Let's Talk Frozen Fruit!

Unlike me, Malissa loves having dessert after every dinner.  She has the worlds biggest sweet tooth, and I thought finding a way to satisfy that was going to be hard!  Fortunately, we found a secret weapon.  Frozen fruit!  There are so many ways to prepare and enjoy healthy and delicious desserts using these things.  Here is a list of your favorite fruits that you can turn into your favorite desserts:

Bananas-  Occasionally, we have too many bananas to use before they go bad. There are a couple of things you can do to preserve these and turn them into delicious desserts.  First, you can peel and slice them, then freeze them and turn them into banana ice cream (Add some frozen raspberries to it and it is divine).  Another great idea is to melt some cacao chips (oh so good! They have a bit of sugar in them, but aren't too bad) and cover the bananas in the melted chocolate.  Freeze the bananas and have frozen chocolate bananas! YUM!

Berries-  Berries can be easily frozen and used in many different ways.  A Sorbet (with any type of berry) only takes 2 minutes to make and is amazing!  Frozen berries are also great to be used in smoothies (for more tart berries, add a bit of agave or other natural sweetener to the smoothie).  They make a great topper for other desserts, or on cereals in the morning as well.   Although some frozen berries can be a bit tart, many are also great to just eat plain.

Grapes- Frozen purple grapes have become my new favorite treat! (green grapes work too, but aren't as sweet)  You can leave them whole, or if they have seeds, just cut them in half and throw them in the freezer.  If you need something sweet, open your freezer and start eating.  The texture compliments the already delicious taste and will make you wanting more and more.

Peaches- Oh man I love peaches! Peaches for me! I could eat millions of peaches!  At the end of peach season, buy a bunch and freeze them for later use.  These need to be cored and sliced to freeze properly.  To preserve freshness, they either need to be vacuum sealed, eaten quickly,  or have some citrus juice or "fruit fresh" added to them.  These have a better texture and taste much better than canned peaches.  Also, canned peaches have added sugars and the nutrients have been sucked out of them, whereas frozen peaches retain some nutrients with no added sugars.  This same technique can be used with plums and nectarines.



This is a short list of the MANY fruits you can freeze.  What frozen fruits have you enjoyed?

Marinara Portobello Spaghetti

 

Portobello mushrooms are incredible.  They provide an amazing texture and a deep flavor that will have you melting after your first bite.  Because of how filling they are, people often use these mushrooms as a replacement for meat in their favorite recipes.  Obviously, I am not one of those people (Portobello mushrooms are way too delicious to be looked at as a simple “meat substitute!”).  This recipe is surprisingly easy and very delicious.  The garlic and onions mixed in with the mushrooms brings an extraordinary flavor to the marinara sauce, and you can rest easily, knowing that there is nothing but healthy ingredients in every bite!

Marinara Portobello Spaghetti

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Large shallot, finely chopped (if not available, just add an additional ¼ cup onion)

2 Cloves garlic, minced

¼ Cup onions, chopped

2 Portobello mushrooms, cut in ½ inch squares

2 Medium tomatoes, cut in ½ inch squares

The finished product before serving over spaghetti

24 Ounces tomato sauce (three 8 ounce cans)

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning (or to taste)

Salt/Pepper, to taste

1 Small package whole wheat spaghetti, cooked

Over medium heat, sauté shallot, garlic, and onions in olive oil for 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms, sauté for 5 more minutes.  Add tomatoes, sauté for an additional 5 minutes.  Mix in tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and simmer until warm.  Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles.  Enjoy! 

Bon Appetite

Healthy Homemade Refried Beans

A good friend of mine, Neil Reed has been looking for a healthy refried bean recipe.  I was introduced to this recipe when I first began eating healthy and it has been a favorite ever since!  Very easy to make and extremely delicious!  You can make this will all sorts of different bean variations as well.

Healthy Homemade Refried Beans

4 cups dry pinto beans (soak overnight, pour water off and rinse)
2 onions, chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoons salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup salsa
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Cook beans in big pot covered in water about 3-4 inches above beans.
Add all ingredients, bring to a boil, simmer 5-8 hours until water is
blended with beans to desired consistency (make the consistency just a little less than what you want.  It will thicken a bit as it cools).  Mash beans and stir well.  Enjoy!

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Malissa and I love quinoa (Keen-wah).  It is a protein packed grain that tastes fantastic!  In fact, every time I see this dinner scheduled on our meal plan, my mouth starts to water.  With a great lime dressing, lots of healthy veggies, and a garlic kick, this one is definitely a favorite as a side or a main course.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

2 cups quinoa (If you can, find it in the bulk section of the grocery store.  That will save a lot of money)
3 cups cold water
½ t salt
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (or 1 T minced fresh ginger)
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chopped celery
1 carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, sliced thin diagonally (optional)
1 cup chopped fresh yellow or green beans (optional)
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1 green pepper, sliced thin
1 t cumin powder
1 t coriander powder
1 large ripe tomato
½ c sliced olives (optional)
2 cups cooked black beans (drain and rinse well)
2 T chopped fresh cilantro or basil
¼ c chopped scallions

Dressing:

2 T freshly squeezed lime juice,

¼ cup olive oil

1 t salt

Fresh ground pepper

Pinch cayenne or chili powder

Place quinoa, water and salt in 2 quart pot. Bring to a boil, simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork and set aside. Sauté jalapeno, fresh garlic, celery, carrots and beans in 1 Tablespoon oil until garlic is browned and pepper and celery are softened. Add green and red peppers and sauté briefly. Add cumin and coriander and remove from heat.

Blend dressing ingredients with a whisk. Gently combine sautéed veggies, tomatoes, olives, black beans, quinoa and dressing in a large bowl. Stir in cilantro and scallions. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cover
and chill.

The Bi-Weekly Meal Plan

Meal Planning has been great for the following two weeks.  We found some amazing deals on celery, carrots and oranges (10 POUNDS of oranges for 2 DOLLARS!)  As a result, we are planning on making a lot of great tasting juice! YUM!

Here is our dinner meal plan for February 5^th-16^th

Tuesday:

Oriental Noodle Bowl (coming soon!)/Oranges

Wednesday:

Taco Salad, Guacamole, Mexican Rice/ Juice: carrot, celery

Thursday:

Marinara Portobello Spaghetti/Spinach Salad/ Juice: Orange

Friday:

Black Bean Quinoa Salad /Juice: orange, apple/ Nutty Almond Fudge

Saturday:

Leftovers/ Juice: carrot, celery, apple

Sunday:

Family dinner

Monday:

Wild Mushroom Stroganoff (coming soon!)/Beets, Beetgreens/Frozen Grapes

Tuesday:

Dumpling Soup (coming soon!)/Juice: orange, apple, spinach

Wednesday:

Leftovers

Thursday:

Vegan Valentines Pizza (always a favorite)/Strawberry Sorbet

Friday:

Ginger Veggie Stir-fry (coming soon!)/Juice: orange, apple, spinach, celery

Saturday:

Tortilla Soup/ Garden Salad

Hope you enjoy your meals for the next two weeks!

Perfect Homemade Guacamole

In honor of the big game yesterday, this post is dedicated to a favorite among snack foods.  This guacamole will only take a couple minutes, is inexpensive, and is extremely delicious!  Although the chips you dip into the guac generally aren't healthy, you can find tortilla chips that aren't too bad.  Look for tortilla chips that only have three ingredients:  Corn, oil, salt (lime is okay too).  Read the labels carefully and you can go home knowing that you aren't eating any terrible preservatives or MSG's.  Although football is over, March Madness right around the corner so grab your dip and watch some ball!

Easy Guacamole

3 Small avocados (or 1-2 big ones)

2/3 Cup salsa (we use pace, no bad ingredients in it) 

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon onion powder

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 Cup non-dairy sour cream (optional, makes it a little creamier, you can find it in the health food section of most grocery stores. MAKE SURE you get the non-hydrogenated kind, it's usually in a blue container)

Salt, to taste

Cayenne pepper or chili powder, to taste (optional)

Cut, peel and pit avocados.  Add all ingredients to food processor (if you don't have a food processor, simply mash the avocados in a bowl).  Puree for only a few moments to mix all the ingredients, while still leaving it a bit chunky.  Place in bowl and enjoy! 

Healthy 2-Minute Strawberry Sorbet

It's time for a delicious dessert here at the Moench household.  Because we have our summer strawberries frozen and waiting for us, this beauty only took about two minutes to make and was so good!  We could feel good eating it too, knowing that this delicacy had no harmful ingredients.

Strawberry Sorbet

16 Ounces frozen strawberries
1 Cup soymilk (Almond or coconut milk works too)
1/4 Cup natural sweetener (we use agave)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add all ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy (you may have to push down the excess from the sides with a spatula).  Serve immediately or store in freezer until serving time.