These simple ingredients are the only groceries you will need this week with these five recipes!

Ingredients:

Chicken

Spinach

Tomatoes

Cheese (of your choice)

Eggs

Night 1: Chicken and Spinach Omelet

Pump up the protein with breakfast for dinner!

1.    Sauté the chicken in a pan until almost fully cooked.

2.    Add the spinach and the cheese.

3.    In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Add them to the pan.

Night 2: Grilled Chicken Salad

A light and fresh meal to rejuvenate for the rest of the week

1.    Boil the eggs until hard.

2.    Combine the cooked chicken with the spinach, tomatoes, cheese and eggs.

Night 3: Chicken Egg Drop Soup

A soothing mid-week meal

1.    Cook the chicken.

2.    Combine four cups of water, chicken and spinach. Bring to a boil.

3.    In a small bowl, whisk five egg whites. Pour the egg whites very slowly into the boiling broth while whisking continuously. They will cook instantly when they hit the broth. (Note: Add cornstarch or chicken broth if you want to thicken.)

Night 4: Cheesy Tomato and Spinach Frittata

Sure to become a household favorite

1.    Sauté the spinach, tomatoes and cheese in a pan.

2.    In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Add them to the pan.

3.    Cover the pan and put in the oven to bake for two to four minutes or when you think it’s ready.

Night 5: Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Swiss

A hearty meal to kick off the weekend

1.    Sauté the spinach in a pan.

2.    Make a pocket for the stuffing in each chicken breast.

3.    Stuff each chicken breast with cheese and spinach and secure with a toothpick.

Sear the chicken in a skillet until golden brown. Transfer to oven to finish cooking, about 12 minutes.

Planning meals during the summer months can be difficult when the heat is relentless. And though the thought of cooking a hot meal is far from appealing, there is only so much salad one can eat. Change things up a bit with these recipes for chilled, smooth warm-weather soup. Delicioso!

Cucumber Basil Avocado Gazpacho

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1 cucumber, skin left on, seeds removed

2 small handfuls fresh basil

1 clove garlic

2 scallions

2 cups water

1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

1. Refrigerate all of the ingredients until they are cold.

2. In a blender, purée the chilled ingredients until smooth, allowing a few specks of green to remain throughout.

3. Return the soup to the refrigerator and chill again until it is ready to be served.

4. Garnish with thinly sliced cucumber circles and basil leaves.

Mango Soup

Ingredients:

3 ripe mangos
7-ounce container of plain, low-fat Greek yogurt 
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup low-fat milk
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoons mint leaves
1/2 Serrano pepper, minced

Directions:

1. Slice the mangos in half around the large pit in the middle. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Put the flesh in the blender.

2. Combine all other ingredients in the blender.

3. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Chilled Tomato and Peach Soup

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, roughly minced

3/4 cups shallot (about 1 medium), chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes, quartered

1 pound ripe peaches, quartered

1 bunch fresh thyme, still wrapped

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2/3 cups heavy cream

4 teaspoons sugar

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a pan, heat oil and sweat the shallot and garlic over medium low until translucent.

2. Add in tomatoes, peaches, and thyme and 1 teaspoon of salt. Simmer over medium heat until peaches and tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.

3. When looking soupy but still with a few chunks, remove from heat, remove thyme and puree the soup in a blender. Strain the soup into a clean pot.

4. Place strained soup back on medium-low heat. Add cream, sugar and cayenne pepper. Simmer on low for about five to ten minutes to allow flavors to meld.

5. Allow to cool slightly before chilling in the fridge for at least two hours. 

Easily the summer’s most important celebration, hosting an Independence Day party presents the perfect opportunity to bring la famiilia together. But like any other big gathering celebration, lots of planning is required to pull off the event. We offer a few helpful tips to make the party memorable:

A Bonfire: The perfect setting for reminiscing about the good ol’ days or swapping stories and jokes among family members, bonfires add a measure of liveliness and create a romantic backdrop. The key is to let everyone know when you plan to light or deactivate the pits so that guests can keep a safe distance.

Fireworks: A quintessential crowd pleaser, fireworks on the fourth will add a magical element to your guests’ experience. A safe option is an “Aeriel Repeater” because they give off a small show with just one light of the fuse. The key here is to choose a location and set up your equipment for your fire show before guests arrive. Alternatives to fireworks include stocking up on sparklers and poppers that guests can throw freely.

Games: A great way to entertain the little ones is to have a selection of outdoor activities for kids to play in the yard. Think of sports like volleyball, badminton, Wiffle ball and hula hooping as fun ways to get the party going. Whatever you do, try to keep the kids offline to ensure that they’ll definitely interact with each other.

Food: Choose foods that are easy to prepare so that you will enjoy maximum time with your guests. Hot dogs are a safe bet, whether they’re cooked on the grill or roasted over the fire. Then pair the hot dogs with something like Goya’s simple and refreshing four-bean salad, a great combo on a warm summer afternoon. 

This time of year is exciting for two reasons: great fútbol and great weather. Hosting a party in your backyard for the next match is a great way to take advantage of both. Here are some quick ways to create memorable gatherings this summer:

Entertainment: Bring the big match to the big screen by hanging a projector in your yard. Set up alternating rows of chairs and blankets so guests of all ages can spread out on the ground.

Lighting: Tiki torches are another great way to keep your home stadium lit and the bugs away. It is also a good idea to wrap a few strands of lights around the seating area for after the sun sets.

Half-time Games: Save a separate area exclusively for the halftime games. Fun activities such as a sack race or an egg toss are a great way to get everyone involved and laughing while waiting for game time to resume.

Food: Nothing says “stadium” like the smell of burgers cooking, so go ahead and light the grill. Sliders are a good option because they are easy to make. Have platters of small buns and toppings like cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and pickles laid out for guests to assemble. Waffle fries are the ideal. Arrange coolers around the yard to create easy access to beverages.

Dessert: For dessert, an ice cream station with pelota-shaped bowls is sure to appeal to everyone. Make sure dessert is served all at once to avoid any ice cream melting. Happy spectating!

As the weather warms, we can finally move our festivities and fun outdoors. But now that winter has released us from its freezing grasp, our decks, patios and other outdoor spaces might be in need of a refresh. There’s no need to spend money (or time) on an outdoor renovation: There are plenty of ways you can revamp your outdoor space without spending a chunk of change by using what you already have at home.

Give your furniture a makeover.

The easiest way to spruce up outdoor furniture is by adding pillows. You can fashion new covers out of an old tablecloth or shower curtain or add design elements to the ones you currently have, such as with this easy leaf print design. You can even make pillows out of those plastic bags you amass from the grocery store, no joke. And if you feel your furniture needs more than just new pillows, try refinishing them or paining them a new color. It’s still cheaper than buying a new set.

Let there be light!

Why let those Christmas lights go to waste in hibernation for the holidays? Instead, turn your holiday lights into a string of outdoor lanterns. For smaller lights, you can use ping-pong balls to make orbs of light, fold paper into origami lantern cubes or cut felt into floral fringe. For rounder, larger bulbs, this dyed cheesecloth DIY can transform your lights into bulbs of color that add decorative touch even when they’re turned off.

Recycle and reuse old pieces of wood.

Wooden pallets, sticks that have fallen off trees and other scraps of wood can be used to add interest and make over almost any aspect of your outdoor space. You can turn dirt into a wooden walkway; add an artisanal touch to a glass table; and glue sticks around a glass or bore tea-light-sized holes in a small log to make candle holders. You can also use wooden sticks, spoons or even tongue depressors to label the flowers, herbs, produce and trees in your garden (this is especially fun for kids and guests!).

Put unused containers to use.

Wooden boxes and baskets make especially great planters, but any old container will do. In fact, the more interesting, the better (old toys, teacups, etc.). Fill your chosen container up with dirt and plant as you would in a pot. You can also turn containers and other concave objects into bird baths and feeders.

Roll yourself an outdoor rug.

Do you have a tablecloth you bought and perhaps only used a few times? All you need to do is roll on a couple coats of some water-based polyurethane (about $10 a can) and you’ve got yourself an outdoor rug. It’s a great way to add a pop of color or deign to a patio floor.

Don’t feel in the mood for DIY projects? The simplest way to refresh your outdoor space is just to rearrange your furniture, plants and other décor in a new way.