Tag Archives: citrus

A Romantic Slow Cooker Recipe (Yes, Really!) – Orange & Sugar Snap Beef

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Crock Pot Sugar Snap & Orange Beef

I have the perfect dish for you to whip up for your sweetie for Valentine’s Day – my recipe for Slow-Cooker Orange and Sugar Snap Pea Beef! It’s a little sweet, a little spicy and very healthy for your honey. Ladies, they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and, by the way my husband gobbled this healthy dinner, I’d say this Asian-inspired dinner was a winner. And, men, if you’re looking for a way to impress that someone special, I just want you to know that women think it’s super sexy when guys self-initiate cooking and cleaning up in the kitchen – this crockpot recipe is insanely easy to make and has virtually no clean-up.

February isn’t just about “hearts” in a romantic way; speaking cardiovascularly, it’s also National Heart Month!  I like to use the month of February to “check-in” with my health and show love to my heart with healthy changes in diet and exercise – and renew any of my New Year’s resolutions that have started to slip away! Little changes in the foods you consume, like increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables on your plate and reducing salty, sugary snacks, can add up to big benefits in terms of your overall health. Eating lean protein is important, too! A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from Penn State University found that people who participated in the Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD) study, consuming about 3 to 5 ounces of lean beef daily as part of a heart-healthy diet, experienced a 10 percent decline in LDL “bad” cholesterol.

Asian Orange Beef in Slow Cooker

My recipe for Slow-Cooker Orange and Sugar Snap Pea Beef is the perfect way to put your lean protein plan into motion – plus you get some fruits and veggies to boot! Who knows, you may even reduce your bad cholesterol if you follow the protocols of the BOLD study – I’m happy to share lots of healthy beef recipes with you including Sirloin Cobb Kebabs and Spice Crusted Tenderloin Steaks.  Just search the word “beef” in my recipe collection to find more!

SLow Cooker Ingredients

Slow-Cooker Orange and Sugar Snap Pea Beef Recipe 

  • 2 lb. beef chuck shoulder steak – trimmed and sliced into 2” strips
  • 1/2 cup Litehouse Food’s Tangy Orange Dressing & Marinade *
  • 2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. Sriracha Chile Pepper Sauce (found on Asian food aisle)
  • 1 Tbsp. Litehouse Food’s Instantly Fresh Ginger
  • 1 Tbsp, Litehouse Food’s Instantly Fresh Garlic
  • 1 large onion cut very coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 6-oz can mandarin oranges that have been drained (or may use fresh)
  • 1 (8-oz) package sugar snap peas
  1. Add beef, dressing, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, Sriracha and onion to 3-qt or larger slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours until beef is tender.
  2. Turn to high. Remove ½ cup of liquid and stir in cornstarch until dissolved. Stir this mixture back into slow cooker. Add sugar snap peas and oranges; cover and cook on high 10 minutes until peas are crisp-tender.
  3. Serve over brown rice with sauce from slow cooker.

*If you can’t find the dressing in your market, you can order it online at LitehouseFoods.com or substitute ½ cup fresh orange juice

 

Healthy Dessert Recipe | Broiled Grapefruit with Feta & Balsamic Syrup

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Fruit for dessert or a sweet side dish, nom-nom-nom! I’ve been on a poached pear kick and before that it was figs. This summer my fruit fetish was focused on the fuzzy, ripe peach. The nearby (Fredericksburg, Tx) peach orchards are famous and I actually still have a huge haul of peaches that I prepared for the freezer. I pull out a few of those peaches when I need a little taste of sunshine summer in the middle of winter.

grapefruit, orange, lime basket

Some of the ingredients for my favorite citrus salad!

Citrus is another favorite fruit of mine and its peak season is winter! Oranges, tangerines, grapefruits and more – I had all of these citrus fruits in my backyard growing up. I wish I would have taken better advantage of the bounty!  A mixed citrus salad is one of my favorite sweet side dishes; I could eat it every day. Check out the healthy dessert recipe I recently whipped up. It may sound like a strange combination of ingredients but, trust me, it’s insanely good – Broiled Grapefruit with Feta & Balsamic Reduction .

blue cheese & balsamic syrup grapefruit

Broiled Grapefruit with Feta & Balsamic Reduction Recipe

  • 2 large Ruby Red grapefruit
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic reduction (store bought or homemade)

Directions:

  1. Preheat broiler on high.
  2. Slice grapefruit in half crosswise. To prevent wobbling in the pan, slice a small amount of peel off the bottom of each half, taking care not to cut up into the flesh.
  3. Use a paring knife to cut around segment edges for easier eating when done.
  4. Sprinkle tops of grapefruit with even mixtures of the salt, pepper, brown sugar and feta cheese.
  5. Place 4-inches under broiler; broil for approximately 3 – 5 minutes until tops are beginning to caramelize and feta is slightly melting.
  6. Remove from broiler and drizzle with balsamic reduction.

Serves 4.

broiled grapefruit caloriesI ran the nutrition on this healthy dessert recipe – I’ll think you’ll love that it only has 43 calories per servings (!) and is packed with nutrients.

There are many other reasons to sing the praises of citrus. I know that the abundant vitamin C and other nutrients in citrus fruits are beneficial to my well-being. Vitamin C has been shown to offer protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling.

 

There’s not much that sours my mood more than buying fruit that isn’t ripe. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to pick out ripe citrus fruit. Look for fruit that are firm and heavy for their size, with bright, colorful skin. You can store citrus at room temperature for several days; beyond this, keep in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.  Throw a few oranges or tangerines in your gym bag, they don’t need to be chilled, come in their own wrappers and will give you energy before or after your workout.

fitmark ambassador jennifer fisher dashing bag citrus

Go eat your citrus, people!

So Zesty! Lemon Citrus Spaghetti and Shrimp Recipe

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jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - lemon citrus spaghetti shrimpLemons make me happy. First, they are yellow, which just happens to be my favorite color. They add a little pleasing pucker to drinks and desserts. Lemons are loaded with vitamin C and potassium, and the scent of lemon really lifts my mood.  So, when life hands me lemons, I feel utterly elated. Tonight I used a windfall of this wonderful fruit to create a Lemon Citrus Spaghetti and Shrimp!

Lemon Citrus Spaghetti with Shrimp Recipe

  • 3/4 lb large shrimp, peeled but with tails intact
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 4 clementines, peeled and sectioned
  • 1 lemon, sliced thinly
  • 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
  • Sea salt, to taste

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the shrimp on a sheet pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Toss well, spread them in 1 layer, and roast for 6 to 8 minutes, just until pink and cooked through.


Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add the pasta, and cook al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Slice one lemon very thinly. Zest the other lemon, gathering about 1 tablespoon. Squeeze the juice from the zested lemon. Peel and section clementines.

citrus lemons clementines

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, stirring for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add wine, clementine sections, zest from 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon), juice from 1 lemon, and lemon slices. Bring to a light boil and cook for several minutes until ingredients are heated through and alcohol in wine is cooked off.

While still hot, add shrimp and pasta to the skillet and toss.  Season with sea salt to taste and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Serves 2.

lemon citrus spaghetti with shrimp nutrition