Healthy Brunch

Ring in the New Year with these tasty brunch recipes.
I love brunch! It's one of the easiest meals to prepare for a group of people no matter how many are coming. It can be affordable, simple, delicious, healthful and fun! Here are some recipes from Wildtree to entertain your family & friends one weekend.

Portobello “Benedict”

Serves: 4

 4 portobello mushroom caps
1 tablespoon Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 pieces Canadian bacon
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon white vinegar
¼ cup Wildtree Basil Pesto, prepared
4 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. With a spoon, gently scrape out the dark inside of the mushroom caps, making sure not to break them. Add oil to the pan and place mushrooms top side down in the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Cook mushrooms over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side, until they are tender, juicy, and dark brown. Set the mushrooms aside on a plate, top side down. Cook the Canadian bacon in the same pan, 30 seconds per side, until slightly golden brown. Place one piece on top of each mushroom. For the poached eggs, bring water in a saucepan to almost boiling then lower the heat until it is no longer boiling, and stir in vinegar. Crack each egg into its own small ramekin or cup, making sure not to break the yolk. Place the cup near the surface of the hot water and gently drop each egg into the water. With a spoon, nudge the egg whites closer to the yolk. This will help the egg whites hold together. Turn off the heat, and cover. Let sit for 4 minutes, until the egg whites are cooked. Remove the eggs from the water and place one on top of Canadian bacon in each mushroom cap. Top each mushroom with 1 teaspoon of pesto and 1 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese.

Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes
Serves 7

3 cups shredded peeled butternut squash (about ¾ lb)
3 cups shredded peeled russet potato (about ¾ lb)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Wildtree Curried Garlic Blend
 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 large egg
¼ cup Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil

Combine squash and potato in a colander; drain 30 minutes, pressing occasionally with the back of a spoon until barely moist. Combine potato mixture, cilantro, salt, pepper, Curried Garlic, flour, and egg in a large bowl and toss well. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 teaspoons of Grapeseed Oil to the pan; swirl to coat. Working in batches of 5 latkes, spoon ¼ cup of the potato mixture loosely into a dry measuring cup. Pour mixture into pan, and flatten slightly. Sauté 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Remove latkes from pan; keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and potato mixture.
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Baked Eggs Florentine
Serves 4

4 large beefsteak tomatoes
1 teaspoon Wildtree Adobo Seasoning Blend
½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 teaspoon Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil
½ tablespoon Wildtree Hot Chili Pepper & Garlic Blend
¼ cup feta, crumbled
5 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350º F. Cut a ½-inch slice off the top stem end of each tomato. Scoop out the inside seeds and membranes with a spoon, making sure not to go through the flesh. Place tomatoes in a 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with Adobo. In a small bowl, toss spinach with Grapeseed Oil, Hot Chili Pepper & Garlic Blend, and feta, and spoon mixture in equal amounts into each tomato cup. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with salt and pepper until combined. Pour evenly over spinach. Bake tomatoes until eggs are set, about 45-50 minutes.

What's in season? Pears!

Pears have a long season and lucky for us, most varieties are available throughout the winter. They are an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C and pair well with many foods. The recipes below will be a hit at any holiday party or even on a cozy night in with your loved ones. Enjoy!
 
Roasted Pear Salad
  Serves 6 

3 firm Anjou pears, peeled, halved, and cored 
3 ounces coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese 
1/4 cup dried cranberries 
1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped 
1/2 cup apple cider 
1 teaspoon Wildtree Mulling Spice 
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 
1/4 cup Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil 
¼ cup fresh lemon juice 
6 ounces baby arugula 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange pears core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly. Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it into the cavities. In the small saucepan, combine the apple cider, Mulling Spice, and brown sugar. Cook liquid over medium heat for 5-8 minutes allowing the spices to steep in the cider and the sugar to dissolve. Remove from heat and strain. Discard the spices. Pour the mixture over the pears and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until they have cooled down slightly. Just before serving, whisk together the Grapeseed Oil, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Divide the arugula among 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.  
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Pear Relish Quesadillas 
 Serves 6 

1 Anjou pear, diced 
¼ cup dried cranberries 
1 tablespoon ginger preserves 
2 tablespoons Wildtree Cranberry Jalapeno Jelly 
1 tablespoon chopped chives 
1 tablespoon chopped parsley 
Salt to taste 
6 whole wheat flour tortillas 
6 slices havarti cheese 
12 slices sharp cheddar cheese 

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the first seven ingredients. Preheat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tortilla wrap on the counter. On one half of the tortilla lay down one slice of havarti, spread 1/3 cup of salsa evenly over cheese, and top with two slices of cheddar. Carefully fold the tortilla wrap in half. Once the skillet is hot, grease it with pan spray. Place 2 quesadillas in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip over the quesadillas and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into triangles. Continue with the remaining quesadillas. 
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Festive Sausage and Pear Tarts  
Serves 12 

12 frozen puff pastry shells 
1 tablespoon Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil 
½ cup chopped celery 
½ cup chopped onion 
 3 links chicken apple sausage, casings removed 
2 cups diced Anjou pear 
¼ cup dried cranberries 
¼ cup chopped pecans 
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
½ cup sour cream 
2 tablespoons low-fat milk
2 teaspoons Wildtree Herb Grilling Marinade 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the frozen pastry shells on the baking sheet and bake until they puff up and become golden brown, about 20 minutes. Using a small knife cut out the center of the pastry shells. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add celery and onions and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add sausage and sauté with the vegetables for another 10 minutes or until sausage is cooked through and vegetables are tender. In a large bowl add the cooked sausage mixture, pear, cranberries, pecans, blue cheese, sour cream, milk, and Herb Grilling Marinade, and stir to combine. Spoon the sausage mixture into each baked puff pastry cup. Bake until the pastries are golden brown and the filling is hot, about 10-15 minutes.  
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Almond Pear Crisp 
 Serves 12

6 Anjou or Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided 
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 
1/8 teaspoon salt 
12 amaretti cookies (Italian almond macaroons)
½ cup Wildtree Hearty Morning Granola Mix 
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted 

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place pears in a large bowl along with ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, ginger, and salt; toss well to coat. Transfer mixture to an 11x8-inch greased baking dish. Place cookies in a food processor; process until finely ground. Combine the crumbs with the remaining flour and brown sugar, and Granola in a medium bowl; add butter and mix well until all the ingredients are combined. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over pears. Bake the crisp for 50 minutes or until pears are tender. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins

Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins
These are great to put in your child's lunchbox or for an after school snack!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon Wildtree Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Blend
1 large egg
1/2 cup date sugar
 1/3 cup Wildtree Natural GSO
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans

 PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 425ºF. In large bowl combine wheat germ, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Blend. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with date sugar, grapeseed oil, applesauce and milk. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until just moistened. Stir in nuts. Spoon into muffin tins lined with cupcake papers. Mix 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on top of muffins before baking. Bake for 15-17 minutes.

What to cook with Wildtree's NEW Falafel Blend!

Wildtree came out with some delicious new products last month and I wanted to share some recipes. Falafel, which is a great substitute to meat or chicken, can be used in a sandwich, on a salad, or as an appetizer bite. It pairs beautifully with our Tzatziki Blend or our White Bean Dip Blend. See below for lots of recipes using Falafel and other new products. Basic Falafel Ingredients: package of Falafel Mix 3/4 cup water Natural GSO in pan Combine Falafel Mix and water in a bowl and let rest for about 20 minutes before forming into 2 inch balls. Heat a goodly amount of Natural GSO in a skillet until about 375 degrees and saute Falafel for about 3 minutes until crispy and brown on both sides, then drain. You can use it in a sandwich made with pita bread, romaine lettuce, sliced onion, Tzatziki Dip, diced tomatoes and cucumber. You can also use Wildtree's White Bean Dip as a sandwich spread instead. Falafel is also great in a salad. Combine salad greens, cucumbers, tomatoes. and use our Italian Salad Dressing Mix Falafel Veggie Burger Prepare Wildtree's Falafel Mix according to the package. Add 1/4 cup corn, 1/4 cup black beans and 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper to the mix and form into patties. Fry them in a skillet with 2 TBSP Natural GSO and serve on hamburger buns with cheese, lettuce, onion and topped with Tzatziki Sauce.

Lime Dill Fish

This is a quick & easy recipe using our NEW Tzatziki Seasoning in an unexpected way!

Lime Dill Fish

Ingredients:

4 (6 oz) cod fillets (or any piece of white fish)

1 TBSP Natural GSO

3 TBSP fresh squeezed lime juice

1 tsp Tzatziki Seasoning

  Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cod in a baking dish and drizzle GAO and lime juice on top. Sprinkle Tzatziki Blend evenly among fillets and bake for 10-15 minutes until fish flakes easily. Season with salt to taste and serve. A beautiful and delicious presentation is to serve it on a bed of lettuce with a dollop of tzatziki sauce and chopped tomatoes.

To order any Wildtree ingredients please go to www.jenwarr.mywildtree.com.