Confession time. I don’t really like frozen blended drinks. My drinks are ordered almost solely over ice. No frozen margaritas. Definitely no thanks to frappuchinos and iced capps.
Because of this aversion, I always thought smoothies were, well, gross. Why would you blend perfectly wonderful fruit with ice?
When I had an overabundance of cherries and bananas the other day, I was at a loss of what to do. We’re on a health kick over here, so baking something decadent was mostly out of the question. It’s also summer, which means turning on the over is less than appealing.
That’s when I decided to give smoothies one last chance at redemption. But this was going to be on my terms. So, I divided the bananas and cherries into ziplock bags and threw them into the freezer.
The next day, I noticed that the strawberries were also a little worse for the wear. They too would have a meeting with the blender. With that, I added the frozen bananas and cherries, the slightly wilted strawberries and a little vanilla almond milk to the blender.
I now had a very beautiful fuchsia drink, speckled with dark purple bits of cherry. After a tentative first sip, I was sold. By freezing the fruit, you avoid the dreaded ice chunks. It was actually more of a milkshake consistency (when the milkshake is a little thawed and easily drinkable) than anything.
The vanilla almond milk also added a little extra sweetness and creaminess to the smoothie. Not to mention that you’re also getting a good couple of servings of fruit in what tastes like an indulgence.
I’d call that a win.
Cherry, Strawberry and Banana Smoothie
2014-07-14 14:44:45
Serves 2
- 1 banana, sliced and frozen
- 1 cup cherries, pitted and frozen
- 1 cup strawberries, stems removed
- 1/2-1 cup vanilla almond milk
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender, beginning with 1/2 cup of almond milk. Blend at high. If the mixture seems too thick, add more almond milk and blend again.
- Once the mixture is smooth, divide in two glasses and enjoy.
By May Squared
Maysquared.com https://www.maysquared.com/blog/
I like burgers—so freaking much. They are almost always the perfect go-to for a good dinner. But sometimes, I can get a little tired of the frozen turkey burgers stocked in our freezer.
When the disenchantments hit, I like to substitute a new “burger.” From bean burgers, to salmon burgers to tofu burgers, they’ve all graced our plates in the May Squared house. One on my favorites, and possibly the easiest, are Portobello Mushroom Burgers.
In this case, the Portobello Mushroom Burgers benefit greatly from a balsamic and garlic marinade before grilling. Once grilled, the burgers are topped with caramelized onions and tangy goat cheese. You can also drizzle a little extra balsamic over the burger.
Portobello Mushroom Burgers
2014-07-13 11:24:24
The Portobello Mushroom Burgers benefit greatly from a balsamic and garlic marinade before grilling. Once grilled the burgers are topped with caramelized onions and tangy goat cheese. You can also drizzle a little extra balsamic over the burger.
- 4 portobello mushroom caps, stems removed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil (I used sunflower seed oil)
- Buns (I like the sandwich thins)
- Caramelized onions
- Goat cheese
- Lettuce
- Balsamic vinegar
- Combine the mushrooms, garlic, vinegar and oil in a large ziplock bag. Gently move the mushrooms around in the bag to ensure the caps are coated in the marinade. Let sit for about an hour, periodically turning the bag over.
- Grill the mushrooms for about 5 minutes on each side. I used an electric grill.
- Assemble your burger with lettuce, a grilled mushroom, caramelized onions, a drizzle of balsamic and goat cheese.
- If you are really hungry, try adding two mushrooms to your burger.
By May Squared
Maysquared.com https://www.maysquared.com/blog/
Here’s something that is sure to surprise you. Growing up, I really hated pasta salad. If someone did manage to coax a sampling onto my plate, I would very carefully and methodically only eat the noodles. This meant using a fork (or my fingers) to peel away any of the other ingredients—often leaving a little graveyard of mayonnaise coated celery, onions and whatever else polluted the noodles on my plate.
Truthfully, I still don’t really care for mayonnaise-based pasta salad. I don’t like that sometimes you can’t see what you’re putting in your mouth because of the thick dressing. I especially don’t like a surprise crunch when I’m expecting a soft noodle.
So, what’s a girl to do?
Make a pasta salad you do like—and that’s just what this girl did. Enter my newest and very lovely creation, Lemon Basil Orzo Salad. It’s a great, zingy alternative to its heavy mayonnaise counterpart.
Better yet, only six ingredients in this little gem. Really, you can’t beat that!
All you need is orzo, lemons, fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes, cucumber and feta. The combination of these unassuming ingredients makes the best of salads. It’s light with a little pucker of lemon and a hint of saltiness from the feta. The sun dried tomatoes add a good contrast of sweetness and the cucumber and basil add the perfect touch of freshness.
Lemon Basil Orzo Salad
2014-07-11 18:27:47
This salad is light with a little pucker of lemon and a hint of saltiness from the feta. The sun dried tomatoes add a good contrast of sweetness and the cucumber and basil add the perfect touch of freshness.
- 3 cups orzo, cooked according to the package's instructions
- 3/4 cup feta, cut into small cubes or crumbled
- 2 lemons
- 1 english cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
- 7-9 basil leaved, julienned
- Zest and juice the two lemons into a medium sized bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Let the salad sit in the refrigerator for about an hour for the flavors to combine.
By May Squared
Maysquared.com https://www.maysquared.com/blog/
