Cranberry Relish

Since we have been married I have joined Brent up in Ohio with his family for Thanksgiving.  We are there for a couple days so I enjoy making a dish to contribute to Thanksgiving dinner.  This year my yoga teacher sent out a recipe for a Cranberry Relish.  It was a great combination of delicious fruit and it will be a dish we will make throughout the year!

Ingredients:

• One 12-16 ounce bag of fresh cranberries 
• All of the seeds from one large pomegranate
• 2 clementines sectioned
• 1 apple, diced or shredded (optional to peel)
• 1 pear, diced or shredded (optional to peel)
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon depending on taste

* Optional, you may add a small amount of honey to sweeten to taste.

 

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend to desired consistency.  Serve chilled and enjoy!

Healthy Breakfast Muffins

I am always on the hunt for a breakfast food that will keep me full for long time.  I came across this recipe for Healthy Breakfast Muffins and thought I would give them a try.  They actually came out tasty (I was skeptical with the flax seed) and kept me pretty full!  They were also a quick option for our early mornings which is very helpful.  

Healthy Breakfast Muffins (Original recipe from HelloGiggles Blog)

 Ingredients

• ½ cup of oatmeal
• 1 ¾ cups flour
• ¼ cup ground flax seed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup sliced or chopped nuts (I used almonds)
• ½ cup of raisins or other dried fruit
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 banana, mashed
• ½ cup of applesauce
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup milk 1 apple, diced 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
3. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl, including diced apples, and stir until thoroughly mixed.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until all dry ingredients are coated.
5. Pour batter into greased muffin tin (DON’T use liners! They will stick!) and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until just brown on top. 

 

Spicy Shrimp and Bok Choy Soup with Mushrooms

When Brent and I were vacationing in Las Vegas a couple years ago we ate at a Mexican and Chinese Fusion restaurant, China Poblano.  It was delicious, we highly recommend it if you find yourself in Las Vegas.  We had an awesome spicy shrimp and bok choy soup that I decided last year to attempt to imitate.  The result was this Spicy Shrimp and Bok Choy Soup with Mushrooms.  It is quite delicious and has become a go to meal for us.

Spicy Shrimp and Bok Choy Soup with Mushrooms (originally recipe from Food Network)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed ginger
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium bok choy, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces, then cut sticks lengthwise
• Salt and pepper
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 cup seafood stock, (heat 2 cups of water with the shells of the shrimp used in the recipe at a low simmer for 15 min to make it homemade)
• 1 1/2 pounds medium peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1/2 pound vermicelli (thin spaghetti)

Directions:

1. Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil, 3 turns of the pan, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and bok choy, then season with salt and pepper.
2. Add chicken broth and seafood stock or clam juice. Put a lid on the pot and bring soup to a boil.
3. Add shrimp and noodles and cook 5 minutes, then turn off soup and let it sit 2 to 3 minutes more.