This delicious pasta dish is made in a slow-cooker, so it’s easy and convenient! The original recipe is from a cookbook I reviewed a few years back called Stock the Crock by Phyllis Good. If you like making meals in your slow-cooker, it’s a great cookbook to check out!
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I came across this recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine, and having never eaten Tomato Corn Salad, I was curious to see how it tasted. I liked all the ingredients I saw listed in the recipe—in addition to the tomatoes and corn, there were red and green onions, some fresh cilantro and basil…all tossed with a light dressing of balsamic vinegar. There was also a little Dijon mustard in the original recipe, which I substituted with honey mustard, for just a touch of sweetness!
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I heard about this lentil soup recipe way back in the autumn. And the original name of the recipe is Autumn Lentil Soup. It’s from a website called PCC Community Markets, Continue reading
I haven’t done a lot of juicing, but when I received a copy of The Everything Juicing Book to review, it made me want to juice more! Not only does this book include a wide variety of simple and unique juice recipes, it also has information on just about anything you would want to know about juicing!
So why juice? Co-author Carole Jacobs explains in the beginning of the book, “Juicing is an easy, convenient, delicious, and nutritious way to consume a high level of essential vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals, delivering nutrients to the body in a form that is immediately absorbed and assimilated. Cooking and processing destroys natural nutrients in foods, but juicing helps preserve these nutrients.”
The book goes into detail about the many benefits of juicing, from juicing for weight loss and longevity to juicing for stronger bones, more energy and stamina, and cancer prevention. And the recipes are organized by chapter according to the health benefit they provide…for example, you’ll find juicing recipes that are especially good for reducing food cravings, bloating, and lowering cholesterol in the Juicing for Weight Loss chapter. It really is quite an informative, handy guide to the world of juicing!
Here are a few recipes if you want to try them out! I tried the Orange Carrot, which is a good juice for fasting (although I was not on a fast–I just like the orange-carrot combination 🙂 ).
I pulled recipes from several different chapters so you can get an idea of the various health benefits these different juices have. There are lots of delicious-sounding fruit and veggie juice combinations that I never would have thought of myself! And it’s great to know what the specific health benefit for each particular juice is, too!
ORANGE CARROT (good for juice fasting)
Juice carrots and orange. Stir. Makes 1 cup.
CELERY CARROT (good for lowering cholesterol)
Juice carrots and celery. Stir. Makes 1 cup.
APPLE YAMMER (good for weight loss)
Juice yam and apple. Stir. Makes 1 cup.
TROPICAL CUCUMBER (good for skin)
Juice pineapple first, then mango and cucumber. Cut lemon into thin slices and juice it last. Stir well before serving. Makes 2 cups.
STRAWBERRY PATCH (good for strong bones)
Juice apples and then strawberries. Stir well before serving. Makes 1 cup.
SPICY TOMATO (good for cancer prevention)
Juice ingredients in order listed. Stir. Makes 1 1/4 cups.
After making these, you should be feeling really good and healthy! 🙂
I made these delicious and healthy organic veggies the other day, using the Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value Mediterranean Blend frozen vegetables. I added a Fresh Lemon Dressing on top, which was a nice lemony, tangy, finishing touch.
I also made this yummy chicken and veggie dish with the organic Southwestern Blend frozen vegetables, also from Whole Foods.
I mentioned in an earlier post that these are some of the new organic frozen food products in the Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value line. There are so many veggies and fruits to choose from, 
but the Southwestern and Mediterranean Blends are among their newest products. They can be used in soups, stews, casseroles, and many other ways. And they’re great just the way they are as a side dish with your meal.
Here are my recipes if you’d like to try them out. They’re really good and good for you!
MEDITERRANEAN BLEND VEGGIES WITH FRESH LEMON DRESSING
FRESH LEMON DRESSING (adapted from Lowe’s Creative Ideas )
Prepare vegetables according to package directions.
To make lemon dressing, combine lemon peel, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until thickened. Whisk in sour cream or yogurt.
To serve, drizzle dressing over cooked veggies or serve dressing on the side and dip veggies in dressing. The 16-ounce package of frozen veggies makes about 4 to 5 side servings and the dressing makes 6 to 8 servings, so you’ll have a little dressing left over–you can save that for a salad!
SOUTHWESTERN BLEND VEGGIES WITH CHICKEN
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully add frozen vegetables to the skillet and saute 5 minutes. Add chopped chicken and saute 2 more minutes, or until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning and serve. Makes 4 servings.
These are both really quick and easy recipes, and so healthy! Hope you get a chance to try them sometime!
NancyC 