Category Archives: fruit

November 20, 2012 · 1:37 pm

Hasty Tasty Cranberry Sauce

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The tart cranberry is delicious and healthful. Unfortunately, the cranberry is overlooked except during the holidays yet is good any time of the year. But don’t open up a can of jellied cranberry sauce–make your own! In less than 30 minutes, you can have homemade cranberry sauce. You can store it in the refrigerator in a mold or in the serving bowl–your choice. Molds are impressive but not necessary. Here’s my Hasty Tasty version:

RECIPE

Hasty Tasty Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounce package fresh cranberries
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • dash salt
  • one orange, zested and juiced
  • 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

Directions:

  1. Combine brown sugar and juice of an orange (reserve zest) in a 2-quart sauce pan. Add cranberries.
  2. Gently heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for fifteen minutes or until berries burst.
  3. Remove from heat. Stir in zest of orange and grated ginger.
  4. Carefully tranfer contents to the Vitamix or a food processor. Cover.*
  5. Beginning with the lowest speed (Vitamix variable speed 1), process cranberries to desired consistency. Just pulse a few times for a chunkier sauce.*
  6. Carefully pour sauce into a mold or a serving dish, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour. Overnight is better.

*Processing the sauce is optional. Cranberries taste great either whole sauce or pureed.

Yield: 1 pint cranberry sauce

Variations: add your choice of seasonings in place of the grated ginger, such as cloves, cinnamon, or even jalapeño pepper!

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August 6, 2012 · 7:52 am

Oatmeal Chillers

It’s summer. As much as I love oatmeal, I save warm cereal for cold mornings. I don’t want hot oatmeal for breakfast when it’s 80°. Recently I read a blog post (the Yummy Life) about refrigerated oatmeal. I liked the idea, experimented with my own recipes, and came up with a couple of favorites. I’m not sure how it works, but it does. Perhaps the acidophilus in the yogurt “cooks” the oatmeal. Anyway, it’s a nutritious, easy breakfast, especially for those on the go.

Ingredients for making an oatmeal chiller.

RECIPES

Oatmeal Chillers

Basic ingredients:

  • ¼ cup oatmeal (not instant or quick cooking)
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ cup Greek style yogurt
  • 1 tsp. ground flax seeds, ground nuts, or wheat germ
  • 1 Tbsp. sweetener (your choice)
  • ¼ cup chopped fruit, berries, or applesauce

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients except the fruit to a 1 cup glass jar.
  2. Shake jar to combine.
  3. Stir in fruit, seal, and refrigerate overnight.

Variations of fruit, sweeteners, or seasonings:

Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal Chiller

Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal Chiller

Use 1 Tbsp. honey for the sweetener, add ½ tsp. vanilla extract, and combine with milk, yogurt, oats, etc. Take 8 frozen cherries, half, and stir in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Stir again before eating.

Maple Walnut Applesauce Oatmeal Chiller

Use 1 Tbsp. real maple syrup for sweetner, add a pinch of apple pie spice (or ¼ tsp. cinnamon), and chopped walnuts. Combine then stir in ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce.

Chocolate Hazelnut Oatmeal Chiller

Reduce sweetener to 1 tsp. sugar or omit. Stir in 2 Tbsp. Nutella® hazelnut spread. The Nutella® will be stiff and require a lot of stirring.

Peanutty Oatmeal Chiller

Same as the Hazelnut except use all-natural peanut butter instead of the Nutella®. Add a sprinkle of peanuts.

Strawberry Preserves Oatmeal Chiller

Reduce sweetener to 1 tsp. or eliminate (taste test and add before serving). Stir in 3 Tbsp. strawberry (or your choice) preserves.

I found ½ pint Mason jars work well. If you get the wide mouth jars, you can buy the plastic screw-on lids. (Save the two-piece rings and seals for canning.)

Experiment with other fruits and flavor combinations. I’m hooked, and soon you will be, too.

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July 26, 2012 · 8:11 am

A Very Berry Shake

Very Berry Shake

It’s hot. We’re in the midst of summer, a time when we love a frozen treat. You can burn fuel driving to the local ice cream shoppe, spend several dollars for a milk shake, and return home feeling guilty for overindulging on sugar and fat. Or you can save time, money and calories by making your own milk shake. Here’s a recipe I make in my Vitamix.

RECIPE

Berry Shake

Ingredients:

  •  1 cup 1% or skim milk
  • ½ cup frozen cherries
  • ¼ cup frozen berries medley (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries)
  • ¼ cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 prune for added natural sweetness (optional)

Directions:

  • Add all ingredients to the Vitamix. Secure lid but leave the plug out to insert the tamper.
  • Run the Vitamix on Variable Speed 1, gradually stepping up to 10 then High. Use the tamper to push the frozen fruit into the blades.
  • Run until the mixture is smooth but do not overprocess. When the consistency resembles a milk shake (about 1 minute), stop the Vitamix, remove container, and pour into a glass. Enjoy!

Yield: 1 large or 2 small shakes

Variation: Pour extra mixture into molds to make frozen pops.

If you make this for the kids, you don’t have to tell them it’s good for them. Using whole fruit and milk, you have a delicious treat that contains vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. The milk adds calcium. Treat yourself and your family guilt-free!

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May 31, 2012 · 9:56 am

My Favorite Breakfast Drink

Years ago, while vacationing in Mexico, I had a breakfast drink at Sanborn’s called Jugo de Seis Frutas. I can’t remember the six fruits, but I can’t forget how delicious it was! I’ve experimented with juices and smoothies until I’ve recreated the flavors. Mine is a juice of four fruits, with a splash of skim milk for a little protein. This is our regular breakfast drink.
Breakfast Drink

RECIPE

Ingredients:

  1. 1 orange, quartered and peeled
  2. 1 apple, quartered and cored
  3. ¼ pineapple, quartered and peeled
  4. ½ banana, peeled
  5. ½ cup milk
  6. 1 cup ice cubes

Directions:

  • Add all ingredients in the order listed to the Vitamix container.
  • Secure the lid, but leave the plug out for the plunger.
  • Start the Vitamix on Variable Speed 1, increase to 10, then to High Speed.
  • Use the plunger to move the fruit to the blades.
  • Run for approximately 30 seconds or until drink is smooth.
  • Pour into two glasses and serve.

Yield: 2 large or 4 small servings

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