Recipe: Coco Joy’s Coconut Water Smoothie

Coco Joy offers a variety of all-natural coconut products including: Premium Classic and Flavored Coconut Waters (Watermelon, Strawberry, Pineapple, Banana), Flavored Coconut Water for Kids (Banana and Strawberry), and Natural and Flavored Coconut Milks (Chocolate, Coffee, Banana). Coco Joy’s products are never made from concentrate and are derived purely from fresh coconuts.

Enjoy the yummy Coco Joy's Coconut Water Smoothie.

Ingredients:

1 cup Coco Joy Coconut Water
¼ cucumber, or 1 small cucumber
1 cup kale leaves, large
2 to 3 mint leaves
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1 banana
1 cup ice *optional, if your banana is frozen
½ tbsp honey

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients into a blender

2) Blend until smooth, pour into a cup and enjoy!

Recipe Contest for Healthy Aging Month

In an effort to promote wholesome eating and in honor of Healthy Aging Month, BrightFocus is holding a recipe contest. Your recipe should include at least three ingredients from the list below that are believed to be beneficial to brain and/or eye health. Visit www.brightfocus.org/recipes to learn more.

Avocados Bell peppers Berries Broccoli Brussels sprouts Canola/ olive oil Cantaloupe Carrots Cauliflower Citrus fruits Collard Greens Flaxseed oil Fortified dairy Fortified milk Green beans Kale Legumes Lima beans

Mango Nuts Oily fish (tuna, salmon, sardines) Okra Oysters Peas Poultry Red grapes Spinach Squash Strawberries Sweet and white potatoes Tomatoes Wheat germ Whole grain Yellow corn

Avoid foods that contain saturated fat and sugar.

Your recipe should benefit our audience of older Americans who are experiencing problems with vision or mental functioning and may need help following the recipe or shopping for ingredients.

The contest will run from September 1, 2015 - September 30, 2015.  Three winners will be chosen by BrightFocus Foundation. Each winner will receive a $100 Amazon.com gift card and BrightFocus prize pack.

Quick, healthy chocolate dessert - no cooking needed!

*contains amazon affiliate link

 (c)Markus Rothkranz from LOVE ON A PLATE by Cara Brotman and Markus Rothkranz.

Chocolate can be decadent, but here’s a healthy dessert recipe from the “uncookbook”   Love on a Plate: The Gourmet UnCookbook* that’s easy to make for your family.  No cooking needed!

 (c)Markus Rothkranz from LOVE ON A PLATE by Cara Brotman and Markus Rothkranz.

Delicious Freezer Chocolate with Marzipan Filling
This chocolate gets hard within 30 minutes of being in the freezer.  It can be kept in the freezer indefinitely, but needs to be eaten right away when taken out because coconut oils melts at room temperature.  Pure raw coconut oil is really good for you.

1 cup cacao powder (sifted to remove lumps)
1/4 cup carob powder (sifted to remove lumps)
1/4 cup cashew butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil (warmed to clear liquid at room temp)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix in bowl, pour in mold or dip things like fruit in it and put in freezer. Ready in one hour.

Marzipan
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 cup maple syrup

Grind almonds into a fine power in a coffee grinder to make the almond meal. Then mix with the maple syrup and knead into dough.  You can eat immediately or use it as a filling for the chocolate that has hardened.  Stores in refrigerator for long time.  For a whiter-looking marzipan, use skinned or blanched almonds.

Reprinted with permission of the publisher from LOVE ON A PLATE: The Gourmet UnCookbook by Cara Brotman and Markus Rothkranz. Copyright (c) 2014.

Resource: Cookmore: a tool to plan your meals

 Sign up for Cookmore now to gain access to recipes, cookbooks, meal planner, calorie counter, grocery list, and so much more! You will have access to LOTS of FREE recipes--with something for nearly every diet or culinary preference. But, even better than that, you have access to visually appealing (and delicious) recipes, inspiring food concepts, and award-winning chefs--designed to meet your needs.

Organize your recipe collection in one place. Plan for those upcoming holiday meals, with an estimated calorie count built into the recipe planning process. Plus, you can create a grocery list to get everything you need for your meal plan (this is one of my favorite parts of the site!). I'm sure you'll find that it's the perfect combo of resources for busy moms and dads--like you!

Recipe: Minestrone Soup

A bowl of soup goes a long way during winter.  A bowl of soup warms up the heart and soul.  My hubby asked me to make his favorite soup: Minestrone, especially if I can get it close to the Olive Garden version.  Not sure what goes in the soup, I did see this tasty recipe the Olive Garden Minestrone Soup.  My recipe is an adapted version of this soup because who has every single ingredient available in their home?  For sure not my home.

Prep: 15 min.  (I like to prepare the ingredients before actually cooking.

Cook: 50 min., depending on consistency

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2-4 T Olive Oil (we are usually generous)
• 2 c of seasoned hamburger 
• 1/2 c minced onion
• 1/4 c chopped zucchini
• 1/4 c green beans
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 4 cups of Swanson chicken broth low sodium
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1/2 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 2 T dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 dried basil
• 1 1/2 cup of boiling water
• 1 cup of  shell pasta

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a pot.  Saute the onions, carrots, zucchini, green beans, garlic, and the seasoned hamburger for about 5 minutes.  Add the Chicken broth, drained tomatoes, beans, spices and hot water. Bring soup to a boil.  

Once boiled, simmer for 25 minutes, with lid on top of pot.  Add pasta, and continue to simmer for 20 minutes or until desired consistency.  

Let me just say my hubby and son loved the soup.  My 9 year old son loved the veggies in the soup!  I am so excited. My hubby isn't the only one who can cook around here. ;)

As we say in Arabic: "Sahtain"  (Bon Appetit).

Recipe: Broiled Chicken with Spiced Vegetables topped with Mozzarella Cheese

When Hubster is in the mood for cooking, it really shows in the dishes he prepares.  One: he comes up with his own combination of prepared meals, and Two: it becomes an artistic venue for him.

On this cold, wintry day, Hubster came up with this fabulous, healthy, delicious dish.I present to you the Broiled Chicken with Spiced Vegetables topped with Mozzarella Cheese.
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of boneless chicken breasts, thawed
• 2-4 pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups of cut carrots 
• 1 medium size zucchini 
• 2 medium size tomatoes
• 1 cup of fresh mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tsp of mixed spices: turmeric, curry, chili powder, paprika, saffron,dried garlic, and lemmon pepper
• 1/2 tsp of dried basil
• a pinch of sea salt (optional, for taste)

Mix all veggies together with olive oil in pan on medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Then add the chicken on top of the veggie mixture.  Cover the pan, allow cooking for 15 minutes on medium heat.   Put the veggie mixture in an oven pan, and place the chicken pieces on top of the mixture.  

Place the pan in the oven, and broil for 20 minutes.  Be sure to flip the pieces of chicken halfway through broiling.  Put the chicken aside, to place fresh mozzarella on the veggie mixture.  Broil in the oven 1-2 minutes.  

Be sure to serve on plates, and as we say in Arabic: Sahtain (Bon Appetit in French).   

 Look at the mozzarella cheese! Yumm...

It is so delicious!  You will be wanting seconds.  

The Salad That Takes Your Breath Away

Normally, I don't talk about how much I love food. I don't think about food. I look at food as something we need in order to live. Except when it comes to hubby's salad.

Something about hubby's salad.

I am not the only one who thinks that way. I mean other family members will eat hubby's salad. Once when I was posting, my mom says come to the table to some salad. I had said when I am finished, read here to find out what happened.

Hubby's salad recipe:
1 serving

1 tomato
1/2 jalapeño pepper
1/2 green onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 baby cucumber (very important)
1 Tlb spoon of olive oil
Sea salt for taste

Finely chop the tomato, cucumber, jalapeño, garlic, green onion all at once. The finer the ingredients are chopped, the tastier they become. Add a pinch of sea salt your mixture, so the can soak through giving you the juice of the mixture. Mix everything together. Put the mixture in a bowl , and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

This salad tastes great with French bread and a slice of fresh Mozzarella cheese.

Sahtain or Bon Appetite!

MadeJustRight.com™ Launches Spring To Life Recipe Contest

MadeJustRight.com, an Earth Balance-hosted online community passionate about cooking and the quality and source of their food is launching the Spring to Life Recipe Contest in conjunction with EQAL, a media company. The competition runs from April 11-May 8 and asks cooks nationwide to enter their best plant-based recipes made with Earth Balance® products for the chance to win the grand prize; a trip for two to New York City with eco-friendly accommodations, an Aveda spa day, and dinner at popular vegan restaurant Candle 79. The winner’s dish will be featured on Candle 79’s prestigious menu for one night.

“With spring comes new, fresh and exciting recipes,” said TJ McIntyre, vice president general manager of Earth Balance.  “We’re excited to launch a contest that encourages health enthusiasts, foodies and home cooks to showcase their best of the season. We can’t wait to see the creative, delicious and healthy dishes our members submit."

Throughout the four week contest, a team of culinary experts will evaluate the recipes based on appeal, ease of preparation and creativity to select two winners every week, for a total of eight. They will each receive a year’s supply of Earth Balance® products, a Forks Over Knives DVD and t-shirt, and the opportunity to win the Grand Prize to New York City. 

To qualify, recipes must be plant-based, contain an Earth Balance® product, including spreads, sticks, nut butters and soy milk and feature one or more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans nuts or seeds. Each week, cooks will compete to have the top recipes in a different category. Following is the recipe category schedule:

• April 11-17: Appetizers
• April 18-24: Side dishes
• April 25- May 1: Entrees
• May 2- May 8: Desserts

The eight winners will be considered for the final grand prize for a glamorous trip to New York City. All winners will be announced the week of May 9, 2011.

More information about the Spring to Life Recipe Contest is available at MadeJustRight.com.

Related articles

• Fresh List of Entrepreneurial Contests (businessinsider.com)

Paula Deen Twitter Q&A Today!

Submit your questions as we catch up with Paula Deen via Twitter to discuss Kraft Food’s The Real Women of Philadelphia and other tales from the kitchen TODAY!

PAULA DEEN AND THE REAL WOMEN OF PHILADELPHIA TWITTER Q&A

FEATURING THE ONE AND ONLY PAULA DEEN

WHEN:                 Thursday, April 14, 2011, 1 PM ET

                                               

WHAT:                 Twitter Q&A with Paula Deen hosted by MSN Wonderwall

LIVE Q&A:           Tune in to a LIVE Twitter Q & A featuring Paula Deen at http://twitter.com/WonderwallMSN or http://www.twitter.com/paula_deen

THE REAL WOMEN OF PHILADELPHIA:

Southern Cooking Queen Paula Deen and Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese are back to help make four women's dreams come true in Season 2 of the Real Women of Philadelphia cooking competition.  Home cooks nationwide are finding their favorite Philly recipes to compete for the chance to be one of four lucky women to win $25,000, star in their own cooking videos and contribute to a cookbook featuring the Real Women of Philadelphia online community’s favorite cream cheese recipes.

Beginning April 4, women will create short, tasty, entertaining and creative cooking videos for submission in one of four categories:  Appetizer, Side Dish, Entree and Dessert. Videos will be submitted to www.realwomenofphiladelphia.com.

Each week, one recipe from each of the four categories will be selected. The 16 finalists will have the opportunity to meet Paula Deen in person and compete in a cook-off at the 2nd Annual Real Women of Philadelphia Live Event which will take place June 30 in Savannah, GA.  Paula Deen will crown 4 winners; 1 in each cooking category.

To learn more about The Real Women of Philadelphia go to www.realwomenofphiladelphia.com or www.pauladeen.com. 

6 In 30 Watercress Recipe Contest Offers $1000 First Prize

B & W Quality Growers is pleased to announce its 6 in 30 Watercress Recipe Contest.  

Potential contestants are invited to submit recipes that contain no more than 6 ingredients including watercress and that require a maximum 30 minutes combined prep and cooking time.  The Grand Prize winner will receive $1000 in cash. His/her recipe will be featured on the B&W website at www.watercress.com as well as the company’s Facebook and Twitter feeds, with appropriate credit to the winner.  Five Second Prize winners will each receive $100 in cash. His/her recipes will also be featured on B&W’s website, Facebook and Twitter feeds with appropriate credit.

Recipe must: (a) be an original creation, and not based on any other published recipe, (b) include a list of all required ingredients in specific, common U.S. household measurement units, step-by-step preparation instructions, and cooking times, (c) involve only ingredients commonly available at grocery stores, and (d) not have won a prize in any other contest.  Deadline for entries is May 1, 2011.  Detailed information and rules are available at http://www.watercress.com/recipecontestentry.aspx.

Andy Brown, Vice-President of Marketing, sees the recipe contest as a way to acknowledge the enthusiasm of the growing legion of watercress fans.  “We can see from the dialogue on our facebook page that watercress lovers are full of clever, fun ideas about how to enjoy this delicious, healthful green. We want to give them a way to express their culinary creativity and reward their invaluable loyalty.”

Winners will be announced June 1^st, 2011. 

About B &W Quality Growers

B&W is the world’s largest watercress grower. This 140 year young specialty produce operation also grows the popular ‘wild roquette’ variety of baby arugula as well as pea tendrils.  It has seasonal farms in six states in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. that ensure an unrivaled, year-round supply of fresh product is always available.

Hot Kellogg's Coupon

Sign up to get access to $5.00-$10.00 in coupons, plus enjoy your favorite Kellogg brands for less with money-saving coupons!

Get special offers, promotions, and be the first to know about new products and the latest innovations at Kellogg, as well as receiving  some of Kellogg's tastiest recipes.

Andouille Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients

•           2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

•           1 pound Andouille sausages, cut into 1/3-inch pieces

•           1 12-ounce package breakfast-style bulk sausage

•           3 cups chopped onions

•           2 cups chopped celery

•           2 cups chopped red bell peppers

•           1 cup chopped green onions

•           2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

•           1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

•           1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

•           12 ounces dry corn bread stuffing mix

•           1 1/2 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth

Directions

1. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add all sausages and cook until brown and cooked through, breaking up bulk sausage with back of a fork, about 5 minutes.

3. Add onions, celery and red bell peppers. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.

4. Stir in green onions, thyme, hot pepper sauce and sage. Transfer sausage mixture to large bowl.

5. Stir stuffing mix into sausage mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

6. This recipe can be prepared one day ahead:  Cover and refrigerate. 

         Touch Bayou Catering is an upscale, full-service, off-premises catering company specializing in Cajun, Creole and Beyond (International Cuisine) and serving all of New Jersey, the Philadelphia area and parts of New York. The company provides delicious multi-cultural, international menus, arranged beautifully in the client’s setting of choice, with professional and personal service. Touch Bayou has been placed on the Preferred Caterer’s List of the Newark Museum, the Montclair Art Museum, WISOMMM Cultural Center in Newark, the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) and the Welmont Theater in Montclair, NJ.

            For more information about this unique catering company, call Jennifer Tyler-Washington at (856) 629-0988 or email her at tywash664@comcast.net. The website is www.touchbayou.com.

5 Apps That'll Make your Life Easier this Holiday

·         CheckPoints – a shopping app that rewards you for checking-in to stores while you do your holiday shopping and scanning barcodes.   Accumulate points and earn real world rewards like airline miles, gift cards, and gadgets.  The app that gives back!
·         Epi – This app by Conde Nast provides you with thousands of recipes, helps you make shopping lists, and gives you user reviews to help all your holiday cooking go off without a hitch.  Perfect for dinner parties this holiday.
·         Pandora – Put it on a Christmas carol channel, and voila – you can keep you and your friends singing all the way to grandmother’s house.  Don’t forget to “like” Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” – a modern classic.
·         Pageonce Personal Finance – Stave off the influx of bills during the holidays with this app that consolidates all of your accounts and helps you keep them under control. 
·         Kyte– This app allows you share photos the instant you take them, so you can share your holiday memories with friends and family who aren’t celebrating with you.  Or, instantly upload embarrassing pictures of your coworkers at your office holiday party.

Things just got easier for Moms with ‘Delicious Days…’

Delicious Days is Kraft’s new headquarters for all things seasonal. Watch featured videos to learn new recipes that really take advantage of fall’s unique vegetables – even picky eaters will dive right in! There are also tons of classic recipes that are sure crowd pleasers - your family will definitely be asking about your secret recipe stash when you serve them an apple crumble filled with fresh picked apples and fragrant cinnamon!

The site also features content the whole family will love. Check out fun games, budgeting ideas, and party planning must-haves. If you want to get creative in time for Halloween, Delicious Days also features fun recipes that are spookily delicious, like eyeball cupcakes and the Ghosts in the Graveyard cake, perfect for getting kids to help out in the kitchen! After these recipes, your house is sure to be haunted with delicious candy ghosts! 

While you’re at Delicious Days don’t forget to enter the AOL Home for the Holidays Sweepstakes* for a chance to win $2,500! It’s the perfect prize to get your family together in time for the holiday season.

Cooking Light Complete Meals in Minutes

Families are busier than ever thanks to busy schedules from the parents to the children.  It is tough usually to prepare meals and still have time for some family time before the day ends.   Today’s home cooks hunger for recipes that have it all—fast, easy, delicious and healthy.

Enter Cooking Light Complete Meals in Minutes, a new cookbook that allows cooks to choose exactly how much time they want to spend in the kitchen—whether it’s 15, 20 or 30 minutes—and find the right recipe in a snap. 

This ring binder recipe collection is brought together by Cooking Light magazine’s renowned Test Kitchen professionals and dietitians with the adage that there’s no need to sacrifice taste, nutrition or quality for speed. Brimming with over 700 amazing recipes—including savory main dishes, appetizers and beverages, salads, soups, and sandwiches—dinnertime will never get boring.

The book’s easy-to-follow, engaging design includes:

• 500+ color images
• Icons identifying each dish as a 15-, 20- or 30-minute recipe
• Complete nutritional analysis for every dish
• Lay-flat ring binder format for easy navigation

Below are tips by Cooking Light Complete Meals in Minutes:

- Plan Ahead & Shop Smart: Taking a few minutes to plan your meals for the week can maximize each trip to the grocery store and give you more direction while you’re there.  Make a comprehensive list that can help you limit your shopping trips to just once per week—saving time, gas and money.

-Befriend Your Freezer: Since frozen fruits and vegetables are preserved at the height of their freshness, their nutritional value is at its peak and they are as beneficial as fresh veggies.  Having a nice selection on hand helps cut down on waste (since they won’t go bad) and saves you from rushing to the store for spur-of-the-moment recipe inspirations.

-Grab Your Gadgets: Mixing by hand might be better for your muscle tone, but using your electric gadgets can save tons of time and help you get the job done right.  

-Don’t Look a Pre-Packaged Gift Horse in the Mouth: Need chopped onions, matchstick carrots, chunked pineapple, pizza dough, minced garlic or lemon juice?  For a slightly added cost, you can save time by letting your grocery store do the work for you.  Time is money.

-Slice Strategically: Stack produce like shitake mushrooms, zucchini slices and tomatoes slices before slicing them.  It’s faster than cutting them one by one.

-Mix Mixes Into Your Repertoire: Premixed spices, cake mixes and more save tons of time and effort, and most people wouldn’t even notice the difference.  

-Master Your Techniques: Taking a little time to learn the proper way to dice, chop, peel and cook will save you oodles of time in the long run.