Name: Sweet Pistachio Salad
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 20 ounce crushed pineapple in juice; 8 ounce fat-free whipped topping (frozen); 1 ounce package instant pistachio pudding mix (sugar and fat free mix); 10 ounce can mandarin oranges in juice (drained)

Tips & Tricks: How to Make Lemon Zest

August 15, 2016 by Dinner Tonight

How often have you made a recipe that called for lemon zest? Did the recipe have a little too much tang? Well in today’s tips and tricks, we show you how to zest lemons the right way.
Lemon zest is a great way to add a burst of lemon flavor to many of our favorite recipes. Here are a few tips to getting a great zest from a lemon!

First, wash lemons under cool running water and scrub the surface with a soft bristle vegetable brush.
Then using a rasp, grate just the skin of the lemon. Don’t over zest your lemons! The white pith of the lemon will result in your zest being bitter or too tangy!
If you plan on using the whole lemon in a recipe, always grate your lemon before you cut the lemon.
Zesting lemons is a good way to use most of your lemon in a recipe!

Shrimp Tacos with Southwest Watermelon Salsa

August 12, 2016 by Dinner Tonight

Tacos are a favorite food staple in Texas, and this Shrimp Taco recipe is a great and easy twist for a quick summer dinner. The cooked shrimp is a great way to include seafood in your diet, while the Southwestern Watermelon Salsa provides a flavorful, refreshing, and low sodium alternative to traditional salsa. You can use whole wheat tortillas to include more whole grains to your meal.

Tips & Tricks: How to Select the Perfect Melon

August 11, 2016 by Dinner Tonight

Thumping. Shaking. Lifting. You have probably seen people using these methods to select a watermelon, but do they really work? Following the steps below will help you choose a melon that is perfect!

Use your eyes.
Look the melon over before you select it. The melon should be firm and symmetrical. It should also be free from dents, bruises, or cuts.

Turn it over.
The main indicator of ripeness is found on the underside of the melon. The underside of the melon should have a creamy yellow spot. This indicates it has ripened in the field.

Use your muscles.
Lift the melon up. A great melon is heavy for its size. Avoid melons which are lightweight if they are larger varieties.

Know your melons.
There are over 1200 varieties of watermelons grown in 96 countries!
The most common types are:

Seeded: The seeded watermelon is the most traditional watermelon and can weigh between 10 to 25 pounds!
Seedless: Seedless watermelons are the result of hybridization.
- Some claim they have white seeds, but these “seeds” are really empty seed coats and are safe to eat! Personal: These tiny favorites usually weight 1 to 7 pounds and are perfect for those who don’t want to share!
Yellow and Orange Meat: Most watermelons have red meat; however, there are yellow and orange meat varieties which are usually sweeter than the red!

Importance of Family Breakfast

June 10, 2016 by Dinner Tonight

Breakfast is a great time to start the day off right and connect as a family. Here are a few tips for how to make breakfast your first ‘family mealtime’ of the day!

Gather around the table as a family and eat breakfast together.
Talk about the plans for the day and what everyone is looking forward to. Here are a few examples:

What are you most excited about doing today at school (or work)?
What are you looking forward to doing this afternoon when we get home?
How can you be kind or helpful to others today?

Empower children to be part of preparing breakfast. It does not have to be complicated, slice some strawberries or bananas (or have older children help!) and let younger children place these on whole grain waffles or toast spread with low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter. This is a fun and easy way to get children active in making a nutritious breakfast.

For more tips on living a healthy lifestyle in 2016, check out this fact sheet from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (http://www.eatright.org/~/media/eatright%20files/nationalnutritionmonth/handoutsandtipsheets/nutritiontipsheets/16healthtipsfor2016.ashx).

Try out theses Cream Cheese and Strawberry Waffles!