime wedges

Sprinkle the chops on both sides with the pepper.

Place the lime zest, lime juice and honey in a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine together well and pour over the chops. Press the garlic firmly on the pork chops.

Pour the the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Heat the oil until hot but not smoking.

Place the pork chops into the hot oil. Cook 5 minutes. Turn and continue cooking 3 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve each a wedge of lime.

Rather than smothering broccoli in cheese to get the kids to eat it, another way is to use lemon and a crunchy, buttery tasting topping. Anything that brightens up the broccoli and gives it crunch will get the kids to come to the dinner table without complaining!

10 cups fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Fill a large saucepan half way with fresh water, and bring to boil. Add the broccoli and cook for just 3 minutes, then drain immediately. Set aside.

Place the butter in a skillet over low heat along with the shallot and garlic. Cook 1 to 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the bread crumbs and continue cooking 2 minutes or until the bread crumbs begin to brown. Remove from heat.

Scoop the mixture into a mixing bowl. Add to the bowl, the lemon peel and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Stir to combine well.

Pour olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the steamed broccoli to the oil and cook 5 or 6 minutes until lightly browned and heated through. Sprinkle the other 1/8 teaspoon of pepper over the cooked broccoli and stir.

Pour in the lemon juice and sprinkle the top with the bread crumb mixture. Serve immediately while it’s hot.

When salmon is available, we love to take advantage of this great, heart healthy food. Simple recipes often are the best way to treat salmon… the flavor of the salmon alone is usually enough to make a great meal!

2 salmon steaks
butter flavored cooking spray
1 teaspoon dried marjoram

Spray broiler rack with nonstick spray.
Place steaks on broiler rack. Spray salmon with butter flavored spray. Sprinkle with one-half teaspoon marjoram.

Broil steaks on first side for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly browned. Turn salmon over, spray, and sprinkle with remaining marjoram. Broil 6 to 8 minutes longer.

If you want a guaranteed delicious, easy, and quick chicken meal, this is it. You can’t get much easier than this baked chicken breast dish. Don’t skip the melted margarine or butter because it really adds a lot of moisture to the baked chicken breasts.

6 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1 teaspoon garlic salt
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup melted salt-free margarine or butter

Place chicken in shallow baking dish.

Mix together garlic salt and lemon juice and rub mixture on chicken.

Melt margarine or butter in a small saucepan and pour over chicken in baking dish.

Bake at 325 degrees 50 to 60 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

If you’ve got a lot of carrots to use up, this is a great salad that actually features carrots rather than just using them as garnish. This is a nice, tangy salad that is as pretty as it is flavorful – and crunchy!

3/4 cup French dressing
1 teaspoon prepared or salad mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried parsley
4 cups sliced carrots
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion

In a medium bowl, whisk together French dressing, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley.

Toss in the carrots, pepper, and onion and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for about two hours before serving.

This is one stew that doesn’t keep you waiting for hours! It actually comes together fairly quickly and only takes less than an hour to cook. When you want a dinner that’s hearty but still filling, this is a great stew to keep in mind.

1 lb. chicken breasts, boneless & skinless, cut into 1 inch cubes
3/4 C. and 1/2 C. chicken (or vegetable) broth
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, minced

3 medium carrots, cut bite size
1 medium onion, cut bite size
4 medium celery stalks, cut bite size
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice

Place chicken, 3/4 cup broth, seasonings, and garlic into large stew pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer ten minutes.

Add vegetables and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cover and simmer on low heat 40 to 50 minutes or until chicken and vegetables are tender.

Remove from heat, add lemon juice and stir to combine.

This is another great kid-friendly dish. If your youngsters aren’t partial to cabbage, the creamy soup will help disguise the taste a bit while still providing a very nutritious meal.

3 C. coarsely chopped cabbage
1/2 C. chopped onion
1/2 C. water
1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 C. diced cooked chicken breast
2 C. hot cooked noodles, drained
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large skillet, combine cabbage, onion, and water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in chicken soup, chicken, and noodles. Add parsley and black pepper. Mix well. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes.

One trick I’ve learned about frying fish, whether it’s oven fried or pan fried, is to dip first in dry, then wet, then dry. Also, refrigerating the fish before cooking it will “seal” the batter and keep it on the fish.

This recipe is especially yummy because of the added flavor provided by the dry mustard powder. People often forget to spice up the batter, so this is a very nice treat!

1 lb. fish fillets
2 C. bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 egg white
2 Tablespoons milk

Stir together in a shallow dish the dry mustard and bread crumbs.

In a separate bowl, using a whisk, beat egg white with milk.

Dip fish filets, one at a time, first in dry mix, then in egg white mixture, then back in dry mix.

Place on baking sheet and place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

When ready to make, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove from refrigerator and bake at 425 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until coating is crispy and fish flakes easily.