Raspberry Orange Ginger Swirl

Recipe Redux this month is spotlighting beverages. Have you been noticing a lot of drinks popping up in your Pinterest feed? Well, you want to add this one, too. Just as the name suggests, it's a lovely mix of frozen raspberries, oranges, and just a bit of ginger. It tastes like sunlight in the middle of winter.

Even my baby couldn't get enough of it. See?

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 1/2 C fresh orange juice
2 frozen bananas
1/4 tsp ginger
1 C frozen raspberries
1/2 C water

Directions
1. Blend together orange juice, bananas, and ginger. Pour into a small pitcher or liquid measuring cup.
2. Next, blend the raspberries and water together. (You don't have to clean out the blender prior to mixing.)
3. Pour some of the orange mixture into the two cups you'll be serving it in, until they are a little over half full. Pour the raspberry mixture evenly into both.
4. Pour the remaining orange mixture in the cups. Use a shish kebab stick (or whatever you have on hand) to gently blend the two together so the raspberry mixture shows through the sides of the cup. Serve immediately.
 You can also try this Mango Blueberry Swirl.

An InLinkz Link-up

Whole Grain Pear-Ginger Muffins

This is some of what we saw on a quick drive yesterday! A very pretty time of year. This world is such a pretty place.


We are enjoying the changing colors on the trees. We enjoyed a really pretty drive up in the mountains. It was a beautiful weekend. We had some nice family time together. I also believe in prayers and miracles. My son lost his expensive tennis racket after his tournament. We were praying so hard that some one would be honest and find it. Sunday he got a phone call. Someone had the missing racket. We have said many prayers of thanks. Miracles are happening everyday. Life is Sweet! :)

It is always fun to try out new versions of muffins. This recipe is no exception. I have never had pears in muffins before. I got the idea from a recipe I found in a Better Homes and Garden magazine. Pears were a nice addition to my muffins. They are similar to having pieces of apple in it but sweeter. The fresh ginger in them was a nice addition as well. This is a nice time of year to have wonderful muffins to eat. You could freeze some too. The wonderful part about these muffins is they are loaded with great things for you as well. :) Check out this great way to store your apples this season.

Ingredients:

2 C whole grain flour
2 C old fashioned oatmeal
5 T honey or 6 T packed brown sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger or 1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg * optional
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 C milk or kefir or yogurt
1/2 C water
1/2 C coconut oil or 2/3 C of another oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 C pears chopped in small pieces
1/2 C chopped nuts almonds, walnuts, or pecans

Directions: Makes 2 dozen Grease muffin pans

1. Measure and pour all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir together with a wire whisk.

2. In another bowl put, milk, water, oil and eggs. Beat till all combined.

3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture. and stir with wire whisk till all combined.

4. Then fold in the pears and nuts.

5. Scoop the batter into greased muffin pans. Bake at 400 15 to 18 min or till lightly golden.

6. Let cool 5 min and then put on wire cooling racks to cool. Enjoy!

*They taste even better the next day!

Ginger Mahi Mahi Glazed

Oh, I can't get enough of this time of year. I have spent a lot of time being outside this week. It is so nice to have it warm again, and the blue sky, and sunshine are fantastic. Every morning I wake up and see blue sky it makes me want to sing. There is something peaceful about the summer morning they invigorate me. I enjoy getting up early to enjoy them. It is a great time of year.
This was also part of the Father's Day feast. I went all out. My husband is a sweetie, and always makes an amazing feast for Mother's Day, so I wanted to make a nice meal for him as well. This marinade could be used on any kind of fish. I think the marinade adds to the fish experience. It also helps to have my family more interested in eating it, and that is a good thing too. :)

Ingredients:
1/4 C honey
4 T balsamic vinegar or plain vinegar
1/4 C soy sauce
1 T grated ginger or 2 tsp dried ginger
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 T olive oil
4-6 6 oz Mahi Mahi fillets

Directions:
1. In a bowl or blender blend up the marinade.

2. I then put the fish in a large zip lock, and poured the marinade on top.

3. I started it 24 hours ahead of time. I shook up the bag a couple times during the 24 hour period.

4. Heat up a barbecue or skillet (put in a little oil to help it not to stick) Bake 5-7 min on each side.
5. You could heat up the remaining marinade in a saucepan, and add 1 T Of thickener (cornstarch or Ultra gel) and serve it over the fish or rice.

Enjoy a wonderful weekend!

Whole Grain Carrot and Orange and Spice Muffins

I love lot of different muffins, especially when they are healthy. :) I got inspired about trying some carrot muffins, after reading this blog. She has some yummy ideas. These are a tasty treat, and healthier than carrot cake. I was pleased how light they were with whole grains in them. :)

Ingredients: Made 35 mini muffins

3 C whole grain flour*
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh grated ginger or ground
1/2 C coconut oil
1/3 C honey
2/3 C milk
4 T orange juice unsweetened
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp orange zest
1/2 unsweetened shredded coconut * optional
2 C grated carrots

Directions: Heat oven to 375
1. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda,cinnamon, and ginger.
2. In a separate bowl cream the oil, honey, and eggs. Then add the milk, juice, zest, and vanilla. Stir in carrots. Stir dry ingredients into wet mixture. Don't over stir.
3. Scoop into greased muffin pan. Place pan in preheated oven. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or till golden. Cooking time will depend on muffin size.
* (I ground up 3 C spelt, 2 C kamut, 1 C buckwheat, 1 C brown rice, 1 C oat groats. I had extra left over to use in other cooking.)

Sweet and Sour Chicken and Brown Rice

I took dinner to a friend. It is always hard to know what to make. I decided on this. It is always nice when it goes over well with my family. I feel like there is a good chance the family I took it to, will like it as well. I hope so! :) I am a big fan of sweet and sour. How about you?

Ingredients:

Brown Rice cooked
(I used the pressure cooker. I put 2 cloves of garlic, 2 T fresh marjoram, 2 1 /2 C Brown Rice, 5 C water, 1 T lavender mix. Cooked it for 20 min and let it cool down for 10 min. perfect! Added salt and pepper at the end. You can cook it in a Rice cooker, or how ever works best for you! ) *optional you could add a finely chopped onion.

1 1/2 to 2 lbs chicken tenders (They are on sale this week at Sunflower Market $1.99 lb)
1/2 C soy sauce (I am going to try to cut the soy sauce down to 1/3 C nest time)
1 to 1 1/2 C water
3 to 4 T lemon juice
1/4 to 1/3 C honey
4 fresh basil leaves dried basil 1 tsp
3 to 4 garlic cloves minced
1 T fresh ginger 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp thyme
1 onion chopped up fine
1 leek cut in small pieces
1 orange pepper chopped in small pieces

1. While the rice is cooking. I put the chicken in the pan to cook. You could put in a little water. Maybe a 1/4 C put on the lid. Let it cook a few minutes.

2. Then take off the lid and add the remaining ingredients, Stir it all,till its all combined. I then put the lid back on and let it cook on med to low for about 30 min. Letting all the flavors combine. I then used a pair of kitchen shears and cut the chicken into small pieces.

3. Then I mixed the mixture with the cooked rice. I didn't even have to add any thickener. It combined well and was a nice texture. Salt and pepper as needed. Enjoy

*You could add some other colored peppers to make it more colorful. :)
* You could also not mix them and just pour the chicken mixture over the rice.
*This was so good for lunch the next day! =)

Chicken or Steak Marinade

I didn't end up getting a picture. Sorry! I love trying new variations for marinades for meat. This one is a great one. It added a great flavor to the meat. :) It could work well with fish too. It is a great way to use some of those spices and herbs, I have been talking about. (ginger and garlic.)

Ingredients:

2 T fresh ginger grated or 2 tsp ground ginger
1 bunch of green onions chopped
1/2 C soy sauce
2 T honey
6 T fresh lemon juice
2 T olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T sesame seeds
3 garlic cloves minced


Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together, until well blended. Rub it all over the meat. Put in the fridge for at least 30 min. The longer the marinade time the better. I had it in about 6 hours. Then grill, or cook according to your preference. Enjoy! Great flavor!

*I cooked the leftover marinade, (heating it on the stove for 5 min at least) and poured it over the meat when it was all done.

Spices (Cinnamon, Ginger & Cardamom)

*Image NutmegSpiceCo.com

In the recent years my enjoyment of herbs and spices has increased. I have noticed how much seasoning adds to the foods I am making. I was talking to my sister about it. She was saying she noticed when she went on a cruise, the food was very salty. She was saying it is a cheap way to prepare food. I know seasoning is a very personal thing. I like a lot of seasoning. My daughter said her husband prefers things more bland. There is not a right or wrong answer it comes down to personal preference. The cool thing is that it can enhance your food as well as having benefits for your health. I find as I increase the spices in my foods, I can cut down on my sweeteners. :) Yes!

A friend asked me to write some info. on spices so here goes. Here is some information that I have found in my research.

*Image shespeaksbarkblogspot.com
Cinnamon:Can help with...
1. keeping your arteries healthy
2. mange blood sugar levels (supports natural production of insulin.
3. lowering Cholesterol
4. improving the circulation
5. anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting
6. antioxidant activity (richest source of all the spices)
*Suggested to take 1/4 tsp a day

Great ways to use it:
1. Add some to your oatmeal in the morning
2. I have been adding it to our green drink in the morning. Yum!
3. Add to your hot cocoa
4. Add to your baked goods
5. Put on your sweet potato or cooked carrots
6. Stir into your peanut butter

Image chefpriyanka.com

Ginger: Can help with...

1. digestive problems
2. colds and coughs
3. nausea and vomiting, and morning sickness (really helps)
4. Motion sickness (really works)
5. Powerful antioxidant
6. relaxing blood vessels
7. stimulate blood flow and relive pain
6. anti-inflammatory-that helps to fight, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer and arthritis.

Ways to use it:

1. Buy fresh ginger and grate into baked goods and salad dressing.
2. You can chew on a small piece of fresh ginger.
3. You can buy ginger chews or ginger pills.
4. Add to a stir fry or vegetables.
5. Cut off a fresh piece off and add to hot water for a refreshing drink.

* I love the calming effect on my stomach.
* If you buy the candied ginger make sure ginger is listed as one of the ingredients. Sometimes they add a ginger substitute.
*Stays fresh the longest if you store fresh ginger in the freezer. Just break off as needed.

*Image Buzzle.com

Cardamom comes from the ginger family and can help with...

1. stimulating digestion and relive indigestion. (Heart burn and bloating)
2. bad breath- gum infections
3. coping with diabetes (if you chew a whole cardamom)
4. improving appetite, metabolism and stomach infections
5. kidney functions

Ways to use:

1. It adds a extra flavor to baked goods that is really great!
2. Add to Indian dishes, soups or stews
3. Rice puddings, custards or ice creams
4. fruit salad
5. Chicken rubs or dishes
6. Can add to anything you would add cinnamon to.

Cardamon loses its flavor when ground. Pods lose 40% of flavor in a year. You can add the whole pod to soups and stews. The pod will usually dissolve while cooking. If it doesn't dissolve remove before serving. For baked goods scoop out the seeds from the pods, peel off the green seed covering, and grind in a coffee grinder or smash with something heavy. (I am going to try this. I have only used the already ground so far.)

I will add more spices tomorrow! =)

Meyer Lemon Whole Grain Oatmeal Rolls

I was looking through some old recipes, and found an oatmeal marmalade bread I used to make. I decided to twist it around and use some Meyers lemons, I just got at Wal Mart. As I mentioned before I love the smell of lemons. As I cut one open today, I was in heaven enjoying the smell. I think these would be wonderful with honey butter on them. You could add some zest to the butter too. Jam tastes great too. Just plain with a little butter is a nice way to enjoy on the flavors. They could be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Yum! Here is another recipe with lemons.

*I learned a new tip this week. When You zest your lime, lemon or orange, you should first wash it good with dish soap. I thought that was a great idea.

Recipe: Made 24 rolls
6 T Honey
1 1/2 T yeast
3 1/3 C lukewarm milk
2 2/3 old fashioned oats
1 C Kefir or plain yogurt
1/2 C coconut oil
1/2 C Meyer Lemon juice (You could sub. with reg.lemon or orange)
zest from a Meyer lemon (orange would be yummy too)
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 T salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
9 1/4 C Whole grain flour (combo: oat, kamut and spelt)


Directions:

1. In a bowl combine milk, yeast, oil, honey, kefir, oats and let sit about 30 min or more till nice and bubbly. I did not stir it much, just poured everything in.

2. Pour into bread mixer. Then add the zest, juice, spices and flour. Add the flour till leaves the sides of the bowl. (Don't knead more than 5 min. if you are using spelt. It doesn't do as well over kneaded.) You want the dough to be slightly sticky not dry.

3. Rub oil on your hands. Rub all over the dough. Place in a greased bowl. Cover with a towel. Let rise 30 min.

4. Grease pans. Rub oil on your hands. Form into rolls. (It works well to have oil on the rolls so they stay moist. Place on greased pan. Let rise until double. Preheat oven to 350. Bake till golden about 20 min. Rub some butter on the top of the rolls. Enjoy them hot!

Yummy Gluten Free Ginger Bread Cookies

It is a wonderful time of the year. We have a new grandchild due any day! =) I had my grandson over today, and it was a perfect day to make cookies. We had the Christmas music going, and we had a lot of fun. He loved. it and so did I. He loved licking the spoons after wards. We both had fun wearing aprons too. He is a sweetie. He was happy with the end result, he ate 2 of them. I thought it would be fun to try a gluten free version of gingerbread cookies. I was happy with the outcome. I made them similar to snicker doodles. You could chill the dough and try cutting them out. I love things made with yummy spices. It was a successful day. =) Enjoy this wonderful season.

Ingredients:
3 C oatmeal flour (grind oatmeal in blender till turns to powder)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4T unsalted butter
1/3 C honey
1 egg
1/4 C molasses
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated lemon zest

Directions: heat oven 375

1. In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients together until well blended.

2. In a bowl beat butter, honey and egg until creamy.

3. Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest continue till well blended.

4. Blend in the dry ingredients slowly until smooth.

5. Dough will be sticky. You can refrigerate to harden. I cooked them right away. I rolled them into balls and then in cinnamon and sugar. Place on cookie sheet.

6. Bake about 8-10 min depending on your oven. Also depends how crispy you want them. I them kind of soft. Made about 16 cookies.

* You could add some mini chips them too. Enjoy!