Healthy Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

Diva's Healthy Strawberry Banana Smoothie

I messed around and watched this documentary called Food, Inc. (I don't know why because I know how shows like that freak me out) I'm glad I watched it though.  It really made me wanna clean up my diet and be more aware of the foods I put into my body. Now I'm not saying I'm giving up my cheesecakes and stuff (whoa Nellie, Rome wasn't built in a day), but I am definitely going to be making some gradual changes in my families diet.

I'm not a big breakfast person and most of the time I turn to smoothie recipes to get me through until lunch.  I love being able to throw a bunch of yummy, healthy ingredients into a blender and have a wholesome, quick, easy and cheap breakfast that keeps me full and energized (Ok so that sounded real advertisement-like huh?)

So here is one of my favorite healthy smoothie recipes. It's loaded with good stuff like broccoli sprouts and wheat germ. Oh now don't make that face, you totally can't even taste that healthy crap in there.

This smoothie is sweet, creamy and just a really great way to start your day or any time of day really. And even though I just got finished making one...I think Imma go in the kitchen and make another one. Just because I feel so freakin pretty and healthy when I'm drinking it for some reason.


Ingredients ( I don't measure this stuff when I make it, so I'm guessing here)

1/2 cup yogurt ( I used Stonyfield Vanilla yogurt)
Handful of frozen strawberries
1/2 small banana
2 teaspoons wheat germ (add more in there if ya like)
1/4-1/2 cup fruit juice (I used apple  juice)
1/8 cup broccoli sprouts (or as many as you can sneak in without tasting it)

Pour into a blender/ food processor and blend until completely smooth.

• For a thicker, creamier smoothie, decrease the fruit juice
• For a thinner smoothie add more fruit juice
• For a sweeter smoothie add powdered sugar, fruit-flavored yogurt or a sweeter fruit juice

Watch me make this healthy strawberry banana smoothie recipe from start to finish!!

Easy & Fresh Italian Pasta Salad

Easy & Fresh Italian Pasta Salad

My aunt Arelene makes an amazing Italian spaghetti pasta salad recipe. It's pure, simple, easy and pleases even the most pickiest eaters and family food critics. One thing that I love about this pasta salad is that it is so easy to customize with your favorite ingredients and it still comes out delicious!!

With this Italian pasta salad recipe I've thrown in turky ham, different cheeses, cold peas, cucumber, jalenpenos...EVERYTHING! It's almost impossible to ruin this recipe, not unless you just add in a bunch of weird stuff.

Now normally I don't eat angel hair pasta...I don't know..there is just something about the texture that  makes my skin crawl. But when it's served cold and firm, I love it which is why I always use it for my cold spaghetti pasta salads.

You can eat this pasta salad once it's had a chance to get cold but it is truly at it's best the next day when the ingredients have had a chance to lounge in all of that yummy Italian dressing goodness.

Ingredients
1 lb of angel hair pasta
1/2 green pepper (can use more)
1/2 red pepper (can use more)
1 cup broccoli & cauliflower, diced into tiny pieces
1-2 green onions
1/2  medium tomato (can use more)
1 (16 oz) bottle of Zesty Italian dressing or more if you like it ZEEEESTAAAAY!!! (but I wouldn't add more until you taste it the next day since the flavors will intensify overnight)
1/4 cup of black olives, diced
Chopped pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni), can also used chopped ham.
*Optional ingredients: I like to kick this recipe up sometimes by adding in minced garlic, mild cheddar, cold peas or cucumbers. Experiement with it and make it your own!

Directions
Step 1.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Step 2.) Cook the angel hair pasta until al dente. This only take a few minutes so watch it carefully. The last thing you want is overcooked noodles.
Step 3.) Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.
Step 4.) Chop up the green pepper, red pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, green onion, olives, & pepperroni into tiny minced pieces. You want the pieces to be really tiny.
Step 5.) Pour the bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing over the cold noodles and toss to coat.
Step 6.) Add in the chopped ingredients and toss to combine.
Step 7.) Refrigerate until super cold.
Step 8.) Serve. Be sure to toss before serving since the dressing and ingredients can settle on the bottom.

I'M A FOODNETWORK FINALIST...WILL YOU HELP ME???

Hey Divas & Fellaz!!

As most of you know I was selected as 1 of 15 finalist competing on food networks youtube star challenge!!!!

Here is my audition video


The contestant with the most votes WINS!!!!! So I am calling upon all of my divas and fellaz to go vote for me over at food networks youtube channel!!  You can vote everyday until August 16th!!

EVERY VOTE REALLY DOES COUNT!!!!

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The Best Brussels Sprouts Recipe (Vegan)

Sam loves the idea of Brussels sprouts, and I finally came up with a way to cook them that she loves as well (we all do). When I first started cooking them, I cooked them the way I cook broccoli -- 1/4 inch of water in a cast iron skillet, add the broccoli, boil off the water turning the vegetables as they cook, then saute them with olive oil and salt and pepper. She loved peeling the outer leaves off the Brussels sprouts like string cheese. The outer leaves had a wonderful sauteed flavor with the olive oil and salt and pepper. She never liked the insides of the Brussels sprouts though, and truthfully, neither did I nor my husband. So I decided to do something about it. Sam doesn't get to peel the Brussels sprouts anymore with this recipe, but I do let her pick up the leaves and eat them with her fingers. The following recipe is our favorite way to eat Brussels sprouts now.

The Best Brussels Sprouts Recipe

6 Brussels sprouts
Water
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

To prepare the Brussels sprouts, wash and dry them. Take a Brussels sprout and cut off the stem up to the base of the leaves. Next peel each leaf off, cutting more off along the stem base as you go, until the leaves are too small and you can't pull them off anymore and are left with the core. Do this for each Brussels sprout; keep the leaves and discard the cores.


Put 1/4" of water in a medium skillet (I use a medium-sized cast iron pan). Add the Brussels sprout leaves and heat the water to boiling over High heat. Use metal tongs to turn the leaves every few minutes or so while the water is boiling off. It will take about 10-15 minutes for the water to boil off, leaving just the cooked Brussels sprout leaves. Turn the heat down to Medium Low and drizzle a little olive oil over the Brussels sprout leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Saute the Brussels sprout leaves for a few minutes until they start to brown. Serves 2 adults (and one small child) as a vegetable side dish.

Ground Beef and Mushroom Rotini Pasta Recipe

Recently, I wanted to make a "Hamburger Helper"-type dish for my family. We love mushrooms and beef together, so this recipe came about by putting our favorite things together into one dish. When served with a green vegetable on the side this is a delicious, complete meal.

Ground Beef and Mushroom Rotini Pasta Recipe

3/4 lb extra lean ground beef
1 package of whole mushrooms (8 oz.)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Shredded parmesan cheese (fresh)
2 cups brown rice rotini pasta (I use Mrs. Leepers Rice Vegetable Twist pasta)
1/4 cup of minced fresh chives (optional)

Wash, dry and slice the mushrooms. Wash, dry and mince a small handful of fresh chives.

Start a pot of water on High heat to boil for the rotini. When boiling, add the rotini and a dash of salt, and follow the package's cooking instructions.

Heat a large skillet, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, to High heat. Add the mushrooms, drizzle a little olive oil over them, salt and pepper to taste, and cook them until the mushrooms are browned. When browned, move the mushrooms to a covered dish and set aside until the ground beef is done.

In the same skillet, on High heat, add the ground beef. Break the beef into medium pieces, salt and pepper to taste, and brown the ground beef. Drain off any fat. When the ground beef is browned and fully cooked, add the mushrooms back to the pan with the beef, mixing thoroughly. Turn the heat down to low. Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the skillet with the mushrooms and beef. Mix everything until well combined.

Plate up the ground beef and mushroom pasta and top it with shredded parmesan cheese and minced chives. Serve with a green vegetable on the side. Serves 2 adults (and one small child).