Tropical Sunset Smoothie

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Last year for our anniversary we took a wonderful trip to Hawaii.  I'm a beach lover at heart and love all the wonderful things that Hawaii has to offer such as tropical weather, hiking, flowers, beaches, and food.

More specifically I love all the tropical flavors you can get there but one of my all time favorite fruits is the pineapple.

Since it's a hot, hot summer and I'm missing Hawaii I thought I would make a Tropical Sunset Smoothie to bring me back.  We had a smoothie bar in our resort and we loved to stop by there and grab a smoothie made with fresh fruit and sipping on it while watching the waves crash on the lava rocks.  

This is my ode to Hawaii, made with juicy sweet pineapple, and plump strawberries which give it that sunset feel.  This Tropical Sunset Smoothie completely reminds me of Hawaii.  I can feel the trade winds blowing and total relaxation is not far away!

Smoothies are simple to make.  All you need is a blender, (I use this one) fresh fruit, yogurt, and some ice.  Poof!  Take yourself virtually to the tropics with my Tropical Sunset Smoothie.  It's a perfectly refreshing drink made for hot summers.

Enjoy!

Tropical Sunset Smoothie

serves 2


1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
6 whole strawberries
6 oz light vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1 cup ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.  Pour into glasses and serve with a straw.

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Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice and "Hello Fresh"

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You know how you see those ads for those meal service companies?  The ones that send you all the ingredients for 3 meals a week?  Well those ads are everywhere I look.

They are on Facebook, TV commercials, advertisements on most sites, and even Pinterest.  I saw them so much and I was curious so I caved in and joined one. (Not sponsored, I actually joined and paid myself.)

I picked Hello Fresh.   I found this particular plan appealing for several reasons.  Firstly, I resonated with the food choices they had, that was a must if we are going to have our meals "planned" for the week.  The delivery is very convenient, you get to chose the delivery day.  You pick from portions for 2 people or family meals.  You choose how many meals per week are delivered, and you get to choose the dishes you'll be making.  Skipping a week is easy to do as well, although you do have to act fast if you want to skip a week.

I chose a 3 meal week and had them delivered on a Saturday.  Totally convenient.  The box arrived and it was huge and heavy!  They pack these babies well!  Inside were my three recipe cards, 3 boxes with ingredients separated by meal.  Under this was two very large frozen gel packs and then under that were all the meats (in vacuum packages)  associated with the meals.  Nothing was going to spoil in this box by leaving it on the doorstep for several hours.  Mine was sitting on my porch when I came home around 10:30 am.  

The first meal I chose to make was a light and tropical flavored dish of Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice.  We really loved the flavors of the dish and I found this very easy to make.  Great instructions are included with step by step photos so if you are unsure in the kitchen you can still make this weeknight meal.

I followed the instructions and they were well thought out and easy.  They seem to do one step at a time finishing a section before moving on, but seasoned cooks may end up doing several steps simultaneously like I did and it all works out great.  The end result was a very light and tasty meal with a good flavor combination of pineapple over pork.

Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice was a quick and easy summer meal that we will keep in our rotation because we enjoyed it so much.  I'm going to swap out the pork for chicken next time and change it up just a bit for variety.  I'm sure fish will turn out wonderful as well if you like. 

The recipes are very easy, great for beginners so that is a plus if you are looking for easy yet different weeknight meals.

I will be sharing with you the other two meals we made in the next few posts.  Stay tuned for more from Hello Fresh and my opinions about this service.

The recipe for Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice is below.

Enjoy!

Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice

recipe from Hello Fresh (meal service)

serves 2

1 fruit cup of pineapple tidbits (such as dole fruit cup)

6 oz Sugar Snap Peas

1 Shallot

1 Lime

2 tsp Cilantro

1/2 c Jasmine Rice

2 (6 oz) pork Chops

2 tsp Honey

1.  Wash and dry all produce. Bring ¾ cup water and a large pinch of salt to a boil in a small pot. Trim any tough ends from snap peas. Peel, halve, and mince shallot. Cut lime in half. Finely chop cilantro. Drain pineapple, reserving juice, and finely chop flesh.

2.  Once water is boiling, add rice to pot. Cover, lower heat, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered until meal is ready.

3.  In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, 2 tsp shallot, half the cilantro, and juice from one lime half. Season with salt and pepper.

4.  Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Season pork all over with salt and pepper. Add to pan and cook until nearly cooked to desired doneness, 4-5 minutes per side. Stir remaining shallot, honey, pineapple juice, and 2 TBSP water. Cook until pork is done, another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime.

5.  Transfer pork and glaze to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe out pan, then heat a drizzle of olive oil in it over medium-high heat. Add snap peas. Cook, tossing occasionally, until tender but still slightly crisp, 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

6.  Stir remaining cilantro and a squeeze of lime into rice. Divide between plates, then top with snap peas, pork, glaze, and salsa.

Refreshing Mint and Cucumber Sparkling Water

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Discover the summer's best new drink!

Everyone needs a damn good thirst quenching drink during the hot days of summer.  We drink a lot of water around here (2nd to iced tea!) and love it straight up or fruit infused. That's great but sometimes we are looking for a bit more, something more refreshing.

So picture a drink that smells like fresh, tingly, cooling mint as you bring the glass to your mouth.  Then you take a sip and have a mix of cool undertones of cucumbers and the tingle of sparkling water.  Sounds refreshing right?  I certainly think so!

REFRESHING MINT AND CUCUMBER SPARKLING WATER

Just by using a few exquisite ingredients that work well together you stumble upon a miraculous secret.  One that says "Yes...this is the one, the drink I'm craving." 

Make a pitcher or carafe of this wonderful concoction to have on hand during the day, by the pool, or with a light meal.  This drink will remind you of the feeling you get when you bite into a York Peppermint Patty.  Refreshing and light.  

You'll find this so easy to make your sure to want this all summer long.  Make sure to stock up on some mint!

Enjoy!




Refreshing Mint and Cucumber Sparkling Water

serves 6

1 large bunch of fresh mint
1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda)
1/2 cup water
1 medium, English cucumber - cut in to thin rounds
3 cups of plain sparkling water

Roughly chop 1/2 of the mint leaves.  Set aside.  In a small saucepan add the sugar and water.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.  Remove from heat and add the chopped mint and half of the cucumber.  Allow to cool.

Pour the sugar mixture through a strainer into a pitcher or large carafe.  Push against the mint and cucumbers in the strainer to release some of the flavors into the pitcher.  Add the remaining cucumber slices and some whole mint leaves to the pitcher.  Add the sparkling water and stir to combine.  Add ice to the pitcher.  Serve over ice in glasses with a slice of lime.