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Super Fruit Smoothie Recipe

As you guys know, even though the weather is finally cooling down, I am still loving smoothies. Most days I whip up a bowl-sized smoothie for breakfast or a smaller, lighter sized smoothie to sip as an afternoon snack.

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I spend a few minutes each day, staring into the pantry and refrigerator, before choosing the flavor profile for that day’s smoothie. Sometimes they are inspired by backed goods, like my favorite peach cobbler smoothie, while other days the goal is to recreate the Dairy Queen Blizzard of my childhood while still including good for you ingredients.

Therefore, when the gang at Superberries asked me to test on their nutritionally packed, aroniaberries, I couldn’t say no. How much fun would it be to spend some time in the kitchen, getting to know a new ingredient, while experimenting with different flavor combinations? The frozen aroniaberries I received were perfect to include in this smoothie recipe as well as my morning oatmeal this morning.

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I won’t lie, I immediately intended on packing this smoothie with all the wholesome goodness you so many people are craving this time of year. This smoothie includes a new to me berry, the aroniaberry. Aroniaberries provide the most balanced protection against the five most common free radicals which can lead to illness. In addition, this antioxidant rich fruit can help with exercise recovery which is especially important for those of us working out multiple times per week! This dark purple fruit is rich in polyphenols, which neutralize free radicals and minimize the aging process while boosting our immune system!

After seeing the vibrant color of these berries, I was inspired to make a smoothie that would taste like a berry muffin and be vibrant in color. Waking up to a bright, cheery smoothie is the perfect way to start any day, right?


 Super Fruit Smoothie

Super Fruit Smoothie

1 frozen banana

¼ cup frozen aroniaberries

½ cup Almond Milk (I prefer Califia unsweetened almond milk)

1 chopped, pitted date

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 serving vanilla protein powder

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional:

A sprinkle of your favorite granola such as Purely Elizabeth or ½ a crushed Nola Bar

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Instructions

1. In a high powered blender or food processor of your choice, blend together all ingredients placing frozen fruit and protein powder closest to the blade.

2. Blend until you it appears to be thick enough to eat with a spoon. If you’d rather sip the smoothie, then blend for a bit longer or add more liquid.

3. Pour smoothie into bowl or glass and top with optional crunch.

Want to create your own Aroniaberry smoothie or try the super fruit for yourself? Superberries are offering 25% off 6 Packs of Superberries Products as part of a New Year’s special. (Aroniaberry+ Daily Wellness Shots not included) Use the code BERRIES25in through January 25th.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Superberries. The opinions and text are all mine.

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ashleyd /

The Best Healthy Turkey Chili Recipe

turkey chili

Here’s what you should know about me. Once the temperatures dip below freezing, I crave a few things: warm slippers, flannel pajamas, chai tea, red wine, and chili. Seriously, I could eat chili every night during the Winter months as long as the flavors change.

Our tastes have fluctuated over the years, and we’ve most recently been eating white chicken chili rather than the traditional red chili. But, after last night’s dinner, I think I’m back on team red.

In fact, I’m about to make a very strong statement. This chili recipe is the best, healthy chili we’ve ever tasted. Hearty, filling, flavorful and rich it leaves you smiling from a full belly while still warming your mouth with smoky, rich flavors. A few surprise ingredients, like charred red peppers, will add depth to the flavor while only requiring a minute of extra effort. Trust me, it’s worth it.

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It’s one of those dishes that only gets better as a leftover, whether served for lunch or dinner. The few simple, surprise ingredients give it a rich, warm flavor that is often missing in healthy chili recipes. Made with lean, ground turkey, it’s healthy enough to eat during the month of January when 99% of blog readers are thinking twice about what they eat.

We recommend topping off your bowl with with jalapenos, shredded cheddar cheese, scallions and a dollop of sour cream before grabbing your largest spoon.


turkey chili

The Best Healthy, Turkey Chili

Servings: 12-14 depending on serving size
Active prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1-2 hours simmering
Ingredients:
2 medium onions (diced)
6 garlic cloves (grated on a micro planer)
2 red bell peppers (charred on the burner and diced)
2 pounds ground white meat turkey
4 15oz cans red kidney beans (rinsed well with cold water)
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
10 Tbsp. chili powder (divided into 8, 1 and 1)
2 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup bourbon
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. corn starch (to thicken if needed)
salt
pepper
olive oil
Directions
1) Place a large stock pot on the stove over medium high heat, once hot add about 2 Tbsp. olive oil
2) Add onions and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes or until the onions begin to soften
3) Add red peppers and cook for another 3 minutes – remove contents of pot to a side dish
4) Return pot to stove and add additional olive oil – once hot, add 1 lb of turkey and season well with salt, pepper, 1 Tbsp. chili powder and a little cumin (you can also add any other spices you like such as garam masala, turmeric, or paprika)
5) Once brown remove turkey to bowl with onions and peppers and repeat with other pound of turkey
6) Return all cooked ingredients to the pot and add kidney beans, tomatoes (crushing whole tomatoes in your hand as they go into the pot), stock, spices, herbs, bourbon and syrup
7) Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and let simmer for at least an hour, up to 2 hours (the kidney beans should not be broken)
8) Season to taste with salt and pepper and if the chili seems a little thin, add corn starch a little at a time to thicken the broth
9) Garnish with any combination of white or green onions, avocado, cheddar cheese, sour cream, corn chips, cilantro, etc.
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Don’t Get Intimidated by Pinterest

eggs

Some days, the idea of cooking dinner can easily be overwhelming.

Miraculously, I had no plans on Tuesday night, which therefore allowed me to get excited about a relaxing night at home in the kitchen. I could open a nice bottle of champagne, put on the Spotify Michael Buble Christmas channel and just relax while cooking dinner. As soon as the clock struck 7pm, I headed downstairs, not even stopping to change out of my work clothes, and did a quick scan of ingredients in the fridge and pantry.

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Inspired by the carton of eggs in the fridge and pile of onions in the pantry, I started skimming Pinterest for inspiration. Not the right move at 7pm, Diamond.  Leave it to Pinterest to immediately intimidate and overwhel. After typing in a few key ingredients I wanted to use, the results quickly included multiple step, complicated recipes. Instead of getting frustrated, I reached out to Kristine, whose Instagram feed never ceases to make me hungry, for some inspiration.

Within minutes, I found myself opening cans and cracking eggs, excited to whip up a dish that I fell in love with in London.  Little did I know that impressive, delicious dish only takes 30 minutes and uses ingredients most of us have in our pantry or refrigerator.

Friends, this New York Times Shakshuka is a recipe that you should pin on your “weeknight dinner” Pinterest board and enjoy often. It only has three, primary recipe steps and one of those is preheating the oven. I’m not kidding!

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If you aren’t familiar with shakshuka, it is a traditional Israeli breakfast dish featuring eggs poached in tomatoes, peppers and onions.   The bright, spicy, one-pan dish is easy to make but the flavors will linger with you for hours. The smoky sauce will have you scooping up the remnants on your plate with pieces of crusty bread.  When paired with a small green salad and a hearty pour of wine or bubbly, it is the perfect, healthy, heart comfort food.

So, what did we learn from this post?

  • Open bubbly before cooking.
  • Don’t fall down the Pinterest intimidation rabbit hole.
  • Phone or test friends for help.
  • Eggs are great kitchen staples!
  • Shakshuka is easier to make than you’d think.
  • Have fun!
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