Recipe adapted from Rodale Press, Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook
Ingredients:
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup dried cranberries or any other dried berries or raisins
I use any dried fruit that I have on hand. This day I used dried cherries, blueberries, strawberries and golden raisins.
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. (I love using the coconut oil spray you can find at Trader Joe's.)
2. Combine the oats, almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Combine the honey, oil and almond extract in a measuring cup or separate bowl.
3. Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture and stir well to combine.
4. Spread evenly on the baking sheet. Bake stirring every 10 minutes, for 38-40 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
5. Remove from the oven and stir in the dried fruit, cherries and cranberries. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
This recipe makes 12 servings at 1/2 cup each.
For Yogurt Parfaits:
I like to layer 1/2 cup of the homemade granola with 6 ounces of greek yogurt and a handful of fresh fruit for a delicious breakfast.
Fresh raspberry, homemade granola and Greek yogurt layered for a parfait.
I type this in the midst of the COVID Coronavirus outbreak to share a smoothie recipe that can be made with a few easy-to-attain ingredients packed with antioxidants and Vitamin C that are known immune boosters. As a disclaimer, in no way do I claim that this will have any impact on the current flu virus our world is fighting, but I do know that these ingredients help our bodies fight by strengthening our immunity.
This makes two large glasses.
4 medium navel oranges (or other sweet citrus such as tangerines, mandarin oranges, tangelos), peeled
1/2 fresh lemon, juiced (or you could use lime)
1 quarter-sized or 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled
1 big handful of fresh spinach (or kale)
2-3 cups of ice cubes
2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup or honey, to taste (you may prefer a little more)
(VERY OPTIONAL - a pinch of cayenne pepper as the Hubs prefers this kick but I do not add it)
Do you need a quick yet delicious idea for a winter warming soup? Do you need a new way of preparing frozen white fish from your freezer?
You must try this 20-minute Manhattan Fish Chowder recipe.
20-Minute Manhattan Fish Chowder
Ingredients:
24-ounces of white fish such as Cod
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
4 fluid ounces white wine
4 tablespoons tomato paste
4 teaspoons vegetable base
2 shallots, diced - could use 1 small white or yellow onion
Parsley to taste, chopped (optional)
Directions:
Cook fish in pan with 4 teaspoons of olive oil until 145 degrees, approximately 3-5 minutes per side. Remove fish from pan and break into bite-sized chunks.
Add diced shallot (or onion) to pan (no need to clean it out) and cook to soften 3-5 minutes. Add two cups water, tomato paste, Old Bay, chopped tomatoes, vegetable base, and wine. Boil and then cook for 5 minutes.
Add cod and chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Warm through by cooking 1-2 minutes.
We loved how fast this meal came together and appreciated being able to use fish from the freezer caught from a recent ocean-fishing trip.
One of our favorite inventions of 2017 was the Pampered Chef Ceramic Egg Cooker!
It helped Todd get a hot, healthy breakfast each day using eggs and whatever leftover vegetables, meats, or cheeses - not to mention, a "Paleo-friendly" option that stayed warm for his hour-long commute! This microwavable egg cooker made breakfast on-the-go a daily reality and also helped him achieve a weight-loss goal over the summer months. His love for the egg cooker led to an office-wide interest ending with sales of over 20 Pampered Chef Ceramic Egg Cookers for his office.
We love this product! I use it to make oatmeal and Todd (and countless coworkers) use theirs at work and rave about how the food stays warm in the cooker while they make their commute (it fits in the cup-holder of a car) or eat at their desks.
This contraption makes the perfect scrambled eggs (2 eggs with 2 Tablespoons milk or water, shake with a finger over lid). It makes omelets (sausage crumbled, cheese, onion, red peppers) in under 4 minutes! We put eggs (with add-ons or leftovers such as bacon, spinach, and cheese) in for 1 minute, stir and then add 15-second intervals until you get the consistency that you want. You can also make a lighter version with 1 cup of egg whites with 2 teaspoons of salsa microwaved for 2 minutes and 45 seconds. The eggs are amazing!
This is a great gift for college students who have limited access to kitchens as you only need a microwave to make healthy, quick breakfasts or snacks.
The Ceramic Egg Cooker is easy to clean and you don't have to add oil, butter or cooking spray.
This is another great option to make in the Ceramic Egg Cooker - this Chocolate Mug Cake (flourless, gluten-free) that can be made in less than 5 minutes! Dark chocolate chips, milk, cocoa powder and one egg yolk create a decadent treat you can top with berries, whipped cream or powdered sugar.
You can alter the recipe with two swaps and make an Orange Chia Microwave Muffin by substituting the blueberries and lemon zest with 1 Tab. of chia seeds and 1 tsp. of orange zest.
About Pampered Chef
I went to my first Pampered Chef party over 18 years ago, when my first-born was a month old! I fell in love with the products and I can say that the items that I purchased at that initial party have stood the test of time and are still used and loved! I had been a customer over the years, and in early 2017, I attended my first online Pampered Chef Virtual Party on Facebook! From the comfort of my own home (dressed in my pajamas, I'm sure) I participated in my friend's Virtual Party online while I learned new techniques, watched videos of the products, and fell in love with the idea of becoming a Pampered Chef Consultant.
I took the plunge and signed up to become an Independent Pampered Chef Consultant as it aligned with my love of helping families find ways to make mealtime easier, cost-effective, and healthy so they can spend more quality time together. I love that a staff of home economists, food scientists, chefs, and dieticians develop, test, and edit more than 200 recipes each year while creating the tools, training, and tips that give everyday cooks confidence in the kitchen. Each product goes through extensive testing in the Test Kitchens and Quality Labs.
For more than 35 years, Pampered Chef has helped create countless mealtime moments with friends and family through high-quality, everyday cooking tools and inspiration, while providing cooking consultants with a flexible opportunity to build a business around his or her own lifestyle, goals, and passions.
Please visit my Independent Consultant Pampered Chef website at https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/nicoleengstrom to learn what Pampered Chef has to offer!
Reviews of Home Chef, Hello Fresh, and Blue Apron Meal Delivery Services
Buddy can't wait to see what is inside the Blue Apron box delivery!
In anticipation of a busy season with work and school commitments for our family, we decided to try the Meal Delivery Services of three companies - Blue Apron, Home Chef, and Hello Fresh. For those not familiar with this type of service, companies assemble all the fresh and healthy ingredients needed to make a pre-determined number of meals. They provide all the ingredients needed (minus olive oil, salt, and pepper) to create meals complete with recipes selected to showcase seasonal produce. An insulated box with ice packs arrives at your door, ready for assembly.
Always ready to provide feedback, our family of four (to include two teens who like to scrutinize meal selections) prepared to review the three companies' boxes of ingredients. After 10 months of subscribing to these companies (and staggering orders based on the weekly menus or based upon our family's schedule), I feel that we can provide an honest weigh-in of our opinion of the services.
I will admit that I love this concept. I dislike grocery shopping. We have limited specialty items and an even more limited specialty produce selection, locally. This service has saved me more than once as I have had all the ingredients ready to pull together for a healthy delicious meal in under 30 minutes (for the most part). We have ventured far beyond our quick-meal dinner repertoire and we have saved from eating out as often as we had in years past during busy seasons. I also loved that I had professional chefs designing seasonal recipes that eliminated my need to stress about meal planning and budgeting grocery expenditures. The flexible service allows users to pick and choose meals that appeal to your tastes, diet preferences, and often times your schedule. I appreciated the ability to skip a week when the menu did not work for my family or if our schedule had us out of town.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron was the first company we tried and we fell in love immediately. We were sent fresh produce and organic meats and seafood that we would normally not be able to find, locally. The portions were perfect for the four of us, leaving no waste (and no leftovers for my husband's lunch). Recipes were creative, unique, and allowed us to explore new cuisines that we had not tried prior. The teens were willing to venture into new flavor experiences. We found ourselves eating out at restaurants much less as we had all the ingredients we needed. Todd and I made the meal delivery nights into "date nights" and cooked together using the gorgeous photographed recipe cards. These meals also taught us new cooking skills. One night we roasted carrots in olive oil, garlic, and kosher salt to top the salad greens as the meal accompaniment. I can't even describe how good these carrots turned out. Another meal challenged us to slice summer squash, brush with garlic-infused olive oil, followed by grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh chives. Talk about incredible! I ended up making this for a dinner party appetizer last month - it's THAT good! I was embarrassed that we had been missing out on these roasting methods for preparing winter vegetables for years.
We rationalized the higher price as a substitute for eating out at a restaurant. We recognized we were eating more healthy and organic selections and exposing ourselves to a wider variety of cuisine options.
Some of our favorite dishes included:
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup with Yellow Curry and Mushrooms - Blue Apron's version of Tom Kha Gai with lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, bok choy, and a coconut-based broth.
Chicken Souvlaki Pitas with Heirloom Tomato and Garlic-Oregano Potatoes was one of our first meals with Blue Apron and this met every family members' approval.
Spicy Pork and Korean Rice Cakes with Baby Bok Choy - cooked in a savory black bean sauce and the "beloved Korean street food (tteok) rice cakes made for such an interesting flavor combination
We found the meals to average $8.75/person but we were limited to only being able to order two meals/week.
Hello Fresh Do-It-Yourself Pork Dumplings
Hello Fresh
This company originally delivered each of the three weekly meals in smaller boxes assembled with all the necessary ingredients per recipe packaged together. Although I loved the idea of everything being packaged as one meal, the boxes didn't fit in our refrigerator. Since then, they have transitioned to smaller bags labeled with the recipe. I love that everything is ready to go. We had a few hiccups with this company missing ingredients or experiencing produce that was past it's prime, upon delivery. They were great to work with to remedy the problem and since then, they seem to have improved. The meals with this company are less adventurous than Blue Apron, and less popular with my crew.
Some of our favorite dishes included:
Chicken Pineapple Party Tacos with Bell Pepper and Fresh Radishes to include the most amazing pineapple salsa and a total prep time of only 20 minutes!
No-Fuss Pesto Chicken with Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes and Spring Salad - I went crazy when I found out that there is such as thing as "nut-free" pesto! With Bella's nut allergies, we've steered away from pesto all these years, yet these meal ingredients featured the most delicious nut-free pesto.
The Pat LaFrieda Burger with Balsamic Onions on Brioche Buns and Crispy Cauliflower Oven Fries - this Black Angus beef custom made for Hello Fresh coupled with the seasonings made for an incredible summer meal. I have always steered away from cauliflower, but after roasting the florets with panko, olive oil and seasonings, I became a fan!
Thai Beef Rice Noodle Bowls with Beef Stir Fry and Peanut Sauce - the cinnamon, cilantro, coriander, and garlic blend of seasonings made this light meal a summer weather hit.
Do-It-Yourself Pork Dumplings with Quick-Pickled Slaw and Soy Dipping Sauce - Not going to lie, this meal took a full hour to prep and cook (and that was with both Todd and I cooking via assembly-line style) but we ended up ordering these more than once. We served these to guests on two occasions as they made a bunch and everyone loves homemade pot-sticker/dumplings.
The average price per meal came to $8.75/person for a family of four to include shipping.
A Home Chef Delivery
Home Chef
As soon as I stumbled onto the Home Chef menu page, I knew that we were going to have countless recipe options that would be crowd-pleasers in our home. Sure enough, the family-friendly meal options became instant hits. We loved how these menus were also quick to get on the table. Most often, garlic was already peeled, ginger was already peeled and chopped, and portions were divided into recyclable containers for ease of preparation to cut down on the amount of time spent prepping. Although this was a benefit for our family's situation during this busy season, I also missed the idea that I was cooking entirely from scratch with the Blue Apron meals as they would send an entire head of garlic with their recipe boxes. The teens raved about the meals, and I appreciated the speed at which I could pull all the components together. Home Chef has many more weekly options to choose from and even include smoothie "kits" you can order to supplement your meal selections, seasonal specialty items, breakfast menu items, and an option to add in fresh fruit to your box. I appreciated that you can create a diet "profile" with this service and identify diet preferences to include Omnivore, Meat, Seafood, Pescatarian, Vegetarian, and Vegan and identify preferences such as gluten-free, dairy-free, low-calorie, or low-carb. With 10 weekly options, it is easy to find something for everyone. You can also select the delivery day that works best for your schedule which I appreciated, as well. You also can skip weeks as needed due to schedule or interest in the menu items.
Some of our favorite dishes included:
Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps came together in 25 minutes and tasted so fresh and healthy with the perfect amount of crunch with water chestnuts, slaw and green onions.
Mexican Street Corn Shrimp and Grits - Okay, prior to this meal, Todd and I had NEVER tasted grits! We live in the Pacific Northwest. This was hands-down our best-delivered recipe ever! With chili shrimp, roasted corn and red onions, queso fresco, and homemade lime crema - this is amazing!
Mongolian Beef with Ribeye Steak and Roasted Chinese Broccoli
Bo Ssam Steak Burrito with Pickled Onions, Persian Cucumber and Slaw
Korean Pork Noodle Bowl with Green Beans and Fresno Chili
Pork Egg Roll in a Bowl with Wontons - picture a deconstructed Egg Roll as a healthier stir-fry concoction. This was a family favorite and even met the needs of the Paleo member (minus the wontons).
Spinach and Feta-Stuffed Tart with Greek Cucumber Salad - these were one of my personal favorites as the puff pastry, baby spinach, feta and ricotta cheeses made for a meal with a huge "wow-factor" in under an hour.
All Home Chef meals are priced at $9.95 and include free shipping on orders over $45.
AND THE WINNER IS:
Home Chef
Family favorites, consistently great quality produce and proteins, and a wide variety of weekly options for menu items to choose from lead us to picking Home Chef as our favorite.
If you would like a code to try any of these delivery services for "free" for your first time, shoot me a message, and I can e-mail you a link.
I am coming clean that I have a brand-new favorite Focaccia.
It's just so much faster than my original recipe.
AND it's freezer friendly!
I can barely keep a stash in the freezer as the teens devour this bread, round after round.
Just between you and I, I make three rounds at a time and put two out for immediate consumption and freeze/hide a back-up for those helter-skelter nights that we seem to keep having now that soccer season is in full gear every night.
This bread, hot out of the oven, just melts in your mouth. It's great plain or with a little grapeseed or olive oil dipping oil mixed with herbs and spices (and a little balsamic vinegar too if you like that kind of combo).
If you have a bread machine, this will come together even faster although I can't imagine that it will take that long as it is a low-maintenance style bread in terms of kneading, etc.
Weeknight Focaccia
Recipe adapted slightly from Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead & Freeze Cookbook by Jessica Fisher
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (or you can substitute 1 cup whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the white flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Coarse salt
Instructions:
Combine water, 2 tablespoons olive oil, flour, the 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, oregano and yeast in a bread machine and program it for the dough setting. If making without a bread machine, mix the ingredients and then knead dough on a lightly floured surface, allowing the dough to rise in a warm place for an hour to an hour and a half, with plastic wrap covering the dough.
Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, generously, with olive oil.
When the dough is done, remove dough to greased surface and divide into three portions. Press each third into a prepared cake pan.
Ensure that both sides are covered in olive oil by flipping the dough rounds over. Spread and press dough to the edges of the pan.
Cover the pans with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for at least 30 minutes, or longer, until doubled in bulk.
About 30 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the bread rounds. Sprinkle the tops with coarse salt and bake for 15 minutes.
The key next is to cool the rounds completely (without anyone helping themselves). Remove from the pans, wrap securely in plastic wrap and place each round into a freezer bag. Thaw the bread at room temperature in their wrappings and to warm the bread, heat in a 350 degree F. oven for about 5 minutes prior to serving.
P.S. If you enjoy preparing meals ahead, cooking in bulk or freezer meal preparation, then Jessica Fischer's cookbook, Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead & Freeze Cookbook is a gem and a lifesaver. She not only provides over 200 freezer-friendly recipes but also gives you cooking plans for power meal preparation days. I am working my way through the cookbook and finding her hints, tips, and anecdotes extremely helpful and her recipes have all been family favorites. I highly encourage you to check this book out in some capacity as it can revolutionalize the way you prepare healthy, yet delicious meals.
A girl in love with the seasons who wants to cram as much as she can into the 365 days of the year to live a life of bliss. Welcome to What Matters Most Now! I hope you will find inspiration and recipes you love.
