Recipes and meal planning for busy moms.
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup low fat yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup acai berry juice
1 tsp wheatgerm or flaxseed
1 cup ice cubes
Put all slushie ingredients in blender, then with blender on high speed, start adding ice cubes until desired consistency. Serve immediately in tall, chilled glasses. This is a nutritious and delicious breakfast, lunch, or pick-me-up drink.
3 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
3 Tbsp capers, rinsed
1 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
1 tsp fresh oregano, minced
1 tsp flat leaf parsley, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. pasta, any shape
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet, add the butter and olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and pine nuts, reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook until the pine nuts are just turning light golden brown.Add to the skillet the olives, capers, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix gently together until it’s heated through and fragrant. Remove from heat.
Cook the pasta in a large pot according to package directions, making sure the pasta remains al dente. Drain well. Add the pasta to the skillet with the pine nut and oil mixture and stir together. Turn heat on low and heat pasta and oil just until mixture is nice and hot. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on each serving.
1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained
1 lb. green seedless grapes, halved
1 lb. strawberries, cleaned and halved
1 pound cake, sliced
optional whipped topping for serving
Place all the fruit in a freezer bag or other container and put in freezer overnight.
To serve, remove the fruit from freezer and allow to thaw.
Put a slice of pound cake on individual plates and divide the fruit mixture evenly over each piece.
Top with whipped topping if desired.
Transfer fruit and cake in separate containers to picnic, then arrange when ready to eat.
4 dried Shiitake mushrooms
Wakame – dried seaweed – about 6 inches
6 cups of water
1 package of ramen noodles
1/2 cup of scallions, sliced
1/2 cup of bamboo shoots
1/2 cup of green peppers, cut in very thin strips
1 hard cooked egg (optional)
Begin by making the shiitake mushroom and wakame (seaweed) broth.
In large pot, soak the mushrooms and wakame in 6 cups hot water for a minimum of 1 hour.
Strain out the mushrooms and wakame. Cut the mushroom stems off and discard, then slice the mushroom caps and return to the water. Cut the wakame into thin strips and return to water.
Put pot over medium heat and bring up to just under a boil, then turn to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile in separate pot, bring 2 cups water to a boil and add ramen noodles. Turn heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until noodles are tender.
Once the noodles are tender, strain and add them to the shiitake-wakame broth pot, then stir in the scallions, bamboo shoots, and green peppers. Simmer together over very low heat for 3 minutes.
Serve in large bowls. If desired, cut a hard cooked egg in half and set half on top of soup in each bowl.
There are a lot of variations for ramen noodle soup, but if you want something nice and earthy and special, the shiitake mushroom and wakame broth is the way to go.
4 Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 1/2 cups beef stock
dash black pepper
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 to 1 Tbsp curry powder
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
3 lbs beef roast
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
Put the potatoes, carrots, onion, beef stock, and dash black pepper in the crock pot.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, curry, thyme, and oregano, then spread over beef roast.
Lay the seasoned beef roast on top of the vegetables in crock pot.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or until meat is tender and vegetables are cooked.
Remove the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 3 minutes, then slice thin; scoop out vegetables and lay next to meat, then cover platter with foil to keep meat and veggies warm.
Pour the juices remaining in the crock pot into a small saucepan and place on a burner over medium-high heat.
Whisk together in a bowl the water and flour, then whisk into the juices in the saucepan, bringing to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer until gravy is thickened. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.
Serve the gravy with the beef and vegetables.
6 bacon slices, browned well, drained, and crumbled
2 lbs. fresh asparagus, washed and woody stems trimmed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
4 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Put asparagus on large baking sheet and cover with olive oil, salt and pepper, tossing to coat evenly.
Put asparagus in preheated oven and roast for 7 to 9 minutes until asparagus is just getting tender.
Immediately put hot asparagus in serving dish and sprinkle with goat cheese and lemon zest and juice.
Serve hot with bacon crumbles sprinkled over each individual serving plate.
6 lbs. beef short ribs
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp chipotle pepper sauce, plus
1/4 cup chipotle pepper sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place ribs, meaty-side up, in large roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt. Brush with 2 tablespoons of chipotle sauce. Bake 30 minutes in preheated oven.
Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup chipotle pepper sauce, ketchup, and Dijon mustard. Separate into two containers, reserving 1/2 cup of sauce mixture for serving with hot ribs.
After ribs have baked for 30 minutes, remove from oven and brush with sauce, then slide back in oven and continue baking for 1 hour. Open oven and baste with more sauce occasionally, and flip ribs several times.
If grilling, preheat grill to high and put ribs on grilling pan. Place ribs on hot grill with meat side up. Grill 5 minutes, turn, grill 5 more minutes, brushing with sauce before flipping both times.
If you are not grilling, set ribs under broiler on high (or on grill pan on top of stove) and cook 5 minutes, turn, grill 5 more minutes, brushing with sauce before flipping both times.
Heat reserved sauce in separate pan and serve as a dipping sauce with the ribs.
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1 Tbsp onion, minced
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp salt
dash pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly butter or grease a small casserole dish.
Put eggs, sour cream, butter, flour, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine well.
Add spinach and onion and mix until combined.
Turn mixture into greased casserole.
Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until firm and the center is solid (the eggs will be set).
Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
1/2 medium breadfruit
1/2 cup water
4 cups Water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour (and 3 Tbsp cold water to blend)
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Remove the skin and heart from the breadfruit and cut into small pieces.
Put pieces in blender with 1/2 cup water and blend into a puree consistency, adding more water if needed.
Heat 4 cups water to boiling and add pureed breadfruit, then add salt, and continue boiling gently, for about 5 minutes, until well blended and smooth; stir frequently.
In small glass bowl, put flour and whisk in cold water until flour is smooth.
Slowly drizzle flour mixture into boiling breadfruit porridge, stirring constantly until porridge thickens.
Once thick, remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.
Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with sliced fruit or a drizzle of honey on top.
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 to 4 cups cold water
Start by making a ‘simple syrup’ by combining the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan, heat to boiling, then turn down and simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks ‘syrupy.’
Squeeze enough lemons to get 1 cup of juice (about 6 or so should do it.)
Pour the juice in a pitcher and add the syrup.
Pour in 3 cups cold water, taste and pour if more if desired.
Put in refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Transport to picnic in closed pitcher and bring ice to pour over in each glass. Bring lemon slices for garnish if you wish.
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