No-Cook

The combination of chocolate and raspberries is considered decadent by pretty much everyone. Here’s a decadent breakfast that will keep you fit, healthy, and happy with each bite

Chocolate and peanut butter? Yes! Now we’re talking. Not only will your kids be singing your praises when you throw together this breakfast in mere minutes, you’ll be feeling like you’re cheating with each decadent bite!

Anyone who knows me knows that although I’ve maintained a fifty-five-pound weight loss for close to twenty years, I proudly eat chocolate every day. Here’s a great example of how I can face my chocolate craving head-on, even at breakfast!

Chocolate and peanut butter? Yes! Now we’re talking. Not only will your kids be singing your praises when you throw together this breakfast in mere minutes, you’ll be feeling like you’re cheating with each decadent bite!

You can use regular lemonade to make this Southern refresher, but we like to use the tart Italian Limonata made by San Pellegrino (it’s available in most grocery stores).

My weakness for ice cream is well known, and the name of this drink says it all.

Gina: This light-colored sangria, made with white wine, is as beautiful as it is refreshing and delicious. You can make and serve this drink immediately, but it’s even better if you can prepare it in advance, so the fruit flavors have a chance to permeate the wine.

This strong, tart sweet drink—made with equal parts fresh lemon and lime juice—can stand up to plenty of ice, and the addition of chopped crystallized ginger gives each sip a tingly, refreshing heat.

New Orleans is one of our favorite “kick back” vacation destinations. We go there for the people, the food, the music, and the overall vibe. New Orleans is second only to Memphis in vibeness. We also go there for the sandwiches, and always make a point of digging into one of their most famous, the muffuletta, every time we visit. It’s a killer sandwich, made with spicy Italian meats, cheeses, and a knockout marinated olive salad, the aroma of which is so powerful that when you’re waiting in line it’ll cause you to salivate! Our Memphis Muffuletta has bayou roots for sure. We start with a large round Italian loaf with a sturdy texture, so it can hold up to the delicious mix of ingredients. The meats and cheeses vary, but our favorite is a muffuletta with salami, hot soppressata, mortadella, smoked turkey, Swiss, and aged provolone. Our Memphis kicker is the addition of smoky piquillo peppers from Spain. They infuse the piquant olive salad with an incredible flavor. When it comes to cheese, we go for two flavorful varieties—an imported Swiss and an aged provolone. We call this our backyard sandwich, because it’s actually best if you assemble it in advance and allow it to marinate for about 30 minutes on the cutting board. Then you can cut the big loaf into eight wedges and have dinner on the patio. In New Orleans tradition, serve this sandwich with a cold Abita beer and some spicy Zapp’s potato chips.

Gina: Red grapes, chunks of provolone cheese, and crunchy almonds give this smoked turkey salad more personality than the old school mayo based options. For added color and crunch, toss the salad with a few handfuls of field greens, so they get coated in the creamy dressing. Serve this salad on soft whole grain sandwich bread or ciabatta rolls.

Gina: We serve plenty of meals that are heavy on the pork fat—and we wouldn’t have it any other way! That’s why I like to balance out some menus with fresh vegetables and this classic creamy herb dip. It’s also a great way to get my girls and (big Neely) boys to eat their veggies. I like to serve this dip with vegetable crudités: try red and orange cherry tomatoes, blanched asparagus spears and broccoli florets, fresh radishes, green onions, and carrots. It also makes a fabulous spread for turkey or ham sandwiches.

If you are lucky, you own a mandoline (a professional chef’s tool that makes slicing vegetables thin an easy chore) or even an old-fashioned coleslaw slicer. If not, shred the cabbage as thin as you can with a good sharp knife. The amount of salt you use depends on your taste and your cabbage. This makes a great winter salad, by itself or tossed together with salad greens.

Pesto is at its best when used immediately after it is made. However, it can be refrigerated for up to a few weeks if it’s spooned into a container, topped with olive oil, and sealed tight. If you find yourself with an abundance of basil in summer, make some pesto and store it in small portions in the freezer, where it will last for up to a few months. Frozen pesto gives great freshness of taste to hearty winter soups and pasta sauces. Long pasta shapes, like fresh tagliatelle or dried spaghetti or linguine, pair well with pesto. When dressing pasta with pesto, remember these important points: Don’t actually cook the pesto—you’ll lose its fresh quality—but warm it together with the cooked pasta for a minute over low heat. There should be just enough pesto to coat the pasta lightly. If necessary, spoon in a little of the pasta-cooking water to help the pasta and pesto glide into a bowl.