Monday, July 25, 2005
Enjoy the benefits of eating fruit
Drinking orange juice at breakfast and apple juice in the afternoon are great ways to get more servings of fruit into your diet. But trading in a glass of juice for a piece of fruit adds more fiber to your diet while making you feel full longer for fewer calories and less sugar. Some fruits even have additional vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and more when they are eaten whole. For a snack, try a serving or two of fresh fruit with a glass of water or milk instead of a glass of juice.
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Summer Fruit Bowl
3 large peaches, peeled and cut into chunks
1-1/2 cups blueberries
1-1/2 cups sliced strawberries
2 medium bananas, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sauce:
1 cup vanilla yogurt, regular or reduced fat
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
In a large bowl, toss fruit in lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix yogurt and concentrate. Put fruit in a large glass bowl or divide evenly between 6 small bowls or parfait glasses. Drizzle sauce over fruit. Makes 6 servings.
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Creamy Fruit Dip
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
1 8-ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Assorted fresh fruit
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in marshmallow creme. Stir in whipped topping. Serve with fruit. Store in the refrigerator. Makes about 20 servings.
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Low-Fat Mango Peach Shake
1 cup diced mango
1 small peach, pitted and quartered
1 cup vanilla sorbet
1/2 cup low fat milk
Put mango and peach in a blender and process till smooth. Add sorbet and milk and blend until ingredients are thoroughly mixed and serve. Makes 1 to 2 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
To get children to eat more fruit, add fruit to foods that already are their favorites. Slice a banana or a peach on top of cereal, add fruit to milkshakes, and top salads with orange and berry slices.
Since we tend to eat more fruit when it tastes good, try shopping for fresh, in-season produce whenever possible. That means looking for peaches, plums, melons, and berries in the summer and grapes, pears, and apples in the fall. When fruit is not in season, use frozen fruit as they often are as nutritious as fresh.
When you do buy fruit juice, look for those that contain 100% fruit juice instead of those that contain added sugar.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Appetizers and Snacks • Beverages • Desserts and Treats • (0) Contributions • Permalink
Monday, July 18, 2005
When it comes to garlic, fresh is best
The flavor of garlic may be one of the most imitated, with stores offering choices of garlic powder, granulated garlic, garlic flakes, and more. But as with most ingredients, fresh is best and brings more flavor to a variety of recipes.
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Salsa Picante
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 cup cilantro sprigs
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 14.5-ounce canned tomatoes, undrained
1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
Juice of 1 lime
Place onion, green pepper, cilantro, garlic, and undrained tomatoes in a food processor and process until minced. Combine onion mixture, drained tomatoes and lime juice in a medium bowl; stir until well blended. Makes about 5 cups.
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Garlic Mashed Potatoes
5 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
15 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup cream or half-and-half
Place potatoes, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan; add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes; drain. Transfer potatoes and garlic to a mixing bowl; mash. Add butter, cream and remaining salt; beat until smooth. Makes 6 servings.
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Garlic Chicken
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a saucepan over low heat, warm the garlic and olive oil to blend the flavors; set aside. In a separate dish, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip the chicken breasts in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, about 30 to 35 minutes. For best results, check doneness with a meat thermometer. Chicken breasts should register 170 degrees. Makes 4 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
When buying garlic, look for firm cloves with dry skin and no shoots. Store garlic in a cool, dry place. If your garlic has a green or yellow sprout in the middle of it, remove the sprout.
To easily peel garlic, place it on a cutting board and then carefully press down on it with the broad side of a large knife. The skin will split, allowing you to remove it without difficulty.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Appetizers and Snacks • Main Dishes • Side Dishes • (0) Contributions • Permalink
Monday, July 11, 2005
Celebrate National Ice Cream Day with homemade toppings
Few things complete a summer day like ice cream, so what better month than July for National Ice Cream Month and what better day than this Sunday for National Ice Cream Day. As this day approaches, think of recognize it by eating ice cream topped with homemade sauce.
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Caramel Ice Cream Sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup half and half
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in half and half, water and corn syrup until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla; stir until butter is melted. Serve warm or cold over ice cream. Makes about 1 cup.
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For a sugar-free sauce, skip the sugar and stir in the equivalent sugar substitute with the vanilla after removing from heat.
Fat-Free Hot Fudge Sauce
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small saucepan stir together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and evaporated skim milk. Cook and stir constantly until sauce is bubbly and thick. Cook and stir two minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
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Since the sweetness of strawberries varies, taste before serving. If more sugar is needed, add a tablespoon or two of confectioners’ sugar and mix well.
Simple Strawberry Sauce
2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Place strawberries in a saucepan and mash slightly with a fork or potato masher. Remove about 1/4 cup of the strawberries’ juice; mix with cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and set aside. Add the sugar to the berries and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve warm or cold over ice cream. Makes about 2 cups.
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Pantry Pointers
Whenever possible, don’t store ice cream in the freezer door. The texture of the ice cream may suffer from the temperature changes that occur in this area every time the door opens.
Use your imagination when choosing ice cream toppings. Unusual but tasty choices include pretzels, vanilla wafers, animal crackers, and gummy bears.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
Monday, July 04, 2005
Stay cool by cooking slow
A string of hot days can leave you with a dinner dilemma. Eating out and grilling are good options, but these choices can become tiresome. For a change of pace without using the oven, break out your slow cooker. It creates very little heat and does the cooking for you whether you’re busy working or enjoying a lazy summer day.
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Slow Cooker Saucy Sausage
8 4-ounce links fresh Italian sausage
1 26-ounce jar spaghetti sauce
1 large green pepper, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
Place the sausage links, spaghetti sauce, green pepper and onion into a slow cooker; stir to coat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve on sandwich rolls or over rice. Makes 6 servings.
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Slow Cooker Pork Chops
4 pork chops
1 16-ounce jar sauerkraut, undrained
Place the chops in the bottom the slow cooker and pour the sauerkraut over the top. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2-inch strips
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 beef bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker. Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Makes 6 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
A slow cooker works by simmering at low temperatures. The heat is lost easily, so don’t remove the lid unless necessary. Every time the cover comes off, you lose heat that is equal to 30 minutes of cooking time.
Root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes can cook more slowly than meat. To avoid undercooking these vegetables, cut them no bigger than 1-inch pieces and place them on the bottom of the slow cooker with the meat on top of them.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com