Piña Colada Refresher

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Jackie Mack

Pina Colada RefresherWe enjoyed a 60 and sunny day yesterday in Portland and my daughter came home wanting a piña colada smoothie. I didn’t have the ingredients from my previous posting of a piña colada smoothie. So I created a new version of the smoothie using plain coconut water, a natural hydrator and great replacement for a sports drink.  According to NaturalNews.com coconut water’s electrolytes are almost at the same balance as human blood and is especially high in potassium.  In addition to the coconut water I used coconut cream from a can. I suspect you could also use coconut milk as a substitute but the cream added density to the drink.  The pineapple is such a sunny flavor and a boost of vitamin C. Enjoy this refreshing drink on a warm day or after a tough work out or quite frankly when you craving a taste of the tropics!

Piña Colada Refresher

  • 1 cup plain coconut water
  • 1/2 cup coconut cream (from a can, or could sub whole fat coconut milk)
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple

In a blender add all ingredients and blend until smooth and serve immediately. Makes 1 large serving.

Optional: 1 tablespoon coconut oil (add before the pineapple so it will blend and not be chunky) or 1 tablespoon chia gel (see LL link for chia gel instruction)

Source: Jackie Mack, Lingonberry Lane

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut Bites

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Jackie Mack

Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut BitesI saw these on Pinterest posted by Gimme Some Oven and I’m always intrigued by a no-bake bite option, especially one with seemingly decent ingredients. I’m not one to bake cookies often, I’ll be honest, I’m more of a cook than a baker. So these sweet treats looked like just the ticket for a quick on the go snack. They proved to be as easy as they looked – it just takes a 1/2 hour of  chill time – and we can all use a extra 1/2 hour of chill time…roll them into balls and serve. They’re a nice snack item for a school lunch box and a kid friendly recipe for the kitchen.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut Bites

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (or another nut butter)
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup oatmeal
  • 1 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
  • 1/2 cup ground flaxseed (or wheat germ)
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips (mini would work well if you have them)

Blend the peanut butter, honey and vanilla in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well until combined evenly. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Using cookie scoop or your hands to form the dough into bite sized balls and store in refrigerator in sealed container. Makes 15 bites.

Source: Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

 

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Super Bowl Menu

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Jackie Mack

Super Bowl Menu

 

Super Bowl is only 2 days away and if you’re looking for recipes for a dip with guacamole, salad, chili and easy chocolate dessert, I have them for you. Pick and choose or use all of these recipes for a Super Bowl spread. Click on each recipe name below to access the link.

Southwest Black Bean Dip A great starter. Serve with tortilla chips and a veggie tray.

Super Bowl of Chili  A meaty bowl of chili with a taste of sweet. Top with sour cream, shredded cheese and green onions.

Fresh Veggie and Green Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette  This pairs well with the chili and a twist of Mexican flavor.

Hot Fudge  Combine this hot fudge with vanilla ice cream and have your friends bring some brownies or cookies for the side.

 

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Roasted Chicken with Herbs

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Jackie Mack

Roasted Chicken ThighsI love the crock pot for those nights when you just won’t be home to prepare a nice dinner and the crock pot makes you look so good because the meals that turn out of it seem like they are gourmet and you worked so hard. The real truth is most crock pot meals are simple but taste gourmet because you add all the ingredients at once and get to smell the goodness as you go about your day. There is something about smelling your food as it cooks all day that seems to make it taste better when eaten. This meal is an easy one that can be put together in 10 minutes or less if all items are in your kitchen. Feel free to add root vegetables or mushrooms to this to roast with the chicken. I didn’t but it would be even better with additions.

Roasted Chicken with Herbs

  • 3 pounds chicken thighs with bones
  • dried basil
  • dried oregano
  • dried parsley
  • dried or fresh rosemary
  • olive oil
  • sea salt/pepper
  • one to two large sweet onions

Place chicken thighs with bone in the crock pot. ‘Sprinkle’ the top of the chicken pieces with olive oil and salt/pepper, basil, oregano, parsley, and rosemary. Cut onion in wedges and place around chicken. Turn crock pot on low and cook 6 hours or until chicken is golden brown and onions are a caramel color. Serve with side vegetables or add root vegetables to crock before cooking. Serves 4-6.

Source: Jackie Mack, Lingonberry Lane

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Creamy Strawberry Smoothie

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Jackie Mack

IMG_4630I often post recipes that happen to be a family favorite at the moment. In the coldest weather of the year it may seem unlikely that a food blogger would post a smoothie recipe, but this has been my daughter’s requested smoothie since I made it a few weeks ago and it’s been made a number of times since. My daughter’s favorite version is made with Greek Gods Honey Yogurt but the photo smoothie is actually made with whole fat plain yogurt. To get the true creamy effect one must indulge in full fat yogurt and at least 2% milk. I’ll post a couple options for the recipe because yes, the Honey yogurt does have too much sugar per serving but it does make a darn good smoothie and thank goodness some of that sugar is naturally in the dairy. For a lower sugar option choose the plain yogurt version and it’s rich and tart and sweetened with honey.

Creamy Strawberry Smoothie (with plain yogurt)

  • 1 cup 2% milk or your favorite milk
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 cups frozen strawberries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Blend all ingredients until smooth and serve. Makes 2 servings.

Creamy Strawberry Smoothie (with Greek honey yogurt)

  • 1 cup 2% milk or your favorite milk
  • 1 cup honey yogurt (I used Greek Gods Honey Yogurt)
  • 2 cups frozen strawberries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend all ingredients until smooth and serve. Makes 2 servings.

Source: Jackie Mack, Lingonberry Lane

Posted in Breakfast, Smoothies, Snacks | 1 Comment

Tex Mex Omelette

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Jackie Mack

Tex Mex Omelette

Well, I found a work around – all is not peachy on Lingonberry Lane but good enough to post…I reported on Facebook that I was unable to upload photos to the blog after a lovely winter break enjoying my family and skiing at Mt. Bachelor and an automatic ‘upgrade’ to WordPress.

Before the blog glitch, I was inspired this morning to make a low carb breakfast and had leftovers from a taco dip over the weekend. So I created a Tex Mex Omelette and it was quite yummy and so easy. Feel free to add chopped red peppers or other veggies if you want to create your own omelette.

Tex Mex Omelette

  • 1 dab of butter
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • handful of Mexican shredded cheese or your choice
  • small handful of green onions, around 2 tablespoons, chopped
  • sliced black olives

Heat small omelette pan to medium heat. Melt butter in pan. Beat eggs in bowl and pour into pan with melted butter. Sprinkle cheese, green onions and black olives on top. Cook until firm enough to your liking on top. Fold over omelette style and serve with sliced avocados.

Source: Jackie Mack, Lingonberry Lane

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free | 2 Comments

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispies

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Jackie Mack

As the eve of Christmas fast approaches many of us celebrating are gathering together and making lists and checking them twice and hopefully checking off the lists slowly. There has been so much to ponder and consider in this season in which we gather our families and slow down for a day or days during the winter break and appreciate each other. We are lucky to share Christmas Eve with my Oregon brother, wife and family each year. And then on Christmas Day we will be the four of us. December 25 may be the one day in the year when the four of us (3 people + one dog…dog loves gift opening) spend the whole day together. We cook breakfast late after coffee and eggnog and hot chocolate and gift opening. There is no schedule. We cook a simple holiday meal for dinner but there is no time exactly it has to be served. We play new games or we put together a puzzle or we go for a walk and we hope it snows. I look forward to the one day we gather as a family and we have very little to distract us from just being us (we may have to see a no-iDevice rule this year) and I feel so incredibly fortunate that we are together in light of the December we’ve endured as a nation.

I wish you a most blessed holiday season and memorable times shared with your loved ones.

And oh yes, I do hope sometime you enjoy this recipe I adapted from Sugar Free Mom.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispies

  • 1/4 cup softened butter – room temperature so it’s easy to mix
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 cups crispy rice cereal

Mix butter and honey together. Add peanut butter and crispy rice cereal. Using mini cookie scoop (or hands) form crispy mixture in small balls and place on baking sheet covered with parchment or wax paper. When balls are formed refrigerate for an hour.

Chocolate Coating

  • 6 ounces dark chocolate (I used Trader Joes 72% dark chocolate in the big block – 18 of the small squares)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil

Melt dark chocolate and coconut oil (may use less oil if you want firmer coating on crispies) in small sauce pan on low heat. Stir well. Remove from heat when chocolate is melted completely. Cool at room temperature for an hour.

When chocolate coating is room temperature remove crispies from refrigerator and dip each into chocolate. I used a spoon and tongs to coat with chocolate and transfer to cookie sheet. After all crispies are dipped refrigerate again for an hour to firm up chocolate. To store, line storage container with airtight lid with parchment or waxed paper. Yields 16.

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Pumpkin Bread

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Jackie Mack

I use my adopted Betty Crocker Cookbook, Vintage 1987 via my in-laws. This cookbook was given to my husband when he was Denver bound for an internship in his junior year of college. Now, I don’t see any notes in this book written by my husband, then fellow student, but I must say I’ve enjoyed his Betty Crocker Cookbook over the years for the tried and true recipes and tips on how to blanch vegetables, or need a conversion of ingredients. Betty Crocker has served us well and I keep her around. I’ve made a version of Betty’s Pumpkin Bread for years now and the bread would be a great addition to a holiday snack tray or a gift for a friend. The recipe yields two loaves which is always a bonus in my book.

Pumpkin Bread

  • 2 2/3 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup melted butter
  • 1 can (16 oz) pumpkin
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 1/3 cup flour (all purpose or whole wheat)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • optional (2/3 cup coarsely chopped nuts)

Warm oven to 350. Grease bottom of two 9 inch loaf pans with softened butter. Mix all ingredients together in large mixing bowl. Combine well with blender. Pour batter into greased loaf pans. Bake  60 to 70 minutes at 350 degrees or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes and loosen sides of bread at edges of pan with knife. Turn bread onto cooling rack. Makes 2 loaves.

Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker Cookbook

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Pomegranate Pecan Salad with Balsamic Bacon Dressing

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Jackie Mack

This salad has the Holidays written all over it. The inspiration is from Lauren’s Latest blog and the ingredients and photo caught my eye. The key ingredient eye catcher was the warm bacon grease in the dressing……whoa. Now that’s novel. And so, I bought the ingredients yesterday and cooked up the bacon last night and adjusted as needed and crumbled the bacon made the easy dressing and burned my pecans so I had to toast them again (toast on low heat BTW). But I must say I love this salad. It’s beautiful full of holiday color and the undertones of bacon flavor while munching the greens and pomegranates, pecans and bonus avocado are spectacular. I do like to rave about food but this salad (not for the vegetarian minded) is an absolute winner. The bacon flavor had me thinking back to those Sunday breakfasts that my dad used to make – bacon, eggs, lots of OJ and ending with toast with peanut butter on top with leftover bacon on top of that….wow – a salad that brings back memories of bacon eating in my youth, I don’t know how that happened. So, if you’re serving a bacon loving crowd I suggest this salad. It’s outrageous.

Pomegranate Pecan Salad

  • 6 cups mixed greens
  • 4-6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecans (toast on low heat until ‘golden’ and crisp)
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (seeding a pomegranate + health benefits)
  • 1 large avocado, sliced

In large bowl combine mixed greens, crumbled bacon, toasted pecans and pomegranate seeds.

Balsamic Bacon Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons warm bacon grease (fresh from cooking the bacon)
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • pepper to taste

Combine above ingredients in glass jar and briskly shake or whisk. Cut and add avocado to salad. Dress salad and mix well. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Source: Adapted from Lauren’s Latest.

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Beef Pot Roast

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Jackie Mack

Now that you all cannot look at a piece of turkey it’s time for another warm winter comfort food. I actually made this beef pot roast the day of my birthday in November and I write this post on my sister’s birthday – Happy Birthday to my favorite sister! I usually choose to go out to eat with the family on my birthday but we’d been out over the weekend for a birthday dinner so I bought a nice beef brisket and some fresh root vegetables and decided to put them in the crock pot the morning of my birthday. I spent all of 10 minutes preparing vegetables and beef and voilà, we had a tasty hearty meal to sit down to before a soccer game we attended that evening. The recipe I share is adapted from a recipe booklet that came with my Mom’s original Rival red crock pot. That crock pot was seasoned as she was a teacher and many mornings she’d fill it with good food that was done by the time we came home for the night. I have good memories of the crock and the good food that came out of it. For this recipe I used my larger crock and had plenty of room to spare.

Beef Pot Roast

  • 3-4 pound brisket, rump or pot roast
  • 4-6 potatoes, cut in half
  • 4-6 whole carrots, sliced into 4 pieces per carrot
  • 1-2 onions, peeled and wedged
  • 1/2 cup red wine (beef broth or water)
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • option: add 8-16 ounces whole mushrooms or your choice of root vegetables

Place vegetables in the bottom of the crock pot. Season the meat with salt and pepper and place in pot on top of vegetables. Add liquid (I prefer wine). Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high 4-5 hours. Serves 6.

Source: Adapted from Rival Crock Pot Cookbook, circa 1970’s.

 

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