10 BEST Smoothies

Yum

10 Seriously easy and mouthwatering smoothies that will keep you cool all summer long!

1.  Banana Cream Pie Smoothie - Tastes just like the Banana Cream Pie your momma made, with the same comfort feeling! {GET THE RECIPE}

2.  Cherry Berry Smoothie - A tart and creamy smoothie that mixes in-season cherries and berries for one outstanding and healthy drink.  {GET THE RECIPE}

3.  Peach Cobbler Smoothie - Light and creamy this drink is a taste of the South!  {GET THE RECIPE}

4.  Black and Blue Smoothie - A double delight with not one but two berries that will provide your with antioxidants and fill your tummy.  A great breakfast treat!  {GET THE RECIPE}

5.  Vanilla Kiwi Smoothie - A cool and light smoothie made with luscious kiwis and warming vanilla.  {GET THE RECIPE}

6.  Avila Orange Smoothie - Oh this is one of my favorite breakfast treats.  Made with Avila farms honey (use your favorite) and oranges.  AWESOME!  {GET THE RECIPE}

7.  Strawberry Banana Smoothie - Traditional flavors that are outstanding together and kids love them!  {GET THE RECIPE}

8.  Strawberry Pear Smoothie - Fresh pears blended with strawberries make for a light and bright drink that will keep you cool and delight your senses!  {GET THE RECIPE}

9.  Pineapple Mango Chia Smoothie - Tropical flavors of pineapples and mango blended with chia for a wonderfully healthy smoothie that will make you feel like your vacationing on a beach!  {GET THE RECIPE}

10.  Blackberry Pomegranate Smoothie - Sweet and tart go well together in this outrageously good smoothie.  Filling and quenching all in one treat!  {GET THE RECIPE}

A First Encounter and Pear Ginger Muffins

My first meeting of my love was in a Starbucks.  It was a blind date of sorts.  A first encounter.  My good friend was setting me up with an acquaintance of hers that she said was PERFECT for me.  Miss Matchmaker.

So we talked a little online via email.  (This was before texting!) and then progressed to several really, really long 4 hour phone calls.  Then we decided to meet.

"Make sure you meet in a public place" one friend said! "Don't go anywhere alone until you know him", another one said.  So I decided to meet at Starbucks.  I don't even drink coffee...

We met, we laughed, and we talked for another 4 hours. Then I got in his Italian sports car for a little ride (I know, I know...didn't listen to my friend's advice).  It's been heaven ever since!

One thing I remember quite well is him asking me if I wanted any "sweets" with my tea.  We ended up sharing a muffin. This simple ritual of going to a coffee house and getting a "sweet" to share has stayed with us for over 13 years.  As a matter of fact we just did that 2 days ago.

I wanted to share a muffin I created for us that resembles that "sweet" we first shared. MGG loves them and so do I. Sweet winter pears, and warm ginger grace this muffin.  A perfect 'sweet' to share with your loved ones.

Enjoy!

Pear Ginger Muffins

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/4 cup Canola Oil

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar or splenda

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt
1 pear, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
brown sugar (optional)

Directions:

Place egg, milk, and oil in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until light.  Add flour, sugar (or splenda), baking powder, and salt.  Stir until moist.  Don’t overmix…batter should be lumpy and a little thick.

Fold in chopped pear and candied ginger.

Spray a non-stick muffin pan with cooking spray.  Divide batter among the muffin cups filling most of the way full. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar on the top if desired.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 min.  Remove from oven and cool.  Serve.

Blood Orange and Pear Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

 Winter calls for winter fruit.

Luscious oranges and pears call my name as I walk through the fruit stands.  Yes, I miss the fruits of summer.  I surely do, but I'm happy to substitute what's in season until they return.

So it's time to make a winter citrus salad.  A Blood Orange and Pear Salad to be exact.  Sweet and tangy come together to form a flavor profile that is bright and light during the winter months.  What better way to use winter fruits, especially since I love them in salads.

This is a simple salad where the fruit is the star.  Even the vinaigrette is the same fruity theme using lemon as the acid.  What a great way to dress this salad!



Blood Orange and Pear Salad

serves 2

1 large Bartlett pear
2 Blood Oranges
3 cups mixed salad greens
1/3 cup shredded carrots
Lemon Vinaigrette

Peel and slice the pear in half and remove the core.  Slice pear into thin wedges.  Remove peel on oranges with a knife.  Cut oranges crosswise to make orange circles.  

In a large bowl add salad greens and carrots.  Toss with several tablespoons of lemon vinaigrette.  Arrange the pears, and oranges on top of the greens.  Sprinkle with more vinaigrette if you desire.

Lemon Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 fresh chopped thyme
salt & pepper

Combine first four ingredients in a mason jar.  Shake to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pear Sparklers

Holidays are for celebration.

What better way to celebrate that with a refreshing sparkling drink!

This drink is non-alcoholic so the whole family can enjoy.  We've also made an alcoholic version with Citrus Vodka which was delishhh!  I think rum would be a great addition as well. (I'm partial to rum drinks!)

This is very quick and easy to put together.  You can have a whole tray of drinks ready in a flash when guests arrive.  What a great way to greet people don't you think?  It makes them feel wanted and it is a very hospitable way to welcome someone into your home!

Enjoy!



Pear Sparklers

Serves 8 to 10
Ice cubes as needed
1 1/2 to 2 cups bottled pear juice (such as Kern's)
4 to 5 cups sparkling water, chilled

Place ice cubes in tall glasses. Add about 3 Tbs. pear juice to each glass and then pour in about 1/2 cup sparkling water. 

Holiday Parties: Pear Ginger Cake

We are having our holiday party at work tomorrow and everyone was supposed to bring some side dishes or desserts.  Potluck style, while they furnished the main course.

So I decided to do some baking and make a dessert to take.

This Pear Cake is just perfect to share.  It makes a large one layer cake that I cooked in my cast iron skillet.  Yes, in my cast iron skillet.  A 10" skillet.

This couldn't be easier.  First you saute chopped pears in the skillet with lots of butter and brown sugar until they are caramelized.  The butter helps with greasing the skillet so that the pears don't stick when baked.  You wouldn't want that!  Trust me, I was holding my breath on mine, but it came out perfect.

Next you just pour the cake batter over the fruit that is spread all over the bottom and bake.  It's that simple. Plus I'll let you in on a secret.  You can either make the cake batter using the recipe below, or...you can make a simple quick bread, or even a pound cake and use that.  I've made this before with that uhhhem...boxed pound cake mix (oops!) and some apples and it turned out fabulous.  In this version I took the recipe below and added some candied ginger to the mix.  Ginger and pears are excellent together. 

Trust me when I say this is as easy as cake!  You make it all in a skillet and it will feed a crowd.  Great for taking to holiday parties, potlucks, or serving your family at a holiday dinner.  It's good anytime.

Enjoy!

Pear Ginger Cake

Sauteed Pears:
2 cups of pears peeled and chopped (about 3 pears)
2 Tbs. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter 
2 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar 
Juice of 1/2 lemon   
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon  

Vanilla Cake:
1 1/4 cups flour  
1/2 tsp baking powder  
1/4 tsp baking soda  
1/4 tsp salt  
1 egg  
1 cup granulated sugar  
1/2 cup canola oil  
1 tsp. vanilla extract  
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large 10" cast iron skillet, add butter and melt over medium heat.  Add pears, brown sugar, lemon and cinnamon to the skillet.  Cook, stirring constantly 3-5 minutes or until pears are softened.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the egg and granulated sugar until fluffy and lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, slowly add the oil and vanilla and beat until blended. Beat in the sour cream just until no white streaks remain, then beat in the flour mixture until incorporated. Carefully pour the batter over the fruit in the skillet, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula.

Bake at 350 for 30 min in a 10 inch cast iron skillet.  Allow to cool in skillet for 10-15 min.  Run a knife along the edges of the skillet.  Invert onto a platter.  

Variation:  Fold in 1/3 c of finely chopped candied ginger in the batter.

Strawberry Pear Smoothie

 

By now you probably know that I love my smoothies!  

It's something that I look at as a healthy indulgence.  Reminds me of the milkshakes I dearly loved growing up.  But who can have those all the time?  Not this girl!  So my wonderful thick and creamy fruit smoothies are the best alternative.

Typically a quick breakfast for me, but I also been know to have one on a hot afternoon.  The weather is changing and we are getting the dreaded "Santa Ana" winds around here.  They create havoc with my allergies, but they are a sure sign that fall is on the way.  

With that come different seasonal fruits.  Apples and pears are bountiful in the stores right now and I try to create my smoothies with in-season fruits.  So I grabbed some pears, and some frozen strawberries that I saved from the ripe summer crops and whipped my latest smoothie creation.  The pears lend a light sweet flavor that are perfect next to the superfruit strawberries.  Oh yum!  

Full of vitamins and antioxidants....and just plain delicious!  You have to try this one, you'll love it!

Here are some other wonderful smoothie flavors to try as well.
Peach Cobbler Smoothie

 

 

 

  

Tropical Smoothie

 

Pineapple Mango Chia Smoothie 

 

 

 

Strawberry Pear Smoothie

1 6 oz container vanilla lite yogurt

½  medium banana

½ c strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1 pear peeled and chopped

¼ c milk

½ c ice cubes

Directions

Combine ingredients in a blender and mix until combined.  Serve in a tall glass and enjoy!

 

 

 

Pork Tenderloin, Pear, and Glazed Walnut Salad

How about a light dinner?

Pork matches well to the sweetness of cider, but instead of braising, sear tenderloins for a quick weeknight salad with slices of fresh green pear. If the weather is too chilly to fire up the grill, use and indoor one or the broiler works just as well.

This salad will leave you wanting more.  It is hearty enough to please a manly appetite but light enough to satisfy a woman's palate too.

This uses fresh pears, which are abundant right now.  A perfect mix of salad, pork pears, and some crunchy sweet walnuts.  The dressing?  A simple sherry vinaigrette.  A simple touch to a salad packed with flavors.

Eat Well 2013

Pork Tenderloin, Pear, and Glazed Walnut Salad

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

serves 6

½ c store bought glazed walnuts

2 pork tenderloins, each about 3/4 lb., trimmed

1 Tbs. olive oil

3 Tbs. chili lime rub (such as Mrs. Dash or Williams-Somoma)

For the vinaigrette:

7 Tbs. olive oil

2 ½ Tbs. sherry vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 firm but ripe pears, preferably Bosc

6 handfuls (about 6 oz.) mixed salad greens

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Prepare a hot fire in a grill, or preheat a broiler.

Brush the pork tenderloins with the olive oil and season with chili lime rub coating all sides.  Grill or broil  (4 inches from the heat source) turning occasionally to brown evenly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 150°F or the pork is pale pink when cut in the thickest portion, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing. Cut the  pork crosswise into slices 1/4 inch thick.

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, the vinegar, salt and pepper.

Halve, core and cut the pears lengthwise into very thin slices. In a large bowl, combine the greens, walnuts and vinaigrette and toss to mix well. Arrange the dressed greens on a platter or individual plates, top with the pork and pear slices and serve immediately. Serves 6. 

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Don't you love salads?

Another salad I always adored is from Trader Joe's.  They have a Pear and Gorgonzola salad that is killer.   So I set out to recreate that salad, and I must say...it's rather easy, and certainly tasty.

Take advantage of the fresh pears in season right now.  So light and crisp!

This blends some great flavors together with pear, blue cheese (instead of the Gorgonzola) for a little more punch, dried cherries (tangy), and walnuts (for a depth of flavor).  Spectacular fall flavors!

This is a great salad to accompany any dinner, or for a light lunch.  I hope you like it.

Check out my Harvest Salad as well, for some more great fall flavors.

Doesn't this look refreshing? 

Want some?

Don't forget a piece of nice crusty bread!

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Serves 4

4 c Green leaf lettuce, torn

½ c dried cherries
2 pears, peeled and sliced
1/3 c walnuts, toasted
1/3 c blue cheese crumbled
Olive oil vinaigrette (I used Newman’s)

Directions:

Wash and dry your lettuce, tearing into bite sized pieces.  In a skillet over low heat add your walnuts, and toast for 3 min. 

 

In a large bowl add your lettuce, dried cherries, pears, walnuts, and blue cheese.

Toss with a light amount of salad dressing.  Serve.