Overland Park cook focuses on healthy recipes for family. Guests love elegant appetizer

Ingrid Kemp enjoys serving healthy meals at home. She and her husband, David Kemp, live in Overland Park with their three children. Like many families, a busy schedule limits time in the kitchen.

Q: How did you learn to cook?

A: I grew up in a rural area of Minnesota. My mother and grandmother were excellent bakers, making all of our bread and buns. I watched them bake and they became my inspiration. Now, I love to go back home, where I enjoy their homemade baked goods. I am not a baker, but I enjoy cooking when I have the time.

My husband and I have moved often, so we have lived in many different places and enjoyed the variety of foods each offered. We even lived in Shanghai, China for four years. While we don’t eat out a lot as a family, my husband and I really enjoy sushi and pick it up as a carry-out frequently.

Q: What are dinners like for your family?

A: We try to eat healthy so I like to prepare nutritious meals. My children prefer separate dishes instead of casseroles, so dinner is typically a meat, some kind of starch like brown rice or whole wheat pasta, and vegetables. We love roasted sweet potatoes and they are easy to coat lightly in olive oil, then roast until tender.

One of our children has special needs so I try to save time and streamline dinner preparation as I can. That means, I often cook in my slow cooker because the roasts cooked in it become so tender we can shred the meat to serve in tortillas. I also have an Instant Pot multicooker that I use, but I find the slow cooker is more convenient for me.

I have frequently had fresh meal kits delivered. I enjoyed it because it took the guess work out of planning the meal.

Q: Do you enjoy entertaining?

A: I do, so we often host friends and family. During the summer we have fun gathering outside near our pool. My husband especially enjoys firing up our pizza oven, baking pizzas for all of us.

He uses a specific hickory wood, which heats the oven to 900 degrees F. It is so hot it bakes the pizzas in just 90 seconds. I often buy prepared pizza dough, then divide it into quarters. My kids love topping their own individual pizza just as they like. My husband and I particularly enjoy pizza baked with fig spread and prosciutto, then we top it with fresh arugula just before we eat.

Q: What recipe are you sharing?

A: This shrimp avocado salsa, a recipe I got from a neighbor in Minnesota many years ago, is a favorite recipe that I make often. You can serve the salsa with chips as an appetizer or snack. It is also great served on grilled fish or any food.

For the shrimp, I buy precooked, large, frozen shrimp and keep a package on hand in the freezer. The day before making the salsa, I set the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator to thaw overnight, then chop them for the salsa.

This recipe is delicious. I like to be sure I have plenty, so I double it when entertaining.

Shrimp Avocado Salsa

Makes about 4 cups

1 cup chopped tomato

1 cup chopped avocado

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1/2 pound cooked shrimp, shelled and chopped

Chips, for serving

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve cold with chips of your liking.

Do you want to nominate someone to be featured in Come Into My Kitchen? Maybe a friend, neighbor, sibling or even yourself? Email us at KCComeIntoMyKitchen@gmail.com

Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore are cookbook authors and food consultants that make up The Electrified Cooks. They have published more than 14 cookbooks and thousands of recipes. They are members of Les Dames d’Escoffier and blog at pluggedintocooking.com.