Healthy Peach Cheesecake Parfait
Two weeks ago, I bought a huge bushel of peaches from my Farmers’ Market, and they were perfectly fresh today! I gave away as many peaches as I could to friends and neighbors when I got home from the market, but there were still some left. To save as many as possible, as soon as I brought them home from the market, I put them gently into my refrigerator, and in a glass bowl, to protect them from bruising, completely unsure as to the outcome.
I cautiously tried one this weekend for a recipe I was hoping to make, and I was completely surprised at how perfect, sweet, and juicy they still were.
I highly recommend popping by your Farmers Market soon to get what may be some of the last of this season’s peaches.
Healthy Peach Cheesecake Parfait
This is an outrageously delicious dessert, especially because the main ingredient is sweet, tender, locally grown peaches (It was yummy with strawberries, too).
My Salvation Army Addiction Recovery class made this recipe this weekend, and it was a huge hit. My “Nutrition, Health & Wellness” classes include recipes and tastings designed to demonstrate how eating more fruits and vegetables can be deliciously fun. The recipes we make must be healthy, simple, inexpensive, quick, and with no cooking necessary.
For 10 Servings or More
Ingredients:
Use 3 medium bowls, one for each layer:
1 bowl:
Crush in Large Chunks: 9 Graham Crackers or 1-1/2 Cups Granola or Vanilla Wafers
Add Chopped Nuts, if desired
In 1 bowl, toss:
3 Cups sliced peaches
1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
In 1 bowl, Blend, then refrigerate until set, if desired:
8 Ounces Low Fat Cream Cheese
1 Cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt
2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Garnish with extra peaches, granola, and/or chopped nuts on top
Optional: Place a Sprig of Mint on Top
In a wine glass, martini glass, or clear cup, place a layer of the crushed graham crackers, a layer of the cheesecake mixture, then a layer of the sliced peaches. Repeat.
This recipe is adapted from “Life Made Sweeter.” More peach recipes…
The Sweetest Surprise … Yellow Watermelon!
The sweetest watermelon at the moment is yellow, according to moi after tasting every darn watermelon at Sunday’s Farmers’ Market. I’ve always avoided the yellow watermelon; I guess you could say I’ve been kinda prejudiced against a watermelon colored … yellow! But with fruit tasting so bland and mushy this year because of excessive rain, I was desperate to find something sweet. So I reluctantly tried a yellow one at a familiar farm stand. I was surprised by its sweet juicy-ness; the best at the market! Give up any watermelon biases you may have, and just try it 🙂
A yellow watermelon is a natural variety of watermelon hailing from Africa. It’s high in beta-carotene – which provides its yellow color – and vitamin C.
“To broaden the narrow watermelon gene pool, US Department of Agriculture researchers went back to wild watermelon relatives in Africa to find genes resistant to problems like watermelon vine decline, root-knot nematodes, zucchini yellow mosaic virus, and wilting diseases,” According to USDA’s monthly Agriculture Research Magazine.
What to do with yellow watermelon? Of course, any watermelon (even the yellow kind) is great completely naked, cubed in any salad, crushed into popsicle molds or a margarita. Its watery and slightly crunchy sweetness perfectly complements heat or salt in many recipes. Here are just a few of my favorites…
Katherine’s Fresh Summer Salsa with Watermelon
excerpted from Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Season!
Melon Chunks with Crumbled Feta and Fresh Mint
excerpted from Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Season!
Nora Pouillon’s Watermelon Gazpacho with Lime and Mint
excerpted from Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Season!
Nora Pouillon’s Watermelon Gazpacho with Lime and Mint
Nora Pouillon’s Watermelon Gazpacho with Lime and Mint
6 lbs seedless watermelon, cut up, rind removed
2 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 jalapeno (or to taste)
1/2 c chopped red onion
2 minced garlic cloves (optional)
1/3 c packed, minced mint
1 diced zucchini
1 seeded and chopped green bell pepper
salt & pepper
cubed watermelon & fresh mint for garnish
Puree watermelon in batches until smooth. Leave some puree in the blender and add juices, jalepeno, onion and garlic. Puree again till smooth. Add mint and buzz till it’s just chopped.
In a large bowl, mix both purees. Stir in zucchini, green pepper, and watermelon cubes. Add salt & pepper to taste.
serves 4
Adapted from “Cooking with Nora” by Nora Pouillon
Peaches! Peaches! More Peaches!
Peaches are so abundant right now, our local Farmers Market is practically giving them away. What to do with all those peaches? Freeze slices for peach smoothies all year long. And lots, lots more!
Katherine’s Summertime Peach Crisp with Roasted Nuts, Dried Fruit & Ginger
Fresh Kale and Summer Peach Salad with Toasted Almonds and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Creamy Summer Peach Fruit Smoothie
Swedish Waffles with Vanilla Bean Yogurt and Fresh Summertime Peaches
Nora Pouillon’s Chilled Cucumber Soup with Yogurt & Cilantro
Excerpted from “Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Season!“
If you’re not sure you’ll like the idea of cold cucumber soup, you will! Give it a try, you won’t be sorry…
4 Servings
3 Cups Lowfat Yogurt
3 Medium Cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 Medium Green Pepper, washed, seeded, and cut into chunks
4 – 6 Cloves of Garlic, peeled
Juice of 1 Lemon
Peel of 1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Cilantro Leaves
1 Jalepeno Chili Pepper with seeds, stemmed
1 teaspoon sea salt
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Put the yogurt, cucumbers, green pepper, garlic, lemon juice and lemon peel, olive oil, cilantro, and jalapeno in a blender. Puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and refrigerate.
ASSEMBLY: Pour the chilled soup into 4 bowls, garnish with cilantro.
Calories: 128
Note from Nora: “Since the fruit I use is organic, I always use the skins. I zest or peel my lemons or limes with a vegetables peeler. Then I peel off the white pith from the fruit (you need a sharp paring knife) and put the whole lemon or lime and its peeled skin into the blender.”
Kjerstin’s Swedish Cucumber Salad with Fresh Dill
Excerpted from “Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Season!“
This recipe from my mother is a typical Swedish side dish (though I substituted yogurt for sour cream). When she (and I) serves it at parties, it is always a huge hit. It’s especially delicious using locally grown, just picked cucumbers. It’s great served alongside smoked salmon, but also any spicy dish, such as an Indian Curry.
1 English Cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (any seasonal cucumber will do)
1 Cup White Wine Vinegar
1 Cup Water
2 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Dill
1/2 Cup Low Fat or Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Dash Pepper
Mix water, vinegar and salt. Add cucumber slices and let sit for about an hour. Drain well. In clean bowl, mix together yogurt, dill, sugar and pepper. Mix cucumber slices in the yogurt mixture. Let sit in refrigerator for at least one hour to blend flavors. Will last several days in the refrigerator.
Susan Belsinger’s Creamiest Summer Peach Fruit Smoothie
Excerpted from “Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Season!“
“Another great combo is raspberries with peaches. Besides being quick and easy, the best thing about this recipe is that it tastes good and it is good for you! Sometimes when I know I’m going to be burning a lot of energy—I add a handful of dry oatmeal—if makes it thicker and more filling, adds protein, and keeps me going longer. Just double the recipe if you are making smoothies for two,” says Susan. I’d like to add that soymilk makes extra creamy smoothies. Try it!
Serves 2
About 1 to 1 1/2 cups peaches and/or other fruit, cut into chunks
About 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
1 cup cold soy milk
3 to 5 ice cubes
2 drops pure vanilla extract
Put the fruit in the blender. Drizzle the syrup or honey over it. Add the ice cubes. Pour the soy milk over all and add the vanilla. Blend until pureed and frothy. Serve immediately in a tall glass with a straw.
My Favorite 15 Minute – or Less – Summertime Recipes
Summer is my favorite time of year for food that needs NO COOKING!
Fresh Kale & Summer Peach Salad with Toasted Almonds and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Sweet Summertime Melon Chunks with Crumbled Feta & Fresh Mint
Fresh Summer Salsa with Watermelon
Zucchini Ribbons with Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette
Swedish Waffles, Vanilla Bean Yogurt & Fresh Summertime Peaches
Kjerstin’s Chicken Salad with Summer Grapes, Peaches & Toasted Walnuts
Creamiest Summertime Peach Smoothie
Kjerstin’s Cucumber Salad with Fresh Dill
Nora Pouillon’s Chilled Cucumber Soup with Yogurt & Cilantro
Kids Eat Right Month: Make Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter & Oat Balls!
Children aren’t born with healthy eating habits – they learn from their parents. With repetition and practice, healthy eating habits can become a way of life for the entire family.
August is Kids Eat Right Month™, when the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and its Foundation focus on the importance of healthful eating and active lifestyles for children and their families.
“Parents raise healthy eaters, bite by bite, meal by meal, as children transition from infants to teens and then to young adults,” said registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy Spokesperson Isabel Maples.
“Raising a competent eater takes years. Start by keeping mealtimes pleasant. Sit down regularly as a family to share meals, because positive attitudes about food grow from that. When there’s joy in eating, good nutrition can follow,” Maples said.
“As children grow, involve them more and more in the responsibility and decision making of meals and snacks. That might mean initiating teachable moments in the grocery store, enlisting your child’s help in planning meals or showing your teen how to prepare afterschool snacks,” Maples said. “Involving kids from the ground up gives them a sense of accomplishment and allows them to gradually develop key life skills about healthful food and good nutrition.”
Maples offers additional healthful eating habits that all families can begin today:
- Allow children to use their internal signals to decide how much to eat,
- Explore a variety of flavors and foods from different cultures and cuisines,
- Make food safety, such as washing hands, a simple part of every eating occasion,
- Teach basic skills for making positive food choices away from home.
“The more involved kids are, the more they will enjoy the fruits of their labors,” Maples said.
Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter & Oat Bites
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter (or any nut butter you like, such as Almond Butter)
3/4 Cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 Tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Natural, Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (optional)
Chopped Roasted Nuts (optional)
Mix oats, peanut butter and maple syrup. You can try this with a wooden spoon, but you’ll probably need to give up on that technique. Go ahead and throw your hands into the task! Your kids will especially love this part.
In the palm of your hand, roll into about 12 balls (the smaller the balls, the more chocolate on each one!) and place them on a baking sheet which is covered with parchment paper. Freeze about 15 minutes or until set.
In the meantime, place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. To melt without burning, place in the microwave just 30 seconds at a time, while stirring in-between. You can also melt chocolate safely by doing so in a double boiler.
Roll the bites in the melted chocolate and, if you wish, sprinkle with chopped nuts and/or coconut.
Refrigerate until the bites are set, at least 15 minutes.
Adapted from Eating Well Magazine
Caprese Salad: A Simple Summertime Dish in 5 Minutes
Summertime, when the livin’ is easy… preparin’ meals should be easy too. With an abundance of fresh, natural and locally grown ingredients, there is no need to cook or spend more than five minutes in the kitchen preparing something delectable, mouth-watering, and perfectly balanced nutritionally.
Simply slice some vine-ripe tomatoes on a plate, spread about three ounces of mozzarella (and a touch of goat cheese, if you wish) on top, add a sprig of fresh basil – all from the Farmers Market. Sprinkle fresh extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper on everything.
Effortless! Only a plate and knife to rinse, and a fork to clean.
Nutritionally, this is a perfectly balanced meal, because it comprises the following four/five elements:
* At least half the plate is a fruit or vegetable,
* It contains 3 ounces of protein,
* The protein source is dairy,
* It’s topped with a heart-healthy fat, the freshest olive oil you can find.
The only element potentially missing is a whole grain. So add a hardy, toasted slice of whole rye or whole wheat bread with a shmear of olive oil and garlic. Or, smother a one cup serving of whole grain pasta with the salad.
Perfetto!