Frozen Fruit Salad

Frozen cantaloupe? Frozen grapes? Frozen banans? I had to try it. A while back, my sister mentioned to me that she had frozen some cantaloupe and loved it as a snack. I froze some cantaloupe overnight and then gave it a try. I let it thaw on the counter for 20-30 minutes prior to serving it. My boys absolutely loved it!

The cantaloupe was so successful; I decided to freeze some grapes too. I've frozen grapes for smoothies for years, but I've never eaten them that way. We all enjoyed these frozen grapes. I let them thaw on the counter for 20-30 minutes prior to eating them and they were great. Still chewy and icy in the middle, but not hard little rocks.

After seeing how well each of those fruits turned out, I went ahead and sliced some bananas and stuck them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Sure enough, delicious that way as well, although we ate those immediately. The bananas thawed pretty quickly.

I happily tossed the remaining fruits together and made a quick breakfast fruit salad for my boys.  They ate this with Cinnamon Spice Soaked and Baked Oatmeal and they both told me it was an awesome breakfast. My oldest son informed me that it tasted "like ice cream, but with a fruity flavor." I wouldn't necessarily describe it the same way, but I did enjoy it.

I had heard of freezing grapes for snacks, but never tried it. What else am I missing out on?? Please tell me if there are other frozen fruits I should try!

Maple Oatmeal Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Lightly sweetened with maple syrup and filled with oats and whole wheat, this bread is our current favorite for toast or for sandwiches. I've made it at least six times now and each time it has turned out very well. I've included several tips throughout the recipe for working with this dough.

This recipe is based on the Oatmeal Bread recipe in the book, Artisan Breads In Five Minutes A Day. I increasing the amount of oatmeal, added more fresh whole wheat and reduced the amount of AP flour. I also skipped the oat bran and wheat bran, just because I didn't have them on hand the first time that I made the bread. I loved it this way, so I just went with my recipe each time I made it.

Read through the recipe and see how simple the actual directions are. They are wordy, but it's mostly explanation. This recipe makes three small 1 1/2 pound loaves. (I've also made these in miniature loaf pans and loved that result as well. The taste and texture were the same. However, the look was different, as illustrated in the first picture.)

1 3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup light flavor olive oil
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat, I used freshly ground hard white wheat
3 1/4 cups AP flour 

Day One: Mix the water, milk, yeast, salt, maple syrup and oil in a large bowl or a lidded (not airtight) storage container. I use a plastic shoebox size container with a lid that simply clicks on and off. If you do not have a lid that is NOT airtight, you can drill or cut a small hole in the lid and vent it that way.

Next, add in the whole wheat flour, AP flour and oatmeal and stir until combined. Let this rest on the counter, covered, in the non-airtight container, for approximately 2-3 hours. The dough should rise and then collapse (flatten on top). Store this dough in the refrigerator for up to a week.

On Baking Day: Grease a 9x4x3-inch loaf pan and set aside. Sprinkle flour on a silpat mat or the counter. Sprinkle flour across the top of the refrigerator dough and then cut or tear off a one-third section of it. Flour your hands and quickly shape the dough into a ball and stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all sides, rotate the ball as you go around it shaping the dough.

This is a very wet dough. I found that if I rounded the dough from the bottom and pulled the sides up on top that worked better for forming the rounded shape. Sprinkle flour as needed on the surface of the dough while you are working with it.

Place the dough (folded ends tucked underneath) inside the loaf pan. Stretch it slightly to form more of an oval in the pan. Allow it to rise for 2 1/2 - 3 hours on the counter. (With the added oats and flour it took much longer than the suggested 1.5 hours each time I made this.) Sprinkle flour on the top of the loaf just before baking.

Twenty minutes before it's time to make the bread, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place an empty broiler tray on the lowest shelf of the oven. I keep a baking pan in the oven that I use just for this purpose.

Place your bread in the oven and then pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler tray (or pan) in the bottom of the oven. Quickly close the oven door. This is essential for breads with a cracked crust. The steam from the water creates the lovely crust.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until deeply browned and firm. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.

Click here for printable recipe

Quick and Easy Homemade Mayonnaise with Olive Oil

I've wanted to try making mayonnaise for a while now, but I've been intimidated by it. That is, until I ran across a post here that described a one jar method for making mayonnaise, there was a link to a video as well. It sounded ridiculously easy, so I gave it a try and it worked.

This mayonnaise has a distinct olive oil flavor, but we like it. I'll be honest here and just state that I prefer the taste of Hellman's mayo with a clear egg flavor, but this is a great tasting, healthy, preservative free substitute.

After seeing how incredibly easy this was, I am looking forward to trying some flavored varieties with different herbs and spices.

Quick and Easy Homemade Mayonnaise with Olive Oil
recipe adapted from In Jennie's Kitchen

2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon smooth dijon mustard
3/4 cup light flavor olive oil

In a wide mouthed mason jar or comparably sized container, add the ingredients in the order listed above. Let it set for a moment to make sure the egg yolk is settled at the bottom.

Place an immersion blender fully at the bottom of the container and start slowly pulsing the mixture. Within a few seconds, you will see mayonnaise start to form at the bottom of the jar. Slowly move the blender up and down to finish forming the mayonnaise. The whole process should take no more than a minute.

Scrape the sides of the jar and cover with a lid. Place in the refrigerator and use within one week.

 Click here for printable recipe

Favorite Green Smoothie

Orange juice, sweet green grapes, a banana and a handful of spinach combine to make this the easiest (and possibly the tastiest) green smoothie I make. If you are new to green smoothies, this is an excellent place to start. This was the first green smoothie that I tried and I have loved it from the start.

This is my go-to green smoothie. My kids all love it and we would all happily drink this every single morning. This is easily the most frequently made smoothie in our home.

1 cup orange juice
1 large handful baby spinach leaves
1 cup green grapes, frozen
1 medium banana, frozen

Layer the ingredients into the blender in the order listed. Puree until completely smooth.

Makes (2) 10 ounce smoothies

Click here for printable recipe

Orange Blueberry Banana Spinach Smoothie

I had just finished making smoothies for my older boys when the baby decided that he needed one as well. I was out of frozen grapes, so I put this one together for him. He was super happy with his treat and he shocked me by drinking this entire smoothie!

Orange Blueberry Banana Spinach Smoothie
Yield: 16 ounces

3/4 cup orange juice
1 large handful baby spinach
1 banana
1/2 cup blueberries, frozen

Layer into blender as listed above. Puree until smooth. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Strawberry Peach Banana Vanilla Smoothie

Sweet peaches, bananas, strawberries and milk combined for a sweet dessert treat a few nights ago. The boys liked these a lot. I will make them again with frozen bananas and I'm guessing they will be very much like milkshakes.

2 cups milk
2 bananas, (frozen would be best - however I used fresh)
2 peaches, sliced thinly and frozen
12 frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Layer ingredients into the blender as listed above. Puree until smooth.

Makes (3) 10-12 ounce smoothies

Click here for printable recipe

Blueberry Chia Banana Spinach Smoothie

As I've mentioned before, we make a lot of smoothies in this house. I had so many smoothie pictures waiting to be posted, I decided to go ahead and just make today the day of smoothies. Enjoy!

Blueberries, bananas, spinach and chia seeds combined to make these pretty purple smoothies. I love the addition of chia seeds, but if you are unsure about trying them or if you don't have them on hand, these smoothies are still delicious without them. If you would like to read more about chia seeds, you can see this post and check out the first smoothie I made with them.

1 cup orange juice
2 generous handfuls baby spinach
3/4 cup blueberries, frozen
1 banana, frozen or fresh
1/2 cup ice
1 teaspoon chia seeds

Layer all the ingredients except the chia seeds into the blender in the order listed. Blend until smooth. Add the chia seeds and blend once more. Serve immediately. (The chia seeds will thicken the smoothie if it is allowed to sit for too long before being drinking.)

This smoothie was extra thick and we all loved it. My boys had a great time eating theirs with spoons.

Click here for printable recipe

Brown Sugar and Spice Whole Wheat Zucchini Waffles

Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and just a bit of brown sugar add a sweet and spiced flavor to these zucchini waffles. After the success of Whole Wheat Zucchini Waffles last week, I couldn't wait to try a new variation of them. We enjoyed these every bit as much as the first waffles we made with zucchini. The baby has a waffle one with his fruit every morning this week. Straight from the freezer and just a minute in the microwave or toaster, these are delicious.

With the additional spices in these waffles, I really enjoyed them with Waffle Sauce. My boys had a great time pouring waffle sauce on top and them grating fresh nutmeg all over theirs as well.

Brown Sugar and Spice Whole Wheat Zucchini Waffles

3 medium zucchinis, approximately 4 cups shredded, closer to 2 cups after the water is pressed out.
4 cups whole wheat flour, I used freshly ground hard white wheat
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
4 eggs
3 cups buttermilk, I used the whey leftover after making butter, plain milk is fine as well
1/2 cup olive oil, light flavor
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat the waffle iron. Shred the zucchini and then place it on a clean dishtowel. Lay a second dishtowel on top; press the moisture out of the zucchini and set aside. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and whisk again to combine. Add the zucchini and stir gently to combine.

If you are using fresh whole wheat, let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes before cooking the waffles. Letting it rest allows the fresh wheat to absorb more of the liquid and it will thicken the batter.

Grease the waffle iron in-between batches. I keep butter right beside the waffle iron and just run it across the plates right before pouring the next waffle. I also like to keep the cooked waffles on a wire rack in the oven set at 200 degrees, while I am cooking the rest of the waffles. This way everything stays hot and crisp while we wait to eat together. Enjoy!

Click here to print recipe

Sauteed Snap Peas and Zucchini with Basil

Crisp, lightly sauteed veggies, seasoned with garlic and just a little butter. This makes a perfectly simple and delicious side dish. I served this alongside Grilled Chicken Marinated with Basil and Lemon; it was a great combination.

2 medium Italian zucchini, cut into bite size pieces - I used a yellow zucchini, but green is fine as well
1 1/2 cups snap peas, this was approximately two large handfuls
1 large onion, cut into bite size pieces
5 oz mushrooms, sliced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
freshly cracked pepper, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
10 large basil leaves, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and add the garlic. Saute for about a minute and add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute just until tender. Remove from pan and set aside in a covered bowl.

Add the onions to the empty skillet and saute over medium heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water, cover with lid and steam them for a minute or two. Add the zucchini and snap peas. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with lid, stirring occasionally and steam/saute until vegetables are tender, but still crisp. This should only take a few minutes. Taste vegetables and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

Add the mushrooms back into the skillet and toss to combine. Add the softened butter and toss gently to coat the vegetables. Sprinkle the basil over the vegetables and toss gently. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Chicken, Onion, Zucchini and Corn Quesadillas

Sweet onions, fresh zucchini and grilled corn along with roasted chicken and plenty of melting cheese made these some of the best quesadillas that I have made recently.  I've been on a huge quesadilla kick and that along with all of these leftovers from the fridge made for a delicious lunch.

Chicken, Onion, Zucchini and Corn Quesadillas
Yield: 2-3 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet vidalia onion, cut into bite-size pieces
1 ear of corn, grilled and then sliced off the cob (or equivalent amount of frozen/canned corn)
1 medium zucchini, sliced small
cooked chicken breast, sliced thinly, approximately 1/2 cup
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
4 flour tortillas, I used homemade whole wheat flour tortillas

Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a flat-bottomed skillet and warm on medium heat. Saute the onion for a couple of minutes. Add the zucchini pieces and continue cooking until it is almost tender, but still crisp. Add the corn and chicken slices and warm in the pan for a couple minutes. Remove from the pan and place in a bowl.

Place a tortilla in the empty skillet on medium heat. Layer cheese, then the vegetables and chicken mixture and then a bit more cheese onto the tortilla. Top with another tortilla and let it cook for a couple minutes. Press down on the top tortilla with a spatula and then carefully flip the quesadilla. Cook for a couple more minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are crisped and slightly browned. Repeat for the second quesadilla.

Remove to a cutting board and let the quesadillas cool for a few minutes before serving.

Click here for printable recipe

Simple Sides: Summer Fresh Corn Salad

 

Welcome to the final week of the Simple Sides Series! This week's recipe is Summer Fresh Corn Salad presented by Nancy at Real Food, Allergy Free. So far this month, we have also seen Tomato & Basil Bruschetta, Refreshing Melon Citrus Salad and Mango Summer Salad. 

Is there anything that says summer more than fresh corn on the cob and homegrown tomatoes?

This recipe can be made year round using frozen corn and tomatoes from the supermarket but it really shines with fresh in season produce from your garden or local farmer's market.  Click here to read more and get the recipe 

I have had a great time collaborating with Anne, Nancy and Steph this month. They all have fabulous blogs that I recommend you visit if you’re looking for healthy inspiration in the kitchen. Anne breaks down a lot of cheap and healthy meals, Nancy focuses on equipping families with frugal allergen-free resources and Steph will inspire you to make better real food choices for your family without spending a fortune.