RECIPE BLOG INCLUDES MARGARITAVILLE RECIPES

RECIPE BLOG

HOW TO GET RESTAURANT CRISP ROMAINE FOR SALADS

First buy romaine hearts - they usually come three in a pack - best to use the process below - one at a time as you need it - leave the others untouched in the bag.

• break off the end wash leavesput leaves in a clean sink with luke warm water for 20 minutes (this hydrates them)


• drain and put in a sink filled with ice water for 20 minutes


• spin dry in a salad spinner- best prepped day of' if you are entertaining


• - if storing - stores better in the lettuce spinner than in plastic, tupperware or baggies but takes up a bit of room in fridge.

Quinoa Tabulah

I use quinoa to avoid the wheat - usually this is made with Bulgar wheat - the recipe is pretty much the same)

• 1 cup quinoa
• 4 tomatoes
• 3-4(ripe but not overripe) chopped into small cubes
• 2/3 cup yellow or red onion very finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic very finely chopped
• 2-3 cups chopped fresh parsley finely chopped (dont substitute dry)
• 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (in winter can sub about 1 -2 tbsp dry)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1-2 level tsp salt (this is one of the few recipes I use salt)

Place quinoa in a 4 cup glass measure - add 3 cups of water - cook in microwave on high for about 4 minutes - add more water if needed - cook another minute at a time adding more water if needed till cooked - soft -

Drain off any remaining water.

Rinse with cold water and drain.

Put quinoa in bowl and add all the other ingredients to bowl and toss till mixed - chill for an hour before serving.

Serve on a lettuce leaf with a sprig of mint.

LENTIL SOUP

(this is a guess because I don't usually measure - I will update next time I make it but this will be pretty close)

If you are not vegetarian - grill one lean piece of pork loin - cut into very small chunks

• 1 1/2 tbsp safflower oil
• 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic finely chopped2 large carrots finely chopped
• about 3/4 cup parsnip finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp cummin
• if adding meat also can add 1/4 tsp sage
• 1 1/2 cups lentils
• 1-2 litres of low sodium vegetable or chicken broth - (no msg)

Saute the vegetables in oil and till slightly soft for a few minutes then add the lentils and spices and saute for a five minutes or so.

Add the broth and simmer on low - check every once in awhile - if too thick add more broth.

In about 30 minutes add the meat...Simmer till lentils are cooked.

This would be a good time to check the seasoning.

Take a hand held braun food processor and puree a few spots in the soup - or pour some of the soup - 2-3 cups into the blender and blend. Add this back to the soup mix. The blended soup acts as a thickener without having to add flour. While the unblended part provides some chunkier bits.

At this point you can add a bit more broth if you find it too thick.

Italian Vegetable Dish - delicious!

• ½ cup of Kraft Calorie Wise Zesty Italian dressing

Cut vegetables in one inch chunks:

• 1 med.-large onion approx 1 1./2 cups
• I med. zucchini approx 2 cups
• 1 eggplant – ends off, skin on approx 2 cups
• 1-2 sweet red pepper approx 2 cups
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms sliced
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 - 28 oz can plum tomatoes drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup 100% shredded Parmesan cheese

Sauté onion and garlic in dressing or oil over low heat for 5 minutes

Add rest of vegetables except tomatoes and saute for approx 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Stir in tomatoes. Cover and gently simmer 10 minutes till vegetables soften

Pour into baking dish

Sprinkle cheese over top

Broil until cheese melted and slightly brown

Serve as is or as accompaniment to meat dish ...Or over brown rice or pasta

If vegetarian does not eat dairy – leave out cheese and serve with other protein source

8 servings

Each serving has approx (I will recheck it later)Calories 87Fat 4 gmSodium 544 (too high can buy sodium reduced tomatoes to reduce sodium and add ½ tsp. basil and oregano to add flavour) Carb 8.7Protein 6 gm(Vegetarian should have other protein with to increase protein content of meal)

Christine's Version of Rylan's Ultimate Oatmeal

don't panic this is not ONE meal ;)

• 3 cups Quaker Quick Oats
• 3/4 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
• 6 tbsp flax seeds
• 9 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
• 2 tbsp cinnamon

Stir well in bowl: store in zip lock bag. Keeps well in cupboard. You can also throw into freezer.

To serve: shake bag to mix contents.

Measure 1/3 cup mix and place in bowl with 3/4 cup water - stir.

Microwave high for 50 sec, stir, microwave another 10-15 sec till desired consistency. Only do a few seconds at a time from here to avoid spilling over. Stir in 1 tbsp slivered almonds. (I find the cinnamon and cranberries are enough of a sweetner and the vanilla whey powder cancels the need for milk). Makes about 15 servings.Calories 283, Carb 24, Total Ft 10 gm, Sat Ft .9 gm, Fiber 15.4 gm, Sugars 5 gm, Protein 24 grams.

Rylan's Ultimate Oatmeal.

Slowly cook 1/2 cup of quick oats in pot with 1 cup of skim milk, 1 scoop vanilla protein powders, tsp cinnamon, 2 packs stevia. When oatmeal reaches desired consistency, add a few slivered almonds, raisins, and 1/4 of diced banana. Recipe can be doubled or tripled and re-heated for up to 3-4 days.

Oatmeal/Protein Pancakes Berries and Yogurt Healthy Filling and Tasty

I adapted this recipe for a friend who does not like oatmeal as a cereal.

• 1 1/2 scoop protein
• 1 cup egg whites
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup oatmeal (pulse in food processor)-
• 1/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
• ¼ cup apple sauce
• Pam Cooking spray

Beat eggs and whites with whisk – add rest of ingredients – mix well

Cook 4 pancakes like you would crepes dividing the batter equally

Method:Heat crepe pan to med hot till drops of water bounce across pan
Spray with Pam
Beat batter again immediately before pouring cake into pan each time
Once cooked thru (shiny on the side facing up) flip to brown on the other side

Place on plate and when cool roll each up and place in plastic wrap or baggie in fridge till ready to use

To serve:

Unroll crepe
Add to centre:

• ¼ cup low fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup berries (defrost first if frozen)

Microwave for about 30 sec

• Add 1 tbsp no fat no sugar syrup (Atkins – no calories added) now this tastes great and has no carbs, sugar, calories – so go easy – it probably isn’t healthy !!!

Nutritional info per serving:

Calories 255 Fat 5 gm Carb 32 gm Protein 22 gm Fiber 5.4 gm

HUMMUS - EASY AND HEALTHY

• one 14 oz can garbanzo beans - drain 1/3 of the water from can into a bowl for later use
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp tahini (sesame paste) can substitute same amount of natural peanut butter
• (optional - few drops sesame oil)
• juice of one small lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt

In a blender mix beans with water remaining in the can and the rest of the ingredients

Blend 1-2 minutes until a smooth paste is formed.

Add some of the remaining reserved liquid a tbsp at a time if required for the right consistency.

That's IT!

Serve with blue corn chips or veggies - or whatever you wish

Tis the Season....Recipe Wild Oregon Grape Jelly and Cranberry Jalapeno Jelly

Well it is the season for making consumable gifts. Every Christmas I make Wild Oregon Grape Jelly. Sure there is sugar but apparently Oregon grape has medicinal properties :)

A few years after I moved to Armstrong a neighbour knocked on the door and asked me if I was going to be using the wild Oregon grapes growing on my property. I had no idea they served any purpose other than to feed the birds, and since getting a cat, the berries act as bait for bird hunting. That year the neighbours picked a bumper crop from my shrubs.A week later, I found a jar of jam and a recipe for Oregon grape jelly.

I decided that every year after, I would make the jam myself and give it at Christmas.The recipe called for freezing the berries. So I would pick them in October, freeze them and make the jam in December. Then I thought about it and realized that like the grapes for ice wine, freezing them increases the sweetness. A few years ago, I began picking them after the first few frosts. The bonus was there were NO BUGS.

For anyone who thinks my gift is lame, let me tell you the challenges I faced this year. By the time there was sufficient frost, several feet of snow had been dumped. I had to bundle up in -27 degree weather, walk through snow drifts, rake the snow off the shrubs and then rake the berries off with my gloved hands and ended up with a tad of frostbite OUCH! Not to mention listening to the screeching of a Red Shafted Flicker who objected to me taking his dinner. Don't worry I left plenty for him along with a warning "Watch out for the CAT!"

I have changed the recipe over time but don't mess with the sugar! I have reduced it as far as it will go and still set. The original called for 8 cups of sugar.

Recipe: Oregon Grape Jelly

Have 1 dozen 125 ml jars sterilizedIngredients:

• 4 cups wild oregon grapes (frozen)
• 1 cup pure grape juice
• 5 cups sugar (if you mess with the sugar amount it won't set)
• 1 apple, cored peeled and chopped
• 2 pouches Certo liquid pectin for jams and jellies (there are two pouches to a box)

Place grapes and grape juice in large heavy pot, mash with potato masher.

Add sugar and apple.

Stir well and mash.

Bring to gentle boil stirring and mashing continuously for about 10 minutes.

Strain reserving the liquid.

Put strained liquid back in a clean pot.Bring to boil and boil hard one minute.

Take off heat.Stir in two packets of liquid pectin - stiring for 5 minutes.

Pour into sterile jars to 1/2 " from top. Seal with sterile lids.

If your jelly does not set, you can often correct it. Empty jar contents into a clean pot. Add whatever you left out. If you skimped on sugar, add it now. Boil gently stirring often for about 10 minutes. Boil hard for one minute. Remove from heat and add two pouches of pectin and stir continously for 5 minutes. Pour into resterilized jars and use new snap lids. Better still - get it right the first time!

Cranberry pepper jelly (recipe below) - spread over a block of Philladelphia Cream Cheese and serve with crackers. A great appe.ok - there is sugar in this as well - but - cranberries are good for the bladder!

Have 8-9 sterilized 125 ml jars ready.

• 2 packages (approximately 5 cups frozen cranberries)
• 4 jalapeno peppers, cored and cut into fours
• 1-2 tsp tobasco (depends on your hotness meter)
• 1 1/4 cups 100% pure cranberry juice
• 5 cups sugar
• flesh of one lime
• 2 pouches Certo liquid pectin for jellies and jams

Place cranberries and juice into a large heavy pot. Bring to boil mashing the berries.

Add the peppers, tabasco, sugar, flesh of lime. Bring back to a gentle boil for around 10 minutes continuing to stir and mash the berries.

Strain.You will really have to press and rake the strainer to get all the juice - the pulp is quite thick. Scrape any jelled pulp off outside of strainer into liquid for better thickening.

Pour the strained liquid back into a clean pot.Bring to a hard boil for one minute.

Remove from heat and stir in the two pouches of pectin - stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Pour into to sterilized jars.Seal with sterilized lids.

Make some personalized labels/tags, punch a hole in tag and tie to jar with pretty elastic or ribbon.

If this sauce does not set firmly, it is still fine thickened for either serving as the cranberry sauce for turkey or to cover cream cheese for an appetizer.

Berry snack

• 1/2 cup berries
• 1/2 non fat no sugar probiotic yogurt

Apple Snack

• 1 granny smith apple cored and cut into 6 slices
• make 3 sandwiches with 1 tsp peanut butter in each one

Stays fress in zip lock bag or tupperware lunch container to take in your cooler.

Margaritaville Recipes

Java Joy Smoothie
We all need a little caffeine jolt once in awhile, but we may want something a little tastier than just a cup of regular coffee. Combine low fat milk, chocolate syrup, instant espresso-coffee, ice cubes, sugar, and ground cinnamon together for a blended cappuccino recipe that’s out of this world!

Creamsicle Margarita
Mmm…what could be better than a creamsicle? A creamsicle margarita! For one serving, combine one and a quarter ounces gold tequila, three ounces orange juice, once ounce sweet and sour mix, one scoop vanilla ice cream, and six ounces crushed ice. Blend in your Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker, and say cheers!

Icy Iced Tea
Transform the great taste of iced tea into a frozen iced tea drink! Combine orange sorbet with strong brewed black tea, and blend together. For different varieties, simply substitute orange sorbet with other sorbet flavors, like passion fruit.