POM-Raspberry Greek Yogurt Power Smoothie

Well, I'm back from my conference in Atlanta, and more or less in one piece. Holy cats, my day job has gotten so busy and stressful I am struggling to do anything else. Geez, don't you hate it when real life gets in the way of blogging?? LOL!!!

The conference was grueling, but it was so, so great to see colleagues in person. Phone and email are just not the same! I had a BLAST meeting my new colleagues from Philly, too. I have to say, I am in total awe of the amount of pure genius contained in our new, merged organization. Plus, our members are the absolute best. Wonderful people that are a joy to work with.

But enough about that. Several weeks ago, I received a case of 100% pure pomegranate juice from the lovely folks at POM Wonderful.

I was thrilled, because while I love pomegranates, they are both a pain to eat and hard to find. They are usually only available here around Christmas time. Pomegranate juice??? Brilliant!

While reading Girlichef's post about her POM experience, I had to laugh, because I did the same thing as soon as I retrieved my box from the clutches of the evil apt. people-- I grabbed a bottle and chugged. AWESOME!!! That POM juice really IS wonderful-- tart, tasty and so refreshing. Making me wish I could drink juice on a regular basis (generally a no-no for my volatile blood sugar levels which are prone to crashing)!

I am happy to report that despite receiving my juice under less than ideal circumstances, it is still delicious many weeks later. You see, the apt. people didn't bother to tell me that my Pom juice was waiting for me in the apt. office until about a WEEK after it arrived. I guess they didn't notice the Gi-normous warnings all over the box that said REFRIGERGATE IMMEDIATELY. (????) I was royally pissed off at the prospect of being the recipient of a whole case of spoiled pomegranate juice, but I popped it right into the fridge and it's fine.

I also received several coupons from one of the BEST natural foods companies under the sun, in my opinion-- Stonyfield Farms. I love their yogurt, and it is the only brand of "regular" yogurt that I will buy. Kristina Drociak at Stonyfield sent me some coupons to try OIKOS, Stonyfield's Organic Greek Yogurt product, which is totally new to me.

One of the biggest differences between Greek-style yogurt vs. regular yogurt is that Greek-style yogurt is strained, meaning that some of the liquid (whey) has been removed from it, resulting in a yogurt that is much thicker, milder, and richer-tasting, as well as significantly higher in protein and calcium. This means that compared to other yogurts with the same fat content, the Greek-style yogurt tastes richer.

I finally had a chance to use some of my OIKOS coupons this week. I've tried both the honey flavor and the vanilla flavor. All OIKOS yogurt is non-fat, but you would never guess because it tastes so rich and delicious! Generally, I detest the flavor of non-fat dairy products and avoid them like the plague. I personally feel better when my food has SOME fat in it, as it keeps my blood sugar more stable. The OIKOS, however, was delicious, and it's high protein content helped keep me from having a sugar crash. The fact that it's organic, too is a real bonus! I greatly enjoyed eating both the Vanilla and the Honey flavors directly from the carton.

For me, the big problem has been that with the triple whammy of moving, work duties heating up, and my travel schedule getting much heavier, I have hardly had time to enjoy creating new recipes for the POM Wonderful or the OIKOS.

I know this is totally boring, and everyone is probably already using both the POM juice and the OIKOS for smoothies, but this morning I wanted to try my hand at creating a great-tasting protein shake using these ingredients.

You see, I am in the process of getting back into my 6 meals-a-day and 6 workouts a week routine. (You can read more about these struggles in PhitDiva, my other blog). One of the staples of my routine is protein shakes.


I use 2 kinds of protein, both whey powder and calcium caseinate powder. I don't want to go into the boring details of whys and whens here. The point I'm trying to get to is that I've been forced to use just the caseinate lately as I've run out of whey and haven't had a chance to get more. Which is a bit of a bummer, since I MUCH prefer the flavor and texture of the whey over the caseinate. To make the caseinate shakes palatable, I usually end up adding some chocolate syrup or other sweetener, which kind of defeats the purpose of a healthy shake, LOL!

Good news!!! Using my OIKOS yogurt and POM Wonderful juice, I've been able to create a Levantine-inspired Power Smoothie with the caseinate powder that is so delicious, even DS just inhaled a large glass. And not only is it delicous, it is jam-packed with tons of nutrition to power you through even the busiest morning.


Here's what I did:

POM-Raspberry Greek Yogurt Power Smoothie
by DomesticMuse
Makes 2 turbo-charged servings

1 c. Pom Wonderful 100% pure pomegranate juice
1 scoop vanilla-flavored calcium caseinate powder (I use the 100% Gold Standard ("ON" or Optimim Nutrition) brand)
3/4 c. OIKOS Greek Yogurt, vanilla flavor
1/2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries
1 packet, cooked, Kashi G0Lean Hot Breakfast cereal, Truly Vanilla flavor
1 T. tahini
2 small bananas, preferably frozen, in chunks
1 1/2 c. ice cubes (this is a guess, since I took one of our drinking glasses and filled it with ice from the dispenser in the fridge door)

Combine the ingredients in the blender, and blend to preferred consistency.



I am LOVING my caseinate protein shake this morning! It is truly "yummy good," as DS used to say. I have quite a sweet tooth, and normally find I need to add some kind of sweetener when I'm using the caseinate, but the above combination is perfect for me as-is (a miracle!). But if you are preparing this for, say, children, here are some things you could to add make this shake even MORE delicious:

• honey
• malted milk powder
• a spoonful or two of raspberry jam

Nutrition-wise, this shake is pretty impressive. Here are some approximate data per serving:

• Protein: about 28 g (12 from the protein powder, 8.25 from the Oikos, 3 from the tahini, and 4.5 from the GoLean)
• Calcium: 39% DV (25% from the protein powder, 12% from the OIKOS, 2% from the tahini)
• Whole grains: 11 g (22% suggested DV)
  
• Fiber: about 10 g. or 42% DV (3.5 g from the GoLean, .75 g from the tahini, .5 g from the protein powder, 2.6 g from the banana, 3 g from the raspberries)
• Omega-3 fatty acids: 234 mg (175 mg from the GoLean, 59 from the tahini)
• Omega-6 fatty acids: 3400 mg (from the Tahini, recommended daily intake is 1500 mg, I think)
  

You also get the benefit of the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in pomegranate juice, raspberries, and bananas, including potassium and vitamin C. The combination of protien plus whole grains plus the fat from the tahini is sure to keep you satisfied and feeling strong for hours.

I also have to give kudos to my new blender. which handles the thick consistency of the caseinate shakes (including ice and other frozen ingredients) with ease. I purchased the Breville Ikon blender recently as my old faithful Kitchen Aid bit the dust last fall. With cycles created specifically for crushing ice and making smoothies, plus its unique blade design, the Breville quickly and easily handles my toughest jobs. It is the best blender I've ever used, and I highly recommend it.

A votre sante!

Apron Giveaway + Stuffed Sea-Bass Fillet Wrapped in Chard with Pomegranate-Hazelnut Vinaigrette

Well, my food photos for ths one really did not turn out well. So disappointing, as I had such high hopes for this, too! This is my Royal Foodie Joust entry for May! This month's Royal Foodie Joust, presided over as always by The Leftover Queen has been quite a challenge.
Rather than specific ingredients, tThe theme for this month's joust is Red, White, and Green. When I heard it, I instantly imagined snowy white fish filets wrapped up in ruby-veined chard. I guess there must be some slavic or scandinavian blood in this here Indian, because I am just crazy about beets and chard. Chard is actually a variety of beet that is raised for its leaves and yummy stems. Every spring I just seem to crave beets in all guises. I decided it would be colorful and fun to add some beet slices and a garlicky crabmeat stuffing to the chard packets as well.

I am quite fond of chard, even though it's a bit of a pain to wash and chop. It's really important to wash it well, as it is very sandy. I always drop the leaves into a sinkful of lukewarm water and let soak for 3-4 minutes, long enough for the dirt to sink to the bottom.

Then carefully lift the leaves out of the water. Wow, just look at all the sand that got left behind!


Here's my original recipe for

Stuffed Sea Bass Wrapped In Chard Leaves
with Pomegranate-Hazelnut Vinaigrette
by DomesticMuse

Ingredients:
8 large Swiss Chard leaves, preferably ruby or rainbow chard
4 6 oz. sea bass filets
1 med. beet
8 T softened boursin cheese
zest of 1 lemon
1/8 c. fresh basil leaves
1 lg. shallot
4 0z. "crabmeat" (I used the fake crab flakes)
2 T freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
1/2 t. Cholula or other hot sauce
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette:
1/2 c. pure pomegranate juice, such as Pom Wonderful
juice of 1 fresh lime
1 T red wine vinegar
2 T fresh basil leaves, preferably purple basil
4 T extra virgin olive oil
4 T walnut oil Salt and pepper to taste
2 T. chopped toasted hazlenuts

First, roast the beet. Preheat the oven to 400F. Trim away any leaves, leaving 1" of stem, and wash the beet well. Rub with some vegetable oil and add salt and pepper.

Wrap in foil and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 30-35 min., or until the beet is easily pierced by a knife. When cool, remove from the foil and remove the beet skin gently with your fingers. Slice into paper-thin slices. (I used my food processor, fitted with the 2mm blade.)


To prepare the chard leaves for stuffing, remove the stems and reserve for another use. Dip the chard leaves in boiling water for 5-10 second to blanch, and drop into an ice water bath.


Dry on kitchen towels. With a sharp paring knife, carefull pare down the thick ribs on the back side of the chard leaves so the leaves are of even thickness.

Spread the leaves out and set aside.


To prepare the stuffing, place the boursin cheese, the lemon zest, the shallot (chopped), the basil leaves, hot sauce, cayenne, parmigiano-reggiano and the crab meat in bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth, and add salt and pepper to taste.
My fininshed stuffing:


To prep the fillets: Preheat the oven to 400F. Spread the 4 filets on a work surface.


Season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Cover 2 of the filets with beet slices. Then add a generous layer of stuffing, and top the stuffing with more beet slices.

Top with the remaining fish filets.


Cut each of the two stuffed filets in half cross-wise, to make 4 stuffed pieces.
Lay 2 chard leaves on the work surface to form an X. Place one of the stuffed filets on top of the chard leaves, and wrap tightly in the leaves.

Repeat with the remaining filets.

Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 T olive oil. Add the chard packets and sear for 1 minute. Then place the skillet in the oven and roast the chard packets for 12-16 minutes.



Meanwhile, prepare the pomegranate vinagrette. Place the pomegranate juice, the lime juice, the basil, the red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Turn on the machine and add the walnut and olive oils slowly. Taste and correct seasoning as needed.

When the chard packets are done, serve drizzled with the pomegranate vinaigrette and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.






To go with the fish packets, I made braised new potatoes and an old family favorite, that sounds weird but is quite delicious. I find myself craving it every spring: Balsamic Beet and Apple Puree.

It's an old standy-by from The Silver Palate that is really simple to make. For 3 servings. roast 2 medium or 1 large beet in foil at 400F, as descibed above, until very tender. Let cool, peel, and cut into several pieces. Meanwhile, chop one yellow onion and saute slowly in 2-3 T of butter with salt, pepper, and 1 T. of sugar. Add 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped, and saute until the onions and apples are very tender. Add 1-2 T balsamic vinegar. Puree the beet with the apple and onion mixture in the food processor.




We really enjoyed this meal, even if the entree didn't turn out to be as photogenic as I had hoped. It is actually pretty simple to prepare, and goes together quite quickly, once the beets are roasted. The pomegranate vinagrette and chopped hazelnuts added just the perfect tart, tangy and rich touch to the fiinshed dish. It was delicious!

I think this vinaigrette is one of the best uses I've found thus far for the case of Pom Wonderful that the company generously sent me. I will be experimenting with it more this week, now that we are mostly settled into the new house. (Not that there isn't still plenty of unpacking to do, LOL!!)



Happy Spring, All!

Just found out about a great APRON giveaway!! A Wrestling Addicted Mommy is giving away a Carolyn's kitchen hot pink sweetheart apron, deadline is May 5!

Get the details here. As you all know, I am wild for vintage aprons, and Carolyn's Kitchen's aprons are sizzlin'! So don't miss Wrestling Mommy's giveaway!

Yours in culinary love,
DomesticMuse