Christine Palumbo

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June 22, 2015

Simple Summer Party Recipes: Caprese Salad, Quinoa Salad, Banana Sushi and Arnold Palmer (in under 4 steps)

Full Menu

With the abundance of summer parties emerging as the weather warms up, planning the  menu for a get-together with friends may become stressful. Fortunately, I have gathered four easy and healthy recipes that will satisfy your guests but will not be complicated- all recipes are under four steps!

Appetizer: Mini Caprese Skewers Caprese 2

This recipe was inspired by Iowa Girl Eats.

What you’ll need:

  • Cherry or grape tomatoes
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Mini mozzarella cheese balls
  • Balsamic vinegar, to dress
  • Toothpicks

Caprese Ingredients

Directions:

  1. Cut tomatoes in half. Spear the halved tomato onto the toothpick, followed by the mozzarella ball and a basil leaf. Repeat for desired amount.
  2. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the caprese skewers.

Main Course: Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Salad
Quinoa Salad

What you’ll need:

Salad:

  • 2 cups quinoa
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 baby cucumber
  • ½ bunch cilantro
  • ½ onion
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 jalapeno
  • ½ green bell pepper
  • 1 can of black beans
  • 1 can of corn
  • 1 avocado

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Juice of 2 limes
Ingredients for Quinoa Salad
Ingredients for Quinoa Salad

Directions:

  1. Cook quinoa as instructed and let cool.
  2. Dice the remaining ingredients, aside from the black beans, corn, and avocado, into bite-sized pieces. Drain and rinse the canned beans and corn. Pour all the salad ingredients into a large bowl.
  3. Mix the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl. Once fully mixed, pour into the salad bowl and stir.
  4. Chill and serve topped with avocado slices. It’s best eaten on its own or with multigrain tortilla chips.

Dessert: Banana Sushi Banana Sushi

This recipe was inspired by Fit Foodie Finds.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 banana
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter (see last week’s post!), I used Trader Joe’s Chia and Flax Seed Peanut Butter
  • Grated coconut, pistachio, or other desired toppings

Banana Sushi Ingredients

Directions:

  1. Peel the banana and spread peanut butter just on the top portion when the banana is flat on the plate.
  2. Sprinkle the desired toppings on top of the peanut butter portion, and slice the banana, in which the slices will resemble a piece of sushi.

Drinks: Hibiscus Arnold Palmer Hibiscus Arnold Palmer 1

This recipe was inspired by Vegetarian Ventures.

What you’ll need:

  • 4 cups of cooled hibiscus tea
  • Juice from 4 lemons
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar
  • 3-1/3 cups water
  • 1 lemon slice, mint leaves, and blueberries for garnish

Directions:

  1. Pour 1/3 cup of water and the agave in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until it boils. Simmer for 3 minutes and transfer to a heat-resistant pitcher.
  2. Pour the lemon juice, hibiscus tea, and the remaining 3 cups of water into the same pitcher and stir.
  3. Serve with ice and garnish.

So I would love to know:

  • Which of these recipes would you try first?
  • What is your favorite part about summer parties?

With assistance from future RDN Christina Chu. Photos credited to Christina Chu.

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Trackbacks

  1. Summertime Healthy Living Tips | Christine Palumbo says:
    June 2, 2016 at 8:24 pm

    […] Do not let food sit out for more than two hours (no more than one hour if it is over 90°F). If you are serving cold food, keep those portions small and store the rest in a well-insulated cooler. Check out these picnic-friendly recipes! […]

    Reply
  2. Summertime Healthy Living Tips | Christine Palumbo says:
    June 2, 2016 at 8:24 pm

    […] Do not let food sit out for more than two hours (no more than one hour if it is over 90°F). If you are serving cold food, keep those portions small and store the rest in a well-insulated cooler. Check out these picnic-friendly recipes! […]

    Reply
  3. How to Host a Healthy Summer Barbeque - Newbury Street Nutrition by Skylar Griggs says:
    July 15, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    […] recipe to make for a summer barbeque? Registered Dietitian Christine Palumbo shares some fool-proof simple summer party recipes that will please a crowd. Dietitian Debbie Murphy has a baked vegan burger recipe to satisfy the […]

    Reply
  4. How to Host a Healthy Summer Barbeque - Newbury Street Nutrition by Skylar Griggs says:
    July 15, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    […] recipe to make for a summer barbeque? Registered Dietitian Christine Palumbo shares some fool-proof simple summer party recipes that will please a crowd. Dietitian Debbie Murphy has a baked vegan burger recipe to satisfy the […]

    Reply

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Christine M. Palumbo, MBA, RDN, FAND


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Speaking Client List

Over 400 presentations, including several keynotes (partial list):

Corporate:

  • AAR Corporation
  • Abrasive Technologies
  • Ace Hardware Corporate Headquarters
  • Acres Enterprises
  • Advanced Urology Associates
  • Ambrosi Corp.
  • American Association of Endodontists
  • American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
  • American Board of Pediatric Dentists
  • American Hotel Register
  • American Service Insurance
  • Arlington Automotive Services
  • Aquion
  • Associated Agencies
  • Associated Integrated Supply Chain Solutions
  • Baker Tilly Virchow Krause
  • Barilla USA
  • Benet Academy
  • Berry Health Benefits Symposium
  • Blue Plate Catering
  • BP/ Amoco
  • Canopy Realtors
  • Carol Stream Fire Department
  • CBS Radio’s Spring into Shape Expo
  • Chapman and Cutler LLP
  • Chicago Dental Society
  • Chicago Dental Society-West Suburban Region
  • Chicago Heart Association
  • Club of Indian Women
  • Countryside Associates
  • Crown Media/Hallmark Channel
  • Discover Card Services
  • Dominick’s Finer Foods
  • DuPage County Police Chiefs’ Secretaries Association
  • Entertainment Cruises
  • EPKO
  • Family Festival of Surprises
  • Farm Foundation
  • Farmers Insurance Exchanges
  • Feeding America
  • Food Executive Women
  • Fox River Foods
  • Freedman Andelmo Lindberg
  • Girl Scouts of Fox Valley Council
  • Harbortown
  • Healthy Living Summit
  • Heartland Spa
  • Home Run Inn Pizza Corporate Headquarters
  • Horizon Publishing
  • HSBC Finance Corporation
  • Illinois Alliance for the Aging
  • Illinois Probation and Court Services Association
  • Ingredion
  • International Truck and Engine Corp.
  • INX International Ink
  • JPMC
  • Kellogg’s Marketing and Innovations Group
  • Lanco International
  • Land of Lincoln Soybean Association
  • Lawson Products
  • Lucent Technologies
  • Meeker-Magner Company
  • Mobil Oil
  • Moneris Solutions
  • Museum of Science & Industry
  • MultiPlan, Inc.
  • Naperville School District #203
  • Naperville Women’s Forum
  • National Association of REALTORS
  • National Lead Information Center
  • Navistar
  • NBC5 Health & Fitness Expo
  • NB Coatings
  • Near North Health Service Corporation
  • Nestle
  • Network Services Inc.
  • Norkol Converting
  • Northern Illinois University Graduate Colloquium
  • Northwestern University
  • Odontographic Society of Chicago
  • OptumHealth Care Solutions
  • OSG Tap & Die
  • Palos Community Hospital 30th Anniversary Keynote
  • Pangere Corporation
  • Parksite Inc.
  • Pekin Insurance
  • Perkins + Will
  • Radiological Society of North America
  • Rail Europe
  • Realtick
  • River Glen Church
  • Rippinger Financial Group
  • Rush-Copley Medical Center
  • Saint Catherine University Alumnae Association
  • School District U-46
  • SEKO
  • Sidley Brown Austin & Wood Law
  • Sigma Foods
  • Smithfield Foods
  • Southlake Auto Mall
  • Spartan Stores
  • Sunset Foods
  • Sysco/Continental-Keil Food Show
  • Taste of Colorado
  • TD Bank
  • The Nova Network
  • The Wooden Door Spa
  • Tishman Speyer
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  • Ukrops Pharmacy Managers
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  • Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education & Support Network
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  • Vitas Healthcare Corporation
  • WellCare
  • West Suburban Dental Hygienists Society
  • Wheaton College
  • YMCA of the USA
  • Zurich North America

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and its affiliates:

  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Arkansas Dietetic Association
  • Dietitians in Business and Communications
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  • Dietitians of West Michigan
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  • Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
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  • North Suburban Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Oklahoma Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • South Suburban Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Tennessee Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • West Suburban Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Corporate Consulting List

  • A Fresh Look
  • AHA Marketing
  • Bimbo Bakeries USA
  • California Raisin Marketing Board
  • California Walnut Commission
  • Cargill
  • Cyberdiet.com
  • Dairy Management Inc.
  • Eastside Cafe Pizza Manufacturers
  • Edelman
  • Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association
  • Food Marketing Support Services
  • Fox Metro Water Reclamation District
  • Fran’s Healthy Helpings
  • Golin Harris
  • Integer Group
  • Jokari Healthy Steps
  • Market Day
  • Marina Maher Communications
  • McDonald’s
  • Mongolian Barbecue Restaurant
  • Naperville YMCA
  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
  • National Cheese Institute
  • Northwestern Hospital
  • Old London Melba Toast
  • Popchips
  • Popcorn Institute
  • Publicis Dialogue
  • Quaker Oats Health Institute Speakers Network
  • Red Robin Restaurants
  • Sara Lee
  • Smithfield Foods, Inc.
  • Smuckers
  • Suntory Water Group/Hinckley Springs
  • SuperTarget
  • Tishman-Speyer
  • United Healthcare
  • United States Potato Board
  • Vegetarian Times magazine
  • Weber Shandwick
  • Weight Watchers
  • Welch’s

Spokesperson Client List

  • American Egg Board
  • American Plastics Council (Food Safety)
  • Bimbo Bakeries (Arnold/Oroweat/Brownberry)
  • Boca Foods
  • California Raisin Marketing Board
  • Campbell’s Select Harvest Soups
  • Dean Foods
  • Dominick’s (Safeway)
  • Driscoll’s
  • Florida Department of Citrus
  • Giovanni Rana
  • Kellogg’s
  • Kraft Cheese
  • Lifeway Foods
  • Louis Rich Fat Free Turkey
  • McCain Foods
  • Mead Johnson
  • Michigan Cherries
  • Milk Processor Education Program
  • National Turkey Federation
  • Nature Well natural beef
  • Popchips
  • Quaker Oats
  • Sargento Foods
  • SuperTarget
  • United States Soybean Board
  • Welch’s
  • Wrigley Healthcare
  • ZESPRI Kiwifruit
Speaking

Cutting-edge nutrition that’s easy to understand

Topics for Groups

•  Making Positive Changes That Stick: Five Steps to Moving Out of That Cycle You’re Stuck In
• Supermarket Smarts: Avoid Food Marketers’ Tricks and Traps
• Anti-Stress Eating
• Cut the Fad Out of Diets: Select the Best Plan for You
• Defensive Dining: How to Eat Out & Keep Your Waistline
• Foods You Think Are Healthy….That Really Aren’t
• Forever Young: What You Can (& Can’t) Do To Slow the Aging Process
• How to Energize Your Life
• Is Your Job Making You Fat/Diet Wreckers in Your Desk
• Meal Solutions for Busy People
• Power Foods for Heart Health
• The Healthy Refrigerator: Stock Yours to Guarantee Nutritious Eating
• Top Five Nutrition Myths for Kids
• Top Ten Nutrition Strategies for Better Health

Specifically for Health Professionals
• Becoming an Expert Communicator: Making Communications Concise, Clear and Compelling
• Image 2020: What You Need for Professional Success
• Making Connections: Relationship Building for Career Success
• Engaging Readers: Nutrition Writing that Shines
• Keeping Current: Make Today’s Nutrition and Food Trends Work for You
• If the Media Calls: Are You Ready?

Corporate Consuling
Christine consults with public relations firms, food companies, restaurants, and not-for-profits.

She is available for:
• Developing nutrition education materials
• Spokesperson
• Exhibiting at professional meetings
• Writing/Marketing/PR
• Partnering with you on special projects
• Ideation sessions

Past clients
Over 500 presentations including Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and many of its affiliates, AAR Corporation,  Ace Hardware Corporate Headquarters, American Association of Endodontists, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, American Board of Pediatric Dentists, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, Barilla USA, Berry Health Benefits Symposium, BP/ Amoco, Chicago Dental Society, Crown Media/Hallmark Channel, Discover Card Services, Entertainment Cruises, Feeding America, International Truck and Engine Corp., Kellogg’s Marketing and Innovations Group, Lucent Technologies, Mobil Oil, National Association of REALTORS, Navistar, Radiological Society of North America, Unilever Food Solutions, United Healthcare, U.S. Bank, Women’s Athletic Club of Chicago, YMCA of the USA, Zurich North America.
Full list available upon request.

Nutrient Analysis
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