Easy, Healthy Summer Recipes
Chia seeds provide ample calcium and protein to your tissues. The seeds are also rich in boron, which helps the body absorb and use calcium. These seeds provide nutrients that support proper brain functioning.
Cool Fruit Smoothie
- 1 16 ounce bag Hill Country Fare frozen fruit, any flavor
- 2 8 ounce containers plain yogurt
- 1 cup H-E-B premium orange juice
- 1 aerosol container Hill Country Fare whipped topping
- 6 H-E-B Harvest Moon cherries
(Makes 6 servings)
Combine frozen fruit and yogurt in a food processor or blender container. Blend for 10 seconds. Add orange juice and bland for 15 more seconds.
Pour smoothie into glasses and top with Hill Country Fare whipped cream. Top with a cherry and enjoy.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serving Suggestions: Note: For a sweeter tasting smoothie, add fruit flavored yogurt and honey to taste.
This recipe and picture courtsey www.heb.com
Pumpkin-Chia Seed Muffins
Each month four of my bests friends and I get together just to hang out. We love eating, “crafting”, or sightseeing. Dr. Oz, seen regularly on the Oprah show, was one of our topics recently. He shared a Pumpkin-Chia Seed Muffin recipe that was interesting. Chia seeds provide ample calcium and protein to your tissues. The seeds are also rich in boron, which helps the body absorb and use calcium. These seeds provide nutrients that support proper brain functioning. In addition to the healthful benefits, there is the fun part of the Chia seeds. Most of you probably have heard of the “Chia Pets” Yes, these muffins use the same seeds as the fun-to-make pets. So for our next get together we will be eating Pumpkin-Chia Seed Muffins and making our own “Chia Pet”.
- 1 tbsp. Chia seeds, ground (use a coffee or spice grinder)
- 1 cup whole wheat or whole grain flour
- ½ cup white unbleached flour
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 16 oz can organic pumpkin (make sure pumpkin is the only listing on the ingredients list)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all wet ingredients, then add nuts. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and spoon into paper-lined muffin pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Beet Salad with Watercress Drizzle
One of the simplest vegetables to grow in your garden is beets. They grow very well in a hot environment and demand little attention. You can also grow your own watercress. Take one or two pieces from the bunch you bought at the market and place in a jar of water. It will take about ten days to start sprouting, then transplant it to a pot, and keep it in the shade. Place the pot in a saucer of water and change the water every day. Trim the plant often to encourage growth of new shoots.
- 4 medium beets, with root and about 1 inch of the green attached, if possible
- 1/4 cup walnut pieces
- 4 cup watercress, washed well and dried
- 3 ounces reduced-fat soft goat cheese
- 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
Put the beets into a steamer basket over a large pot of boiling water. Cover and steam for about 45 minutes or until beets are tender. Drain and let cool until you can handle them. Cut the ends off the beets and peel them. Cut the beets into a large dice. Put the goat cheese, buttermilk, vinegar, watercress, and salt into a food processor and process until smooth and creamy.
On medium-high heat, toast the walnuts in a dry sauté pan for 3 minutes. Put the beets on a serving dish, drizzle the watercress sauce on top and sprinkle with walnuts.
Whole-Wheat Linguine with Ricotta and Green Beans
If you want to make a healthy and pretty dish at the same time, try this one. This is a simple and a fast recipe that will get you many compliments when you serve it.
- 1 pound whole-wheat linguine
- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound French green beans, trimmed and halved lengthwise
- 2 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup reserved cooking water
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta in a steamer basket and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, put in a large serving bowl, and add the ricotta cheese. Toss the pasta with the cheese to combine. In another bowl, add the olive oil to the green beans, garlic salt, and pepper. Pour this mixture in a large, heavy skillet, and sauté for 4 minutes. Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and continue cooking until tender, about 4 more minutes. Add the pasta with ricotta to the pan with the green beans and toss to combine. Add the tomatoes and gently toss. Transfer to a serving plate.
Chimichurri sauce with Pork Tenderloin
Chimichurri sauce is like having pesto sauce with a few differences. Chimmichurri forgoes the herbal basil for the sharper and snappier parsley. It takes the olive oil but leaves the pine nuts and parmesan for a tiny bit of jalapeno pepper and the taste of lime. It keeps the garlic. Make sure to reserve a little for dipping.
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
- 3 limes, juiced
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each), trimmed of excess fat, patted dry
Combine the garlic, jalapeno, red wine vinegar, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and lime juice in a food processor. Add olive oil while processing. Mix well and set aside at room temperature to allow the flavors to marry. Reserve 1/2 cup of the chimichurri to serve and marinate the pork. Put the pork and marinade in a sealable plastic bag and set aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat an outdoor charcoal grill or oven broiler to high. If you use the “Forman” type grills, they work great!
Remove the pork from the marinade. Drizzle with olive oil and place on the grill. Grill the pork on the hottest part of the barbecue for 4 minutes per side, until well charred. Allow the tenderloin to rest for about 5 minutes prior to slicing. Spoon some chimichurri over the meat, drizzle with lime juice, garnish with parsley, and serve with the remaining sauce at the table.
Steel Cut Oats w/Fruit
Steel cut Oats are 100% whole grain oats that are cut and not rolled for a full, hearty texture with a rich and nutty taste. Because steel cut oats take longer to cook you might try to make up an excuse not to fix them. I have found that cooking them in a crock pot overnight pretty much ensures you a warm and healthy breakfast the next day. Any leftover can be refrigerated and heated up in the microwave.
- 2 cups steel cut oats
- 4 cups Apple juice, water, or milk
- 2 apples chopped
- ¼ cup dried blueberries/cranberries
- ½ cup chopped nuts
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Brown sugar/sweetener or honey to your taste
In a 4 quart crock pot, add two cups of steel cut oats, four cups liquid, two chopped apples, ¼ cup of dried berries, about half a cup of chopped nuts (almonds or walnuts), one teaspoon of cinnamon and cook on low overnight, about 8 hours. Wake up and your breakfast is ready. If it seems a little dry, add some milk to make it creamier. Add sweetener to your taste.
Served as pictured, this dish makes a healthy dessert as well.
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"Easy, Healthy Summer Recipes"
authored by:
Connie Trinkle, hails from Spencer, Indiana. She brings a world of experience “to the table” by serving as chef for a husband, three sons and a daughter. Her down home style recipes are just right for a neighborhood barbecue, or you can toss them int...
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