June 2013 - Alida's Kitchen

A Bite into the Bright Side {sponsored by Fruttare}

June 30, 2013 ·

Thank you Fruttare for sponsoring this post. Bite into the bright side with Fruttare, a new line of delicious frozen fruit bars bursting with real fruit taste now in stores.

Summer is a time to enjoy the bright side of life: blowing bubbles, riding bikes, running through sprinklers, and cooling off with frozen fruit bars. We have been enjoying some sweltering hot days lately, and nothing hits the spot quite like biting into a frozen fruit bar (and another run through the sprinkler, of course).

Recently we were given the opportunity to bite into the bright side with Fruttare, a new line of delicious frozen fruit bars bursting with real fruit taste. With so many delicious flavors to choose from, we had a hard time deciding which to try first. Here are some of the mouthwatering flavors:

Fruttare Fruit and Milk Bars are made with creamy milk and real fruit, and are available in four varieties – Strawberry and Milk, Coconut and Milk, Banana and Milk and Peach and Milk.
Fruttare Fruit and Juice Bars are made with real fruit and refreshing juice, and are available in four varieties – Strawberry, Mango, Orange and Lime.

We chose strawberry, and it was perfectly refreshing after a long day of playing in the heat. While it tastes like a splurge, Fruttare’s strawberry frozen fruit bar comes in at only 60 calories. Gotta love a delicious sweet treat that is also diet-friendly! Adam has embraced his bite into the bright side and told me he wants to try the Coconut and Milk flavor next. I’m looking forward to trying Mango!

What’s your favorite flavor of frozen fruit bar?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Filed Under: Admin Tagged With: clever girls collective

sunflower seed butter buttermilk waffles

Sunbutter Waffles

June 27, 2013 ·

Sunbutter Waffles are whole wheat, buttermilk waffles made with sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter (or other nut butter), making them a nut-free alternative. While perfect just as-is, we also enjoy them topped with additional sunbutter, berries or maple syrup.

We have had a waffles iron for years, but for whatever reason it hasn’t been used much…well, until recently. If you’re a regular reader, you know how much my Adam loves pancakes. At least once per week, I make his favorite kind(s) of pancakes to load up the freezer and/or just to have on hand. Sometimes I would end up making a double (or triple!) batch. On my small little griddle, this exercise could take hours. A labor of love I guess. These days, with a newborn in the house, it’s a bit tricky to devote that much time to cooking or baking anything. On a whim, I decided to try my hand at waffles. Due to Adam’s peanut allergy, I opted to transform my beloved peanut butter waffles into sunbutter waffles. I was pleased to discover cooking waffles is much quicker than flipping pancakes. And Adam had 5 waffles for breakfast that day. Operation waffle was a success!

For another recipe using sunbutter, try these Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars. They make a great snack!

Sunbutter Waffles

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

1¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
¼ cup canola oil
6 tablespoons sunflower seed butter
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer, beat oil and sunflower seed butter until smooth. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and stir until incorporated.
Add buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until combined. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat waffle iron. Cook waffles according to the manufacturer directions for your waffle iron.

Notes

Note: Store leftovers in the refrigerator and toast to reheat. These also freeze well.

Adapted from Everyday Food

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baby/toddler, brunch, buttermilk, easy, freezer friendly, quick, sunflower butter, waffles

Jalapeno Popper Pasta

June 18, 2013 ·

Jalapeno Popper Pasta is a cheesy, spicy dish where comfort food meets an appetizer favorite. This grown-up mac ‘n cheese dish is filled with tasty jalapeno peppers, topped with garlic breadcrumbs and is made a little lighter too!

While Mike and I were pretty sure we would enjoy Jalapeno Popper Pasta, because I mean really…between the cheese and garlic breadcrumbs and a nice kick from the jalapenos…it’s a safe assumption, right? Well, this is how it typically goes down when I want to photograph our dinner for the blog. I load up a plate for photos and head over to my photo spot. I tell Mike to go ahead and start without me, but he always says he wants to wait. (He might sneak a bite or two). Photos take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes depending on various factors, and then we eat! These photos didn’t take long, maybe 5 minutes. I went to the table, and Mike had already finished. He just smiled and went to load up for seconds. It’s that good!

If you’re lucky enough to have a garden full of jalapenos, this Jalapeno Popper Pasta is a delicious, new and different way to use them up.

Jalapeno Popper Pasta

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces pasta (rotini, gemelli, or any other similar shape will work)

For the Garlic Breadcrumbs:

¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch salt

For the Sauce:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 jalapeno peppers, minced (to yield approx ¼ cup)
6 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into 6 pieces
1 cup skim milk
1 cup Monterey jack cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

COOK PASTA: Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente. Drain and set aside.
MAKE BREADCRUMBS: Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium, nonstick skillet and add breadcrumbs and (1 clove) minced garlic. Stir frequently until breadcrumbs begin to brown and garlic is fragrant. Add a pinch of salt, remove from heat and set aside.
MAKE SAUCE: In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook for 3 minutes, or until onion and peppers are softened. Add garlic during the last minute, cooking until fragrant.
Reduce heat to medium and add cream cheese to onion mixture. Stir until melted. Add milk, stirring until incorporated. Add cheese and chili powder and stir until melted and smooth.
PUT IT TOGETHER: Remove sauce from heat. Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
SERVE: Divide on serving plates and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of garlic breadcrumbs. Top with jalapeño rings for garnish (optional).

Notes

Adapted from Rachael Ray

It’s my favorite time of month again…the Eating with the Alphabet Challenge hosted by Brenda from Meal Planning Magic! This month we were to showcase a recipe using a fruit, vegetable or grain that begin with the letters I or J. I obviously went with J for jalapeño.

The past few months, I have been able to knock out several recipes from my bucket list with this challenge, and each of these recipes have become household staples. Gotta love a 3 year old who can’t get enough of roasted chickpeas (we go through 1 can every 1 to 2 days!)

Filed Under: Featured, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: cheese, dinner, easy, jalapeno, light, pasta, quick, stovetop

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Quinoa

June 12, 2013 ·

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken with Quinoa | alidaskitchen.com

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is a healthy 30-minute meal made with chicken, lots of vegetables, and a light sweet and sour sauce. It takes just minutes to prepare, making this Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken an ideal weeknight meal that is much healthier than its take-out counterpart.

Here the Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is served over the ever trendy super-seed, quinoa. You can easily substitute brown rice, or another favorite grain, or eliminate it all together for a lower carb option.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Quinoa

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon water
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thick coins
6 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste
nonstick cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk honey, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and 1 tablespoon water.
Toss chicken in 3 tablespoons of honey mixture and place in prepared baking dish. Toss peppers, carrots and scallions in remaining honey mixture and pour evenly over chicken.
Loosely cover baking dish with foil, leaving one end open to vent. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, put quinoa and broth in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover, reduce to a simmer (medium-low) for 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Divide quinoa on plates and spoon chicken and vegetables over quinoa.

Notes

Slightly adapted from Family Circle, June 2013

If you enjoy this recipe, you may also enjoy:

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

Lighter Sesame Chicken