Vanilla Kiwi Smoothie

Do you love kiwis?

The fruit...not the hunky men from New Zealand!  LOL!  Well, if you do I have a great drink for you!  Here's another healthy smoothie using the abundance of kiwis that are in season right now.  I love this fruit!


What's better than blending some tart kiwis with some creamy vanilla yogurt?  Not much...
Kiwis are a little tart so to compensate for that pucker up quality you just add a little sweetener.  You can use sugar, honey (yum! and better for you!), Splenda, or agave syrup.  This smoothie does require a little sweetening otherwise your will definitely pucker up!  It's such a pretty green color too!

Enjoy a refreshing smoothie tomorrow!


Vanilla Kiwi Smoothie


serves 2


1 6 oz container of lite vanilla yogurt
1 small or 1/2 of a medium banana
1/3 c. 2% milk
1 T honey (substitute sugar, Splenda, or agave syrup)
3 kiwis, peeled and sliced
1 cup of ice cubes 


Place all ingredients in a blender.  Blend on high to mix ingredients and crush ice.  Serve.
Makes 2 1 cup servings.

Herb Omelet

It's almost spring and it's time to break out the herbs!

This is a simple and flavorful "French" inspired Herb Omelet.  It's cooked ultra thin, almost like a crepe.  Using herbs you have on hand, fresh or dried lends a delicate flavor boost to an otherwise ordinary omelet.

If you recall, I'm not really and egg person!  But my experimentation continues and I must say, that are starting to grow on me...a little bit.    I think it's all the additions to the eggs that make it not so blah!  Who'd of thought?

This omelet is light, and although we had it for breakfast it could easily be served with a fresh mixed green salad and a glass of dry white wine and be perfect for a light spring lunch, Parisian style!

Herb Omelet

serves 4

8 eggs

1 T. milk

salt & pepper

1 T parsley, minced

1 t. thyme, minced

1/2 t. herbs de provence

2 T butter

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, salt & pepper to taste.  Add the parsley, thyme, and herbs de provence and whisk until eggs are frothy.

Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butte in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Pour in 1/4 of the egg mixture.  Cook until the eggs just begin to set, approx. 1 min.  Using a rubber spatula stir the eggs around the pan letting any uncooked egg run to the bottom of the skillet.  Stop stirring and allow eggs to cook until set, making sure that eggs are evenly distributed in the pan in one whole piece.  

Gently loosen the edges of the omelet with the spatula, then fold one side to the middle, then fold the opposite side to the middle into thirds.

Slide omelet onto the serving plate and serve.  Repeat with the remaining eggs and butter.

Black Bean Burritos

Ole!

Got to put dinner on the table fast with little fuss??  Lean toward making burritos!  Not just any burrito.  How about a spicy black bean and meat burrito?  Sounds good huh!  These little babies whip up in about 20 minutes and provide you with a hearty meal with flavors that will have your mouth going MMMnnnn!  A healthy mix of black bean dip, along with ground sirloin is your base. Add in some salsa, spices, and cheesey goodness...oh boy, such a great combination.  You may remember the black bean dip from another of my recipes, Black Bean Tostadas.  Click on the link to visit that recipe as well.


Burritos are easy to make, kid friendly, and hubby's love them too!  The lend themselves to many variations, but I think these Black Bean Burritos have just a little bit more zip to them!  Serve them with a side of rice and a mixed green salad and you have a great meal!  Or....put the rice in the burritos!


Method Pics:

 


Try them soon, and don't forget to let me know what you think!

Black Bean Burritos


serves 4


1/2 lb ground sirloin
3 T. red onion, diced finely
1/4 - 1/3 c black bean dip
4 T. salsa
1 t chili powder
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
1 c shredded Monterrey jack cheese
4 burrito sized flour tortillas
sour cream, salsa, green onions, as toppings (optional)


Preheat oven to 300 degrees.


In a skillet over medium high heat, brown the ground sirloin and the red onion until cooked through.  Add the black bean dip, salsa, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes.  Stir until all ingredients are combined and items are starting to bubble.  Turn down heat and add salt & pepper to taste.


Tear off 4 sheets of aluminum foil and set a tortilla on each sheet.  Using 1/4 cup of cheese for each burrito, spread half of each portion, or 1/8 cup on the tortilla.  Top with one quarter of the black bean mixture.  Top with another 1/8 cup of cheese.  


To roll burrito, fold side in toward the middle and roll up from the bottom.  Wrap in the aluminum foil.  Repeat creating the burritos with the remaining black bean mixture.  Folding each one and wrapping in foil.  Place all burritos in the oven for 5 min to melt the cheese.  Serve.  Variation:  Add Spanish rice to the burrito and reduce the amount of ground sirloin used.