My Sandwich Win!

Happy National Sandwich Day! Ok, so I'm one day late, #NationalSandwichDay was yesterday! But it's all good...because I have a delicious sandwich recipe for you!  My Caribbean Tomato-Pumpkin Breakfast Sandwich won the breakfast category of America's Better Sandwich Contest, sponsored by Arnold Bread!

It has sweet pumpkin, juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs, avocado and a fried egg - a wonderful combo all on healthy Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Bread! Did you know that just one slice of this bread has 22 grams of whole grains? It's healthy and tastes great!

Here is the link to my recipe below...and check out the other sandwich winners while you are there! Let me know if you make it!


LINK TO RECIPE: https://www.americasbettersandwich.com/winners/view/caribbean-tomato-pumpkin%20/

Playbook Pickle Pops

Football season has started! How do I know this? From the loud sounds of a game blaring in my living room. And my husband's cheers. Lol. Here's an easy snack to satisfy the game fans in your home, especially if they are fans of fried pickles! I used a box of fried pickles from Farm Rich, found in the frozen section of the store.


PLAYBOOK PICKLE POPS

1 box frozen Farm Rich Crispy Dill Pickles (about 36 fried pickles)

5 small tomatoes

1 green onion, chopped

2 oz Colby Jack or cheddar cheese 

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp sriracha hot chili sauce 

1 tsp honey

18 bamboo forks

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Bake the dill pickles according to package instructions. Remove from oven.

Slice each of the tomatoes into 4 pieces crosswise. Place a tomato slice on top of 18 of the baked pickles.

Slice cheese into 18 small pieces. Stack cheese on top of tomato slice. Top with another pickle and press down slightly.

Place baking sheet back into oven until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.

Skewer each stack with a bamboo fork.

Mix mayonnaise, sriracha and honey in a small bowl. Stir in chopped green onion.

Top each pop with sweet and spicy mayo. Serve warm.

Zucchini-Pepper Fritters

Mention the word "fritters" to my hubby and watch his face light up! Island fritters are light, airy, fried bites of goodness, often made with salt fish, cassava or even plantains. They are a popular appetizer at parties, and a great shareable snack. My version have a blend of zucchini, yellow bell pepper, onion, garlic and So Delicious Dairy Free Unsweetened Almond Plus Milk, and are fried to golden perfection. The almond milk gives them the perfect light texture and soft inside. Served warm with marinara sauce, these fritters make a delicious, dairy-free snack!

ZUCCHINI-PEPPER FRITTERS

1 large zucchini, peeled
1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded
1 small white onion
2 cloves garlic
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup So Delicious Dairy Free Unsweetened Almond Plus Milk
4 cups oil for frying, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola
2 cups jarred marinara sauce


Chop zucchini, bell pepper and onion into large pieces. Place in a food processor or blender, and add garlic cloves. Pulse/chop until all vegetables are finely minced. Scrape into a large mixing bowl.
Add flour, salt and baking powder. Pour in almond milk, and stir well to form a batter.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Prepare a paper towel-lined plate.
Carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Fry until deep golden brown on all sides, about 4 -5 minutes, turning if necessary.
Remove fritters with a slotted spoon and place on paper-towel lined plate. Fry in batches until all batter is used.
Place marinara sauce in a small pot. Warm over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Serve fritters warm with marinara sauce. Makes 2 dozen fritters.

ZUCCHINI-PEPPER FRITTERS 

Grape Pork Ribs

So what's the secret of these ribs? The marinade! It stars Welch's 100% Grape Juice (their dark purple blend that includes Welch's own Concord grapes). Only 6 ingredients in the marinade and the ribs turn out tender and juicy, with a beautiful rich color and delicious flavor! Great for a summer BBQ!

GRAPE MARINATED PORK RIBS

3 lbs country style pork ribs
11.5 fl. oz can Welch's 100% Grape Juice Frozen Concentrate
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Place ribs in a large bowl. Add grape juice, olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Rub in marinade. Cover bowl using plastic wrap, foil or cover. Let marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or in the fridge from 1 hour to overnight.

Preheat grill. Place ribs on grill and grill covered over medium heat. Uncover and turn ribs occasionally. Remove when cooked through and grill marks appear, about 25 minutes.

Enjoy by themselves or with your favorite BBQ sauce for dipping!

Wild Blueberry Power

After a couple months of packing, moving to our new home and settling in, I'm back with some new recipes! It has been a crazy busy time for us, especially in the mornings when I am rushing to get the kids up and to school on time. This smoothie recipe is a go-to for me, as it takes only a few minutes to prep and I can take it out the door with me!

I call it my Blue Mama Super Smoothie, as it stars frozen wild blueberries and it's great for moms on the go! Did you know that wild blueberries contain twice the antioxidant capacity of cultivated blueberries? Yes, these little berries are packed with antioxidants, which, in a nutshell, are vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that boost your immune system and reduces the risk of many diseases.

The other ingredients include banana - a great source of potassium, almond milk and vanilla protein powder - necessary protein, cinnamon - great for your heart, and ginger - which promotes energy circulation in your body and so much more!

This smoothie is so good for you, tastes amazing AND will leave you fueled for the busy day ahead!  To learn more about the goodness of wild blueberries, visit www.wildblueberries.com

My #WildBlueberrySide

BLUE MAMA SUPER SMOOTHIE


1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 ripe banana (I used a frozen one)
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/8 tsp ginger powder

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Curry Red Lentil Pies

My second recipe entry into the 2015 Lentil Recipe Revelations Challenge has some of my favorite spices! Having grown up in Trinidad, I love eating and cooking many Indian dishes. Roti, dhal, curry...mmm love them all! These hand-held pies have a dhal-like mixture inside made with red lentils. The lentils are simmered with onions, pepper, curry, cumin, coriander and turmeric. Red lentils are perfect for this recipe because they "cook down" and get super soft. And they pair perfectly with Indian spices! The pie "crust" is empanada dough, which are easy to find pre-made in the frozen ethnic aisle. They are baked until golden brown and served with sweet mango chutney. 

CURRY RED LENTIL PIES WITH WARM MANGO CHUTNEY

For the Lentils:

1 1/4 cups Canadian red lentils

3 1/4 cups water

3/4 cup diced onion

3/4 cup diced green bell pepper

1 green onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp curry powder

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp hot sauce

3/4 tbsp sugar

For the Pies:

20 empanada dough discs, thawed

1 egg, beaten

2 cups mango chutney, from a jar

In a medium pot, combine all ingredients for the lentils. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let cook until lentils are soft, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a spoonful of curry lentils in the middle of each dough disc. Moisten edge of disc with water. Fold over in half (into a semi-circle). Fold along edge to seal (or press edge sealed with a fork). Place pies on two baking sheets (10 per sheet). Brush tops with egg wash.

Bake in oven until golden brown on top, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Put chutney in microwavable bowl and warm for 1 minute.

Serve pies with warm mango chutney. Makes 20 pies.

Crispy Green Lentil Cups!

I'm excited to try my hand at a creative lentil recipe for the 2015 Lentil Recipe Revelations Challenge! When you think of lentils, appetizers don't usually come to mind. I normally cook them as a side dish. This bite-size appetizer recipe is easy and quick to make. A crispy phyllo cup filled with garlic-infused French green lentils, creamy goat cheese and a dash of heat will have you thinking about lentils in a new way!

CRISPY GREEN LENTIL CUPS

1/2 cup Canadian French green lentils
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
30 frozen mini phyllo shells
3 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes


In a medium pot, combine lentils, broth, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer until lentils are tender but not mushy, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
While lentils are cooling, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place mini phyllo shells on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in oven for 4 minutes (to get extra crispy!).
Fill each phyllo shell with a spoonful of lentils. Top with goat cheese and garnish with red pepper flakes.

To learn more about the many health benefits of lentils, visit Canadian Lentils. 

Banana Yogurt Pancakes

Start your day off right with these delicious pancakes! Who knew that watermelon makes a great fruit topping? Vanilla Greek yogurt is a healthy addition and adds flavor and sweetness!

BANANA YOGURT PANCAKES WITH WATERMELON HONEY HERB TOPPING

For the Pancakes:

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp canola oil

For the Topping:

2 cups diced watermelon

5 fresh mint leaves, chopped

3 tbsp honey

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well.

In another large bowl, combine mashed banana, vanilla Greek yogurt, milk, egg and oil. Mix well.

Combine all ingredients and stir until mixed well.

Spray a griddle or large non-stick pan with cooking spray (or lightly oil). Preheat over medium heat.

Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter at a time onto hot griddle or pan. When pancakes begin to bubble, after about 3 minutes, carefully flip over with spatula. Cook until browned on other side. Makes about 14 pancakes.

To make the topping, combine watermelon, mint and honey in a medium bowl. Mix gently.

Serve warm pancakes topped with watermelon honey herb topping.

New Year Smoothie

It's a new year and it's warm down here in South Florida! Like 80 degrees warm. I'm definitely not complaining, and it's not like we usually have freezing temperatures, but I don't think I've ever seen such a mild Christmas season. 

Over the past few months, I have definitely been more into smoothies. And it's been so darn warm, I make a nice cold breakfast smoothie almost every morning, usually using almond milk and fruit. This one is delicious and vanilla Greek yogurt, fruit and a hint of mint, which makes it refreshing!

TROPICAL BANANA BREEZE SMOOTHIE

2 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

1 cup frozen seedless watermelon chunks

1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks

1/2 cup frozen mango chunks

2 fresh mint leaves

The riper the bananas, the better! You can cut the other fruits up and freeze them overnight or for a few hours.  

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend or puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.