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Smoothie Madness Recipe: Spinach-Peach Layered Smoothie

 

Return of Smoothie Madness!

spinach peach layered smoothieWe ate so many Kid-Approved Blueberry Kale Smoothies that we used up ALL the blueberries in our freezer. And, worse yet, blueberries are coming into season late this year due to our cool spring.

So we went freezer diving to find smoothie ingredients and found plenty of peaches, put up from last year’s farmer’s market purchases. We buy peaches by the box from Jamison Orchards. Their farm is in Nashville, Arkansas, and they sell at the Gateway Farmer’s Market in Texarkana, as well as to local restaurants. The famous peach pie that appears in the summer time at Bryce’s Cafeteria in Texarkana features Jamison peaches. Their peach orchard goes back generations, and so does Bryce’s Cafeteria, so that pie partnership is likely old and well established.

Jamison Orchard booth at the Gateway Farmer's Market in Texarkana AR

Jamison Orchard booth at the Gateway Farmer’s Market in Texarkana AR

When we have peaches in our veggie delivery bag, they usually come from Jamison Orchard. Here’s your peach grower! I lifted this picture from the Jamison Orchard facebook page. I’m sure, like everyone that runs a facebook page, they would appreciate a few more ‘likes’ so go on over there and show them some love, please :)

Alright – the recipe! Let the Smoothie Madness commence!

Spinach-Peach Layered Smoothie

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups partially thawed frozen peaches

1 ripe banana – frozen is great but I didn’t have that handy and used a fresh one

1/2 c greek yogurt

1 tsp honey – if you need it. We did not add any to this smoothie because our peaches were so sweet! Taste of summer…

1 big handful of washed fresh spinach

Put all the ingredients EXCEPT the spinach into the blender or food processor and mix until smooth.

Pour a bit over half of the peach mixture out into a container – I used a glass measuring cup with a spout for easy pouring.

Add the spinach to the peach smoothie that is left in the blender and mix that all up until it is as smooth as possible.

The layering: Take the glass you intend the serve the smoothie in and pour some peach smoothie into the bottom. Now pour some green smoothie in – this is the tricky part! If you tilt the glass and pour it over to the side, you will get a more visible line of green than if you just plunk it down into the middle. Go slow.

Repeat the layers until your glass is full and enjoy!

If you don’t want to take the trouble to do the layering – just throw it all in the blender and go completely green!

Other recipes in the Smoothie Madness recipe series:

Blueberry-Kale Smoothie

Green Pina-Colada Smoothie

Strawberry, Banana, and Beet Greens Smoothie

Peach and Spinach Layered Smoothie

Peach and Spinach Layered Smoothie

Has all this peach talk got you craving peaches? It is not peach season yet, but it won’t be long! If I still have frozen peaches when the fresh peaches come around, I plan to make jam from the frozen peaches to make room in the freezer. Here is our jam recipe using Pomona’s Pectin – which lets us totally control the amount and type of sweetener we use in our jams and jellies.

Peach Freezer Jam

And here is

Peach Salsa!

Mmmm – peach salsa. I have frozen peaches and lots of cilantro in the garden – that is a fresh salsa recipe but maybe I will make a cooked peach salsa. Yum – now I want that! I will keep you posted ;)

 Shared with Humble Bumble Healthy Tuesday Blog Hop and what i am eating

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Recipe: Homemade Granola Bars

granola bars

granola bars I started making granola bars a couple of years ago for homemade holiday treats – everyone I give these to loves them, and I do too. Really delicious, but a very sweet candy-like bar, not an “I’m on a diet so I only eat low fat, low sugar granola bars” kind of bar.  For an occasional sweet treat, though, these meet my approval. They are made of real food! Oatmeal, coconut, nuts, dried fruit, honey and butter. All good when eaten separately, GREAT when mixed together. And they smell wonderful!

Now, granola bars are basically granola plus a binder.  And granola is whatever you want it to be.  Typically there are oats, and I have tried both the expensive brands of rolled oats like Arrowhead Mills and the cheap store brands, and in granola it really doesn’t make much difference, in my opinion.  However in oatmeal – as in the hot cereal -the pricey brands are worth it, so I save my fancy oats for oatmeal, and buy the cheap kind of old fashioned oats when I make granola.  My daughter loves oatmeal, which she called ‘oakmeal’ when she was younger. I remember once making instant brown sugar oatmeal, and her returning the bowl, saying that “These oaks aren’t very good.”  She is a bit of an oatmeal snob.

So I think any granola recipe would work, just add the binder – with one note – don’t add sugar or oil when you make the granola.  There is plenty of sweet and fat in the binder.  You could also use store-bought granola and just not worry too much about the extra sweetness. If you go that route, based on adding up the quantities in the recipe below, you would need about 4 cups of granola. If you want to add your own mix-ins, just subtract their amount from the granola. Say you wanted to add pecans – add one cup pecans so use  3 cups granola. Theoretically. I have never done it this way but it should work. If anyone tries this, come back and leave a comment telling us how it worked out.

These are a soft chewy bar, not a crunchy dry bar.

Sticky Chewy Honey Butter Homemade Granola Bars

Makes one 8″ square pan of granola bars – how many bars depends on how you cut them up :)  In the pictures I am making a double batch for a bake sale, so I used a 9×13 pan and it worked out fine.

Ingredients:

Oat mixture:

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 c shredded coconut 
1 cup dried fruit
optional: up to 1 cup seeds (sesame, flax, sunflower – any that strike your fancy, or all)

Binder:

1/2 c honey 
1/2 c brown sugar 
1/2 stick butter 
1/2 t salt

 

First start the granola – it will take a while to get really toasty.  Heat the oven to 350F. Toast the oats on their own for about 15 minutes, then add the nuts and coconut, and the seeds if you are using them, and toast for another 15 minutes or so.  Set the timer to remind you to stir/check the mixture every 5 minutes.  It tastes best if you get it really golden brown and toasty, but the coconut and nuts can burn if you forget and leave it for even a few minutes.  Add the fruit after you finish toasting the oat mixture.

When the toasting is complete, put all into a large heatproof bowl.  Metal would be the safest, as we will be adding hot sugar syrup to the mixture.

nice and toasty!

nice and toasty!

 

add the dried fruit after toasting the granola

add the dried fruit after toasting the granola

 

While the granola is toasting in the oven, you can start cooking the honey butter to bind the bars together – or if you are using store bought granola just go straight to this step.

In a medium sauce pan, stir together the ingredients for the binder. Here they are again.

1/2 c honey
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/2 t salt

Bring to a boil over low-medium heat, and allow to cook at a low boil, gently, for 5 minutes or so.  If it doesn’t boil long enough, the bars will still be delicious, but may fall apart a bit. We are caramelizing the sauce somewhat, I guess. I told you, these are candy-like ;)

ingredients for the honey butter binding mixture

ingredients for the honey butter binding mixture

Take the honey mix off the heat and let it cool a little, 5 minutes or so.  PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS STUFF – IT IS A 3RD DEGREE BURN WAITING TO HAPPEN – NO KIDS SHOULD BE UNDERFOOT WHEN YOU ARE COOKING THIS OR POURING THE SYRUP INTO THE BOWL.  OK, I’m serious, just be careful.

Pour the syrup onto the granola and turn and stir until it is well covered.

add the honey butter syrup CAREFULLY to the granola in a heat proof bowl

add the honey butter syrup CAREFULLY to the granola in a heat proof bowl

all mixed up!

all mixed up!

Pour mixture into an 8 inch square pan, lined with plastic wrap.  In this picture I have the pan lined with foil, because I ran out of plastic wrap – oops! I do NOT recommend the foil – it is very sticky and hard to remove. Definitely run to the store and get plastic wrap before you get started. Waxed paper will not work either.

Put a sheet of plastic wrap over the top, then press down firmly until the stuff is flat and packed into the pan. Pay special attention to pressing around the edges – it will be crumbly there when you cut them up if it is not pressed down well.

press the granola mixture down firmly into the pan

press the granola mixture down firmly into the pan

let the granola bar mixture cool and firm up for several hours or overnight

let the granola bar mixture cool and firm up for several hours or overnight

Let the mixture cool for several hours or overnight. Cool it in the fridge if you are in a hurry.

Lift the whole slab out of the pan onto a cutting surface and remove the plastic wrap. Cut the bars with a big heavy knife in whatever shapes you like – I usually do bar shapes, but for the bake sale I did squares.

cut up the bars with a heavy knife

cut up the bars with a heavy knife

 

It is worth the trouble to wrap each bar with plastic wrap, so you can grab one and slip it in your pocket.  Much better than fast food when you are caught away from home and longing for a snack.

cooking for a cause - the annual Arkansas Food Blogger Bake Sale

cooking for a cause – the annual Arkansas Food Blogger Bake Sale

all packed up and ready for the bake sale!
all packed up and ready for the bake sale!

 

These bars went out to the Arkansas Food Blogger Bake Sale, which will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2013. Here is the official bake sale page.

The sale will be held adjacent to the Argenta Certified Arkansas Farmers’ Market
7th and Main, North Little Rock, on Saturday, May 4, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Proceeds benefit No Kid Hungry, so if you are in the central part of the state, please go there and buy generously.

Thank you!

Shared with Real Food Wednesday ,  Kelly the Kitchen Kop, what i am eating

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Recipe: Kale with Smoked Sausage

kale with smoked sausage

kale with smoked sausage

Recipe: Kale with Smoked Sausage

It’s a stretch to call this a “recipe” but nonetheless here it is.

Ingredients

Kale

Salt

Smoked sausage

Wash and coarsely chop the kale, set aside.  Slice the sausage and fry in a medium hot pan until it begins to brown. Take the sausage out of the pan and set aside. Add the kale to the pan and saute until it wilts down and gets tender. Put in a pinch of salt. Add a couple tablespoons of water if you need it, but not too much – this dish is not juicy. When kale is done to your taste then add the sausage back to the pan with the kale. Continue to stir and toss the kale and sausage around until everything is piping hot. Enjoy!

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On the menu this week: March 25, 2013

this week's veggie bags

this week’s veggie bags

On the menu this week: March 25, 2013, and Sauteed Baby Beet Greens

  • Green Onions

  • Lettuce ‘Buttercrunch’

  • Cauliflower 

  • Chard ‘Sunshine Mix’

  • Kale ‘Rainbow Lacinato’

  • Baby Beet Greens

  • New Potatoes ‘Yukon Gold’ and ‘Red Pontiac’

  • Farm fresh eggs

Sautéed Baby Beet Greens

The baby beet greens are washed and ready to use – sauté as in the recipe below or enjoy fresh in salad.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 t olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 handfuls (6 oz) baby beet greens (beet tops)
  • 1 t balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 t sea salt, finely ground
  • 1/2 t fresh cracked black pepper

METHOD

1 Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

2 Add garlic and beet greens and cook for about two minutes (just until wilted), stirring to ensure even cooking.

3 Add vinegar, salt and pepper and cook for one minute more.

This recipe is from the blog The Root Cellar’s Garden

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Strawberry, Banana, and Beet Greens Smoothie

Smoothie Madness, DAY 3

Strawberry, Banana, and Beet Green Smoothie

Strawberry, Banana, and Beet Green Smoothie

Strawberry, Banana, and Beet Greens Smoothie

This would have been better if I had more strawberries.  And to be honest, although I dearly love beet greens, these were the least tasty in a smoothie of all the kinds of greens we tried during SMOOTHIE MADNESS. Yesterday’s St. Patrick’s Day Green Pina Colada Smoothie had spinach and the day before we had a Blueberry Kale Smoothie.

Recipe:

1 1/2 c frozen strawberries

2 bananas (can be frozen)

1/2 c greek yogurt

1 1/2 c baby beet greens with stems (or spinach would be a good substitution)

2 t honey

Whiz it up in the food processor or blender and enjoy. There are visible green bits in this smoothie.

 

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Green Pina Colada Smoothie for St. Patrick’s Day

Smoothie Madness!

spinach makes this pina colada smoothie GREEN for St. Patrick's Day

spinach makes this pina colada smoothie GREEN for St. Patrick’s Day

Delicious! This is a very rich and yummy smoothie.

Green Pina Colada Smoothie for St. Patrick’s Day

1 cup frozen pinapple chunks (I had fresh pineapple that I put in the freezer, but you could freeze canned pineapple for this)

1 frozen banana

2 cups fresh spinach

1/2 can coconut milk, stirred up

1/2 c plain greek yogurt

1 t honey, if needed (I would have been happy without it, but it was yummy once I added it)

That’s it! Whiz it in the blender or food processor till smooth and eat it up.

SMOOTHIE MADNESS? See yesterday’s blueberry kale smoothie here.  What smoothie will tomorrow bring? I am thinking something with beet greens…

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Recipe: Blueberry Kale Smoothie

blueberry kale smoothie

Blueberry Kale Smoothie

There are a bunch of kids over here today, enjoying the warm spring weather of the first glorious Saturday of spring break. They are red cheeked and sweating – also dirty. I offered them a snack of a blueberry smoothie and 5 out of 6 kids accepted without hesitation – so I guess “blueberry smoothie” sounds good to kids. Four out of 5 kids then came back asking for seconds, so I take that to mean they liked it – GOOD!!! I did not tell them it had kale – just that it was a blueberry smoothie. None of them had any negative comments about taste or appearance, even though I could see a tiny green speck here and there. The blueberry is very dark, so that helps to disguise the kale bits.  This smoothie is packed with healthful fruits and veggies – both blueberries and kale are “superfoods.” I am currently on the outs with my blender, so I made this in the food processor and it was really easy.

This smoothie got us started on a smoothie kick – I posted the three best smoothies of the week as “Smoothie Madness”  - here is day 2 Green Pina Colada Smoothie for St. Patrick’s Day and day 3 Strawberry Banana and  Beet Green Smoothie. Enjoy!

Recipe:

1/2 c greek yogurt (I used plain chobani)

1 c frozen blueberries

1 banana

1/2 a small bundle of kale – about 6-7 leaves, no stem

2 t honey

1/4 c water

Dump it in, mix it till it is smooth and kale disappears. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, blend again to incorporate, then dish out into glasses for the kiddos.

That amount made one round for 4 kids (maybe 2-2 1/2 cups total?) – I had to do a second batch to have enough for myself and the fifth kid plus seconds for those who wanted it.

Enjoy! Maybe this will even be a way for you to eat your kale!

these glasses were filled with blueberry kale smoothies before the kids gobbled them up ;)

these glasses were filled with blueberry kale smoothies before the kids gobbled them up ;)

 

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Roasted Broccoli

2013-03-10 19.06.35

broccoli florets, cut and tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt – ready to go in the oven

 

Roasted Broccoli

Well, the printed version of this recipe that I slipped in the bag this week for my Sunshine for Dinner veggie subscribers has a major flaw, and for that I apologize. I managed to leave out one of the main ingredients – lemon juice. Whoops. Folks, please add in the juice of half a lemon when you are tossing the broccoli florets with the olive oil. It tastes amazing!

Here is the full, correct (I hope!) version of the recipe. This is pretty much straight up the same recipe that can be found on the site Simply Recipes – my favorite place online to find recipes.

INGREDIENTS

  • Fresh broccoli, cut into florets
  • Olive oil, 2-3 T
  • Minced garlic, 2-3 cloves
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Parmesan cheese

METHOD

1 Heat oven to 425F

2 Toss broccoli, olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl till evenly distributed.

3 Spread out evenly in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Top with freshly ground pepper and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese

2013-03-10 13.21.55

 

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This week’s Farm Fresh Links – July 18, 2012

Food Righteousness

Ouch! Grist turns the tables on our smug reactions to the report that ties bladder infections to factory farmed poultry – “Glad I eat homegrown birds!” was a common reaction I saw on Facebook, and one that I myself felt.  And I am still glad that I limit my family’s intake of factory farmed chicken to almost nothing, but I am taking this reminder to heart – let’s keep working to change the system, even if we have limited our own impact from the system.  Thanks, Grist!

http://grist.org/food/me-you-and-everything-we-eat-does-food-righteousness-hinder-systematic-change/

 

Recipe – Simple Cooked Salsa

This simple salsa recipe is scaled down to just make a bowl of salsa to eat, not for making gallons of salsa from bushels of tomatoes.  I found the recipe too salty, so wait until the salsa has cooked and thickened, then taste for salt.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/simple_cooked_tomato_salsa/

 

Essential Kitchen Tool – Knife Sharpener

This knife sharpener was a surprise winner in a Cook’s Illustrated product testing a few years ago.  I bought one after reading their review, and it has been one of the most useful items in my kitchen ever since.  I keep it in the knife drawer and swipe my knife through it a couple of times almost every time I use it.  Cheap, simple, durable – I wish every tool I own worked as well.  If you are in Texarkana, you can buy one at Dot’s Ace Hardware on Richmond Road.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1277730#

 

Recipe – Melon Cooler

This one is on my “to try” short list – next week if the market is still swimming in cantaloupes, I am making this! I will let you know how it turns out.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Melon-Coolers-354505#

 

Gardening tips

Even though it is just now getting to the hottest months of the summer, now is the time to think about the fall garden.  Mother Earth News is always an inspiration.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/fall-garden-zm0z11zmat.aspx

 

Follow our Sunshine for Dinner – Farm Fresh Links board on Pinterest!

 

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Sunshine Tomato Salad recipe

Sunshine Tomato Salad recipe…

 

For a platter salad, use slicing tomatoes and cut very thin.  Lay in a single layer, and top with a drizzle of olive oil, salt to taste, finely minced garlic and fresh basil.  Serve either chilled or room temp.

For a layered salad in a pretty clear glass container, do the same but stack the tomatoes with each layer dressed with the seasonings.

To use cherry tomatoes, just cut each one in half and dress with the seasonings.  Serve as a side dish.

Leftovers (if there are any!) are wonderful on a sandwich.

If you lack fresh basil, just leave it out – the salad will still be delicious.  Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to replace with dried basil!

 

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