A Lot About Nothing

One of the things that I love about visiting the National Women’s Show is learning about new products (and of course freebies :D). One of these freebies that I got a couple weeks ago was a 15-pack of Sun-Rype Fruit Source Bars. There was a choice of strawberry or wildberry “plus veggie” flavours, so I opted to try the one with the veggies. I didn’t recall tasting these particular bars before (I usually buy the smaller Fruit-To-Go snack bars), but I’m glad that I did, because they are super-tasty!

Made with 100% fruit and vegetables, these bars contain fibre, potassium, Vitamin A and 3 servings of fruit and veggies in each one. I could hardly taste the carrots that are part of the ingredients, so the bar has a nice, naturally sweet taste. No artificial colours either, and it’s only 130 calories with no fat–perfect for that mid-morning snack. Chewy (but not sticky), these Fruit Source bars should be a staple in your kitchen when you want a healthy snack alternative

Wow. This has got to be one of the most delicious Mexican dishes I ever cooked up to date! I never made burritos this way before, but thought I’d give it a try last night and they came out tasting great. I tried to make this meal as healthy as I could by using extra-lean meat and fat-free refried beans.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 8 Burritos

Ingredients:

450g/1lb package of Extra Lean Ground Chicken
1 can of Refried Beans (approx. 400mL)
8 8″ Flour Tortillas
1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or mixture)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 Tomato (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon of Cajun Seasoning (or a blend of salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper)
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon of hot sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon of lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large saucepan on medium heat, brown the ground chicken for about 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain off the excess liquid from the pan
3. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the ground chicken, then sprinkle in the Cajun seasoning and cook for another 5 minutes until the onions are soft.
4. To the chicken mixture gradually add the refried beans, chopped tomato, hot sauce and lemon juice, blending well with a large spoon. Cook on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. While the chicken and bean mixture simmers, line a 9 x 13″ baking pan with parchment paper (or just lightly oil a casserole dish).
6. Line the center of each soft tortilla with a large spoonful of the chicken-bean mixture. Carefully fold up the sides into a roll and place in the baking pan. Continue until each tortilla is filled and lined up next to each other.
7. Sprinkle cheese on top of the rolled-up burritos, and bake uncovered in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely melted.
8. Serve with chopped lettuce, salsa and sour cream.

Not only is this salad quick to put together, it also makes a great side to any meal, and works as a nice, healthy snack. Bocconcini is a smooth, round, mild-tasting cheese–soft, unripened mozzarella. I like to use the mini pearls, but you can use the regular sized bocconcini if you like.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 200g tub of TreStelle Bocconcini cheese
1 pint container of Grape Tomatoes
1 large English Cucumber
3 tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon of Club House Salad Herbs Seasoning or Mrs. Dash (more or less to taste)

Instructions:

1. Peel and chop the cucumber into bite-sized cubes and place into a large bowl.
2. Add the grape tomatoes and bocconcini cheese to the cucumbers and mix with a large spoon.
3. In an salad dressing bottle, or small bowl mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and seasoning to taste. Pour over the cucumber mixture, mixing and coating thoroughly.
4. Serve and enjoy.

I think I have an addiction to flavoured coconut jelly. I visited my local Asian food market last week and saw these colourful containers of flavoured coconut jelly on sale for $3.88. I haven’t tasted it before, but I do recall similar products (with “Konjac” listed in the ingredients) being in the news five years ago because those products were deemed as a choking hazard because of their size and consistency. The ones I saw at the grocery store had a bright warning label on the back of the package (informing people to chew thoroughly before swallowing and to slice the jelly if feeding it to children over 5 or the elderly),

I was enticed by the colours and flavours, and I always love to try new things, so I pick up a couple ‘konjac-free’ coconut jelly packs. I’m glad that I did, because they are delicious! It’s like eating Jell-O with a surprise gummy bear inside! Not only that, but they are fat-free, cholesterol-free and pretty decent on the calorie counter.

I love the mango and lychee flavours, but if I had to choose, mango would be on the top of my list. I think I ate too many today though… Ah well… at least the containers are reusable. Now I have something to put my flour and rice in!

I had a great BBQ last weekend. Here is a recipe for one of the tasty items I cooked on the grill.

Prep Time: 10 minutes + 1 hour of refrigeration
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

2 pounds (2 frozen, 450g packages) of large, raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup of fresh, chopped basil
4 cloves minced garlic
1 small can of pineapple tidbits (drained)

wooden skewers

Directions:

1. If you’re using frozen shrimp, place them in a colander and run cold water over them for about 5 minutes, until defrosted. Peel and discard the shells.
2. With a spoon, mix the melted butter, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in a large bowl. Gradually stir in the basil.
3. Add the shrimp to the marinade, coating well. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
4. Preheat your greased grill or barbecue to medium heat.
5. Thread about 3-5 shrimp on each skewer, alternating with pineapple tidbits.
6. Grill for approximately 5 minutes, turning once, until the shrimp turn pink.
7. Remove shrimp from the grill and place on a platter. You can garnish with lemon slices to squirt on the shrimp. Enjoy!