Berry Green Smoothies

I have had several requests for the recipe for my berry green smoothie so I thought it would be good to post.  It is only 295 calories, loaded with anti-oxidants and super yummy and satisfying.  Here's what you will need:

 

1 c frozen strawberries

1 c frozen mixed berries 

1/2 c Pom juice

1 c baby spinach

1 tbls ground flax (optional but good for heart-healthy omega-3)

Agave or honey to taste (I use agave because you get more sweetness with less and I normally satisfied with 1/2-1 tbls)

First, let me say something about blenders in general.  I have used a number of blenders over the years and while I now have the granddaddy of all blenders (my vitamix) I guarantee you there other blenders that are equally powerful and work equally well so don't think you have to go out and buy a $500 blender in order to make a good smoothie.   I know people with the blendtec, the ninja and I previously owned a Breville blender which is an amazing piece of equipment for the price.  

Second, the more frozen your fruit the more power you need.  I normally put my fruit in the blender and let it set at room temperature for about an hour.  I like the consistency this provides to the texture of the smoothie and it helps prevent dreaded brain freeze.

Pour your Pom liquid in and add your fruit then blend until smooth.  If the smoothie is thicker than what you want, add a little water.  Next, add your spinach, flax and agave or honey.  Process until you reach the texture you want.  You could also add some Greek or regular plain yogurt to this if you want a little protein.  Sometimes I add 1/2 c of Fage which adds about 11g of protein.

I hope you enjoy.  Happy living people!!

Roasted Chicken with a Mushroom Gravy

Normally I buy a rotisserie chicken but today I decided to test the power of my Breville convection toaster oven to roast my own.  Super simple and super delicious!  I like to combine olive oil and a little butter to prepare my bird.  Here's what I did: 

1 pat of butter melted, combined with 1-2 Tbls of your favorite olive oil

1/2 Lemon

Salt and pepper

Spoon and massage the combo all over your bird.  Salt and pepper the outside and the cavity of the chicken well.  I also took one half of a lemon and squeezed the juice and added to the cavity of the chicken .  I then decided to roast a little garlic and lemon with it as well, so brush a little oil mixture on the top of these.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and roast the bird for 10 minutes then reduce temperature to 350° and roast for approximately 20 minutes per pound.  My chicken was about 5 pounds so I roasted it for approximately 1 1/2 hours.  Always use a meat thermometer and make sure to cook your poultry between 170 and 180°.  Remember, there will be residual cooking after you remove your chicken from the oven so allow for that otherwise you will dry out your chicken.  Once you remove the chicken from the oven, tent loosely with foil and let the chicken rest for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

I've then used some of the pan drippings to create a little sauce.  Button mushrooms rarely have much flavor so you need to spice them up a little.  I diced my mushrooms and then I sautéed them for a few moments in the pan drippings.   Once they became a golden color I went ahead and added just a little bit of flour and created a slight roux.   I then added 1 ounce of white wine which is totally optional and after letting that cook for a moment I've completed my sauce with a little low sodium chicken broth.  Be careful!  The pan drippings may be salty so do not add additional salt until tasting.

Enjoy and happy living!