Dark Fruitcake For The Holidays or Any Time of Year

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A sinfully delicious fruitcake that you can enjoy during the holidays or any other time of the year.

16 oz Citron, candied – (or candied fruit-and peels)
8 oz Cherries, candied
1 c Raisins, dark
1 c Raisins, golden
1 1/3 c Calmyra figs, cut -into pieces
1 1/3 c Dates (pitted), cut -into small slices
1 1/2 c Pecan halves – (or walnut halves -if necessary)
1/2 c Brandy
3 c Flour (white)
2 t Baking powder
2 t Salt
1 T Cinnamon, ground
1 t Nutmeg, ground
1 t Allspice, ground
1 t Cloves, ground
4 Eggs
1 3/4 c Brown sugar, packed
1 c Orange juice
3/4 c Butter, melted – (cooled)
1/4 c Molasses, light – (treacle)

Mix fruits together in a bowl.  Pour brandy over fruits. Turn fruit
mixture over every 20 minutes.  Soaking time is a matter of taste, but two
hours is typical.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Prepare tube pan: grease sides and bottom.

Line bottom and sides with greased brown paper.

In a very large bowl, mix flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Stir until spices are evenly blended throughout.

In a third bowl beat eggs until fluffy. Add brown sugar, orange juice, molasses and butter. Mix, making sure that all the sugar dissolves.

Pour off any liquid from fruit mixture and add the fruit and the nuts to
the dry ingredients.

Mix until all fruit pieces are coated. Then pour in the liquids and mix gently until you have an evenly-mixed batter.

Pour batter into pan and bake at 300 degrees F. for 1 hour.  Cover pan with
foil and bake for 1 hour more or until toothpick inserted in center comes
out clean.

Cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. Peel off paper
very carefully.

Put cake in cake tin lined with foil.  For the next 3 to 4 weeks, sprinkle
a little brandy over cake twice a week.

Keep cake covered and store the tin in the refrigerator.  If you prefer to omit the brandy, cover top of cake with very thin slices of apple instead.

Green Bean Casserole Alternative – Green Beans And Pecan Salad

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With Thanksgiving around the corner we’re all looking for the ubiquitous green bean casserole recipe. Here’s a different green bean dish that is sure to become a new Thanksgiving tradition for your family!

Green Beans And Pecan Salad – An Alterntive To Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

For the pecans:

2 tablespoons corn oil
2 cups shelled pecan halves.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup lemon juice(freshly squeezed (2 to 3 whole lemons)
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cup corn oil
1/3 cup walnut oil
salt & pepper to taste.
2 pounds green beans)

Instructions:

Heat peanut oil over medium heat.
Add pecans and salt to taste.

Toast lightly, stirring constantly. (Nuts cook quickly, be careful not to burn them).
Whisk lemon juice, sugar, and mustard together, then slowly drizzle in corn and walnut oil until emulsified.

Add salt and pepper to taste. (Or, use a hand-blender to make the whole thing go quicker and emulsify better).

Trim beans and cut into 3 inch lengths.
Place in a microwavable serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap, leaving a slight space for steam to escape.

Steam until crisply tender. (You may also use a regular steamer.)
Rinse with water to arrest the cooking process.
Drain thoroughly.
Lightly coat the beans with the dressing, adding only as much dressing as you need, and toss in the nuts. Adjust the salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Easy Seafood Recipes For The Health Conscious Gourmet

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Most of us are concerned with eating a healthy diet these days and many people are cutting down on red meat consumption. And while we all want to eat healthy we also do not want to have to sacrifice taste to do it. That is why seafood recipes are such an appealing option for the health-conscious gourmet.

We need to realize that cooking seafood is not the same as cooking red meat. There is a lot more to it. The temperature has to be just right and if you overcook your seafood it will likely become tough and rubbery. On the other hand, if you undercook seafood, it will not even be safe to eat. Every seafood recipe has to be done in just the right way, or else all you are doing is wasting delicious and valuable ingredients.

It’s a good idea to encourage children to eat fish from an early age and parents can be cunning in how it is presented! One of the best places to start is with seafood salad recipes. The great thing about a seafood salad is that it is so easy to make. For shrimp salad, for example, all you have to do is boil the shrimp, put it on some nice iceberg lettuce, add whatever vegetables you need, and you are ready for a delicious meal. A good tartar sauce and some lemon is the perfect way to do it in my opinion, but anything will work. It is just a matter of personal taste.

Hot Artichoke Seafood Salad

14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and f; inely choppe
2 cup mayonnaise
2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup fresh crab meat, drained and picke; d, through
1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1 assorted crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally grease a 1 1/2 quart glass baking dish. Combine artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, cheese, crab meat, and Tabasco sauce. Mix well and spoon into the baking dish.

Top with almonds. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until hot. Serve on crackers.

Emerald Seafood Salad

1/2 lb scallops; washed well
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup water
1 sprig parsley
1/2 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 peppercorns
1/2 lb shrimp; cooked
1 large red apple; skinned, cored, and dice
1/2 small sweet red onion; thinly slid
2 large kiwi fruits; peel, sliced
1/2 cup walnut halves
1 bunch spinach; wash, trim

VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place scallops in saucepan with wine and water. Put parsley, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tie together.

Add to scallops in saucepan. Poach scallops gently over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove scallops. Allow to cool.

Combine scallops with shrimp, apple, onion, kiwi fruit and walnuts. Combine dressing ingredients in a screw top jar. Shake to mix. Pour salad dressing over salad.

Toss well. Serve over a bed of spinach. Serve with fresh French bread.

Another great seafood recipe is baked salmon. Baked fish is relatively easy to make. You have to watch the fish and make sure that the temperature is right, but there is not more to it than that. Most baked seafood recipes are really improved by the addition of some herb-infused olive oil. You can use basil, fennel, or whatever else you like. Sautee the herbs in oil on low heat while the fish is baking. Then all you have to do is drizzle it on top once the fish is done.

Baked Salmon In Foil

3 1/2 lb salmon
1 lemon
1 salt and pepper
1 tablespoon oil or softened butter

Lay a piece of silver foil, large enough to wrap the salmon in a very loose parcel, on a baking tray.

If the salmon is to be served hot, grease the foil with the butter, or use the oil if serving the salmon
cold.

Thinly slice the lemon and put about half on the foil. Put the salmon on top, with a few slices of lemon inside and lay the rest of the lemon along the top of the salmon.

Season generously and wrap loosely, making sure the edges are securely folded together so that no steam can escape.

Put into a medium oven at 350F for 10 minutes per pound. If serving hot, take it out of the oven and let it stand for a further 10 minutes. If serving cold, leave the salmon in the foil for two to three hours.

To serve: Unwrap the fish and gently pull off the skin.

Baked Salmon Supper

8 6-8 oz. salmon fillets
1 teaspoon salt
1 cucumber, unpeeled; sliced t
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon dill weed; finely chopped

Rinse the salmon fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Place fillets on a raised rack in a 9″ x 12″ greased baking dish. Sprinkle with salt. Layer thinly sliced cucumber over each fillet.

Stir dill weed into mayonnaise and spread over salmon and cucumber.

Bake in 375 oven for 30 minutes, or until salmon flakes when tested with a fork.

Serve with a fresh Winter Orange salad, steaming baked potatoes topped with a pat of butter and french bread from your local bakery. Serves 8.

Baked Salmon Provencale

4 salmon steaks; 3/4-inch thick
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoon (1 gr) saffron thread
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 pinch sage
2 bay leaves; crushed
1 cup coarsely chopped plum tomato
9 greek olives; pitted;chopped
2 3/4 cup white wine
1 cup fish stock (see recipe)
1 teaspoon herbal salt substitute

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and pat dry salmon steaks.

2. In a large, deep, ovenproof skillet or stovetop casserole over medium-high heat, saute salmon briefly on each side in butter and oil (about 1 minute). Remove to a platter. Add saffron, garlic, tarragon, thyme, sage, bay leaves, tomatoes, olives, wine, fish stock, and salt substitute. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.

3. Add salmon steaks. Remove pan from heat and place in oven. Bake until salmon is lightly pink and done to taste (10 minutes).

4. To serve, place salmon steaks on platter and spoon sauce over them.

Of course, if you are a fan of pasta, seafood recipes are a great way to improve upon your favorite dish. There are dozens of seafood pasta recipes, and each one of them is a meal in itself. That is the beauty of pasta – you do not have to make any sides if you do not want to.

Seafood Pasta Salad

2 cup pasta, tri-colored spiral
1 cup shrimp, cooked
1/3 cup green pepper, diced
1/4 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
1/3 cup white wine worcestershire
1/3 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

* cook pasta according to package directions
** 1 can (6 1/2oz.) tuna, drained and flaked can be used for shrimp.
*** Lea & Perrins White Wine Worcestershire Sauce.

In a mixing bowl, combine pasta, shrimp or tuna, bell pepper, carrots and zucchini. Add Worcestershire, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and toss lightly to combine.

Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Delicious and Versatile Homemade Beef Jerky

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Beef jerky is a popular snack food today, although originally people created beef jerky more out of necessity. When people had a long way to travel or if they had to find a way to keep meat through the winter, they could use beef jerky. Preserved meat would be used on ships, by armies, and by travelers because there was no refrigeration.

Today when we make beef jerky — or any other kind of jerky for that matter — we are more concerned about how to retain the flavor rather than the preservation aspect.

To make jerky, you first cut the meat into strips with the fat removed. The next step is to marinate the meat in a salty, spicy or sweet liquid and then it is dried. The drying can be done artificially or by sun drying. The usual meat used for beef jerky recipes is brisket or round or flank steak. The meat does not have to be refrigerated.

Compared to store bought jerky which are full of artificial preservatives to the point of destroying any semblance to edible food, homemade beef jerky recipes, by contrast, preserve the flavor of the meat intact. When you dry the meat and turn it into beef jerky, it actually intensifies the flavor.

Jerky is normally made from beef but alternatives can include turkey, alligator, ostrich, moose, caribou, elk meat and venison. Fish too can be used, such as tuna or salmon. The smoking or salting preservative methods keep the nutritional value of the food and Beef Jerky recipes are popular with people who are traveling or camping, as they are slow to perish. Commercially produced jerky can be stored for up to a year and home made can be kept for one to two months. The dishes are most commonly found in the USA, Canada and Europe.

Smoked Turkey Jerky

1/2 c Soy sauce; can use light
4 tb Sugar
2 ts Fresh ginger; grated
1 Clove garlic; minced
1 tb Liquid smoke

2 lb Cooked turkey; sliced paper thin (turkey thighs and breasts are best) Mix marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Dip meat slices into marinade. Place dipped meat in layers in a bowl or dish. Pour
remaining marinade sauce over meat. Cover tightly and let marinate in refrigerator for 6 to 12 hours. Rotate layers of meat occasionally. Place in dehydrator until dry. While meat is drying, blot excess oil with paper towel.

The marinade used makes all the difference to the meat and keen cooks can experiment with their own recipes or buy ready made products. Seasonings are important too and often include cayenne pepper, cheese powder or white pepper. One of the classic Beef Jerky recipes includes a marinade with brown sugar, seasoning, Teriyaki Sauce and garlic. Other popular flavors are onion powder, Worcestershire Sauce, soy sauce, dark corn syrup, molasses or liquid smoke.

Classic Beef Jerky

2 lbs round steak (or flank or brisket)
1/4 C. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1/4 tsp. ea. pepper and garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. hickory smoke-flavored salt

Trim and discard fat from meat. Cut meat in 1/8 to 1/4 thick slices. In a bowl combine all but meat. Stir until seasonings dissolve. Add meat and mix thoroughly. Let stand one hour. Shake off excess liquid and put meat slices on oven racks or shallow baking pan. Dry meat at lowest possible oven temp (maybe 180 or 200) until it is brown, hard, and dry. Can take as long as 24 hours.

Marinated Beef Jerky

1 lb Beef; your choice; if not tender cut; slice paper thin; tender cut
slice 1/8 to 1/4″ thick
1/2 ts Pepper
1 ts Onion powder
1/2 ts Garlic salt
3 tb Soy sauce +1 teaspoon; can use light
5 tb Worcestershire sauce

Trim all fat off the beef. Mix other ingredients together. Marinate meat overnight in the mixture. Remove from marinade and pat meat between towels. Line cookie sheet with foil and arrange meat
on it in a single layer. Dry for 8 or more hours at 200~, turning after 6 hours. Cool and store in a tightly covered jar or sealed in plastic bag.

There are regional variations to jerky and some are more spicy than others. Chinese Beef Jerky uses typical Chinese ingredients of dry sherry, honey, ginger, red pepper, soy sauce and white pepper. Blue Ribbon Beef Jerky is a simple blending of soy sauce and Chinese 5-Spice Powder. There is a whisky jerky recipe with a cup of Jack Daniels, ketchup, onion, chili powder, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, thyme and sage. Wisconsin Beef Jerky uses onion powder, sea salt, ground black pepper corns, soy sauce, Worcestershire Sauce and liquid smoke.

Chinese Beef Jerky

3 lb Flank steak – or London broil
Marinade:
1/2 c Light soy sauce
4 1/2 tb Honey
4 1/2 tb Dry Sherry
6 lg Garlic cloves – minced
1 1/2 tb Ginger – fresh, minced
1 1/2 tb Sesame oil
1 1/2 tb Red pepper – crushed
Dash freshly ground white pepper

Cut meat in half lengthwise and slice diagonally crosswise into paperthin strips 1-1/2 to 2 inches wide and 4 inches long. Transfer to shallow pan. Combine marinade ingredients and rub thoroughly into meat. Arrange meat on racks and let dry at cool room temperature overnight (do not refrigerate). Preheat oven to 250 F.

Line two large baking sheets with foil and set wire rack(s) on top of each. Arrange meat on racks in single layer. Bake 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 175 F and continue drying meat another 40 minutes (meat should be lightly browned but not burned). Let meat continue to dry on racks at cool room temperature overnight before packing into jars. Dried meat can be brushed lightly with sesame oil for additional flavour and shine. Makes 36 pieces or 10 buffet servings.

Any taste can be easily accommodated in Beef Jerky recipes. An Indian flavor is attained with ready made curry powder or by blending coriander, turmeric and ground cumin together. These ingredients are then mixed with chili powder and ginger. Cajun cooking can also be applied to jerky with the addition of Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce.

Dry Cure Southwest Jerky
1 ts Salt
1 ts Pepper
1/2 ts Cayenne pepper
3 tb Chili powder
2 ts Cumin
2 Cloves garlic minced
2 lb Steak sliced thinly

Combine ingredients and thoroughly mix together. This is a dry marinade so there is no liquid.Sprinkle the spice mixture on the meat slices and work into the grain with your fingers. Cover and marinate
overnight. Place trays in the oven and dry at 145’F. for first 4 hrs. then set oven 130’F. until dry.(4 to 8 hrs.) Jerky should be hard but not brittle. Blot up any fat that appears with paper towels. *For a chewy texture, slice the meat with the grain, or across the grain for more tender jerky.

Chocolate Recipes For The Chocoholic Chocolate Lovers

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Chocolate has been a favorite with kids and women for centuries, and with more than a few men enjoying the delicious dessert too! If you’re a chocoholic, then chances are you came to this page in hopes of hunting down some delicious ideas for chocolate recipes. Well, you won’t be disappointed.

While these particular chocolate recipes are not “famous” they are certain delicious!

Let’s start off with some chocolate truffle recipes:

Chocolate Truffles

½ Cup unsalted butter
2 1/3 C confectioner’s sugar
½ C cocoa

1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Centers: pecan, walnuts, whole almonds or after-dinner mints

Coatings: coconut, crushed nuts,confectioners sugar

Makes about 3 dozen truffles
Cream butter in large mixer bowl. Combine 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar and the cocoa; add alternately with cream and vanilla to butter. Blend well. Chill until firm. Shape small amount of mixture around desired center; roll into 1 inch balls. Drop into desired coating and turn until well covered. Chill until firm.

Chocolate Covered Truffles

1/4 C butter 1 1/2 lbs. real semisweet chocolate 3/4 C non-dairy coffee creamer, any flavor 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 pounds real milk chocolate for dipping 1 cup finely chopped chocolate, milk or semisweet for decoration

Makes about 3 dozen truffles
Melt semisweet chocolate in double boiler over hot water. Heat butter, creamer and vanilla in another saucepan to 125° F on a candy thermometer. Add to semisweet chocolate all at once, beating until smooth and creamy. Chill in refrigerator until nearly set but still pliable. Beat with mixer until light and fluffy. Spread in 9 inch buttered pan until set enough to roll into small balls. Melt milk chocolate over double boiler. Dip truffles in melted chocolate, then sprinkle generously, or roll in, chopped chocolate

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Truffles

1 C peanut butter chips 3/4 C butter 1/2 cup cocoa 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 1 tablespoon vanilla
Coatings: crushed graham cracker crumbs, confectioners sugar or crushed nuts

Makes about 3 dozen truffles
In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chips with butter. Stir in cocoa until smooth. Add condensed milk and vanilla. Cook and stir until thickened and well blended, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Chill until firm enough to handle. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in desired coating. Chill until firm. Store, covered in refrigerator

Chocolate comes in many forms, including powdered, chips, and bars. With these simple forms, thousands of original chocolate recipes can be created. Chocolate bars, crunches, cookies, cakes, pies, and brownies all equal chocolate satisfaction.

One chocolate recipe that can be altered every which way is the chocolate cake. The basic packaged chocolate cake mix can serve as a platform for a chocolate dessert “made in heaven”. Combine Dutch-processed cocoa, sugar, a dab of butter and a little water to form a rich liquid to swirl through the prepared batter just before baking. The result is a sinfully rich cake fit for a Queen.

The same mixture also doubles as a rich glaze to drizzle on top of the finished cake. If a richer frosting is your desire, nothing beats one made with cocoa, butter and powdered sugar. Very simple, but as chocolate recipes go, a real winner. For the ultimate chocoholics delight, top the frosting with shavings of a chilled dark chocolate bar containing 70% cocoa. The high cocoa content produces a velvety, melt-in-your-mouth good taste, rich but not overwhelming, in the proper size!

Here’s an interesting way to prepare chocolate cake by putting it in a jar.

Chocolate Cake In A Jar

1 stick plus 3 T. butter or margarine
3 c. white sugar
4 eggs
1 T. vanilla
2 c. applesauce, unsweetened
3 c. white flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt

Prewash 8 pint-sized wide mouth canning jars (be sure to use the kind
that have no shoulders) in hot, soapy water. Rinse well, dry and let
them come to room temperature. Grease insides of jar well with
butter.

Beat together butter, and half of sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and
remaining sugar, vanilla and applesauce.

Sift dry ingredients together, and add to the applesauce mixture a
little at a time. Beat well after each addition.

Pour 1 c. of batter into each jar, and carefully remove any batter
from the rims.

Place jars in a preheated 325 oven, and bake for 40 mins.

While cakes are baking, bring a saucepan of water to a boil, and
carefully add jar lids. Remove pan from heat, and keep lids hot until
ready to use.

When the cakes have finished baking, remove jars from oven. Make sure
jar rims are clean. (If they’re not, jars will not seal correctly)

Place lids on jars, and screw rings on tightly.

Some chocolate recipes don’t require a special occasion. A case in point is the brownie. For thick, dense, moist brownies, swirl some chocolate syrup through the batter just before baking. Another chocolate recipe trick uses chocolate chips stirred through the brownie batter. Ten minutes before they’re done, sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. There’s (almost) no such thing as too much chocolate, you know! By the way, do you know that recent studies have shown chocolate to be heart healthy? Yes, really!

A simple chocolate brownie recipe:

Rich Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients
3/4 cups flour
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 c. margarine or butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 ripe banana, well mashed
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup broken walnut meats
No baking powder or soda. This makes them extra dense and moist.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F, (325 for a glass pan). Combine flour and
salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Melt margarine or butter and
unsweetened chocolate in a small pan on low heat. Cool to room
temperature. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add
mashed banana. Stir in chocolate mixture. Gradually sift and
stir in flour mixture. Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour
into an 8″x 8″ pan that has been sprayed with Pam or cooking
oil. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Another classic brownie recipe:

Tollhouse Golden Brownies

3/4 c Margarine, softened
3 Eggs
3/4 c Sugar
2 c Unsifted flour
3/4 c Packed dark brown sugar
2 ts Baking powder
1 ts Vanilla
1 ts Salt
1 c Chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine margarine, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly in a well-greased 9″x13″ pan. Test the batter. Bake the remaining brownie (heh, heh, just kidding) for 30-35 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

If you want to promote your dessert as a “health food” to reluctant friends and family, add nuts. Cashews, pecans, and peanuts are all heart-healthy, due to high vitamin E content and antioxidant activity. Granola bars topped with chocolate are filling and healthy.

For a s’mores-like bar, melt marshmallow creme with a little butter, chocolate chips and nuts. Surpass the ordinary chocolate chip cookie with a chocolate cookie batter made with the addition of dutch-processed cocoa and sugar.

Here’s an easy “healthy” chocolate recipe using granola:

Chocolate Crunch Bars

1/2 c Honey
1/3 c Margarine
1/4 c Cocoa Powder, Sweetened —
1 c Granola
1 c Dry Milk
Blend together everything except the granola to a stiff dough. Knead in the granola, or roll the shaped bars in granola.
* Carob powder may be used also.

When you find yourself craving chocolate, make a weekend of creative chocolate recipes! It’s a good idea to write down the quantities and combinations of your additions for repeatable results. You and your fellow chocolatiers will applaud your artistry!

Healthy Fruit Smoothie Recipes For The New Year

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Here we are into a new year and determined to keep our New Year’s resolutions. If you’re like me, you can’t help thinking of all the buzz about nutritious food and getting trim and fat. Maybe it’s the guilt of holiday indulgences that puts food-related resolutions at the forefront. Along with the guilt and determination, a little bit of a discouraged feeling may seep into your mind. “Phooey on all this health business! Ugh. Low-calorie this and boring that. Food is good!” Well, here’s some good news to spur you on to success. Try some of these imaginative smoothie recipes, good for breakfast, lunch or even a midnight snack. Be the one who keeps your resolution for a healthier you! All you need is a blender.

Breakfast smoothie recipes start you off deliciously and nutritiously. We all know fruit and yogurt are healthy, but can be a bit dull first thing in the morning, whereas the smoothie is an entirely different experience. With the looks of a milkshake and a sensational and refreshing fruit taste, you’ve got a breakfast worth drinking! It’s full of vitamins, fills you up, is quick to fix and is low in calories.

Almost any fruit goes well in smoothie recipes, regardless of the time of day. Oranges, kiwi fruit, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries and banana are all excellent for the fruit component. You can mix several fruits in the same smoothie recipe.

APPLE SMOOTHIE

2 c Apple sauce
1 c Apple cider
1 c Orange juice
2 tb Vermont maple syrup
1/2 ts Nutmeg
1/2 ts Cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into
glasses and serve. Serves 2.

BANANA-BERRY POWER SMOOTHIE

1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
1/2 small, peeled ripe banana
1/4 cup stemmed, sliced strawberries
honey to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla soy protein powder
Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed until
smooth.

BLUEBERRY PINEAPPLE SMOOTHIE

2 cups chilled fresh or frozen blueberries, slightly thawed
1 cup chilled pineapple-orange juice, or pineapple-orange-strawberry
juice
1 8-ounce carton vanilla nonfat yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar
In a blender container, combine all ingredients. Cover and blend for 1
to 2 minutes or until almost smooth. Makes 3 servings.

If your favorite fruit is not in season, use a package of frozen fruit with its syrup. The syrup adds a few calories, but look at it this way. It’s a complete meal. You won’t be hungry until lunch. The nutritional value far outweighs the extra calorie count.

Fruit juices add flavor and can help thicken the drink, depending on the juice. Survey the juice aisle at the grocery and load up your cart.

Flavored yogurts and ones with real fruit at the bottom add even more flavor and substance. Pina colada yogurt goes great with tropical fruits.

Smoothie recipes allow you to adhere to your dietary restrictions too. For example, if you’re lactose intolerant, you can substitute soy milk or use a 2% fat acidophilus milk. Soy milk is a powerhouse of nutrients and comes in several flavors as well as an unsweetened form.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BANANA SMOOTHIE

1 banana
2 Tbs. Peanut Butter (chunky or smooth… whatever you prefer!)
1-2 squirts of Hershey’s reduced calorie chocolate syrup
1 Tbs. wheat germ
6 oz. soy milk
Put all ingredients into blender.
Blend until smoothie consistency is reached!

Now for some special flavor additions. A tablespoon or two of Torani syrup in a flavor complimentary to your smoothie recipe ingredients can make a great smoothie magnificent. Toss in some shredded coconut or tahini paste for an exotic taste treat. A small scoop of quality ice cream never hurts.

HAWAIIAN HOLIDAY SMOOTHIE

1 cup passion fruit nectar
1 cup guava nectar
1 cup orange sherbet
4 Tbs. coconut milk
1/2 frozen banana in chunks
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen mango slices
1 cup strawberry yogurt
Pour all liquid ingredients into the blender. Add all frozen ingredients.
Blend at MIX setting for 30 seconds then blend at SMOOTH setting
until smooth. While the machine is running, move the stir stick around
counter-clockwise to aid mixing. Serve immediately. Each recipe
serves 3-5.

PINA COLADA SMOOTHIE I

5 Tbs. Coconut milk
2 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
1/2 frozen banana (chunks)
1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
Pour all liquid ingredients into the blender. Add all frozen ingredients.
Blend at MIX setting for 30 seconds then blend at SMOOTH setting
until smooth. While the machine is running, movethe stir stick around
counter-clockwise to aid mixing. Serve immediately. Each recipe
serves 3-5.

PINA COLADA SMOOTHIE II

1 6oz container nonfat coconut yogurt (frozen)
1/2 banana (frozen)
1/2 of a 20 oz can crushed pineapple
1 c. nonfat milk
Put all ingredients into blender. Blend well until smoothie consistency
is reached!

Having just one smoothie each day can fulfill many of your New Year’s resolution objectives. These generic smoothie recipes guarantee better nutrition, more energy and a trimmer you!