Tina Marinaccio MS RD CPT

04/29/2026

Baby Corn season is fleeting, and I found some at Trader Joe’s
This corn is crispy – Not like the brined canned stuff (blech)
It needs to be boiled for a few minutes in salted water, and then dried really well so you can get the flour mixture to stick without it getting gummy
The flour will help the thin batter adhere

Recipe Below: Will You Try This Baby Corn?
You’ll Never Go Back to Canned!

Spiced Crispy Baby Corn
-Boil baby corn in salted water for 5 min, drain, dry well
-Coating/Batter: 1/4c rice flour, 1 tsp cumin, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp smoked paprika
-Taste flour mixture and adjust seasoning as needed
-Heat high temp oil in a pan, about 1” of oil is enough
-Dust corn in flour mixture, then add a small splash of seltzer to remaining flour, and lightly batter corn before dropping in oil
-Cook through just until corn is browned
-Remove with slotted spoon or spider and drain on paper towels
-Serve with favorite dipping sauce
(I made a yogurt, lime, garlic, chipotle in adobo sauce dip because it also went with the tacos we served the corn with)

04/27/2026

This Easy Artichoke with Garlic White Wine and Lemon is one of my favorite recipes for the Spring!

Growing up in an Italian family with Mediterranean cuisine, my mother would make stuffed artichokes each Spring – This version of braised artichokes is lightened up

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is added to the white wine lemon braising liquid to tighten it to a creamy cheesy sauce so you can scrape up all that yummy poached garlic with the artichoke leaves.

Artichokes will oxidize when exposed to air, much like cut potatoes, avocados, and apples due to an enzymatic reaction.

This recipe calls for two artichokes, and once you cut them open the oxidation clock starts ticking. If you work quickly, they should not brown, but if you’re a newbie, and need to take your time, or are multiplying this recipe, it would be a good idea to acidulate some water with fresh squeezed lemon, and drop your cut artichokes into the lemon water to prevent oxidation, which will turn the exposed cut areas brown.

Copy and paste the link, or click share, or link in bio for the full recipe, and health benefits of artichokes!

https://tinamarinaccio.com/artichokes-braised-in-garlic-wine-and-lemon/

04/23/2026

Artichoke • Truffle • Crème Fraîche • Parmigiano Reggiano
✨ Four reasons this silky Spring soup belongs in your rotation ASAP.

Simple ingredients that are light but indulgent - Earthy, creamy, and packed with rich umami flavors.

This soup isn’t just soup… it’s a whole experience for your palate! 🍲💫

If you want to enjoy artichoke season this Spring, but don’t want to mess with a whole globe artichoke, or don’t have access, I’ve got you covered!

This recipe uses an 8oz bag of frozen artichoke hearts
What’s easier than that?

Just like the globe artichoke, the hearts are packed with prebiotic fibers that keep you gut microbiome healthy and happy!

Creamy Artichoke Truffle Parmigiano Reggiano Soup
1 tbsp grass fed truffle butter (or grass fed butter)
2 cloves garlic, minced
8oz package frozen artichokes, thawed
2 cups stock of choice (I used turkey because I keep homemade stock in my freezer, and had that on hand)
1 tbsp crème fraiche (optional)
¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
S&P to taste
Truffle oil for drizzling
Optional Garnishes: crumbled bacon, lemon zest, crème fraiche, fresh parsley leaves, chives

-Sauté garlic in butter, then add thawed artichokes and cook for 5 minutes
-Add hot stock, cover, and simmer 10 minutes
-Puree with hand blender or high speed blender until smooth
-Add crème fraiche and Parmigiano Reggiano, and blend
-Taste and season with S&P as needed
-Ladle to bowls, drizzle with truffle oil
-Top with garnishes of choice before serving

04/21/2026

Don’t toss those scallion roots—plant them 🌱
New Jersey gardeners, this is your easiest win: take store-bought scallions, pop the white root ends into soil in your garden or a small pot (or even a glass of water to start), give them some sun, and watch them regrow in days. Cut what you need, and they just keep coming back.

It’s budget-friendly, low effort, and seriously satisfying—plus you get fresh, flavorful greens right from your backyard (or windowsill). Jersey soil + a little sunshine = endless scallions.

Scallions and anything in the onion or garlic family is good for your heart and your brain, so trim these scallions often and add to eggs, salads, stir fries and soups

I scattered a bunch of different kinds of seeds for different greens around some of the things I’m planting. Shown here is my arugula sprouts coming up! They will not get in the way as the scallions will just grow vertically and not really take up a lot of space. It’s a great way to maximize whatever garden space you have.

Did you know growing your own food is good also for your mental health? Get out there and get your hands in some dirt.

04/14/2026

We got all the B’s going on in this salad – Brussels, Bacon, Broccoli Sprouts, Blue Cheese!

Serves 4-6 – Can be served as an entrée salad
4 cups thin sliced Brussels sprouts (use a mandolin or slice blade on food processor)
½ cup thin sliced Vidalia onion
1-2 ounces your fave blue cheese, crumbled (I used Stilton)
1 cup broccoli sprouts
4 slices crumbled cooked bacon
½ cup toasted walnuts
Dressing of choice – It used juice of a blood orange, rice vinegar, a little Dijon mustard, and EVOO – A buttermilk or honey mustard dressing would also go nice with this, but there’s so much flavor, in the ingredients, you can’t go wrong!

04/08/2026

More Tips Below:

I work with a lot of clients that get derailed from health goals while traveling, making it hard to get back on track when they return

⭐️ With a little planning ahead, you can enjoy your R&R while bringing your health habits

7 Tips From a Registered Dietitian That Lost Weight and Kept it Off:
1. 🧺 Opt for kitchen & laundry–AirBnB/condo w/a kitchen & grill to cook some meals, & wash workout clothes
2. 🥬 Prioritize Produce–Skip breakfast bagels & pastries, save time & money by cooking your own breakfast, e.g. a veggie omelet w/a big salad for a protein & veggie packed breakfast to fuel the day
3. 🍎 Bring/Buy Healthy Snacks for airport, car, and that you can keep in your room–Aim for portable, convenient, satiating, include protein and veggies, and make a good bridge between meals so the appropriate amount of food is ordered when dining out
4. 🏬 Search Online Markets–Find supermarkets near your travel destination, & make a shopping list before you go in your phone notes app for meals, snacks, & non-calorie beverages like coffee & sparkling water
5. 🥗 Make Restaurant Reservations–Ditch chain restaurants to enjoy local cuisine–The food will be fresher, healthier, & the sweet spot for indulgences
6. 💪 Search Online Gyms & Non-food related activities-Chain gyms may have reciprocity; check destination gyms for day/week passes. Search for hikes/walking trails.
7. 🧠 Get Your Mindset Straight–Balancing cooking & dining out, choosing minimally processed, local whole foods, & moving your body are a PRIVILEGE, not a chore. Instead of abandoning health goals, bring lifestyle habits along with you to enhance your vacation experience, leaving you feeling rested, relaxed, & restored


Copy and paste for more tips on the blog:
https://tinamarinaccio.com/7-tips-to-avoid-vacation-weight-gain/

04/06/2026

Got Easter Eggs? Try These Eggstra Special Deviled Eggs that will be your next favorite high protein party snack!
Just the right amount of smoke and heat
Drop a chili pepper 🌶️ below if you like ‘em spicy!

Bacon Pickled Jalapeno Popper Deviled Eggs
Makes 12 pieces
6 hard boiled eggs
3 pieces cooked bacon, nitrite free
3 tbsp mayo or sour cream
Salt and Pepper
¼ tsp dried mustard
Smoked Paprika
12 slices pickled jalapeno*
Chopped chives or scallions

-Slice eggs lengthwise, pop yolk into bowl
-Mash yolks with mayo or sour cream, S&P, dried mustard
-Fill egg white cavity with yolk mixture, distributing evenly
-Cut bacon crosswise to make twelve ½ inch pieces, and crumble remaining
-Sprinkle crumbled bacon pieces on eggs, press one ½ inch bacon piece into each egg, and repeat with jalapeno slice
-Sprinkle with smoked paprika
-Garnish with chive or scallion

*You can use store bought pickled jalapeno, or copy and paste this link to your browser for my pickling recipe. Cabbage is used in this recipe, but you can pickle any veggie!

https://www.instagram.com/reels/C5g7KrfPDXU/

Check out the blog for health benefits of these ingredients

https://tinamarinaccio.com/bacon-pickled-jalapeno-popper-deviled-eggs/

04/02/2026

Ham for Easter? 🐣

04/02/2026

03/31/2026

Blood oranges are a unique citrus in that they are high in anthocyanins, a class of anti-inflammatory antioxidants that help with weight loss, protect skin from aging, boost immune response, and help keep our guts healthy

Extra virgin olive oil is high in healthy anti-inflammatory fats that help to keep our hearts healthy

Put them together and you have this moist and delicious Egg Free Blood Orange Olive Oil Quick Bread

Bowl 1 Dry Ingredients:
2c Pastry Flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine sea salt

Mix in Bowl 2:
½ cup brown sugar
Zest and Supremes* from 3 blood oranges
½ cup buttermilk
2 tbsp Cointreau

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

-Preheat oven to 350° with oven rack just below middle
-Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment
-Place brown sugar in a large bowl
-Zest 3 blood oranges into the same bowl
-*Cut blood orange supremes into bowl by cutting off the top and bottom of the oranges so they sit upright, then trim away peel and pith. Hold the orange in your palm, and with a paring knife, carefully cut supremes away from pith, allowing juice and supremes to drop into the bowl and squeeze any remaining pith juice into bowl
-Whisk Bowl 1 ingredients, then slowly incorporate them into Bowl 2 with a spatula, scraping sides on bowl
-Slowly fold in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
-Turn batter into loaf pan – It should be like a thick pancake batter – If it is too loose, sprinkle in about ¼ cup more pastry flour
-Bake until a knife comes out clean, about 50 minutes
-Cool on baking rack 5 minutes, run back of a butter knife along sides, and turn out onto cooling rack top side up
-Serve as is, or with toasted and topped with crème fraiche or butter

03/30/2026

Buttermilk Garlic Lemon Aleppo Kebabs

3 chicken breast halves will make about 4 kebabs
-Cut chicken into 1” cubes, marinate in buttermilk marinade below for 6-12 hours

Marinade:
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 clove crushed garlic
¼ cup chopped fresh dill or herb of choice
Zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp Aleppo pepper

Optional: Add veggies of choice between chicken pieces to kick up the flavor and add phytonutrients

Grill medium until chicken achieves 165F

03/18/2026

Creamy, tangy, garlicky, rich, with bold flavors

This buttermilk blue cheese dressing is perfect on crisp greens, wedge salads, cobb salads, sandwiches, for dipping veggies, in baked potatoes, even as a dipping sauce for chicken, and topping for grilled burgers and steaks

Homemade Irish Soda Bread is a St. Patty’s Day staple, and my signature recipe is made with buttermilk, so I like to come up with ways to repurpose the buttermilk so it doesn’t go to waste

Creamy Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp good mayo
2 tbsp good sour cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Pinch of dried mustard
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2-3oz good blue cheese
-Mix all ingredients except blue cheese
-Crumble blue cheese well and mix into dressing
-Taste and re-season as needed