Showing posts with label berries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label berries. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Bounce Back After the Holidays With Driscolls Berries Featuring an Antioxidant Bounce Back Smoothie
Its a wrap, folks! Just like that, Christmas is the books for another year. We had a great time celebrating the holidays with our families and friends back home in Houston this week! Nothing beats great company and lots of tasty treats. As usual, Santa was quite generous. While I absolutely adore the holiday season – time spent with loved ones, colorful lights, beautiful music and décor – it’s also a very hectic and tiring time. Nearly every year, I end up with a post-holiday cold or virus. That’s not fun…so this year, I’m determined to do my best to stay healthy during cold and flu season. Im starting by eating more healthy fruits and veggies. I was feeling tired and run down after returning home yesterday, so I decided to whip up a tasty and healthy Antioxidant Bounce-Back Smoothie featuring vitamin-packed berries from my friends at Driscoll’s.This smoothie is just what I needed to bounce back after a hectic week of indulging in holiday foods! I selected berries that are naturally high in Vitamin C and healthy antioxidants for my smoothie: blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. To up the antioxidant factor even more, I also added tangy pomegranate juice. For a smooth, creamy texture, I added some ripe banana and a bit of low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt. Depending on how sweet you want your smoothie, feel free to add a bit of honey or agave. This recipe makes enough for two smoothies. Theyre a fabulous on-the-go breakfast or healthy snack.
Antioxidant Bounce-Back Smoothie
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Driscoll’s blueberries, frozen
- 1/2 cup Driscolls raspberries, frozen
- 1/2 cup diced Driscoll’s strawberries, frozen
- 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
- ½ very ripe banana, sliced
- ½ cup lowfat vanilla frozen yogurt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tbs. honey or agave (optional)
Step 1: Add the ingredients to the container of a blender in the following order: juice, frozen berries, sliced banana and frozen yogurt. Top with the honey/agave (if using) and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Blend on high speed until the frozen berries are completely blended with the juice and yogurt. You may need to stop once or twice and tap the blender container if your mixture is very thick. Pour into two glasses. For a pretty garnish, place a strawberry on the rim of your glass...and a brightly colored straw is a nice touch as well!
This smoothie will have your flagging energy bouncing back in no time!! Its also a gorgeous shade of purple-pink. This smoothie tastes great and is totally guilt free…I could’ve used plain Greek yogurt, but the frozen yogurt provides an almost shake-like consistency. The brand I used has only 1.5 grams of fat per serving, and it provides just enough sweetness so that no added cane sugar is needed. I plan to incorporate lots of healthy smoothies into my meals in the coming weeks. They’re a tasty and fast way to incorporate more fruit into my daily eating.
Disclosure: Driscoll’s provided me with coupons for free berries to facilitate this article. I received no further compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Introducing TheSaladBar Monthly Group Strawberry Mango Chicken Salad with Summer Berries
In case you havent noticed by all the salad recipes I share in here, we eat a lot of salads here at Casa Garcia. Especially during the hot Texas Summer that seems to go on...and on...forever. Face it, salads have a lot going for them: theyre light and refreshing, theyre very healthy, and theyre extremely versatile. Since Im always looking for new salads to add to my dinner rotation, I decided to start a new monthly recipe sharing group called The Salad Bar. Each month, I will select a theme...and members of the group will share a salad recipe that fits the theme. It can be a side salad or a main dish salad. As long as it fits the theme, I really want participants to have fun and let their creativity shine! For the inaugural event, I went with one of my favorite go-to Summertime ingredients: berries. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries or raspberries...and beyond! I love to add strawberries to our salads, so I picked up some gorgeous local strawberries this week and created a quick and easy main dish salad to share today.My Strawberry-Mango Chicken Salad combines diced strawberry and mango over a base of field greens, for a slightly tropical feel. I had some chipotle marinated chicken chunks in the freezer, so I grilled them up. Add in some candied nuts, creamy feta and crunchy wonton strips...and it was a salad so heart that it satisfied Michaels manly appetite.
I whipped up a simple and flavorful strawberry-infused vinaigrette while the chicken seared. All together, it took me about 30 minutes to make two main dish salads. I added some frozen garlic breadsticks on the side, but you can certainly serve this filling salad "as is" for a healthy and hearty warm-weather dinner.
Strawberry-Mango Chicken Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
a Weekend Gourmet original
Step 2: Pan sear 3/4 lb. of chicken breast that is seasoned to your liking. We like spicy, so I used some chipotle-marinated breast. Once the chicken is seared and cooked through, let it rest for about 5 minutes so the juices go back into the meat. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Step 3: To assemble the salads, add a package of field greens to a large bowl. Toss with about 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette, then arrange half of the greens onto two plates. Top with: quartered strawberries, diced mango (about half a small mango per salad), crumbled feta or blue cheese, candied pecans, and wonton crisps. I buy the strips in the Produce section of my local grocery store. If you cant locate them, crushed tortilla chips would work too. Just before serving, drizzle a bit more of the reserved vinaigrette on top of each salad.
This salad is hearty, but light. The strawberries and mango work really nicely together, and both can stand up to the spices on the chicken. Add in some salty, creamy feta and texture from the nuts and wonton strips...and youve got a lot of fantastic flavors and textures going on! The dressing is really nice, providing a nice balance of sweet and tart. Homemade dressing takes a few minutes to make, but it tastes better than most bottled dressings.
I hope youll give my salad a try on the next warm Summer evening. I also hope youll check out all the great berrylicious salads that the other members of The Salad Bar are sharing today. To visit them, simply click on the picture in the links below. I know I cant wait to try them in my kitchen during the long, hot Texas Summer thats just getting started! If youre a salad lover, wed love to have you join us at The Salad Bar. To join, simply visit our Facebook page to sign up.
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Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Summer Berries SundaySupper Featuring Strawberry Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Parfaits
This week’s #SundaySupper theme is near and dear to my heart: berries! I adore berries…any and all…in both sweet and savory dishes. Nicole from Daily Dish Recipes challenged us to come up with fun Summer recipes featuring berries. Strawberries are my favorite berry…and I found some gorgeous organic strawberries at Trader Joe’s this week. After featuring a strawberry salad for a previous #SundaySupper theme, I decided to go with something sweet and healthy this time. To me, there’s no better Summertime dessert than ice cream…add in some strawberries, and all you need is a spoon to get the party started!
I made these fruity Strawberry-Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Parfaits for our dessert one evening this week. The sauce can be made a day ahead, then stored in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble your parfaits. This amazing sauce contains a combination of cooked and fresh chopped berries and is flavored with vanilla, Meyer lemon juice, and a bit of port. The alcohol in the port cooks off as the sauce simmers, but feel free to sub orange juice for the port if you want to make it totally kid-friendly.
This luscious strawberry sauce took about 15 minutes to whip up after work one night, then I poured it into a plastic container and refrigerated overnight. When we were ready for our dessert the next night, all I had to do was soften the frozen yogurt and layer it with the strawberry sauce and shaved chocolate. Easy peasy, healthy and delish you say? No problem...I’ve got you covered, friends!
Strawberry-Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Parfaits
adapted from Cooking Light
Step 1: Make the strawberry sauce by adding the following ingredients to a small saucepan over med-high heat: 8 ounces diced strawberries (bite size), ¼ cup Meyer lemon juice, ¼ cup port, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1 tbs. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract). Stir the ingredients to combine and heat until boiling.
Step 2: Lower heat to medium and boil the strawberry mixture for 8 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Use a spoon to break up the strawberries a bit and release their juices. Remove from heat and add 8 ounces chopped fresh strawberries. Stir to combine and pour into a plastic container. Refrigerate at least an hour before assembling the parfaits. [NOTE: The sauce will last 2-3 days in the fridge.]
Step 3: Assemble the parfaits. In four wine goblets or clear glasses, add ½ cup fat-free vanilla Greek frozen yogurt. Top each parfait with 2 tbs. of the strawberry sauce and 1 tbs. shaved semisweet chocolate. [NOTE: I used a vegetable peeler and shaved a Hershey Special Dark bar.] Top each parfait glass with an additional ½ cup of yogurt, another 2 tbs. of the strawberry sauce, and more shaved chocolate.
If you love chocolate-covered strawberries and ice cream, this is the dessert for you! The creamy frozen yogurt, lemon-port-spiked strawberries, and earthy dark chocolate are a match made in heaven. The fact that this is so low in fat is an added bonus. It feels totally decadent, but it’s only a small splurge. Michael commented that this would be even better using strawberry ice cream, and I have to agree that it would be a pretty perfect pairing. Maybe next time, that’s what I’ll do! This berry sauce can also be made with raspberries or blueberries if you prefer…blueberries would pair really nicely with Meyer lemon juice!
Make sure to join us later today for our weekly #SundaySupper chat at 600 CST. Before that, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to check out all the fun berrylicious recipes my fellow #SundaySupper participants are sharing:
Breakfast & Brunch
- Angel Food French Toast with Blueberry Lemon Sauce by Neighborfood
- Blueberry Lemon Baked Doughnuts by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
- Blueberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal by Pies and Plots
- Overnight Strawberry Stuffed French Toast by In The Kitchen With KP
- The Best Blueberry Muffin by Supper For a Steal
Sweet & Savory Berry Recipes
- Herbed Pork Tenderloin with Wild Blueberry Sauce by Noshing With The Nolands
- Red, White, and Blue Chicken Salad by MarocMama
- BBQ Strawberry Pizza by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Jams, Jelly, Sauces & More
- Blackberry Ketchup by Healthy. Delicious.
- Four-Berry Jelly by Blueberries and Blessings
- Mixberry Jam with Merlot by The Urban Mrs
- Roasted Strawberry Tarragon Butter by Gourmet Drizzles
- Strawberry Freezer Jam by Growing Up Gabel
Desserts
- Strawberry Crumb Bars by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- No-Bake Frozen Berrylicious Cracker Cake by Shockingly Delicious
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Dessert by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Chips by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Lattice-Top Blueberry Pie by Hip Foodie Mom
- Caramelized White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake by Vintage Kitchen
- Strawberry Shortcakes by Juanita’s Cocina
- Berrylicious Ice Cream by NinjaBaking.com
- Stove Top Berry Crumble by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Strawberry Yogurt Popsicle by Mama’s Blissful Bites
- Peggy’s Cove Blueberry Grunt by Kudos Kitchen By Renee
- Chocolate-Raspberry Yoghurt Cookies by What Smells So Good?
- Strawberry Ice Cream by Basic N Delicious
- Financiers with a Summer Berry Salad by The Lovely Pantry
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
- Strawberry-Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Parfaits by The Weekend Gourmet
- Summer Berry Salad with a Honey Citrus Dressing by Runner’s Tales
- Strawberry Pop-Tart Ice Cream by Foxes Love Lemons
- Strawberries with Cannoli Cream by Comfy Cuisine
- Strawberry Quesadillas by La Cocina de Leslie
- Almond Cake with Blackberry Mascarpone Filling by Ruffles & Truffles
- Oregon Strawberry Sundae {Dairyfree} by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
- Blackberry Pie w/Brandied Whipped Cream by Webicurean
- Vo-Vo’s Famous Strawberry Cheesecake by Family Foodie
- Raspberry Mousse by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Mini Strawberry Cheesecake with Walnut Crust by Soni’s Food
- Salted Caramel Strawberries With a Crunchy Nut Coating by Sue”s Nutrition Buzz
- Strawberry Blueberry Stuffed Monkey Bread by Daily Dish Recipes
Cocktails, Drinks & Smoothies
- Berry Berry Smoothie by Momma’s Meals
- Blueberry Infused Vodka by Big Bear’s Wife
- Blueberry Moscow Mule with Homemade Ginger Beer by I Run For Wine
- Goji Berry Martini by Magnolia Days
- Irish Cobbler by girlichef
Party Planning
- Recipes + Tips to Create A Summer Berry Cocktail Bar by An Appealing Plan
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