Greek Yogurt and Fruit

A fruit a day...

keeps the snow away!

My sister recently introduced to Greek yogurt, and I love it! Reminds me of the yogurts from Croatia.

I like making smoothies, in fact I have been having one every morning after I return from the gym. (Yeah, I have returned to working out, hopefully I can keep up with it)

So the last photo I actually went outside in the snow! And let me tell you, Brrrrrrrrr.

Going back inside to enjoy my Strawberry Smoothie!

at the farm

Fruit Quince, or membrillos in spanish.... hmm now that I think about it, "quince" also means #15 in English.

Figs and more figs

I don't know what to do with so many figs because they are deteriorating very quickly. So here are a few ideas I found online. I especially like the idea of making fig butter.

10 Tips for Incorporating Figs in your Diet

1. Eat dries figs as a healthy energy snack. For extra flavour and nutrients, stuff them with nuts and a little honey.
   
2. Add figs to baked goods such as muffins, cakes and muesli bars.
   
3. Add dried or fresh figs to porridge, oatmeal or breakfast cereals.
   
4. Stew dried figs in fruit juice with other dried fruits to make a delicious fruit salad. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg before serving.
   
5. Poach figs in red wine or fruit juice and serve with Greek yogurt or creme fraiche.
   
6. Add quartered fresh figs to a salad of fennel, rocket and parmesan cheese.
   
7. Stuff fresh figs with goat's cheese and chopped almonds and serve as an appetizer or dessert.
   
8. Make a fig butter by boiling dried figs in fruit juice until soft. When all the liquid has been absorbed, place the mixture in a food processor and blend until smooth. Use to spread on rice cakes, toast or crackers.
   
9. Add chopped fresh figs to rice, quinoa or couscous dishes.
   
10. Make a fig tart by grinding two handfuls of walnuts in a food processor. Add one packet of dried figs, 1/2 packet raisins, 200ml apple juice, 1 tablespoon grated orange zest, 2 tablespoons honey and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Process until the mixture is the texture of a sticky paste. Press into a pastry case and bake at a medium heat for 35 minutes.

And if you want to learn more about the health benefits of eating figs you can click here or here. I didn't realize this fun fact about figs, "...in some parts of southern Europe, figs are thrown at newlyweds much like rice is thrown in some countries." Well I don't know anybody getting married plus I don't live in Morocco so I won't be throwing figs at anyone. I think I will stick to eating them. How about you, do you like figs, any special recipes you would like to share?

One word: Summer

Sandia, watermelon.

B

E

L


I

"I scream, You scream, We all scream for ice cream."

I will be using these hot peppers when I make shrimp fajitas on Thursday.

Cilantro thriving next to the basil.

Perfectly ripe once a year, sweet peaches make the perfect dessert, whether baked into a flaky puffed pastry crust or simply enjoyed on its own, with plenty of napkins of course! What fruits do you enjoy eating in the summer?

From my kitchen: a fusion of Avocado and Mango

I call this my Mediterranean Avocado Mango salad. Now that the summer is here I rather spend my time at the beach or at cafes with friends than in the kitchen. This recipe is quick, nutritious, and delicious for even toddlers to enjoy.


Like I said, kids will love this. Beli's taste buds are a bit confused since she eats applesauce with scrambled eggs but she usually tries anything. All the ingredients in the salad are her favorites so I though, "why not combine them all into one dish?" I think from her smile it's a keeper in Mommy's recipe book.


If you would like to prepare it, here are the ingredients I used.

One avocado, peeled and cut into small cubes

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tsp of olive oil

1 tomato diced

1tsp of capers, rinsed (don't worry the tanginess will be balanced by the mango)

1 mango, peeled and cut in small cubes

Mix all ingredients, add salt and pepper to your taste and garnish with green or red grapes(as you can see from the previous picture, Beli was not fond of that idea so she removed them from her plate). I garnished mine with parsley and crushed red pepper. In case you are wondering I brought the crushed pepper from my recent trip to the States because I couldn't find it at the grocery store. Then I served it with bagel chips. What do you think? Feel free to substitute or subtract the capers but the mango is a must.