Jamba Juice Strawberries Wild Smoothie Copycat Recipe

Summer used to be my favorite season of the year. At the end of each school year, I would happily draw up a list of "Must Do Activities" and check them off as I accomplished them.

I mean, what's not to like about Summer? Warm days, no school, later bedtime, and endless playing around outside (unchaperoned) with the only mandate to return home before it got dark. I rode my trusty bike everywhere, read all of my favorite books and met up with friends to play. I basked in the warm Summer sun for hours on end.

Since I have transitioned to the role of being a Stay At Home Mom, my days are filled with activities for the little man. While I may not enjoy Summers as much since I have become a heat wimp with a never-ending to do list, I experience sheer joy watching my son playing at the water park, riding his bike, kicking a soccer ball or blowing bubbles. Most of these things are a daily Summer time ritual for us since the little man loves playing outside.

To cope with the intense heat wave we had lately, we would cool off with this delicious Jamba Juice strawberries wild smoothie copycat recipe. I love this strawberry smoothie so much that I have been making it on a daily basis since my discovery 3 weeks ago.

For us, this is the perfect Summer time drink: cold, refreshing and full of nutrients. The best part about this recipe is that it is takes no time to prepare, so you can take this smoothie with you to the park. It is a great way to hydrate and energize your little ones and yourself as you bask in the summer sun (or hide in the shade like I do these days!). This is one recipe that is definitely on my "Must Do" list for the Summer.

Ingredients
3/4 cup pure apple juice (I like Sunrype 100% Pure Apple Juice)
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 cup plain yogurt
1 frozen banana, peeled
3/4 cup ice cubes
2 tbsp honey

Directions
1. In a blender, add the ingredients in the following order: apple juice, strawberries, yogurt, frozen banana, ice cubes and honey. Blend on high for 10 seconds or longer until the ingredients are fully blended and no ice chunks remain. Serve immediately.

Source: Slightly adapted from Rasa Malaysia

Red Bean (Azuki) Paste (Free of Top Allergens)

My mom loves red bean. Growing up, our pantry was always stocked with at least a bag or two of dried red beans. We regularly had red bean steamed buns, red bean soup, red bean glutinous rice balls (recipe here), red bean pancakes, red bean and rice; see a common theme?

As a child I loved red bean. But I went through a phase in my 20s when I was not a fan of red bean and would cringe every time I see it. I guess after many years of not eating it ALL. THE. TIME., I started liking red bean again.

Recently, for Chinese New Year, I made Sweet Red Bean Glutinous Rice Balls. It brought back good memories of my childhood as I carefully bit into each glutinous rice ball and savored the smooth sweet red bean paste.

This red bean paste recipe is easy but requires some time to soak and cook the red beans. Traditionally, red bean paste does not have butter in it (at least not my mom's version) but I like the addition of butter in red bean paste as it adds a richer taste. My little man ate a bowl of red bean paste on its own and kept asking for more. I guess he must take after grandma.

Ingredients
400 g (13 oz) dried red beans
Cold water
1-1/2 cups white sugar
2 tbsp butter or vegetable oil

Directions
The Night Before
1. Soak the beans in a large bowl or container overnight for at least 8 hours. Cover the red beans with at least 1 inch of cold water.

The Next Day
2. Discard any red beans that float to the surface. Drain and rinse the red beans.

3. In a large pot, add the red beans and enough water to cover the pot by 1 inch.

4. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to simmer for an hour until the red beans are soft and easily mashed with a spoon.

5. Transfer 1/3 of the cooked red beans to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add a little of the reserved cooking liquid or water if needed. If you are using a blender, you will need to scrape down the sides of the blender a few times. Repeat until all of the red bean has been pureed.

6. Over medium heat, add the pureed red beans, butter and sugar to a large pan. If you are using vegetable oil, heat the vegetable oil first in a large pan over medium heat before adding the red beans and sugar.

7. Cook until the paste is thick (similar to the consistency of tomato paste). Allow the red bean paste to cool completely before using. The pureed red bean paste can be refrigerated for a week or frozen up to a month.

Oh the possibilities of all the things you can make!

Source: Slightly adapted from China Sichuan Food

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I am always in the mood for sweet potato fries. It is incredibly easy to make sweet potato fries at home. It is also much cheaper than purchasing frozen sweet potato fries at the store or paying extra to substitute in sweet potato fries at restaurants. This version is baked in the oven so it is also a little healthier too. Paired with the chipotle aioli (recipe coming tomorrow), this always curbs my craving for sweet potato fries.

Ingredients
1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1/2" thick matchsticks
Olive oil
Sea salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a bowl or lidded container, toss sweet potato fries in olive oil and season with sea salt.

3. Spread sweet potato fries on a baking sheet, making sure the fries are not overcrowded.

4. Bake on a foil lined baking sheet for 30 minutes or until golden crisp. Flip the fries once half way through. Serve with chipotle aioli (recipe coming tomorrow).

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

Baked Lotus Root Chips (Free of Top Allergens)

The Internet can be an amazing place to learn new things and connect with others. Through Twitter, I saw a Lotus Root Chips recipe posted by Jasmine (aka. The Blenderist) that caught my attention. I love any type of chips and lotus root chips just sound too good. Not to mention, the pictures from Jasmine's blog made the lotus root chips look even more enticing. I made a mental note to buy lotus root the next time I went grocery shopping.

For those who are unfamiliar with lotus root, it is the root of the lotus flower plant. When purchasing lotus root, look for firm lotus root that is unblemished, heavy for its size and without any soft spots. When cooked, it has a mild taste similar to water chestnuts and adds a nice crunch.

These lotus root chips are fairly easy to make. I made two types of lotus root chips: plain and sesame. My little man and I eagerly and patiently waited for the lotus root chips to bake. Due to my poor knife skills, some of these chips were a little thicker than 1/8 of an inch and took a bit longer to bake.

The result is an addictive, salty and crispy lotus root chip that had my little man and I clamouring for more. The thinner you cut the lotus root, the crispier it will be and the more it will resemble a kettle chip. The thicker lotus root chips have a chewier texture but is equally delicious.

My only advice to you is to make a double or triple batch because these babies won't last long!

Ingredients
Lotus root
Rice vinegar or white vinegar 
Olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper
Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions
1. Scrub lotus roots clean under running water. Slice off the ends of the lotus root and peel off the skin with a peeler. Cut off any bruised parts of the lotus root (see picture below).

2. With a mandoline or with your amazing knife skills, cut the lotus root to less than 1/8 inch thick.

I need to work on my knife skills...or buy a better mandoline.

3. Place the lotus root slices in a large bowl and fill the bowl with just enough water to cover. For every 2 cups of water used, add 1 tsp of vinegar. This prevents the lotus root from turning brown. Allow the lotus root slices to soak for 5 to 10 minutes.

I used seasoned rice vinegar which is what I had on hand.

4. Drain the lotus root and pat dry each lotus root chip with a paper towel.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

6. In a large lidded container, drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the lotus root and season with salt and pepper. Close the lid and shake to coat.

7. On a parchment lined baking sheet, place lotus root in a single layer making sure they do not overlap. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using).

8. Bake for 25 to 40 minutes until the lotus root chips are golden brown. Eat and repeat.

Source: Adapted from The Blenderist and Just One Cookbook

How to Prevent Apple Slices From Browning

Snacks are essential to our daily life. The little man is currently a fan of apples, granny smith apples to be precise.

Since he is still a little guy, he usually eats about 1/4 of an apple each time. The rest of the apple is wrapped up and browns very quickly due to oxidization. I have tried squeezing lemon juice on my apples but was not a fan of the result. I came across a great tip on Pinterest which helped avoid oxidization also did not leave a strong lemon taste.

Ingredients
1 apple, sliced
2 cups cold water
2 tbsps lemon juice

Directions
1. In a bowl mix water and lemon juice.

I sliced my apples into quarters instead of slices.

2. Place apple slices into the bowl. Let it soak for a minute before draining and placing the apple slices in a resealable bag.

Make sure to label with the date.

Stovetop Apple Sauce (Free of Top 8 Allergens)

I love this apple sauce recipe. It is super easy and comes together in 20 minutes. It is amazing paired with baked ham, mixed with oatmeal or eaten on its own.

Since I had 7 apples that weren't so great for eating or making apple butter with, I used them to make apple sauce.

So please stop buying pre-made apple sauce. With this version, you can make it even healthier by scaling back the sugar.

Ingredients
5 apples, peeled, cored and chopped roughly
3/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup white sugar (or 1/4 cup honey)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions
1. In a pot over medium heat, combine all of the above ingredients and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the apples have softened.

2. Remove from heat. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes before mashing it with a potato masher or fork. Be careful as the apple sauce is hot!

Source: Allrecipes

Chinese Tea Eggs

Chinese tea eggs were an integral part of my childhood growing up. Apparently, my Chinese family never thought caffeine (in the Chinese tea eggs) would stunt my growth.

Infused with a smoky tea flavor, Chinese tea eggs really made eating hard boiled eggs much more appealing for me. It is still one of my favorite things to eat as a snack, in a noodle soup or on a bed of white rice.

Top left clockwise: Soy sauce, black tea, star anise, sugar and cinnamon stick

Ingredients
6 eggs, any size
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 star anise
2 tea bags or 2 tbsp black tea
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp white sugar 

Directions
1. In a medium pot, place eggs in cold water with enough water to fully cover the eggs with 1/2 inch of water.

Submerge in water with 1/2 inch room.

2. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to low. Simmer for 3 minutes.

3. Using a slotted spatula, gently place eggs in a bowl and run it under cold tap water. Reserve the water in the pot.

4. With the back of a spoon or using your counter top, lightly crack the egg shell all around while making sure the shell stays intact.

Crack the shell but leave it intact

5. Once all of the eggs have been cracked, gently place them back to the pot and add your other ingredients.

Bring to a boil

6. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for an additional 40 minutes.

7. Transfer the eggs and the liquid to a heat proof container and place it in the fridge. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours for maximum flavor. The eggs can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The longer you steep the eggs in the fridge, the more intense the flavor will be. This is after 24 hours.

Source: Steamy Kitchen (I omitted two ingredients in the original recipe)

Food Dehydration 101

In this house, we used to eat a fair amount of dehydrated fruits and nuts. My favorite was the Kirkland Dried Fruit & Nut Medley. With peanuts and almonds as the main ingredients, this snack got the boot since my little man has been diagnosed with peanut and almond allergies.

While shopping for portable snacks for the little man, we wanted to buy some dehydrated fruits for him. It is relatively healthy, does not require refrigeration and provides some nutrition. We were unprepared for the ingredients list which included: preservatives (ie. sulfur dioxide), added sugar (ie. cane sugar), oil, and most of the packaged dried fruits we found contained nuts or have traces of nuts. Amazing how reading labels shocks you eh?

As part of our little man's allergy management, we now eat almost all of our meals at home. This resulted in significant savings in our dining out budget. My husband used the money saved to purchase a food dehydrator which can dehydrate practically anything: fruits, vegetables, herbs, milk and even meat jerky (another one of my weaknesses).

"The Beast"
Over this weekend, we put "The Beast" (my nickname for our dehydrator) to the test. In our initial batch we dehydrated 6 tomatoes, 5 apples, 4 pears, 2 peaches, small bunch of grapes, and a pound of red and yellow cherry tomatoes. Amazingly, all that fit into the 9 trays. The next day, I dried 8 bananas, a bunch of kale and some homemade hand molds.

Uniformity is the key to successful dehydrating. A good mandoline is a huge time saver.

The dehydrated food tastes amazing since the fruits I purchased were in season, so they are naturally sweet. We did not add any sugar or preservatives to our dehydrated loot and it is nut free too!

Top left clockwise: Dried apples, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, pears and peaches.

My husband figured it costs between $0.03 to $0.06 per hour to run "The Beast". Most fruits and vegetables take an average of 5 to 10 hours to dehydrate so you are looking at about $0.60 in electricity. The total cost of your finished product depends on the cost of your raw ingredients and if you factor in other costs (such as gas, your time and the cost of the dehydrator). For us, it is the right move as our little man can enjoy fruit on the go, sans nut traces, sugar and preservatives. For an allergy mom, you truly cannot put a price tag on the peace of mind.

Dried bananas: 8 bananas yield a sandwich bag and half of banana chips. No oil or sugar added.

Choosing a Food Dehydrator
There are various models of food dehydrators available. I recommend that you do some research and find one that is right for you and your needs. Some things to think about when choosing a food dehydrator are:

• Uses for the dehydrator
• What do you want to dehydrate: fruits, vegetables, meats, yogurt or herbs?
• How frequently would you actually use a dehydrator 
• If it sits unused, it is actually a better idea to use your oven or purchase dried food.
• Reasons for purchasing a dehydrator 
• Do you have access to an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables through a CSA box or your own garden, are you buying it for health reasons (food allergies, diabetes, etc) or lifestyle (want less chemicals and sugar in your foods)
• Amount of food it can dehydrate in one batch and if the shelves are adjustable
• "The Beast" has nine 15 square inch trays and each shelve is adjustable
• Current consumption of purchased dehydrated foods
• If you purchase dehydrated fruits as much as I did, it might be a good idea to dehydrate your own.
• Cost of the food dehydrator
• With appliances, my current philosophy is to spend a little more to get a better quality appliance. I have had way too many cheap appliances bust on me time after time. That said, there are reasonably priced models which offer good value in the $40 to $70 range: such as the Nesco Snackmaster Pro, Nesco Snackmaster Express or Nesco American Harvest with Jerky Gun.

The 26 hour timer and adjustable thermostat won my husband over.

My husband bought "The Beast" (known to everyone else as the Excalibur 3926TB Food Dehydrator) as it has a 26 hour timer, adjustable thermostat from 95°F to 155°F (can safely dehydrate meat jerky) and 9 trays capacity (15 square inches per tray). "The Beast" also has the capability to make fruit leather and yogurt as well.

Half way through the dehydrating process. Grapes take 22 to 30 hours hence why they still look plump.

We have a long list of foods we are keen to try. I am looking forward to sharing with you my adventures with "The Beast".

Tips for Selecting Food for Dehydration

• Purchase fresh in season fruits and vegetables. These are naturally sweet and will also be the most cost effective
• Pick ripe (but not overripe) and blemish free produce

Beautiful apple slices. I will have to top it with some cinnamon next time.

Preparation

• Use only fresh produce
• Dehydrate foods within a day of purchase to maximize flavor
• Sort through the produce and set aside any bruised or overripe produce for another use.
• Thoroughly wash produce and remove all pits and cores
• Use a mandoline (or sharp knife) cut slices of fruit into uniform sizes. This is to ensure that they all dry at the same time.

Tomatoes on the vine.

Drying

• Whether you are using a food dehydrator or the oven, place food in a single layer leaving some space between each piece
• If using the oven, use parchment paper or nonstick baking mats (such as a Silpat).

Please consult your dehydrator manual for times.

Excalibur 3926TB Food Dehydrator Dehydration Times (Based on my two batches)

Food	Temperature	Time
Tomatoes	125 degrees F	5 to 9 hours
Apples	135 degrees F	7 to 15 hours
Pears	135 degrees F	8 to 16 hours
Peaches	135 degrees F	8 to 16 hours
Grapes	135 degrees F	22 to 30 hours
Bananas	135 degrees F	6 to 10 hours

Dehydration Time Using Traditional Oven (Recipe on Link)

Food	Oven Temperature	Time
Tomatoes	250 degrees F	4 hours
Apples	200 degrees F	2 hours and 40 minutes
Pears	200 degrees F	5 hours
Peaches	170 degrees F	4 to 6 hours
Grapes	200 degrees F	2 hours and 30 minutes
Bananas	250 degrees F	1 hours and 30 minutes

TIP

• If you do not have the time to dehydrate your own fruit, look for dried fruits with no sulfite and little or no sugar added. We have found a few good products at Trader Joe's.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Siracha WOWBUTTER on Toast with Cilantro

Okay, before you click away, just hear me out. This "recipe" (it's not much of a recipe but a suggested pairing) is actually quite good.

I first saw the combination (albeit using peanut butter) on Pinterest and the recipe comes from the folks at Bon Appetit. The savory nutty soy butter pairs wonderfully with the sweet spicy siracha sauce. I also garnished my version with cilantro.

We go through a lot of Siracha in this house.

For those of you who aren't familiar with WOWBUTTER, it is a soy butter that tastes, looks and smells and feels like peanut butter. This family owned Canadian company produces non-GMO soy butter in a peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free and gluten-free environment. This former peanut butter addict had a hard time telling the difference between WOWBUTTER and peanut butter. In our house, we are stocked with two jars of Wow Butter, always ready for a quick snack. The little man is a huge fan of WOWBUTTER as licks his fingers clean after he smears a good amount of it in his hair first.

Siracha sauce is a hot sauce made from chili pepper paste, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. It is commonly used in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine as a dipping sauce and in soups, noodles, banh mi sandwiches and spring rolls. Huy Fong Foods (with the iconic rooster on the bottle) introduced siracha to North Americans and you can now find siracha sauce used in other cuisines.

I can foresee this flavor combination catching on. I am excited to try this over spaghetti noodles tossed with shredded cucumber. Stay tuned for that recipe!

Which one tastes better? With or without cilantro?

Ingredients
1 slice of store-bought or homemade bread, toasted or untoasted
2 to 3 tbsp WOWBUTTER (or soy butter)
Siracha hot sauce, to taste
Cilantro leaves, to taste (optional)

Directions
1. Spread Wow Butter on a slice of bread. Drizzle with siracha hot sauce and top with cilantro leaves.

It tastes better with more cilantro.

 Source: Inspired by Pinterest

Kale Chips

I first heard about kale chips in 2009, when I read about it on a food blog. I have made it twice: once right after I read about kale chips and once this year. I made the kale chips according to the instructions on the food blog and found my kale chips were either burnt or soggy. The little man refused to eat them. I refused to eat them too.

My mother-in-law recently made kale chips and brought some over for us. Her kale chips were green, crisp and simply delicious. Everyone, including the little man could not get enough of it.

The two secrets to great kale chips are:

1. Make sure the kale leaves are completely dry after washing
2. Bake on a lower temperature for a longer period of time. 

Oven temperatures vary and you should test one batch to see if you need to adjust the oven temperature and/or time.

Ingredients
1 bunch of kale
Olive oil to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Onion powder to taste

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Wash the kale and take off the stem (discard or use it in a smoothie or soup). Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Wash, and spin dry. OXO Softworks salad spinner does a great job.

3. Dry the kale thoroughly in a salad spinner or pat dry using paper towels. It is important to make sure the kale is completely dry so that it will crisp up nicely in the oven.

4. Spread kale pieces on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, ensuring they have enough room in between. Separate into a few batches if necessary.

Give them some breathing room and do not overcrowd them.

5. Drizzle olive oil over kale chips.

6. Bake for 12 - 25 minutes. Check the kale chips at the 12 minute mark. The kale chips should be green and crisp (not soggy or brown and burnt).

7. Sprinkle with garlic powder and onion powder and transfer to a container with a lid.

Green, crisp and tasty!

Storage

• Keep the kale chips in a lidded container and cool before closing the lid.

Source: Frugal Allergy Mom

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.