Marina Delio's Blog, page 35

Baked Zucchini Chips

A simple recipe for baked zucchini chips with Parmesan. 
I thought I had a lot of summer squash before. But then we got home from Italy and after just two weeks the garden had grown wildly. So my quest to use up zucchini continues. This week I sliced a couple of zucchini into rounds, sprinkled them with Parmesan and a little salt and pepper and baked them. The kids (who aren't big zucchini lovers in general) gobbled them up and said they tasted like cheese crackers. Cheese crackers, only without all the refined flour and processed junk. These "chips" don't really get crispy crunchy, they are more like soft roasted zucchini, but the kids like them better when I call them chips, so chips they are. Maybe one day I'll invest in a food dehydrator and have some proper crunchy zucchini chips.


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Lake Garda, Italy {With Kids}

Lake Garda is a beautiful lake in northern Italy dotted with picturesque little towns. It's the perfect travel destination for families... or anyone! 
We're back home! We had a wonderful time in Italy, one of my favorite places in the world, but are happy to be home in our own beds. While in Italy we were based in Garda, Verona. Garda is a charming little town on Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. It's about two hours east of Lake Como, and 1 hour West of Venice. It's an absolutely spectacular area; one you'll definitely want to add to your wanderlust Pinterest board. Let me show you around... 
The lakefront is lined with tables luring passersby in for a cappuccino or Aperol spritz. The girls loved feeding the ducklings here while we waited for our food. I adore the car-free zones of many European cities. They are the perfect place for kids to run and play. 
Where did we stay? We swapped our Santa Barbara home with a family in Italy. My mom came for a short visit and stayed at the Hotel Regina Adelaide. I highly recommend this beautiful hotel in in Garda - it's beautiful with large suites, a kind staff, and a killer breakfast buffet. The pool photo above was from the home. We really lucked out.   Though we have spent quite a bit of time in Italy before, this was our first trip with the kids, and our first visit to the lakes. We were nervous about the 11 hour flight with a 4 and 6 year old, and didn't know what to expect. The kids did great though. And Yummy Hubby was thrilled with Lake Garda, especially when he found out it is a cycling haven. Cyclists flock to the hilly landscape with stunning views. He rented a bike in Lazise (a town nearby) and rode almost every day.   I, on the other hand, was busy sampling the local delights. Like the most popular drink in Italy right now, the Aperol Spritz. If you haven't tried it, Aperol is made by Campari, but is less bitter. The spritz is an aperitif made with Aperol and prosecco and finished with a slice of orange. It's a little sweet, a little bitter, and very refreshing! Recipe for an Aperol Spritz at the end of the post.  5 of each, please! The outdoor markets in Italy are so much fun. Vendors line the streets with gorgeous pottery, clothing, gifts, and food. Our girls loved getting fresh calamari in a brown bag at the frito misto truck at the Friday market in Garda. Sadly, I didn't have enough space in my luggage for much of this lovely pottery. Next time I'm bringing an extra suitcase.


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Stone Fruit Panzanella (Ciao from Italy!)

Ciao Amici! We are currently on vacation in Italy. One of the things I love most about Italia is the food. You're shocked, I'm sure. Almost every morning since we arrived, I've walked a mile down the road from the rustic stone house in the hills where we are staying into town. I've found my favorite bakery, where I always pick up a loaf of fresh crusty ciabatta. Next I visit the fruit/veggie/pasta/wine guy across the cobblestone road. Only (and always) stopping for a cup of gelato.

We've spent a day in Venice, tried some local restaurants, and climbed to the top of castles. But mostly we've just enjoyed the simple life - relaxing by the pool, cooking and eating. Hearing nothing but church bells and wild turkeys. La dolce vita.


The fresh produce in Italy is incredible. None of the rock-hard cold peaches that take weeks to ripen like we often find in the US. We have been going through bunches and bunches of fresh apricots, peaches, and nectarines here. They are the sweetest we've ever tasted. So one night I threw together a traditional Italian salad - panzanellla - but switched it up by using stone fruit instead of tomatoes.

  Like ribolita, panzanella is a great way to use up leftover bread. Fresh summer fruit makes this salad refreshing and light. I added some cubed cantaloupe too. Tomato would be great in here as well as the fruit, so feel free to add it in! 

And since it is vacation, I made myself a blood orange basil cocktail you have got to try. Just squeeze some fresh blood orange juice into some prosecco and add some torn basil. Salute!

Stone Fruit Panzanella Recipe 

Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 large ripe stone fruits (peach, nectarine, plum, or apricot) 1 cup cubed cantaloupe (optional) 1 Persian cucumber, diced  2 tablespoons diced red onion1 cup crusty bread, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil fresh basil, julienned or tornInstructions: 1. In a salad bowl, toss together the fruit, cucumber, onion, and bread. Dress with oil, vinegar, and basil. Traditionally, panzanella is allowed to sit for awhile until the bread becomes very soft - cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a few hours until ready to eat, or enjoy right away. 

If you like this recipe, you'll also love: 
Ultimate Summer Quinoa Salad from Yummy Mummy KitchenTomato Panzanella with Shrimp and Basil from Cooking Light Cannellini Bean Panzanella  from Cannel 5 News Strawberry Panzanella  from 101 CookbooksRibollita from Ina GartenPappa al Pomodoro soup from Yummy Mummy Kitchen

Curried Yellow Squash Lentil Soup

A simple and healthy summer soup made with yellow summer squash and lentils. 
There were so many great reviews on the Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup I posted a couple of years ago that I decided I had to make a summer version to share with you. I loved the pumpkin version (and so did you - thanks!) because it's such a healthy one-pot meal. Lentils are a protein-packed source of plant protein, and a staple in my weekly diet. Another perk... lentils are cheap and easy to keep around in the pantry. 
Since our yellow summer squash plants are growing so quickly, a curried lentil soup made with it seemed natural. I really cannot keep up with our summer squash and need more ideas for using it up - other than dropping it off on friends' doorsteps, which is also fun. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »

Ultimate Summer Quinoa Salad

This ultimate summer quinoa salad is packed with black beans, crunchy cucumber, and sweet corn and nectarines! It's healthy, vegan, and gluten free. 
Summer has unofficially begun! We spent Memorial Day dinner with good family friends. My lovely friend and dinner hostess absolutely loves quinoa, so I knew right away I would be bringing a quinoa salad. This recipe is one of my all-time favorites. Juicy summer nectarines add an amazing sweet bite of flavor and are perfect with beans and corn. This salad is hearty enough to enjoy as a light main dish, and great to bring as a side salad for a party. If you haven't tried stone fruit with a savory salad before, it might sound strange... but trust me on this one. You'll be adding nectarines to your salads all summer long after you try this salad.

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BBQ 3-Bean Chili for a Crowd {Vegetarian}

Last week was my husband's (read: husband's wife's) turn to host his manly book club. You may not have noticed, but I'm not the "manliest" of eaters. I'd much prefer a tofu salad with hemp seeds to steak, and prosecco with a strawberry always wins over beer. But I had to beef things up a bit. And you know what... it was really fun and tasty. Other than the actual buying beef part, but we'll just skip right over that and get to the delicious vegetarian 3-bean chili sweetened and spiced with BBQ sauce. As I had 10+ dudes to feed while getting a 4 and 6 year old ready for bed, a chili bar was the answer. I made everthing the night before and in the morning. Did I mention that chili fixin's are of the utmost importance? They really are. To start: guacamole and chips. Is there anything better?

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Healthy Food Processor Ice Cream {Vegan}

We are still in cool-down mode over here. Ice cream was needed. I knew it was going to be bad when at 7 am it was already over 80 degrees inside. I popped a bowl of strawberries and a peeled banana in the freezer for healthy after-school "ice cream" packed with antioxidants. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »

Rainbow Bowls Recipe

Wooo, it has been seriously hot here in So./Central California this past week. As in triple digits hot. As I write this post it's 90 degrees inside our house at 8 PM. There was absolutely no way I was about to do any real cooking in this heat, but I'm also not a fan of take-out. So what do I do? Rainbow dinner, as the girls call it! Not only is "rainbow dinner" a fun way to get everyone in the family eating lots of colors (and therefore a variety of different vitamins and nutrients), it's super refreshing on hot days.

I've also heard this type of bowl dinner referred to as "yoga bowls" and I can see why. They make you feel renewed and alive, just like yoga. Sorry to get off track, but I have to tell you...  I've been doing yoga almost every night after the girls go to bed and it feels amazing. The stress of the day is washed away and my body feels light and lengthened. I've been doing this DVD for years and love it: YogaWorks for Everybody: Body Slim. I just ordered two more yoga DVDs and can't wait to try them. Let me know if you  have any you love!

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Italian Baked Eggs Recipe

Our family loves eggs for breakfast. But we love them even more for dinner. My little miss frequently requests miso soup with a poached egg for dinner. Eggs for dinner makes my job easy, since I can always whip up something simple and nutritious with eggs + any veggies we happen to have around - quiche, frittatas, omelets, soup, fried rice, baked eggs... This week I switched things up on egg dinner night and went Italian style. Yummy Hubby's response: "I don't know what this is, but it's delicious!" All you really need are some eggs and a jar of marinara sauce. Since I didn't have marinara, I made my own with a box of chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, some yellow bell pepper, and herbs from our garden. Some mushrooms would be tasty too. I even thought about adding white beans to the sauce! Get creative with it if you like. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »

Mother's Day Brunch Recipes

Healthy Mother's Day breakfast and brunch recipes to celebrate the moms in your life. What are your plans for Mother's Day? It's just about a week away. Making a special breakfast treat is always a great gift. Here are some of my favorite recipes to get you started... 
Happy Mother's Day! 

photo by Kacie Jean Photography
But don't forget, being a MOM is the best gift of all. CONTINUE READING THIS POST »