Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

fruit

Recipe of the Week: Cucumber, Mango, & Chickpea Salad

Both quick and easy, this cold salad will get you ready for the warmer weather!

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 5

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium cucumbers, peeled and cubed
  • 1-2 mangos (about 8 ounces), pitted and cubed
  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • ½ cup fresh mint, chopped

Dressing:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Cut the cucumbers and mango into small chunks about the size of the chickpeas. In large bowl, combine cucumbers, mango, chickpeas, raisins, and mint.
  2. In separate bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour over salad, mix, and serve.

Nutrition:

  • Calories 271
  • Carbohydrates 42g
  • Fat 7g
  • Protein 10g
  • Fiber 9g

Recipe of the Week: Watermelon Fruit Pizza

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 8

This refreshing fruit dessert pizza recipe swaps classic cookie crust with a healthier watermelon crust. Topped with yogurt sauce, your favorite berries and mint, this fresh dessert can easily be doubled for a party or halved for every day.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large round slices watermelon (about 1 inch thick), cut from the center of the melon
  • 2/3 cup sliced strawberries
  • 1/2 cup halved blackberries
  • 2 tablespoons torn fresh mint leaves

Directions:

  • Combine yogurt, honey and vanilla in a small bowl.
  • Spread 1/4 cup yogurt mixture over each slice of watermelon.
  • Cut each slice into 8 wedges. Top with strawberries, blackberries and mint.

 

Recipe of the Week: Apple Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients

  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 medium apple, diced
  • 1/2 cup naturally sweetened apple butter

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with coconut oil or cooking spray.
  2. Combine oats, oat flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda in a large bowl.
  3. Add applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil and apple. Stir until combined.
  4. Set aside a heaping half-cup of the oat mixture, then press the rest evenly into the prepared pan. Top with apple butter, spreading evenly with a spoon or spatula.
  5. Sprinkle the rest of the oat mixture on top.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into 12–16 bars.
  7. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Information
Serves: 12
Serving Size: 1 bar
Per serving: Calories: 160; Total Fat: 6g; Carbohydrate: 24g; Sugar: 10g; Protein: 3g

 

Original recipe from MyFitnessPal.com

Recipe of the Week: Triple-Berry Summer Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 9oz baby spinach, torn
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1/3 cup chopped basil
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 4oz goat cheese

Directions

  1. Divide baby spinach between plates
  2. Top with berries, almonds, basil and chopped avocado.
  3. Crumble goat cheese on top then dress with salad dressing. Try a strawberry balsamic vinegar, but any olive-oil based vinaigrette will be great!

Original recipe from Iowa Girl Eats can be found here!

A Guide to Picking Summer Fruit!

Watermelon
June-August

Look for one with a creamy, yellow field spot on the bottom. Another trick is to knock on the watermelon! If it sounds hollow, you know it’s a good one.

Strawberries
May-June

Strawberries are one of the first fruits to ripen for summer. When you look for a strawberry, make sure the tip isn’t white or green- this means it was picked too early. If the berry is a bright, red color then it is ready! If the color looks stained or dark, it’s over-ripe.

Cherries
June-July

When picking cherries, make sure there are no wrinkles in the skin and fresh, green stem. The most common types of cherries are Bing and Rainier which are ready this time of the year!

Peaches
July-September

When looking for a good peach, you’ll want to notice the scent- sweet & subtle. Looking at the color, there should be
no green undertones. If you squeeze lightly near the stem, it should give just a little. July and August are the best months for peaches!

Tomatoes
July-September

Okay, we can argue fruit or vegetable here, but they are most delicious in the summer months. When picking a perfect tomato, it should not feel mushy when you press gently. A ripe tomato will feel a little heavier than an unripe tomato, too!

Apples
August

The end of summer is perfect for picking apples and continues into the fall. Look for different varieties and make sure they are firm without any bruises or holes.