Mushroom Risotto! Easy!

Home early and I had a craving all day!

This was a meal for me, but it’s usually a wonderful side dish…Risotto!

Some love it with a lot of cheese; I love it without. Want more of the mushroom flavor. Just a little patience and easy.

• Your favorite Mushrooms 🍄 1/2 cup diced
• I shallot , peeled and diced
• 1 cup of white wine 😊..also little more if you like!
• Chives, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups of arborio Italian rice
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 5 cups of chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• Romano cheese (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Medium heat is the key and keep the stir going with love! Makes 5 servings ❤️ Calories….moving on! 😊

1. Warm chicken broth in a saucepan/pot.
2. In a heated skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add mushrooms and sauté.. leave on the side.
3. Take another heated skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add shallots and sauté.
4. Add arborio Italian rice and stir! Once evaporated, add white wine! Stir, stir, stir until evaporated … start taking a 1/2 cup of broth and add to skillet! Stir, Stir and stir until evaporated!
5. Repeat until all the chicken broth is finished. The rice should be al dente (however more broth can be used if required to be softer).
6. Now add mushrooms and the liquid from the previously set aside skillet. Fold. Add chopped chives , butter and fold.
7. Add Romano cheese (I didn’t use, but you can) pinch of salt and pepper and fold in.

You’re Finished! No more stirring! Plate and pot the remaining wine in a glass! Enjoy!

Stir! Stir!

Letia 😊

Banana Oatmeal Bread! Easy!

I shop weekly for fresh fruit for making smoothies and green juices.  My plan to include bananas daily did not pan out and they also ripened very quickly!

The bananas are the sweetest at this stage and I was left with the decision; what should I do?

This year I’ve said I was going to embrace trying new things; one being cooking more! Then it dawned on me that I can make a banana bread; but use ingredients that were towards the healthy side!

The recipe is real easy and less than an hour to prepare.   And on this cold winter morning, the baking made the home smell wonderful!  The banana bread came out perfect!  So here are the steps and the recipe!

You will need 3 bowls, spatula, large spoon, mixer (if you don’t want to mix by hand), measuring cup, measuring spoons, whisk and a smile!

Get all the ingredients; to double-check you have everything! It’s nothing worse than starting and you find out that you thought you had everything and you don’t!

My substitutions were the walnuts, I like the walnut taste…..not necessarily the walnuts in the bread.  So I used walnut oil (1/2 teaspoon)!  If you don’t like walnuts; you can try raisins, pumpkin seeds,  anything you like.  Instead of white sugar, I’d used trubindao sugar.  I also used coconut oil; instead of shortening.

Oh! I’d also increased the measurements, because I had a lot of bananas – as you can see!  So my banana bread is larger than the proportions in the recipe.

 

1/2 cup coconut oil

• 3/4 cup Sugar in the Raw (turbinado sugar cane)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

 

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the banana and vanilla.

 

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat into creamed mixture. Stir in oats and nuts.

Pour into prepared pan.

 

Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Let the bread rest for about 30 minutes and then go for the slices!

 Letia 🙂

 

All photos by Letia Mitchell LifeStyle & Design® (excluding sugar image).

 

 

Healthy Smoothies! I’m Hooked!

Hello everyone!  Hope your year is going well!  For me, my focus has been on taking care of myself – by eating right and doing exercise on regular basis.   So lately, I have been trying to find ways to eat correctly, including getting my nutrients.

So I’ve heard about having a smoothie daily with all your favorite vegetables and fruit; it can be a wonderful experience; but you have to be dedicated!  I always thought that it would be a lot of work!

With my Costco® shopping list; I started last week and I am definitely hooked!  I know you may say  “Where have you been?” Well, I am saying I am here now! OK! 🙂

I do see a difference, I’m no longer craving for snack foods.  I’m making healthy smoothies every other day, for lunch and sometimes dinner; all based on YouTube guru, Michelle’s great ideas.

She inspired me to also make the most beautiful looking and very tasty smoothies.  Here are some of the veggies and fruits that I have used so far:

Avocado – Banana –  Blueberries – Broccoli –  Cantaloupe – Chia Seeds –  Grapes – Honey – Kale – Strawberries –  Spinach –  Pears  – Pumpkin Seeds –  Almond Milk – Cranberries – Coconut and Yogurt.

A smoothie is a blended and sometimes sweetened beverage made from fresh fruit, vegetables and in special cases can also contain chocolate or peanut butter. 

In addition to fruit, a smoothie can have crushed ice, frozen fruit, honey or contain syrup and ice ingredients.  People love the  milkshake-like consistency because it is thicker than juicing – by adding also milk, yogurt or ice cream. 

However, for the health conscious person these items can be used: Soy milk, coconut water, almond milk, coconut milk, whey powder, green tea, herbal supplements, or nutritional supplement mixes.  The calorie count can be high, so it is suggested to be a meal replacement.

Next is smoothie bowls….?…watch her video; with so many, many ideas!  Thanks Michelle for the delicious looking video!  If you have any great recipes, please share!

Here’s other suggested Instagram sites for smoothie ideas!   http://instagram.com/smooth… – http://instagram.com/simple …  –  http://instagram.com/befits… http://instagram.com/befits…

http://instagram.com/livera…  –  http://instagram.com/drinkt…

http://instagram.com/datesw…

  Be well! 🙂

 

 

Michelle has been on YouTube since 2-4-2012 with 1,500 subscribers!! If you would like to contact her, her e-mail address is invisiblechyrsalis@yahoo.com and her Instagram: http://instagram.com/anneem83/