Smoothie...deliciously good for you!

Nearly two years ago I set out to improve my health. For the most part I have made excellent changes, such as; no caffeine...gone are the Diet Cokes, I rarely have a soda, but if I do it is Squirt or Mug root beer. I increased my water consumption to about 12 glasses per day. I eat way more produce and though sugar is a weakness I consume way less than in the past. One simple way I found to increase produce in my diet is by making a smoothie. The ingredients I have chosen are high in anti oxides and high on the ORAC scales. They are nutrient dense foods that fight disease and improve your skin. The Greek yogurt is packed with protein with no fat and good calcium. The flax seed provides Omega-3's and fiber.

Here is what I put in mine:

2 large hand-fulls of organic baby spinach

1 cup strawberries

1 cup blueberries

1/2 - 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp ground Flaxseed

a little Stevia for sweetness without carbs and calories

First, I blend the spinach with about 1 cup water. I put the blender on high for just a minute or until the spinach has turned to liquid. The bright green color just screams nutritious!
Next I add everything else. Just dump each ingredient in and cover with the lid. Blend until smooth. You may need to add more water, but I also had several cups of ice to create more volume....I want this to fill me up.

The final product. I usually end up with about 32 ounces.

Since becoming a smoothie drinker I have rarely gotten sick. I might get the beginning signs of a cold or sore throat, but within a couple hours it is gone. I have way more energy and I know I am doing something great for my health.

Homemade Greek Yogurt...beyond easy!!

What you need:
Time (without much effort)
Cheesecloth (about $3, can be purchased at WalMart in the kitchen gadget dept)
Food thermometer (about $7 at WalMart)
A whisk
Large strainer (I have a mesh one)
Large pot
1 gallon of milk (I used skim so there is no fat)
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature (this is where your active culture comes from)

Directions:

1. Pour 1 full gallon of milk into a large pot. Set over medium heat uncovered.

2. Whisk milk frequently to heat evenly and prevent scorching on the bottom.

3. Continue heating until milk comes to 185 degrees. It has to reach this temperature for the process to work.

4. Remove milk from heat and cool down to 110-120 degrees...must be exact!

5. Whisk in 1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt.

6. Cover pot with tight lid. Wrap it in towels or blanket. The milk must stay warm and undisturbed for the next 10-12 hours.

7. Pour finished yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth and sit it over another large bowl. Place in fridge to drain.

Notes: I warmed a large metal mixing bowl that has a plastic lid and put the milk into that to sit for the 10+hours. Since my house wasn't too warm I warmed up my oven, just enough to take the chill off. I put my bowl of milk in there. The bowl was sitting on top of a towel and then wrapped in a towel. I checked it after 10.25 hours and it was ready. I put it in the strainer and immediately several cups of liquid drained off. After about 30 minutes I had "regular" yogurt...at this point I could have just put it in containers and used it that way. I'm guessing, but I would say the yield on this stage of yogurt was about 8-9 cups. However, I let it drain all night long in the fridge and ended up with the thickest, richest Greek yogurt. The one gallon of skim milk yielded 5.5 cups of Greek yogurt. When I compare prices it becomes a huge savings. The cheapest Greek yogurt I can find is at WalMart and is $4.98 for a four-cup container. With milk on sale here in Arizona frequently at $1.57 per gallon that makes my yogurt $1.16 for four-cups. What a huge savings! I did handwash the cheese cloth and will use again and again. You will need to keep 1/3 cup of this yogurt set aside if you plan to make another batch and do that each time.

Apricot Glazed Chicken

This is a wonderful new recipe that I made tonight for dinner. It is sweet and savory and full of flavor. It only takes four ingredient...I only wish that these were typical things I kept in the pantry. I may have to keep the ingredients in stock from now on....

1 jar (12 oz) apricot preserves
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 bottle (8 oz) low-fat French salad dressing
1 small whole chicken, skinned or 4 bone-in breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the apricot preserves, soup mix and salad dressing. Mix well. Place the chicken in a large baking dish. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Bake for approximately 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes. I baked mine for a little over an hour just to make sure it was completely cooked.

Super Stuffed Pasta Shells

I got this recipe from a noon-time cooking show out of Salt Lake City, Utah...I think he (the chef) was called the Gabby Gourmet. This recipe makes enough for 8-10 generous servings and freezes well.

Sauce:
1 lb extra-lean ground beef
1 lb mild (sweet) Italian sausage
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 cans (28oz) Italian-style tomatoes, with juice (these are plum-tomatoes)
2 cans (6oz) tomato paste
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
2 Tbls dried parsley flakes
3 Tbls sugar

Filling:
2 lbs fresh Ricotta cheese (small curd cottage cheese works great too)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbls sugar
1 1/2 lbs Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Topping:
1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large saucepan, comgine the ground bee, sausage (remove and discard the casings), onion, fennel and garlic. Brown this mixture over a medium-high heat. Drain off the rendered grease and discard. Add teh tomatoes, breaking up as you add, and all the remaining sauce ingredients. Let this mixture simmer over a low heart about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. During this cooking period, prepare the filling mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Ricotta, eggs, sugar and parsley flakes. Beat this mixture until smooth. Beat int he Mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and set aside. Following the package directions, boil the shells in 8 quarts of boiling water until just about done. Drain and place in cold water. Pour a small amount of the sauce into ta large shallow baking dish or pan and spread over the bottom. Fill the shells generously with the filling mixture and set over the layer of sauce. Cover all filled shells with more of the sauce, reserving about 1 1/2 cups. Bake the shells in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes. Then remove the from the oven, top with the reserved sauce and the topping mixture of cheeses. Return to the oven until all topping cheeses have melted. Enjoy!

Rockin' Moroccan Pitas

I found this healthy recipe on a can of Garbanzo Beans...and it's good. To enhance the yogurt I add some olive oil, pressed garlic and very finely chopped cucumber...really tasty.

1 Tbl ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
4 Tbl olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cans (16oz) Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
6 Whole Wheat pitas
Plain yogurt

Combine cumin and chili powder in a plastic bag. Add chicken and shake to coat. Heat 1 Tbl oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes or unti chicken is no longer pink; stirring frequently. Take off heat, set aside to cool. Combine remaining ingredients except pitas and yogurt. Mix well. Stir in chicken. Cut top off pitas to open. Divide chicken mixture among the pitas; top with yogurt if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Barley

Ok, don't get all freaky...this is good and good for you! About a year ago I decided to learn more about healthy eating. I started the process of increasing what I call "clean" food into my diet. I found this recipe and have become a fan of barley. This dish has a flavor that reminds me of old-fashioned stuffing. If I don't have shallots and leeks I just increase the amount of onion. It's great as a replacement to potatoes or white rice. Not only is it great hot it's really good cold, served in a pita, tortilla or lettuce wrap.

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (buy at raw at health food retailer)
3 shallots, peeled and minced (they are a form of an onion)
1 onion, minced
1 leek, well cleaned and thinly sliced
3 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup barley (I buy at health food retailer)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried marjoram
2 Tbl low-sodium all-natural tamari (basically soy sauce)
3 cups boiling vegetable stock or water (I use chicken stock)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the sunflower seeds in the oven for about 7 minutes or until lightly browned; remove from oven. Leave oven on for baking of barley.

In a large skillet, saute' the shallots, onions, and leek in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, celery, sunflower seeds, barley, herbs and tamari and continue to saute for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Add the vegetable stock or water to the barley mixture. Bring to a boil and transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Bake, covered for 1 1/4 hours.

Pecan Toffee Bars

These bars are super easy and quick to make. I always line the pan with parchment paper to make it easy to remove bars and easy for clean up! I have used both butter and margarine to make them and have found little difference in taste, so I opt for margarine to save money. I have also used semi-sweet chips instead of milk chocolate and prefer the milk chocolate! These bars are enjoyed by everyone!

Crust: (mix and pack into a 9"x13" baking dish)
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup margarine, soft

Spread 1 cup finely chopped pecans over crust.

Bars: (melt in pan and let boil for 2 minutes)
2/3 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes until top is bubbly. Remove from over and spread 1 cup milk chocolate chips over top. Wait a couple minutes and spread melted chocolate evenly over the top. Cool for several hours before cutting and serving.