Cool off this summer with refreshing, 100% tropical fruit Popsicles! The fruits found in this recipe provide replenishing vitamins (like Vitamin A, C and K) and minerals (like potassium) for all your outdoor activities … and that’s why tropical fruits are a July Foods of the Month! Enjoy the tropics in your own backyard with this guilt-free hot weather treat!
Ingredients
2 cups coconut water
1 medium banana, sliced thin
1 kiwi, chopped into little pieces
1/2 pineapple, chopped into small chunks
(Optional – Squeeze a little grapefruit or orange into each mold.)
Directions
Fill your Popsicle molds* with coconut water to about 3/4 of the mold, leaving extra space for the fruit. If you do not have molds, use a small paper cup and Popsicle sticks.
Carefully drop the fruits into the molds so the coconut water doesn’t spill. Fill the molds with more coconut water, if needed.
Freeze overnight, or at least 4 hours.
Remove Popsicles from their molds (you may need to run them under hot water to loosen them) and enjoy!
*To make these Popsicles as fancy as they are tasty, check out this fun list of molds from realsimple.com!
Who doesn’t love the combination of pasta and cheese? Think of this recipe like a grown up, healthier version of macaroni and cheese for adults. Our recipe for Cheesy Pasta with Spinach and Chicken loads up on vegetables. This means it provides healthy vitamins and minerals too especially from the spinach (a May Foods of the Month).
In this recipe, we use ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and a little bit of parmesan. Be sure to use reduced-fat ricotta and mozzarella. To balance out the cheesiness, we add a whole onion, as well as a whole package of spinach, plus three chicken breasts. This means that a serving of this Cheesy Pasta with Spinach and Chicken is a complete meal. We know that the reduced-fat cheeses provide important calcium to keep bones healthy. The chicken is full of protein. The onion and spinach are important vegetables that provide lots of Vitamin C and Vitamin A. Spinach is also responsible for a healthy serving of iron and fiber. And, let’s not forget that the whole grain pasta is full of fiber too!
If you love the flavor combination of spinach and ricotta, this recipe is right up your alley. The caramelized onion gives it a smoky flavor as well. We think it’s the perfect blending of flavors that everyone will enjoy!
1 5 oz. package fresh spinach (organic if possible)
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces
1 15 oz. package part-skim ricotta cheese
1 8 oz. package part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta according to directions.
Once the pasta has finished cooking, drain. Add the fresh spinach leaves to the bottom of the pasta pot, then add the hot pasta over the spinach and cover. The heat from the pasta will allow the spinach to wilt while you cook the rest of the ingredients.
Use a nonstick skillet on medium heat to cook the onion in the olive oil for about 10 minutes, until it begins to brown. Remove onion from skillet and place in a large mixing bowl.
Cook the chicken in the same skillet that you used for the onion for about 10 minutes, until no pink remains. Remove from heat and let cool.
Add the ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese to the bowl with the caramelized onions. Mix together until all ingredients are combined.
Add the cheese and onion mixture to the pasta and spinach. Mix well to combine. Add the chicken and mix again.
In September, tomatoes are a Foods of the Month. In many parts of the US, tomatoes are in season. This means that you may have a vine ripe tomato in your own garden (yum!) or you can find them at your local supermarket. If you have ever eaten a vine ripe tomato, then you are aware of its deliciousness. If not, we highly recommend making this recipe to find out what all the buzz is about! (more…)
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