I love going to Farmer’s Markets. I always come home with an abundance of veggies and while I have the best of intentions to you use them all, often times I fall short. Those days are over now with this recipe for Summer Gazpacho Pasta Salad.
In my quest to use up the inordinate amount of fresh veggies I had on hand, I decided to make Gazpacho. Now I love Gazpacho, but unfortunately I am the lone one in my home with this love. My husband doesn’t care for it much and I won’t even attempt to try and feed this to my boys…until now… You see, I had this huge bowl of yummy Gazpacho in my fridge and decided to use it as a pasta sauce on some thin spaghetti last night. Add a bunch of parmesan, fresh basil, salt, pepper and you have a healthy, delicious meal that will definitely satisfy. What else could one ask for?
The 4th of July is coming up and I am trying to be especially festive so I came up with this version for a red, white and blue dessert with these Triple Decker Rice Krispy Treats.
The recipe is simple. Butter, marshmallows, rice krispy cereal and food coloring. Just make a batch for each color and voila – you will have a yummy and festive treat!
I hope you try these and have a fun, happy and safe 4th of July!
Triple Decker Rice Krispy Treat Recipe
Ingredients
60 large marshmallows (this was about 1 1/2 packages for me)
9 cups Rice Krispy cereal
4 1/2 T. butter
red food coloring
blue food coloring
Directions
1. Line an 8×8 square with parchment paper and spray lightly with non-stick spray.
2. In a medium saucepan melt 1 1/2 T. butter over low heat. Add 20 marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and add red food coloring until you get the desired red.
3. Add cereal and stir until well coated.
4. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into the pan. Cool.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 once without food coloring for the white layer and then again with blue food coloring.
Coleslaw. My first recollection of this heavy and sometimes goopy salad was from Kentucky Fried Chicken. I remember waiting for my Extra Crispy Kernel Sanders Chicken while watching my parents order sides of coleslaw along with the mashed potatoes and gravy. I loved KFC (actually I still do when I am nursing a hangover) but I never understood the allure of their coleslaw, or any coleslaw for that matter – until now.
I developed a love of coleslaw while enjoying it fresh, crisp and when accompanied within a sandwich. In particular in a hamburger or a pulled pork sandwich. Something about the crisp, cold coleslaw served with the warm, luscious meat creates a flarvorful masterpiece.
I have adapted the recipe below from Bobby Flay’s recipe that can be found on the Food Network. This is the best one I have ever tried and I hope you agree.
Perfect Creamy Coleslaw
adapted from Bobby Flay
Ingredients
1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
2 large carrots, finely shredded
3/4 cup best-quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons celery salt
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Variations
For a southwest version, I add juice of 1 fresh lime and 1 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder to the mixture
Directions
Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy Perfect Creamy Coleslaw, on a burger…
I have read about the many, many benefits of Maca Powder and wanted to come up with some tasty and delicious ways to work this magical ingredient into my day.
I was perusing Pinterest one day and wanted to know how to incorporate this item into my daily life and came across this article from the Paleo Mama highlighting 14 Benefits of Maca Powder. They are numerous so before I share a couple of my favorite ways to incorporate Maca, here are the reasons why you should pick up some Maca for yourself.
- Increases Energy – Maca has a reputation for boosting energy levels without stressing the adrenals (like coffee can)
- Increases Libido and Sexual Function – Maca is a known aphrodisiac among native Peruvian culture. It has been known to increase the libido among men and women!
- Improves Fertility – Black Maca has been known to increase sperm count and volume in men and Red Maca has been known to balance female hormones and ovulation cycles.
- Regulates Hormone Balance – Maca has a vast variety of amino acids, which are known as the building blocks of hormones.
- Reduces Depression – When you take Maca regularly, Maca can work to increase positive emotional moods. Maca has a very unique nutrient called macamides, which aid in decreasing depression and anxiety.
- Reduces Anxiety – Maca has a positive effect on your individual mood and can help to reduce any self-perceived anxiety.
- Helps with Menopause – Many Maca uses report a significant decrease in hot flashes after using Maca powder.
- Enhances Mental Clarity – Black Maca has been shown to have a beneficial effect on learning and memory. Maca is safe for both children and adults!
- Improves Blood Circulation – a very interesting property of Maca, is that it has been seen to improve blood circulation.
- Improves Acne – When acne is related to hormone imbalance, taking Maca can be very productive for improving hormonal acne.
- Improves Muscle Gain – More and more athletes and bodybuilders are using Maca powder to increase their athletic performance.
- Improves Thyroid Function – Due to the hormone balancing properties in Maca, it has been known to stimulate thyroid function.
- Improves Strong Teeth and Bones – Black Maca is great for increasing bone density and strength.
- Improves Skin Tone – Maca has a strong nutrient content and hormone balancing effect on our skin.
- Improves Hair Growth – Maca has been traditionally used to stimulate hair growth, as well as prevent hair loss.
I don’t know about you, but ever since reading this I have been trying to incorporate Maca into my everyday life. Here are a couple of my favorite recipes using Maca. The first is for a Maca Iced Coffee. This drink is super simple to make and a very refreshing way to enjoy some iced coffee. The second recipe is for Maca Oatmeal Cookies. These are a yummy snack and I often enjoy these as a delicious breakfast cookie. Feel free to add dried fruits or nuts, anything that suits you!
I hope you enjoy try these recipes and incorporate this healthy powder into your everyday life.
I love summer – I love that my boys get to sleep in, the weather is warm, and just the overall more relaxed vibe that summer brings. I love a good salad, but the warm weather always brings my cravings for fresh, delicious salads to the forefront so I decided to come up with a new creation which is where I came up with this Salmon, Potato and Spinach Salad.
Spinach is a superfood and one of my favorite greens to use in salads. Not only is spinach rich in niacin and zinc but also provides a plentiful amount of fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. Definitely a great addition! Then there’s salmon, another superfood which is rich in vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium. Salmon is also a good source of niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, phosphorus, and vitamin B6.
OK, so we have two super foods and then I decided to add potatoes for their creaminess and additional texture. I added my favorite vinaigrette recipe and some parmesan to round out the salad and give it a salty, creamy bite. A squeeze of lemon makes the whole dish come together.
