Why buy bottled dressing when it’s so easy
to make? Photo by Andi Pantz | IST.

This recipe takes two minutes, has layers of flavor and can be made in the blender or with a whisk. Combine:

– ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
– 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
– 2 teaspoons minced garlic
– 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

You can turn this into a Caesar dressing by adding:

– 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
– 1½ teaspoons of minced anchovy fillets
– 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.

Find more dressing recipes, plus our favorite oils and vinegars.

Check out our Olive Oil Glossary and Types Of Vinegar.

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) and Divvies invite you to enter your recipe(s) in the annual FAANtastic Divvies Cookie Contest, which “celebrates those who work to make the lives of those with food allergies more delicious.”

• You can enter as many cookie recipes as you like. The deadline for submission is February 15, 2010.
• Recipes cannot contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk or eggs, nor can any ingredients have been exposed to peanuts, tree nuts, milk or eggs.

The Grand Prize winner will receive a trip for two a Great Wolf Lodge Resort in the U.S., and have their cookie join the Divvies line.

• Learn more about the cookie contest.
• Read our review of Divvies allergy-free cookies and cupcakes—a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.

• Looking for gluten-free foods? See our reviews.

Will your cookie join the Divvies line?
Photo by Michael Steele | THE NIBBLE.

Isn’t this special: Rio Star Grapefruit
& Apple Mint Sushi Roll With Honey Chili
Dipping Sauce. Photo courtesy TexaSweet.

Grapefruit’s flavor and color work well in recipes—from cocktails to bruschetta, steamed shrimp, asparagus (or other green sides) and salads.

In fact, we have an entire menu of grapefruit recipes, from cocktails to desserts (Rio Star Mini Cheesecakes and Rio Star Grapefruit Crème Brûlée).

Check ‘em out and add variety, nutrition and great taste to your winter menu.

• Find more of our favorite fruits—and more fruit-based recipes—in our Gourmet Fruits & Nuts Section.

Alternate the cheese cubes with grape tomatoes, broccoli florets, bell pepper strips and other favorite crudités. Or go the fruit route with berries, kiwi and other fruits in season. With skewers, you save the calories of the bread or crackers too!

In general, avoid high-fat Brie and other double-and triple-crémes: The creamier the cheese, the higher the butterfat and calories. Soft and semi-soft cheeses like Brie contain 60%-74% butterfat, triple-crème cheeses like Saint André and Explorateur have at least 75% butterfat.

Stick with harder cheeses such as Parmesan (40% butterfat), Cheddar (43%), Swiss (43%), Gouda (48%), mozzarella (24%) and others with a firm or dry consistency (called the “paste”). We love Cabot’s Reduced Fat Cheddars (50% and 75% reduced fat) and Pepperjack (50%). The 75% reduced Cheddar has just 7% total fat.

Cheese kabobs are a fun food in
addition to a lower-calorie food. Photo
courtesy KraftCanada.com

• Check out Cabot’s Reduced Fat Cheddars.
• See all of our favorite cheeses, including a cheese glossary, cheese trivia quiz, the history of cheese and cheese recipes.
• Fnd more of our favorite calorie-reduced foods in our Diet Nibbles section.

Boar’s Head EverRoast Oven Roasted Chicken
Breast deli meat won the taste test.

The family’s tradition is to serve a quick-and-easy meat and cheese deli tray as the main course. Having recently attended a tasting at THE NIBBLE of Boar’s Head EverRoast Oven Roasted Chicken Breast and a variety of Boar’s Head cheeses, our colleague suggested that this year, the family specifically seek out Boar’s Head.

Almost everyone noticed something new and improved in the deli tray—and yes, they were told that the secret was Boar’s Head. A new family Christmas Eve tradition was born (or at least, the old one was modified).

This may sound like a TV commercial, but it really happened. The lesson learned: Even if you’re perfectly happy with what you’ve been eating, try a new brand or a new recipe. You may find something that you like even more.

Another NIBBLE favorite is Boar’s Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise, a mustard-mayo blend that is a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.

• For recipes using EverRoast, visit BoarsHead.com.
• For other poultry recipes, visit our Gourmet Poultry Section.