1 pound whole wheat pizza dough (or ready-made whole wheat lavash, naan, or flatbread)

Flour for dusting

Olive oil cooking spray

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar

3 cups baby arugula

1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin

1/4 cup snipped fresh basil

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Texas Rio Star grapefruit, peeled and segmented

1/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. If using pizza dough, divide into 2 equal portions and roll each into a thin oval on a lightly floured board (about 9 x 13 inches).

Place on prepared baking sheets and spray with cooking spray. Top with equal amounts of cheese and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until crusts are golden brown.

In large bowl, whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar; add arugula, onion, and basil, tossing gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide arugula mixture among flatbread and top with grapefruit segments and peanuts; serve immediately.

Serves

8 servings

Calories: 280g   Total Fat: 13g

Cholesterol: 20mg   Protein: 12g

Carbohydrates: 33g   Sodium: 420mg

Preparation and Cooking Time:

28 minutes
SOURCE:
National Peanut Board
TexaSweet

• 6 cups assorted fresh fruit (berries, grapes, sliced mango, strawberries and/or kiwifruit)
• Juice from 1 lime
• 3 tablespoons Tropical Flavor Nestlé Juicy Juice All Natural 100% Juice
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped mint leaves

Preparation

1. COMBINE fruit in large bowl. Add lime juice, Juicy Juice and mint; toss gently to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves
Servings 6

Preparation Time:
20 minutes

Cool Time:
10 minutes

(Family Features) – Protect your smoothie’s reputation by paying attention to both what’s inside the cup and the cup itself. 

First gaining popularity under the “health food” halo in the 1960s, smoothies are now a mainstream beverage enjoyed for both health and refreshment. They are a perfect to-go beverage, but equally great for a relaxing break at home.

Although there are no hard and fast ingredient rules, smoothies differ from shakes and malts by using ingredients such as yogurt or a juice base, fruits and honey to contribute sweetness and flavor, and any number of add-in options to provide fiber, antioxidants or even protein.

The Everything Green Smoothie, for example, is a refreshing, good-for-you sipper made in minutes with just four ingredients – honeydew, kiwi, lime and honey – some ice and a blender. That’s quicker than a trip to the local smoothie shop. Or if berries are your favorite, this Raspberry Smoothie is extra easy because it starts with frozen raspberries.  Just add orange and lemon juices, and honey.

Smoothie options like these respect the beverage’s good-for-you reputation and call for a to-go cup with a matching profile that says “I care.” Copco, a division of Wilton Enterprises, has delivered an innovative product that looks and works just like the classic cold beverage cup, but it is reusable. The 24-ounce BPA-free Stir ‘n Sip Cup(tm) can be used for any cold beverage. It includes a quarter-turn lid sealing mechanism and reusable stirrer straw so you can stir as you drink. Its textured, non-slip grip makes it easy to carry and it keeps the cold beverage from feeling cold to your hands. The cup is dishwasher safe and completely reusable, reducing garbage and providing added cost savings.

The Stir ‘n Sip Cup is available now at Bed Bath & Beyond stores and online at www.bedbathbeyond.com. Visit www.copco.com to find out more.

Everything Green Smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 cups cubed, peeled, seeded honeydew melon
• 1 cup coarsely chopped peeled kiwi
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 2 cups ice

Preparation

1. In blender or food processor, combine melon, kiwi, honey, lime juice and zest; process until smooth. Add ice and process until ice is crushed.

Serves
Makes 2 servings (about 3 cups)

Raspberry Smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen raspberries in sugar (not thawed)
• 3/4 cup orange juice or water
• 3 – 4 tablespoons honey, as desired
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation

1. In blender or food processor, combine raspberries, orange juice, honey and lemon juice; process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Serves
Makes 1 serving (2 1/2 cups)

SOURCE:
Copco

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 14-ounce can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk OR 1 14-ounce can Eagle Brand Low Fat Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 9-inch frozen deep-dish pie crust, baked
• Fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, bananas*)
• Seedless red raspberry jam

Preparation

1. BEAT cream cheese in large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into baked pie crust.
2. REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until set. Arrange fruit on top of pie. If coating berries, stir jam until smooth. Brush berries with jam and serve.

Serves
Yield 8 servings

Notes, Tips & Suggestions
*If using bananas, dip in lemon juice before placing on pie to keep them from turning brown. Do not coat with jam.

Preparation Time:
10 Minutes

Chill Time:
3+ hours

SOURCE:
Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

When you see the Fair Trade certified mark on food and other goods, you can be assured that the producers in developing countries have received a fair price for their products, allowing them to make investments into improving their local community and infrastructure.

With Fair Trade certified ingredients ranging from pasta and spices to cocoa and tea, you have many options for making a positive contribution to the lives of producers, sustaining the earth and the global ecomomy. And now you can even use Fair Trade certified spices to enhance your dishes.

You can prepare entire Fair Trade meals for any time of day. As you plan a meal, simply check through your list of ingredients to see which ones may be offered in a Fair Trade version. Here are some suggestions for easy ways to integrate Fair Trade ingredients into your cooking.

For main dishes, you might go with Fair Trade pastas, vegetables and spices. Here’s a particularly delicious example:

Creamy pasta with sauerkraut and veggie sausage

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 1/2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed
1 1/2 cups vegan mayonnaise
2 cups plain, unsweetened soy yogurt
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (not brewer’s)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 package veggie sausage or veggie dogs, thinly sliced at an angle
3/4 cup water
1 pound whole wheat pasta (gobetti, fusilli, penne, etc.) cooked al dente and drained
2  large ripe tomatoes, diced

Directions:
In a large saucepot, saute onion in olive oil until golden brown. Add drained sauerkraut, mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, nutritional yeast, cumin, garlic powder, and sliced sausage (or veggie dogs). Add 3/4 cup water. Stir ingredients until mixed well. If mixture is too thick, add another 1/4 cup of water. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add cooked pasta, and toss well. Cover and cook 12 to 15 minutes, until well heated and mixture begins to bubble. Garnish with diced tomato. Serve.

Enhance your meal with home-baked breads, cookies and desserts using Fair Trade fruits. Did you know you can get Fair Trade bananas at almost any food store these days? They were one of the original fruits to become widely certified; now the products available are much broader. This treat allows for your own creative fruit combinations.

Fall fruit crumble
Forgo the pie crust and offer up a generous portion of fruit crumble. Serve warm with ice cream, frozen yogurt, or freshly whipped cream with a hint of vanilla extract.

Ingredients:

Filling
5 cups fruit (sliced pears, sliced apples, and whole cranberries or raspberries make a great combination)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped almonds or walnuts
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons rum or  water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients. Pour into a baking dish (do not drain).

Combine the topping ingredients (cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly) and sprinkle over the fruit.

Bake about 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is soft and topping is lightly browned.

Your support of Fair Trade doesn’t have to end with food items. More and more Fair Trade kitchen and table items are becoming available: place mats, tableware, napkins, serving dishes, etc. Now is the time to explore the possibilities, so check with your local natural and organic retailer.

Visit www.frontiercoop.com/fairtrade for more information on Fair Trade and a selection of Fair Trade Certified food products you can buy online.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Peggy Fulk, Morrill, NE

4 lbs grapes

1 C sour cream

8 oz cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

½ C sugar

½ C brown sugar

1 C chopped walnuts

Wash and drain grapes. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, vanilla, white sugar. Stir into grapes and put in cake pan. Top with brown sugar and walnuts. Chill.

Check Out Our Holiday Recipe Guide Sponsors!

Bytes Computers
Carr-Trumbull Lumber
Century Lumber
Compliments
The Flower Basket
Frame Masters
Johnson Cashway
Panhandle Coop
Platte Valley Bank
Table Mountain Vineyard
Western Nebraska Community College

Susan Neu, Platte Valley Bank, Plaza

8-9” baked pastry shell or graham cracker crust

3 egg yolks

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

½ C real lime juice

Green food coloring

Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325°.  In large mixer bowl, beat egg yolks with condensed milk, lime juice and food coloring. Pour into prepared shell/crust. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool. Chill. Top with whipped cream. Garnish as desired.

Check Out Our Holiday Recipe Guide Sponsors!

Bytes Computers
Carr-Trumbull Lumber
Century Lumber
Compliments
The Flower Basket
Frame Masters
Johnson Cashway
Panhandle Coop
Platte Valley Bank
Table Mountain Vineyard
Western Nebraska Community College

Betti Burback, Kimball, NE

1 – 23 oz pkg brownie mix

2 C cold milk or half-and-half

1 pkg (4 serving size) chocolate-flavored instant pudding and pie filling

8 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided

2 bananas, sliced

2 C strawberries, sliced

4 pkg (1.4 ounce) chocolate-covered English toffee bars, chopped

Prepare and bake brownie mix as directed on package. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into ½-inch squares. Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk for two minutes. Let stand five minutes. Gently stir in two cups of the whipped topping. Refrigerate one hour. Layer half of the brownies, bananas, strawberries, chopped candy bars and pudding mixture in 4-quart serving bowl. Repeat layers. Top with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate at least one hour or until ready to serve. Garnish with additional chopped candy bars, if desired.

Check Out Our Holiday Recipe Guide Sponsors!

Bytes Computers
Carr-Trumbull Lumber
Century Lumber
Compliments
The Flower Basket
Frame Masters
Johnson Cashway
Panhandle Coop
Platte Valley Bank
Table Mountain Vineyard
Western Nebraska Community College

Star-Herald Holiday Recipe Guide Archives

1 – 3 oz. raspberry jello

2 c. boiling water

1  – 16 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 – 3 oz. lemon jello

1 – 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/3 c. mayonnaise

1 – 8 to 12 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup mini marshmallows

Dissolve raspberry jello in 1 cup boiling water; stir in cranberry sauce. Pour in 1 ½ qt. oiled mold. Chill until partially set. Dissolve lemon jello in remaining boiling water, set aside. Beat cream cheese and mayonnaise and gradually add lemon jello mixture. Stir in pineapple. Chill until partially set. Whip cream and fold into the lemon mixture. Add marshmallows. Spread this mixture on top of the cranberry layer. Chill until set.

Star-Herald Holiday Recipe Guide Archives

1 – 20 oz. can unsweetened pineapple, crushed & undrained

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 lg. box orange jello

2 c. buttermilk

1 8oz. carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 c. chopped nuts

Mix pineapple and sugar in saucepan, bring to boil, stirring occasionally. When sauce boils, immediately add jello and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in buttermilk and chill until partially set. Fold in whipped cream and nuts. If necessary chill until mixture mounds slightly. Pour into large 8 – 12 cup mold that has been oiled or in large size cake pan. Chill overnight and decorate with parsley or mint and grated orange zest.