Smoothies

This past weekend, I got one of these, the blue one. I love it. 

Smoothies are so easy to make with this cute handy tool!

I made this recipe for Amelie, it was so good!

11/2 cup of ice
6 big strawberries
Juices of 2 cara oranges
6 white grapes
1Tbs of sugar (next time I will put honey)

I like this one too

1 apple
5 strawberries
1 orange
4 blackberries
10 spinach leaves (approximate)
8 ice cubes
1 scoop of peach fiber powder

The possibilities are endless! 

Slow cooked Chicken

Ingredients
* Olive oil
* Chicken breast, thighs and drumsticks. Enough for 5.
* 3 Garlic cloves pressed
* 1 shallot cut up
* 1 can of tomato paste + 2 cans of water
* Fresh cracked pepper to taste
* 2 tsp herb de Provence or Italien herbs
* A bundle of fresh herbs from my garden  (thyme, rosemary, oregano)
* Salt to taste
* 2 bouillon cubes

Instructions
Brown chicken in oil on stove in heavy oven proof skillet
Sautee garlic and shallot in oil
Add remaining ingredients with a little water about 2 tomato paste cans worth.
Put lid on and transfer to oven at 250 for 4 to 5 hours

Eat over rice or mashed potatoes. Good with Caramelized onions and peppers

Brocoli Bacon Salad

Ingredients

3 heads of broccoli, trimmed and divided into bite-size pieces
1 small red onion, small dice
4-6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1/2 cup cashews, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer to use 1/2 cup mayo and 1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt)
2 tbsps sugar
4 tbsps vinegar

Directions

Combine the broccoli, onion, bacon, cashews, and cranberries in a large mixing bowl. Mix the mayonnaise (and yogurt, if using), sugar, and vinegar together and pour over the vegetables. Toss together and refrigerate for a day for best flavor.

Great Substitute for the Mayo/vinegar dressing:

Half a bottle of Poppy Seed Salad dressing 

Caramelized Onions & Red Bell Peppers

Ingrediants
* 2 Tbs of olive oil
* 1/2 Onion cut up
* 1 Red Pepper cut up
* 1 Yellow Pepper cut up
* 1 tbs Italian herb blend (or fresh herbs)
* 2 tomatoes pealed and cut up

Directions
Heat oil in a pan
Let cook onions and peppers until tender
Add Herbs, tomatoes pealed and cut up
Let simmer 3 to 4 minutes
Salt and Pepper to taste


Variations - I add any of these if I have them
* 1/4 cabbage chopped up
* Cut up mushrooms
* Yellow Zucchini


This side is great with Sausage or Pan fried fish with mashed potatoes, quinoa or rice.

Caramel PoP Corn

Beware :
So Yummy and  Very addictive.
Recipe by Karo

Ingredients

• Cooking Spray
• 4 quarts popped popcorn
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Karo Light or Dark Corn Syrup
• 1/2 cup butter (or margarine)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

• Directions

  1. Spray large shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Add popcorn and place in preheated 250 degrees F oven while preparing caramel.
  2. Or Pop kernels in Popcorn Machine then transfer to roasting pan.
  3. Mix brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat.
  4. Boil 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla; mix well.
  5. Pour syrup over warm popcorn, stirring to coat evenly.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and spread on foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
  7. Cool; break apart. Store in tightly covered container.

Simple Shallot Vinaigrette

Mix together

1Tbs salt

1tsp black pepper

1Tbs Italian herbs - if you don't have fresh herbs

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup of vinegar (tarragon, white wine, appple cider)

1 1/2 to 2 cups of Olive Oil
1 cup of vegetable oil or better yet Avocado oil

Mix with a Stick Mixer or put it in a Blender. Or with a fork.

Add fresh bundle of Parsley or Cilantro chopped or put it in blender at the end so it's not pulverized! :)

Add one big chopped Shallots -do not blend in mixer.


You want your acid and oil to be about 1 to 3 ratio -1cup of acid to 3 cups of oil... And you can use any type of vinegar and oil combination. This is one that we like a lot.

This dressing makes me eat Salad almost every day! I LOVE IT!

Easy Pan Fried Tilapia Fish

Ingredients and KnowHow

* 5 fillets of Talipia patted dry with paper towel
* Flour coat fish (may add a little Coriander)
* 2 or 3 Tbs of Butter in frying pan
Can subtitute for coconut oil and or olive oil.
* Cook fish for 6-8 mn on each side on medium heat
* Lemon juice squeezed generously on fish  
* Salt and Pepper to taste


Great with quinoa or mashed potatoes and veggies on the side.

Making No-Knead Bread

My result: The Best CruSty BreaD EveR...

...And, so easy to make!! 

I've made it in 5 hours too and it turned out good!

(I let it rise outside for 2 hours in humid and warm conditions)

Ingredients

3 cups Flour (love king Arthur for bread)

1 1/4 ts salt

1 1/4 ts dry yeast

1 1/2 cup water

                      

Berry Trifle

1 Sarah Lee pound cake
1 box of instant vanilla pudding
1 cup of milk
1 cup of sour cream
12 ounces of cool wip
1 bag frozen berries
1 box of sliced fresh Strawberries

Mix milk, vanilla pd, and sour cream.
Beat until it thickens.
Fold in cool wip.
Layer in a bowl cake, fruit, and pudding mix.
Put in fridge for a few hours.

Easy Cheesy Crab Cake

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk 150ml

3 Tbs oil 50ml

200 g grated Swiss cheese

1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup flour 100g

15 crab sticks, minced

Mix the batter, add cheese and minced crab sticks.

Put in buttered rectangle cake pan.

Bake 50 to 70 min @ 350

Eat warm or cold. Great the next day and for picnics!
Can substitute crab for bacon, olives, chives, ham, and more.

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups beef broth or chicken
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped or canned
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or fresh
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
• 8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta I used goat cheese tortellini
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 3 handfuls of fresh spinach

Directions

1. In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
2. Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef/chicken broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
3. Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add tortellini and spinach during the last 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving. Serve with toasted French bread

Pierogies and Cabbage

I wanted to put more cabbage in our diet. This is a great recipe. Stephanie H. demonstrated it for us at our girls cooking class. Fast and easy to make!

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound bacon, diced
• 1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen potato and cheese filled pierogies
• 4 small red and yellow peppers cut up.

Directions

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, and set aside.
2. Heat bacon drippings over medium heat and stir in cabbage and onion; cover and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes, peppers, vegetable oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and bacon; cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare pierogies according to package directions; drain. Combine pierogies with cabbage mixture and serve.