The holiday shopping season is in full swing and many of us find ourselves eating on the run. It is difficult to eat healthy during this time of year. It’s tempting to just stop for fast food or grab a pizza to feed the hungry troops at home. The next time you are wrestling with the idea of what to have for dinner, try this quick, easy, kid-friendly dinner from the “Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2010.” In as little as 40 minutes this combination of sweet and tangy will be on your table, featuring FruitFast’s liquid supplements.

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

Ingredients:

7 oz fingerling potatoes (about 5)
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, cut into 1 /2 inch –thick slices
1 (13.8 oz) can, refrigerated pizza crust dough
2 Tbsp cornmeal
1 cup (4 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3 /4 cup (3 oz) crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese (can also sub queso fresco)
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 tsp fresh thyme (sprinkled on after the pizza is baked keeps the color and flavor vibrant)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes or until just tender; drain. Cool slightly; cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4 inch slices.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add onion. Saute for 8 minutes or until tender.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. (If the dough is difficult to roll out, let it rest for about 5 minutes, then try again). Sprinkle cornmeal over a large baking sheet; place dough on the baking sheet and sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the dough. Arrange the potatoes and onions over the mozzarella; top evenly with the goat cheese (or feta cheese) and garlic. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 15 minutes or until browned; sprinkle with fresh thyme. Serve with Romaine-Radicchio Salad.

Serving size: 2 pieces

Yield: 6 servings

Romaine-Radicchio Salad with Fruit Dressing

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp FruitFast Liquid Fruit Supplement (your choice)
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
2 cups thinly sliced radicchio

Directions:

Combine the liquid fruit supplement and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the lettuce and radicchio. Toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Thanksgiving will soon be here and if you haven’t already been thinking about a special treat for your guests — try this fabulous recipe. It will be a quick hit and it also makes beautiful leftover sandwiches!

Ingredients for Onion Cherry Stuffing:

6 Tbsp salted butter
1 cup diced yellow onions
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 cups diced, day-old bread
1-1/2 tsp minced fresh sage
1-1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1-1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/8 tsp celery seed
1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped Brownwood Acres Dried Tart Cherries
1/2 cup turkey or chicken broth
2 eggs beaten

Turkey Spiral:

1 whole turkey breast, bone-in weight 5 to 6 pounds
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Directions:

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper.  Cook 7 to 10 minutes, or until just beginning to brown.  Add bread, sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, celery seed, hazelnuts, and dried cherries.  Cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.  Add broth and eggs, stirring well to combine.  Set aside until cool enough to handle.

To form Turkey Spiral:

One whole turkey breast, bone in weight 5 to 6 pounds, stuffing from above, 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted. Bone out Turkey breast lobes, keeping skin intact.  Lay each lobe onto work surface, skin side down.  Cutting from where center breast bone was, butterfly breast open, open up butter-flied turkey breast, keeping skin side down, and pound lightly to even thickness to about 1 inch overall.  Divide stuffing mixture in half; place on flesh side of each turkey breast lobe.  Spread mixture evenly and pat into place.  Roll up turkey breast, jelly-roll style, so the skin-end up on the outside of the roll.  Repeat with other lobe of turkey breast.  Place each turkey spiral onto a large piece of aluminum foil.  Brush turkey all over with melted butter.  Tightly seal up turkey breast in foil.  Place foil wrapped spirals onto a baking sheet.   Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven 30 minutes.   Open up foil to expose top of spiral and baste with accumulated pan drippings.   Bake another 30 to 45 minutes basting occasionally, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.  Then slice into 1/2 inch slices and serve.

Yield: 12 Servings

This latest recipe from the October 2010 issue of “Cooking Light” is tailor made for a super fast, low-calorie comfort food for the season. It boasts a 20-minute cooking time, so you can enjoy a special dinner any day of the week. Of course, using our Brownwood Acres Pomegranate Juice Concentrate makes it even better, and with convenient, ready-to-eat pomegranate seeds sold in the produce section of your grocery store, you don’t need to answer the age old question “How do I get all those seeds out of a Pomegranate?” It makes for a real time-saver. Add potato wedges and a salad – what could be easier? Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

4  (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed
1/2  tsp salt
1/2  tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
1  Tbsp minced shallots
1/3  cup red wine (pinot noir or burgundy wine)
1/3  cup pomegranate juice (place 1 Tbsp of Brownwood Acres Pomegranate Juice
Concentrate in a measuring cup; fill to 1/3 cup with water)
1/3  cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1  thyme sprig
1- 1/2 Tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle steaks evenly with salt and half the pepper.   Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add steaks to the pan and cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Remove steaks from pan and place on warmer.

Add shallots to the pan and sauté 30 seconds.   Add the wine, juice, broth, thyme sprig and remaining pepper; bring to a boil.  Cook 7 minutes or until reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Remove from heat; discard thyme sprig. Add butter to sauce, stirring until butter melts.   Serve sauce with steaks.

Serving size = 1 steak and 2 tsp sauce

Yield: 4 servings

A feeling of fall is in the air and that has all of us craving comfort foods. The kids are back in school and life has once again become hectic.   This recipe, adapted from one in the October 2010 issue of Prevention magazine, makes a hearty, comfort meal without the expense of a lot of calories—approximately 412 per serving.  Prepare at the start of the day and your house will smell so delicious and “comfortable” when you return home—take a few minutes to prepare the gravy, add a salad and life just became a little less hectic and a little more “comforting.”

Ingredients:

3 lbs turkey drumsticks, skin removed
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1-1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup chicken stock
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1” chunks
1/2 cup Brownwood Acres Dried Tart Cherries
2 Tbsp flour

Directions:

Combine the turkey, onion, honey, vinegar, ginger, salt, pepper and stock in a large slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Add the potatoes and dried cherries. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender (approximately 45 minutes more).

Remove the turkey and pull the meat from bones.  Pour one-quarter of the liquid into small pot and whisk in flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in remaining liquid.

Toss meat, potatoes, and dried cherries with the gravy and reheat, if necessary.

Yield: 4 servings

The following  is adapted from a “Grilled Branzino” recipe by Geoffrey Zakarian, Chef/Owner, TOWN Restaurant, NYC.  Since Branzino was not available,  I substituted with Mahi Mahi.

Ingredients:

Fish
6          filets of fresh Branzino (black sea bass or farmed striped bass will substitute,              scales and bones removed)
Olive oil (for seasoning)
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Tart Cherry Emulsion
2          Tbsp FruitFast Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate (add to water to make 1/2 cup)
1/8      cup grapefruit juice
1/2      Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2      tsp FruitFast CherryFlex Liquid Fruit Supplement (or frozen cherry puree)
1/2      lb unsalted butter (cut into cubes)

Salad
1/2      cup picked frisee lettuce
1/2      cup picked peppercress leaves
1/4      cup Brownwood Acres dried tart cherries
3          fresh baby artichokes (thinly sliced)
Juice of 1 lemon
1          Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and fresh pepper to taste

(I used a bagged spring salad mix from my local supermarket)

Directions:

Tart Cherry Emulsion
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cherry and grapefruit juice. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half its original volume. Reduce heat to low and add in the mustard and CherryFlex or puree, then carefully whisk in the cubed butter until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and reserve warm for later use.  It is important to keep in a warm place NOT HOT, so the butter doesn’t separate. (The emulsion can be prepared and kept warm up to two hours in advance.)

Fish
Season a hot grill with a lightly oiled rag. Season the fish with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill the filets, skin side down, until desired doneness. Carefully remove with a spatula and reserve on a resting rack for later.

Salad
Carefully toss the peppercress, frisee, cherries, and shaved artichokes in a mixing bowl. Dress with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon evenly a liberal amount of the warm cherry mustard sauce onto flat serving plates. Arrange each of the grilled filets on top of the sauced plates. Top each fish with a little of the mixed salad. Serve immediately.

Yield:  5-6 servings

Warm summer evenings beckon all grill-masters and here is a tempting main course that is easy and quick.

Ingredients:
1          Tbsp sugar
1          Tbsp  paprika
1/2      tsp salt
1/2      tsp garlic powder
1/2      tsp ground red pepper
1/4      tsp ground thyme
1/8      tsp ground allspice
2          Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2   lbs peeled and deveined large shrimp
Cooking spray

Directions:
Pre-heat grill to medium high heat.
Combine first 7 ingredients.  Combine oil and shrimp in a large bowl and toss  well to coat.  Sprinkle spice mixture over the shrimp and toss again to coat.  Thread shrimp onto 8 wooden skewers, which have been soaked in water for 15 minutes.  Place skewers on grill that has been coated with cooking spray.

Grill 6 minutes or until done, turning once.

Salsa

Combine:

2         cups fresh mango, cubed or pineapple
1/2      cup FruitFast dried red tart cherries
1/2      cup chopped cucumber
1/2      cup sliced red onion
2          Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2         tsp cider vinegar

Yield:  4 servings

For your Easter weekend try this Duck with FruitFast cherry cinnamon sauce.  It makes the perfect entrée with the dueling flavors of sweet and sour pairing playfully with the poultry.

Ingredients:

2          duck breasts
2          Tbsp FruitFast Cherry Juice Concentrate
1/2      tsp cinnamon
1          tsp sugar
1          Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

To prepare the duck, sprinkle the fat side with salt and let sit on a paper towel in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Score the fat and set the duck (fat side down) in a cold pan over high heat.
Cook until the fat has browned (approx 5-6 minutes), flip over and cook another 4-5 minutes (for medium-rare).

Remove the duck breasts and let sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Add water to the FruitFast cherry juice concentrate to make 1/2 cup cherry juice.
Pour out half of the rendered fat in the pan and add the cinnamon, sugar, cherry juice, and a little salt.

Reduce the sauce by half and whisk in the butter.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Strain the sauce as desired.

Servings: 2

I still refer to my bookshelf of cookbooks on a regular basis, but finding new culinary tips, sharing recipes and discussing alternative ingredients is so easy and quick, thanks to the computer.

Case in point is FruitFast’s new collaboration with Ann, a gourmet chef at momgateway.blogspot.com. Ann, a scientist by training, publishes a blog dedicated to healthy foods and healthful ways to consume them.

She is impressed with FruitFast products and features several prominently this month in her specially concocted recipes.  Be sure to visit her site for the fruit sushi recipe, Cherry Coconut Cream Gelee and the entrée, Roasted Lamb with Mixed Berry Sauce, using FruitFast Liquids.

Momgateway.blogspot.com is sponsoring a giveaway of FruitFast products.  Enter to win – it’s free and easy – and the selected winner receives three FruitFast products of their choice.

The deadline to enter is March 28, 2010.

Dried cherries are a great complement to soft, mild cheeses.  They’re a great addition to a classic quesadilla or a nice touch on a cheese plate.

Ingredients:
1-1/3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1          cup chopped cooked chicken or chicken luncheon meat
2/3     cup Brownwood Acres Montmorency Dried Tart Cherries
3          Tbsp purchased chipotle-flavored salsa
2          10-inch flour tortillas
Purchased chipotle-flavored salsa (optional)
Light sour cream (optional)
Thinly sliced green onions (optional)

Directions:
To assemble:  layer 1/3 cup cheese, 1/2 cup chicken, 1/3 cup cherries and
1-1/2 tablespoons salsa on half of each tortilla.  Sprinkle each with 1/3 cup of remaining cheese.  Fold tortillas in half; pressing gently.

Spray a nonstick 10- or 12-inch skillet and tops of each quesadilla with no-stick cooking spray.  Heat the skillet over medium-low heat.  Place quesadillas in skillet, bottom sides down.

Cook quesadillas, uncovered, for 9 to 12 minutes or until golden and cheese is melted, carefully turning over once.  Remove quesadillas from skillet.  Cut quesadillas into wedges.  If desired, serve with additional salsa, sour cream and green onions.

Yield:   2 servings

The following recipe requires a little bit of practice (or skill), but is well worth the effort.  If you are used to making sushi, this will not be difficult.  For first time sushi makers, practice with the rice alone before incorporating the fruit.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked Jasmine rice
Assortment of diced fresh fruit (bananas, strawberries, pineapple)
Brownwood Acres Montmorency dried tart cherries and/or
Brownwood Acres dried wild blueberries
Chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pecans)
FruitFast Mixed Berry Liquid Fruit Supplement (or other FruitFast Liquid Fruit Supplement of your choice)

Directions:
Press cooked Jasmine rice on a sushi roller, as per directions.  Add fresh fruit, dried fruit and nuts, then roll to form.  Cut the sushi roll into pieces.  Dip in the Mixed Berry Liquid Fruit Supplement, or drizzle the Liquid Fruit Supplement over the top of the sushi rolls.