Magnificent Mango Kale Smoothie

By Jodee Weiland

Summer time is the best time of the year to enjoy a nice cold smoothie! My new smoothie is both healthy and delicious. If you drink all fourteen ounces on your own, you will find it quite filling as well. Nonetheless, you can also choose to share this awesome smoothie with someone else. Either way, my Magnificent Mango Kale Smoothie will help you maintain your health goals while adding a great tasting smoothie to your day!

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Putting together a healthy smoothie isn’t rocket science, but you should have a way of tracking the calories and the nutritional elements of your recipe, so you will find the best option for meeting your individual dietary goals. I use the food diary in the app, MyFitnessPal, to do this for myself.

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As I add on each ingredient to my food diary, it tells me the calories and more. For example, my Magnificent Mango Kale Smoothie is 416 calories for all fourteen ounces or 208 calories for half the recipe when made with the blue agave, which adds 60 calories to the recipe. Various programs have features that will count the calories and more, so if this interests you, look for the one that is best for you. In the mean time, check out the awesome recipe for my Magnificent Mango Kale Smoothie!

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Magnificent Mango Kale Smoothie

  • 2 cups fresh kale (torn away from center stem)
  • 1 cup fresh mango sliced and frozen
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/8 cup raw organic pumpkin seeds shelled
  • 1 tablespoon raw organic blue agave nectar (optional)

Prepare and place all of the above ingredients into a blender. Blend the ingredients together until smooth. Pour the smoothie into a glass and serve. This recipe will be enough for about two seven ounce servings or one fourteen ounce serving.

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As I said earlier, my Magnificent Mango Kale Smoothie is both delicious and healthy. It has all the nutrients of kale and mango both, plus those found in almond milk and pumpkin seeds. Kale, often referred to as a super food with staying power has protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, and so much more. Mango is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and more, as well as being a good source of potassium. Pumpkin seeds are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and numerous health promoting antioxidants. All in all, the health benefits of my Magnificent Mango Kale Smoothie make this one awesome smoothie to use as a meal or just enjoy before or after a workout. Give it a try, and enjoy!

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Delicious Jambalaya with Chicken Sausage and Shrimp

By Jodee Weiland

When I first starting making jambalaya years ago, I used a recipe from a cookbook called Celebrate Chicago: A Taste of Our Town and  put together by the Junior League of Chicago (1996 edition). Since then I have adapted the recipe for jambalaya in this cookbook, especially after visiting New Orleans several times over the years. I wanted a healthier version of the original jambalaya, so I made some changes like using Italian chicken sausage instead of Italian sausage. With a few other changes, my version of the original recipe evolved, and my Delicious Jambalaya with Italian Chicken Sausage and Shrimp became one of our favorite dishes!

http://learnfromyesterday.comThere were more healthy choices made over time with this recipe. One change I made to this recipe was using extra-virgin olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I, also, chose to use two orange and red bell peppers instead of one green bell pepper. I added  twenty-eight ounces of crushed tomatoes instead of sixteen ounces of tomato sauce. My crushed tomatoes or puree are all tomato with no salt added. In addition to this, I use sea salt very lightly in this recipe rather than regular salt. With all the rich flavor, not much is needed really. In the end, jambalaya usually has the rice mixed in, but I serve the jambalaya over the rice, so you can decide how much rice you want. The basics of the original recipe are all there, but just slightly altered for a healthier jambalaya, and it’s delicious!

http://learnfromyesterday.comDelicious Jambalaya with Chicken Sausage and Shrimp (adapted from Celebrate Chicago: A Taste of Our Town, Edition 1996)

  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 sweet bell peppers, one red and one yellow
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes unsalted
  • 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes unsalted
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or more to taste
  • 1 pound Italian chicken sausage cut up into bite size pieces
  • 2 pounds shrimp, peeled
  • 4 to 5 cups rice, cooked

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Sauté the onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic in the olive oil until tender. When ready, add the diced tomatoes with juice (not drained), crushed tomatoes, sea salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne to this. Cover and simmer for about one hour.

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Since the chicken sausage is usually cooked, there is no need to brown it. Just cut the sausage up into bite size pieces and peel your shrimp. After one hour of simmering, add the sausage into the hot mixture and stir it. Once the sausage is heated for about ten to fifteen minutes, add the shrimp and continue to heat until the shrimp warmed. Serve over rice or stir the rice into the mixture, if you prefer.

http://learnfromyesterday.comMy adapted version of Delicious Jambalaya with Chicken Sausage and Shrimp is so good, it has become a family favorite! We love to serve it over the rice, instead of mixing the rice into the mixture, but you can do it either way. Whichever way you choose to do it, you are going to love it. Serve it with a nice glass of red wine and savor all the rich flavors blended together. This dish is absolutely wonderful, so enjoy!

http://learnfromyesterday.comJunior League of Chicago. Celebrate Chicago: A Taste of Our Town. Chicago: the Junior League of Chicago, Inc., 1996. Print.

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Grilled Filet Mignon with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

By Jodee Weiland

We grill all year long no matter what the weather is like.  Winter or summer, it makes no difference to us. So tonight, I thought it would be nice to have a red wine mushroom sauce to spoon over our grilled filet mignon and even over the Parmesan risotto I was preparing for dinner. A red wine mushroom sauce is easy to make and adds such rich flavor to a steak. Filet mignon is great on its own, but when you want to step it up a bit and make your meal a little fancier, my Grilled Filet Mignon with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce is the way to do it!

http://learnfromyesterday.comI love the flavor of mushrooms when added to a recipe, but here they are main focus. I usually start most sauce recipes with sauteed onions and and garlic in extra-virgin olive oil. In this recipe for a mushroom sauce, I add a small amount of butter to my olive oil, before adding the the onions and garlic. Once the mushrooms are added, the rich flavor of the mushrooms just blends right in with the onions and garlic. Because we use a pound of mushrooms, the flavor of the mushrooms becomes the focus. Finally, adding the red wine takes this sauce over the top in flavor you will love. This sauce is light and can be used over a side of risotto or mashed potatoes as well as your grilled steaks!

http://learnfromyesterday.comGrilled Filet Mignon with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

  • Grilled filet mignon steaks or any steaks of your choice
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion sliced thinly
  • 2 garlic cloves sliced thinly
  • 1 pound sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste

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Heat the olive oil and the butter in a pan over a low to medium heat. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and saute them until the onions become translucent. Then add the mushrooms to the onions and garlic, mixing them in once they cook for a few minutes.  Cover the pan and cook over a low to medium heat until the mushrooms are cooked. Remove the cover, add the red wine, and cook until the wine is reduced and the sauce is your preferred consistency.

http://learnfromyesterday.comMy Grilled Filet Mignon with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce is absolutely delicious and will make your grilled steaks feel like a gourmet meal. Serve with a glass of red wine, a vegetable, and either risotto or mashed potatoes. This sauce can be used over the risotto or mashed potatoes as well as your steaks and will add to their flavor. When you try this meal and see how easy it is to take a simple grilled steak to elegant, you will want to have it more often, so enjoy!

 

Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette

By Jodee Weiland

We grill flank steak all year long on our gas grill, even when it is snowing outside. Flank steak done on the grill is great anytime, but when we use it in a flank steak salad, it is absolutely wonderful! Flank steak salads make great meals, especially when made using a homemade vinaigrette, like my Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette. Blended together with the right ingredients, my Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette is awesome!

http://learnfromyesterday.comWhen you start with grilled flank steak and add your salad greens, adding the right ingredients can make all the difference in flavor. That’s why I added crumbled goat cheese, shelled walnuts, and dried cranberries to the mix. Top this all off with my Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette, and you have a meal filled with rich flavors that blend together to delight your taste buds. With this recipe, you have my delicious Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette, a healthy meal that is full of great taste!

http://learnfromyesterday.comGrilled Flank Steak Salad with Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette

http://learnfromyesterday.comPlace the salad greens on the plate. Crumble the goat cheese over the greens. Top this with the flank steak slices. Then spoon on the walnuts and dried cranberries over the top. Add your salad dressing.

http://learnfromyesterday.comMy Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette is both healthy and delicious! Serve this salad with a crusty loaf of bread and a glass of wine. This salad will satisfy your hunger and tantalize you taste buds with its zesty flavor and touch of sweetness. Not only does it taste good, but it looks wonderful as well, so your family will love it. Give it a try, and enjoy!

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Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette

By Jodee Weiland

When preparing a Grilled Flank Steak Salad, I decided on a vinaigrette that would be full of the zesty flavor of lemons and honey. Ever since I have started making my own vinaigrette salad dressings, I love the rich flavors so much, I rarely use a bottled dressing any longer. The taste of a homemade vinaigrette salad dressing is so robust and full of fresh flavor, anything less has to take second place. That’s why I decided my Grilled Flank Steak Salad needed a special vinaigrette, so I came up with my Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette!

http://learnfromyesterday.comMy Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette starts with apple cider vinegar blended with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and seasonings. The overall result is flavor that is rich and delicious. This vinaigrette will go well with so many different types of salads, but it definitely went well with my Grilled Flank Steak Salad and all of its tasty ingredients!

http://learnfromyesterday.comZesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons organic honey
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • Sea salt to taste

For the vinaigrette, put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or handheld blender or in a bottle designed for mixing dressings. Then put it in a container for dressing that will make it easier to drizzle on to your food or spoon it on carefully.

http://learnfromyesterday.comMy Zesty Lemon Honey Vinaigrette is full of delicious rich flavor! This vinaigrette salad dressing is awesome with my Grilled Flank Steak Salad, but it would be equally delicious if sliced chicken breast were substituted for flank steak. You could even use this vinaigrette on a tortilla wrap and so many other choices. Whatever meat choice or meal choice you make, this salad is great with a glass of wine and a crusty loaf of bread. Not only is this meal healthy, it will leave you wanting more, so enjoy!