Awesome Banana Mango Spinach Smoothie

By Jodee Weiland

There is nothing as good as a fresh smoothie in the morning or after a workout! Smoothies are a great way to stay healthy because you get so many essential nutrients in one drink when done right. I love a good smoothie for this reason and for the great flavor. My Awesome Banana Mango Spinach Smoothie is not only a nutritional smoothie, but a delicious smoothie as well!

https://learnfromyesterday.com

Most people know that bananas are a great source of potassium, an essential mineral which helps maintain normal blood pressure and healthy heart function. Mangos contain over 20 vitamins and minerals. Possible health benefits are mangos may reduce the risks of colon cancer and macular degeneration, while they may improve digestion and bone health plus more. Spinach also provides proteins, iron, vitamins, and minerals, which means it has the possible health benefit of improving blood glucose control in diabetics, lowering the risk of cancer, lowering blood pressure, improving bone health, and more. Together, these ingredients bring together a delicious smoothie that will be both enjoyable and healthy!

https://learnfromyesterday.com

Awesome Banana Mango Spinach Smoothie

  • 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups pf fresh mango cut up
  • 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
  • 1 medium banana
  • 2/3 cup pure unsweetened pineapple juice
  • 1 cup ice
  • 1 teaspoon organic honey (optional for those who want additional sweetness)

https://learnfromyesterday.com

https://learnfromyesterday.com

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 ten ounce servings.

https://learnfromyesterday.comMy Awesome Banana Mango Spinach Smoothie is a great option for getting great nutritional value in one delicious drink!  One serving made without the honey is only about 176 calories, has 4 grams of fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals that will all benefit your health. This smoothie will not only taste great, it will make you feel great. I love having this smoothie before or after a workout. But whenever you choose to have it, you will love it, so enjoy!

Healthy Zucchini Spaghetti with Tomato Basil Sauce

By Jodee Weiland

Zucchini spaghetti is a great way to stay healthy and have your “pasta”, too. I love the versatility of zucchini spaghetti and with a veggie spiralizer, it couldn’t be easier. There are several ways to make zucchini spaghetti, but since I bought my veggie spiralizer, I couldn’t imagine making this dish any other way. Since I had some fresh tomatoes to use, I decided to make Healthy Zucchini Spaghetti with Tomato Basil Sauce for dinner, and it was absolutely delicious and definitely healthy!

https://learnfromyesterday.com

A while back, I found out that you can prepare the zucchini spaghetti with a julienne peeler, a mandoline with a julienne blade, or with a veggie spiralizer type product. I chose the veggie spiralizer type product for a number of reasons after reading reviews and checking prices. The one I chose was at a store that gives 20% discounts with their coupons, so the price was under $25 with tax. Also, the product I chose was made basically the same as a more expensive version at another store and both had similar reviews. Last of all, after looking into it, this product made preparing the zucchini so easy, it cut the time of preparation down tremendously.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

For this dish, I began my preparation the same way I did when I made my Zucchini Spaghetti with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Fresh Tomatoes. I prepared my zucchini and set it aside to drain, while I prepared my tomato basil sauce using my fresh tomatoes from the garden. The recipe is similar to my marinara sauce with a few differences. In this sauce I use the addition of fresh tomatoes, and I eliminate the tomato paste and water, but for the most part, they are very similar. The main thing is my Healthy Zucchini Spaghetti with Tomato Basil Sauce is awesome, and you will definitely want to have it again.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

Healthy Zucchini Spaghetti with Tomato Basil Sauce

For zucchini spaghetti:

3 medium zucchini cleaned and skin removed (skin may be left on if preferred)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove chopped
Sea salt

Prepare the zucchini first by peeling it and cutting it into long thin spaghetti like strands with a veggie spiralizer, a julienne peeler, or a mandoline with a julienne blade. Lightly salt the zucchini strands and put them into a colander for about thirty minutes or longer, placing the collander in a large bowl, so the moisture in the zucchini can drain off. Toss and squeeze lightly every once in a while until ready. You will use the olive oil and garlic when you lightly heat the zucchini later.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

For the tomato basil sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 medium onion chopped or sliced
1 teaspoon basil or use 1 tablespoon fresh basil cut up
1/2 teaspoon dried or ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon sugar (some people prefer to use 2 carrots finely shredded or chopped for sweetness)
1 cup pureed fresh tomatoes (puree in a blender or food processor)
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
Freshly grated imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese

https://learnfromyesterday.com

https://learnfromyesterday.com

Sauté onions, garlic, basil, and oregano in olive oil and stir together. Then add your fresh tomato puree and the can of crushed or puree tomatoes.  Add in the sugar if you do not use carrots.  If using carrots, sauté the carrots with the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Let the sauce begin to bubble and then cover the pot lowering the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes or longer, stirring every so often.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

https://learnfromyesterday.com

When the sauce is just about ready, drain and squeeze the zucchini spaghetti. Then put the zucchini in your serving bowl or dish, being sure to drain off any excess liquid.  There may be some left, but this will not hurt the flavor of your dish. Last of all, add your sauce to your zucchini and when ready, toss lightly.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

My Healthy Zucchini Spaghetti with Tomato Basil Sauce is so delicious, while definitely healthy! Serve this dish with freshly grated imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese for those who like it, a crusty loaf of bread, and a glass of red wine. Some people think this meal will not be filling, but they are wrong. Not only is it filling, but if you want some frozen yogurt for dessert, you won’t feel the least bit guilty about it. So try this wonderful dish, and enjoy!

Fresh Homemade Margherita Pizza

By Jodee Weiland

Homemade pizza is the best! One reason for this is because you choose your own toppings and exactly how much of each you want. In our home, homemade pizza is a crusty pizza. It is not really thin slice, but it isn’t over thick either. You get to decide that as well when you make your own homemade pizza…thick or thin! So why order out? Well, sometimes it’s quicker, especially if you have a pizza seller you like, but why order out when time isn’t a factor? You probably think it’s really hard to do, but it isn’t really. Take a look at how I make my Fresh Homemade Margherita Pizza!

https://learnfromyesterday.comThe ingredients for homemade pizza aren’t all that complicated and even the ingredients can be flexed some according to individual taste. The time is a matter of mixing the dough for the crust and kneading until smooth, about 15 to 20 minutes total, and then letting it sit covered to rise for about sixty minutes or longer. Once it rises, just knead again and roll it out to the size you want. My recipe can either make two smaller pizzas or one larger one. If you make two, freeze half for some time in the next two weeks.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

Again, shape is your choice, but I like to make one larger round pizza with a pressed to the side crusty edge on it. There are so many choices for you to make, but still so little effort to make homemade pizza. As for ingredients, you can make the sauce or buy it prepared. Mine is my tomato basil sauce, only a small portion of the actual recipe. The rest can be frozen in small batches for other pizzas. Then you add cheese and whatever other ingredients you want for toppings. How easy is that? We love my Fresh Homemade Margherita Pizza!

https://learnfromyesterday.com

Fresh Homemade Margherita Pizza 

For pizza dough:

  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast (with a pinch of salt)
  • 1 cup very warm water (about 110 degrees but not too hot)
  • 3 cups bread flour (plus a little extra for rolling out dough or if needed)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus some for bowl, dough surface, pan)

https://learnfromyesterday.com

Put the dry yeast with a pinch of salt in the hot water. Let it sit for at least ten minutes. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Then add the yeast and water mixture and the olive oil. Stir and blend in well. This may be done in a mixer, but I like to keep it simple, so I do it by hand. As it comes together begin to work and knead it with your hands for about ten minutes or until you can form a smooth round ball out of the dough. Once done, put olive oil lightly over the surface of the ball and on the surface of your bowl. Place the ball of dough in the bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit for sixty minutes or longer. The ball of dough should double in size when it is ready. I let mine sit for about ninety minutes.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

https://learnfromyesterday.com

Once ready, knead the ball of dough down and then start to roll it out on a clean flour dusted surface. If you are making two smaller pizzas, cut in half and put half in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate or freeze. If making one larger pizza, this is not necessary. I make one, so I rolled the dough out so it was about an inch wider than my pan. Put olive oil all over your baking pan. Then fold your dough in half and move to the pizza baking pan. I use a fourteen inch deep dish pizza pan, so I can push a raised edge around the entire pizza. After the pizza is set in the pan and ready, brush the whole pizza dough surface lightly with olive oil. Now you can add your sauce, cheese, and any other ingredients you like. If adding sausage, I would brown it first so it will be cooked completely when the pizza is done.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

https://learnfromyesterday.com

For Margherita Pizza:

  • About 1 cup tomato basil sauce or prepared pizza sauce (less or more to taste)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups or more to taste shredded mozzarella cheese (I use reduced fat)
  • 4 fresh basil leaves or more washed, sliced and cut up
  • 1 to 2 tomatoes sliced thinly

https://learnfromyesterday.com

https://learnfromyesterday.com

https://learnfromyesterday.com

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For my sauce, I use my tomato basil sauce. Make it ahead and you will use about 1 cup for the pizza surface, more or less, depending on your preference. The rest can be frozen in small portions for later pizzas. Then sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese across the sauce. Sprinkle the cut up basil leaves across the top and then lay out sliced tomatoes across the top. When done, put it in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cheese and crust are lightly browned. My pizza took about 23 minutes to cook. When the pizza is ready, let it sit for a few minutes before cutting into pieces.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

My Fresh Homemade Margherita Pizza is delicious, and we love it! Serve it with grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese and crushed red pepper for those who want it. This pizza is so worth the amount of time and effort it will take to make it for your family. What’s great is choosing what you want and how much of each ingredient you want on your pizza. The children will love helping you choose. Or just make a Magherita Pizza like I made. Whatever you choose, once done, sit down with a glass of red wine or your drink of choice, your pizza, and enjoy!