Tag Archives: recipes

St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Smoothie

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Green beer, green cocktails, and green iced doughnuts are staples on St. Patrick’s Day, but if you want to get your green on and not wreck your healthy intentions, we have got you covered with a fantastic Shamrock Smoothie. Blend up this ultra-green smoothie to put some pep in your step first thing in the morning or sip on this after an exercise session.

Our amazing Shamrock Smoothie is made with melon, kiwi, lime juice, and mint. This smoothie is perfect for a light breakfast drink, an anytime pick-me-up drink, or a refreshing glass during the festivities. If you made with the optional protein powder, it is a great way to get some additional protein into your daily diet, not to mention the other vitamins and minerals!

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium, fresh-ripe kiwi fruit (peeled and sliced, or frozen)
  • 2 cups cantaloupe melon (cubed, fresh or frozen, but chilled)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh or concentrate lime juice
  • 1 ounce of protein powder, preferably unflavored (optional)
  • Garnish with mint sprigs or spiraled kiwi peeling

Directions:

  1. Place the cubed cantaloupe, sliced kiwi, and lime juice in your blender, processor, or handheld mixer. 
  2. Make sure you give it a good whirl and then add the optional protein powder. 
  3. Again, give it another good spin until mixed. 
  4. For a smoother mixture, blend just a bit longer. 
  5. Divide the smoothie between two glasses and garnish with mint or the spiraled kiwi peeling for a fresh, tasty look.
  6. Do not forget that you can freeze leftovers for the next day.
  7. Enjoy! 

As always, please let us know how your Shamrock Smoothie turned out for St. Patrick’s Day, and enjoy the holiday!

Mouthwatering Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Are you like everyone else and just now falling in love with brussels sprouts? If so, the way you prepare them makes all the difference in the world! This recipe is so easy and has the added flavor of balsamic vinegar and tasty bacon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • One pound brussels sprouts (Make sure you trim them) 
  • One tablespoon olive oil or extra virgin olive oil 
  • Two tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
  • One-fourth teaspoon black pepper 
  • One-eighth teaspoon sea salt 
  • Two slices bacon (Cook till crispy, drain the bacon and then crumble. To bake pork bacon, place slices next to each other on a rack in a foil-lined shallow baking pan with sides. Bake for eighteen or twenty minutes until bacon is crispy. Drain well on paper towels) 
  • Two teaspoons finely shredded, fresh lemon peel 

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make sure you cut large brussels sprouts into lengthwise quarters. If you have small brussels sprouts, cut them in half. Take a large bowl and mix together brussels sprouts with one tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar and the extra virgin olive oil until all of the brussels sprouts are coated lightly. Salt and pepper to taste and toss the ingredients and make sure everything is coated. 
  2. Place the brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for about twenty to thirty minutes or until the sprouts are brown and tender (turning about every ten minutes). 
  3. Now transfer the brussels sprouts to a large bowl. Drizzle the leftover, one tablespoon vinegar, and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon. For personal preference, you can garnish with a fresh lemon peel. 

Note: The sprouts will take about twenty minutes to prepare and ready to eat in about 40 minutes. 

We hope you enjoy! Let us know what other recipes you would like to see by sharing your ideas with us in the comment section. Thanks for reading!

St. Patrick’s Day Cookies: Matcha Green Tea Shortbreads

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With St. Patrick’s Day being a month away, you have got to try our Matcha Green Tea Shortbread cookies. Yep, we are talking about fresh-baked, chewy, and soft cookies that are everso delicately flavored. It is a tea cookie inception!

Our cookie is not too sweet with the unique matcha flavor that is so delicate and special. These green tea cookies are soft, pillowy, and pair perfectly with tea. Please do not overlook the beautiful color that is just perfect for St. Patty’s Day cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons Matcha green tea powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt or sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • ½ cup powdered sugar (add more or less depending on personal preference)

Directions: 

  1. Sift the flour, matcha green tea powder, and salt into a bowl. 
  2. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. 
  3. Add flour mixture to a mixing bowl and mix slowly until dough just comes together. 
  4. Pull and roll dough together carefully into a log, about two inches in diameter. 
  5. Wrap dough logs in cloth or wax paper and place it in the freezer for thirty minutes or until the dough is firm to the touch. 
  6. Slice dough into ¼ inch round pieces and place 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. 
  7. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes until cookies are a light golden brown around the edges – turning the pan halfway through the baking time. 
  8. Remove cookies immediately and place them on a wire rack to cool. 
  9. Store in an airtight container or wrap and freeze. 

We hope you enjoy your Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies, and Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Cauliflower Rice with a Mediterranean Twist

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Are you on the fence about the taste of cauliflower? We were not quite sure about how delicious cauliflower can really taste, so we decided to try this recipe with a Mediterranean twist. Boy, are we glad we did! Spruce this recipe up with a few extra ingredients, and we are sure you will love it as much as we do!

Ingredients for Cauliflower Rice:

  • One medium to large head of cauliflower 
  • Two cloves garlic, minced or pressed 
  • One 1/2 cup sliced almonds 
  • Just a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
  • One tablespoon lemon juice (fresh if available)
  • One 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 
  • One 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley – chopped well 
  • Top off with fresh ground pepper for taste 

Directions for Cauliflower Rice:

  1. Cut the head of cauliflower into medium chunks and throw away the core. Put a small amount in your food processor until the pieces are broken into small pieces. Now you have the rice. 
  2. Wrap the cauliflower rice in a kitchen towel and twist well to remove as much water as possible from the rice. Actually, during this step, you will see how much water was in the cauliflower. 
  3. Now toast your almonds in a large skillet over medium heat, making sure to stir often, so they do not burn. Once they start to turn gold and you smell them, they are ready. This usually takes about four to five minutes. Place in a bowl to cool. 
  4. Take the skillet and return to heat while adding olive oil and garlic. Make sure to keep stirring until you smell the garlic. This only takes about ten to twenty seconds.  
  5. Add the cauliflower rice, red pepper flakes, salt, and stir well to blend. Now cook for about six to ten minutes until the rice turns golden. 
  6. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in your cooled off toasted almonds, parsley, and lemon juice.  
  7. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Serve warm. 

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cooking Time: 15 minutes | Serving Size: Four Servings as a Side Dish

How to Make a Healthier Mac & Cheese

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As everyone knows, macaroni and cheese is known for being a “comfort food” soothing ability! If you love mac and cheese as much as we do, please see our tips below for making a healthier recipe for the family.

Add Vegetables

You will want to add vegetables according to the season. Peas, tomatoes, corn, squash, green beans, and almost any other vegetable make the perfect topping for the mac and cheese. The wonderful golden cheese is the perfect backdrop for hiding a few veggies for picky children. You are also adding fiber and delightful nutrients to the golden mac and cheese!

Switch out Your Pasta 

Normally, mac and cheese in a prepackaged box contain refined pasta. Switch this out with a whole wheat pasta to increase fiber, minerals, and vitamins. You can also add chickpeas to increase plant-based proteins. 

Use Different Cheeses

As you know, a ton of fat and cholesterol are in a prepackaged mac and cheese. If you choose to use a cheese that is lower in fat or even use a little bit of cottage cheese to fill in, is a great way to reduce the saturated fat and cholesterol in your side dish.

Add to Your Sauce

Now, pull out your food processor and puree some veggies like cauliflower and carrots. This is a perfect way to sneak veggies into the good ole mac and cheese! Again, you are adding fiber and nutrients without the little ones noticing.

Use Other Milk

This is a no brainer, instead of using whole milk try adding a milk alternative like almond, soy or coconut milk. Do not use heavy cream; try substituting half and half for the cream sauce.

Avoid Adding Meats

Do not add hotdogs or bacon to your mac and cheese. You will eliminate a ton of calories, fat, and cholesterol in doing so. Again, only add good things like vegetables for the perfect mac and cheese.

Do Not Bake Your Mac & Cheese

Typically, when we bake mac and cheese, we add additional cheese and breadcrumbs to the top, so it is best not to do this. Simply make your mac and cheese in a handy skillet to eliminate the extra cheese and breadcrumbs. You will cut down on lots of calories and fat when doing so.

We hope you enjoyed these tricks and happy cooking!

Start Planning for the Holidays

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We’re headed for the holiday season, and it’s easy to get caught up in everything you want to do until you’re overwhelmed. One helpful approach to make sure you are ready to make your holidays merry and bright is planning. Take the time now to create the framework for making holidays fun this year.

Budget your dollars: Many people end up in January with more bills than they expected. To head off this situation, spend time with your spouse or family agreeing on a budget. Be sure to include food, entertainment, cards, and any decorations as well as gifts. Add a cushion to cover unexpected expenses.

Budget your time: You may want to bake holiday cookies, decorate with abandon and write long notes to friends. Add that full-family Thanksgiving, volunteering and attending everyone’s holiday parties and you may end up too tired to enjoy everything. Combine some favorite events and projects with some time to recover and just have fun and the season will be pleasant instead of hectic.

Work ahead: Do you love homemade Christmas cookies? How about mixing up the dough and freezing it for later? Grab your cookbooks and recipe box and develop your menus for Thanksgiving and beyond. Plan for each event with grocery lists and all the recipes organized in files.  If you are going to ask Aunt Margaret to bring her sweet potato casserole, now is the time to call. Pull out your holiday card list before it starts to get hectic and address envelopes and write that newsletter. You don’t have to send them yet but wouldn’t it be nice to be ready when the time comes?

Take a few hours to plan your holidays this weekend, and you will help ensure a holly jolly time for everyone.