Purple fingers, Purple kitchen, Stickers in strange places!!!

But that is the sacrifice that all who make Prickly Pear Jelly must make...maybe we should get a purple heart!  Great idea!  This jelly is the most labor intensive jelly you will make, and can be quite dangerous, but tasty, amazing and beautiful!! I have trouble passing the thousands of purple fruit and not have my mouth water.  My good friend Jonathan and his beautiful wife allowed me to come to their home and pick their fruit.  So I have worked really hard and I made jelly, syrup and will be turning some of the syrup into prickly pear vinaigrette.  Ohhh, I love this stuff!!!!  Happy Jelling!!!
                                                   

Prickly Pear Jelly This recipe comes from the University of Arizona. 2 1/2 cups juice, 1 quart fruit Water to cover in kettle 1 package powdered pectin (not liquid) 3 tablespoons lemon or Mexican lime juice 3 1/2 cups granulated sugar Sterilized jelly glasses Use red, ripe, tuna (fruit). If fruit is very ripe, try to include some under-ripe ones to add pectin. A handy way to gather fruit is to use a long-handled fork or tongs and a heavy paper bag. It is not necessary to burn off the spines, as they will come off when fruit is pressed through cheesecloth or filter paper. Brush the pears with a vegetable brush. Wash and place in a kettle with just enough water to cover. Boil until quite tender and soft. This is necessary to extract all juice. Set juice aside so sediment will settle to bottom of container. For clear jelly do not use pectin containing sediment. For each 2 1/2 cups juice, add 1 package powdered pectin (more successful than liquid pectin in this recipe). Bring to a fast boil, stirring constantly. Add lemon or lime juice and sugar. Bring to a hard boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil for 3 minutes. Timing is important to get a product that will jell. Remove from heat; skim and pour into sterilized glasses. Process jars. Prickly Pear Syrup 3 ½ cups prickly pear juice 4 cups sugar ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp vanilla In a saucepan, combine the prickly pear juice, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes. Taste to make sure that the flavors are balanced.  Purple hand!

Fresh Fruit Freeze

I wanted to give the ice cream freezer a good workout, but still wanted to behave myself, foodwise...that is...and after a week being spoiled at my conference at westward look and their good food, I needed to behave myself, though I miss the chocolate torte.   I found a recipe from Prevention for a fruit freeze using canned peaches and pineapple juice.  Well, I thought I could  do one better since I had fresh fruit.  So I made a fresh fruit freeze.  It is kind of like a frozen smoothie, but, lower in calories (only around 65) for there is no dairy...just fabulous fresh fruit for refreshment...(yes I was going for alliteration there)  So, have a fresh fruit freeze soon and you too will be refreshingly happy!!! 

Fresh Fruit Freeze

1-2 frozen bananas
1 nectarine or peach, cut up
6-8 strawberries, hulled
1/4 fresh pineapple, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon of jam (I used my red plum)

Bend to together in a blender.  Place in ice cream freezer and freeze...it really is that easy :)

Spicy Black Bean Burger and Vinegar and Salt Kale Chips

I know, I know...I was skeptical also, but for the burger, I trusted the Pioneer Woman's recommendation.  She has never led me astray, and since I wanted to increase my bean intake, I thought this was the way to go.  My bountiful basket provided the kale, and I never know what to do with kale, and these chips were suggested, they just added olive oil and salt, but I like vinegar.  It all worked out and I feel great!  So here is some more tasty, healthy eats!!

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

by EatLiveRun

6 Ingredients

• 1 whole Jalapeno (I didn't have a jalapeno, so I used chipotle sauce)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 cans (15 Oz.) Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed
• 2 teaspoons Cumin
• 1-¼ teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Flax
• 3 Tablespoons Water
• ½ cups Panko Breadcrumbs
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Sauce
• ½ cups Corn, Fresh Or Frozen And Defrosted
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, For Frying Burgers
• 6 whole Hamburger Buns
• Optional Garnishes: Avocado Slices, Sriracha Chili Sauce And Ketchup

 Preparation Instructions

Seed and roughly chop the jalapeno. Add it and the garlic cloves to a food processor (or high speed blender) and mince finely. (Alternatively, you could chop them yourselves very finely but it’s just easier at this point to throw them into a food processor.)
Add one can of beans to the jalapeno/garlic mixture and pulse to combine. Add cumin and salt and pulse until mixture resembles chunky black bean dip.
In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax and water. Let the mixture sit for five minutes.
Transfer the mixture in the food processor to a large bowl and stir in the bread crumbs, tomato sauce, flax mixture and corn. Stir well until everything is combined. Add remaining can of black beans.
Heat a little olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Form black bean mixture into patties and fry for about 4 minutes per side, until golden and crusty brown.
Serve burgers with avocado slices, sriracha chili sauce and ketchup.

Baked Kale Chips

• 1 bunch kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Yoga Cookies

Well, I was doing yoga, when all I could think about was these molasses cookies that my mom and I had talked about the night before.  So, when I reached my max at doing the yoga, then cookies it is!  I then I went and delivered it to friends and family, because sweet cookieness aren't really allowed in my house during diet season...but I did eat one....and ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...it was delightful.  I am taking a 7 mile hike tonight to make up for the cookie at lunch.  Though, molasses does have a lot of antioxidants!  So healthy is awesome!!  :) 

Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies

recipe by the queen of cookies Martha Stewart·                          

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

2.      With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. Beat in egg and then molasses until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.

3.      Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat.

4.      Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges of cookies are just firm, 10 to 15 minutes (cookies can be baked two sheets at a time, but they will not crackle uniformly). Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely.

White Bean, Tuna, and Onion Salad

A  dear friend of mine, who knows I am working on weight loss and continuing my search for tasty healthy food has been telling me that she has been eating more beans and it has helped her weight loss.  Since I have been working on legumes and healthy proteins, I am now in bean mode...yes, this won't help people be more social with me, but, whatever.  This recipe rocks,!  So go team bean! (you will be seeing more bean recipes over the next couple weeks :)

 

White Bean, Tuna, and Onion Salad

(Fagioli, Tonno, e Cipolle)

SERVES 2

Italians use good-quality tuna packed in olive oil

 1 can of navy beans
1  6-oz. cans olive-oil-packed tuna, lightly drained
1 medium red onion (or sweet onion), halved and thinly sliced
extra-virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 lime, lemon or tangerine
Freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

1. Place beans in a large serving bowl, and add tuna. Break up tuna with a wooden spoon. Scatter red onion over tuna; then drizzle with oil, and season generously with pepper add salt to taste.

**this reminded me of creamed tuna that my mom used to make, but with beans, so I decided to warm it up, add a dollop of light sour cream a little chipotle sauce and served on sourdough toast...but one suggestion...don't microwave too long...or you will be cleaning off the beans off the microwave for awhile. :) and served it with my bruschetta with fresh tomotoes and basil from the garden...great dinner!