Banana Nut Smoothie

This is my go-to recipe after an intense workout when I have a lot of bananas around. It is simple, fast, and filling, and I don't find myself running out of energy in a few hours or having blood sugar dips that leave me feeling cranky and shaky. It is also a good balance of protein and carbohydrate with close to the perfect amount of calories for a post-workout snack to refill your glycogen stores.

2 bananas, frozen & peeled (if you remember to do this)
    5-6 ice cubes if your bananas are not frozen
1 cup plain or vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp honey
sprinkle of ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped walnuts OR 2 TB ground flax seed

Cut the frozen banana into chunks. Place all ingredients into blender and blend on high until smooth.
With nuts, this recipe is roughly 600 kcal, with flax seed it it is about 500 kcal.

For a fun treat, this is really good with 1/4 cup caramel syrup added to it!

Kale Chips

When I first saw the recipe for Kale Chips, I immediately skipped over it because, I admit it, green chips don't seem that appetizing at first glance. However, a friend recently commented on how tasty kale chips are, so I overcame my reservations, dug out the recipe and gave them a try. Guess what? My family likes them! My husband and I both recognized a similarity in taste between kale chips and pumpkin seeds; I love roasted pumpkin seeds; their yummy crispy goodness warms up a cold fall day. But we rarely make them because separating seeds from the slimy pulp is messy work, and the seeds are gone quickly! Kale is readily available and doesn't require separating seeds and pulp. Bonus!

Today there are recipes for regular kale chips and tangy kale chips. I will warn you that Kale can have a stronger taste than pumpkin seeds; it only takes a handful to satisfy a flavor craving. The tangy kale chips use vinegar which works really well with kale, but can add to the strong flavor, so I recommend trying the regular flavor first or using less vinegar than is called for. Also, go light on the salt, you can always add more later.

So, pick up a box this week from All Seasons and give Kale chips a try. Let us know what you think!


Baked Kale Chips

Tangy Kale Chips


Next post: Wednesday, January 25, 2012

"Mock" Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Few things beat the great taste of real mashed potatoes; they are one of the things we rarely need to cajole our children into eating. But, while they are good for you, sometimes we want to eat something besides potatoes to take advantage of all the other nutritious foods out there.

Enter Mock Mashed potatoes, made from cauliflower! And to make a good thing even better, they take less time than real mashed potatoes because you don't have to peel, slice and boil the potatoes before you mash them.

This recipe comes from The Food Network, with a few changes that we made to make it easier.

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon straight chicken base or bullion (may substitute 1/2 teaspoon salt)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• *optional*  1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish

Directions

Steam the cauliflower in the water until fork tender, about 20 minutes (or 10-12 in the microwave). Put the cauliflower, water, cheeses, garlic, chicken base and butter in a food processor or blender and mix until almost smooth. Garnish with chives to serve.

Apple Treats

Todays post is a simple snack idea that comes from keepyourdietreal.com .
It's a fancier version of ants on a log - remember eating peanut butter and raisins on celery? This is a more grown-up looking and tasting version, one that would be refreshing served on platters at a casual get-together before or after the big holiday dinners.





It is simple enough: core and slice an apple, spread peanut butter and top with oatmeal, walnuts and chocolate chips.
To make it even easier, pick up a bag of fresh granola from All Seasons and sprinkle that on top instead! It comes in a few flavors that would all be delicious on top of the apples and peanut butter - the chocolate variety would be most similar to the recipe, but the vanilla cranberry flavor is our family's favorite.


Here's wishing you a wonderful holiday season filled with lots of tasty and healthy food!


Next post: Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Snickers Salad

This salad is NOT for every day diners, but it is a fun recipe for holiday parties or family get-togethers, and it is simple to boot!
There are many versions of this salad, but this one is a little bit healthier, so you can lay-off some of the guilt :)
1 8 oz. tub of cool whip, thawed
1 8 oz. cup of yogurt, raspberry or strawberry
5-6 Granny Smith apples
1-2 cups purple grapes
4-5 Snickers candy bars
*strawberries - optional
Mix the cool whip and yogurt. Chop the apples, candy bars & grapes (& strawberries, if desired). Mix. Enjoy.
This is one of those things that sounds strange until you taste it, but it really is good. So grab a few extra Granny Smith apples next time you pick up your box and give it a whirl this holiday season!



Next recipe posted on Wednesday December 21, 2011.

Miso & Soba Soups

I must admit that we had never used tofu in our cooking before it came in our produce box one week. After planning meals using nearly all of the other produce in the box, and using part of the tofu in a stir-fry, I did an internet search to figure out what to do with the rest. The first recipe we tried (after the stir-fry) was a dish that my daughter loves when we go out to eat at Asian restaurants, Miso soup. 


It turns out that it is extremely easy to make once you find the Miso paste; I'll save you some trouble and tell you that Miso paste is refrigerated. You won't find it near the bouillon, or near the asian foods on the shelves at the grocery store. (It might be found elsewhere at the grocery store, I don't know). You could probably find it at Super China market if you looked in the right place; we obviously did not.  We finally found it at Pirate-O's Market after asking an employee for help. It is organic too, for anyone who is interested.


Also, there are several kinds of Miso paste available. I remember Red, White, Mild and something else... the White is more mild than the Red, and I assume that the Mild is even more mild than the White. We got the "Mellow White," and it tastes quite a bit like what we have tried at different restaurants, perhaps just a bit creamier. Yum.




Simple Miso Soup





2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (authentic recipes use Dashi, a fish-type of bouillon)
4 cups water
3 tablespoons white miso paste
1 (8 ounce) package silken tofu, diced
2 green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine bouillon granules and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and whisk in the miso paste. Stir in tofu. Separate the layers of the green onions, and add them to the soup. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Soba Soup

Several stalks of bok choy

1 large carrot, or 2-3 smaller carrots

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
4 cups water
3 tablespoons white miso paste
1 (8 ounce) package silken tofu, diced
2 green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces

Peel the carrot and slice very thinly into thin pieces.

Remove the leaf portion from the bok choy and slice the stalk as you would celery. Cut a few of the leaves into strips. The remaining leaves can be saved for a salad or stir-fry.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the bouillon granules and water, bring to a boil. Add the bok choy stalks and the carrot and cook until tender. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in the miso paste. Stir in tofu. Separate the green onion layers and add them to the soup along with the bok choy leaves. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes. Serve.

Inspired by a recipe from Almost Meatless by Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond

Sofrito

If you haven't heard of Sofrito, you aren't alone!
It is a base for many dishes in Spanish and Latin American cooking. The recipe varies based on the country of origin; similar sauces are used in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Columbia, and Haiti just to name a few.

Our family thinks it tastes similar to Taco Seasoning and tomato sauce; this recipe however, is much healthier and fresher than dried seasoning packets - and fresher always tastes better!



Sofrito
1 onion
2 tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
*optional 10 cilantro leaves & stems


Remove seeds from peppers and peel onion and garlic. Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until it makes a thick sauce, much like a non-chunky salsa or spaghetti sauce.

This recipe is incredibly forgiving; use what you have on hand. As long as there is tomato and onion, you can probably call it Sofrito. We have even used tomato sauce when we were low on real tomatoes. It adds an excellent flavor to all sorts of dishes. Sofrito can be used in place of taco sauce, as a sauce for meat, as a soup base, with meat inside empanadas, or even as sauce for a casserole or southwestern-style stir-fry.  Even the onion and pepper-haters at our house like Sofrito-flavored dishes!

Next recipe posting: Wednesday, 12/07/11