Quick, Healthy Recipes With Nature’s Touch Frozen Fruit

The holiday season is a busy time for most families and I find myself meticulously balancing work, party planning, press trips, decorating, shopping and meal prep. On hectic days there is little time for healthy cooking or complicated recipes so I stock-up on foods that are fresh, naturally preserved and easy to use.

Nature’s Touch Frozen Fruit takes the guess work out of “what’s for lunch” with a tasty selection of organic pesticide-free berries. The produce is picked at the peak of perfection, thoroughly washed and quickly frozen to preserve taste and nutritional value. I use them for baking, salads, smoothies or cocktails and they come in handy for quick snacks.

Finding a perfectly ripe avocado can be a hassle and since I eat one for breakfast every day, having a backup stash in the freezer is very convenient. Nature’s Touch creamy avocado chunks are perfect for wraps and sandwiches plus you don’t have to pit, peel or cut them yourself.

Avocados are incredibly nutritious. They contain more potassium than bananas, heart healthy monounsaturated fatty acids that lower bad cholesterol, fiber, vitamins and powerful antioxidants. They may also help prevent cancer, osteoporosis and macular degeneration.

One of the trendiest ways to eat avo (as I like to call it) is on toast but you don’t have to go to a fancy bistro to get it. Check out my delicious recipe below. I make this scrumptious meal for breakfast, brunch or lunch.

Avocado Toast with Spicy Hummus

What you’ll need:

*2 Slices of marble rye bread (toasted)

*1 Fresh avocado or thawed Nature’s Touch Avocado Chunks

*1-2 Stalks of green onion (finely chopped)

*A few cilantro leaves (chopped)

*Garlic powder

*Himalayan pink sea salt (or regular sea salt)

*Black pepper or cayenne pepper - which is great for circulation

*Lemon
*Fresh dill (optional)

*Your favorite hummus – mine is Sunflower Kitchen curry lentil with spicy cilantro chutney (available at Whole Foods). I also like spicy sriracha or roasted garlic.

Directions: In a bowl, crush the avocado with a fork. Add the chopped green onion, dill and cilantro. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and black pepper or cayenne (to taste) with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Cover the toast in a generous layer of hummus and slather with avocado which will taste similar to guacamole. Top with arugula and cherry tomato and enjoy!

Dinner

After an exhausting day the last thing I want to do is spend hours in the kitchen making dinner. Thankfully my family loves leafy green salads that are quick and easy to prepare. These big bowls are very filling and help us limit our intake of rich fatty foods and sweets which are hard to resist during the holidays.

Fruit is delicious on salad and Nature’s Touch Wild Blueberries ($6.49) are sweet, plump and juicy even though there is no added sugar.

Wild Blueberry Arugula Salad with Spicy Chicken Breast

Ingredients per serving:

*Organic arugula (washed in cold water and dried)

*Fresh Gourmet Crispy Onions - garlic & pepper flavor (available at Walmart)

*1 M & M Food Market Spicy Chicken Breast (baked in the oven until crispy)

*Cherry Tomatoes - I use Sunset Wild Wonders Gourmet Medley - Green House Grown (available at Walmart).

*1 Small Avocado (diced)

*1-2 Stalks of green onion

*Feta Cheese

*Roasted Sunflower Seeds

*Nature’s Touch Wild Blueberries (thawed)

Make your own dressing or try the Kraft Extra Virgin Olive Oil Fig and Balsamic. The hint of sweetness compliments the spicy arugula perfectly! 

Breakfast

I am usually scrambling to get out the door in the morning so instead of making a big traditional breakfast I whip up a smoothie the night before and pop it in the fridge for a quick energy boost on-the-go. Nature’s Touch cubed mango pieces ($5.99) are fresh, flavorful and easy to use (no peeling or dicing required). Now I can enjoy my favorite fruit (whether it is in season or not) while loading up on vitamins and fiber to improve digestion and boost immunity.

Mango Smoothie Recipe

What you’ll need:

*1 Pouch of Nature’s Touch Mango-2-Go (they come prepackaged in individual servings)

*1 Vanilla yogurt cup or 1 serving of your favorite yogurt

*1/2 Cup unsweetened almond milk

*1/2 Tablespoon of organic honey

~Blend until smooth and creamy.

Dessert

Dessert is often the highlight of any family dinner but if your cake or pastry looks a little boring, a fresh fruit topping is an easy way to spruce up presentation. My husband’s favorite is cheesecake so I garnish it with Nature’s Touch Wild Blueberries. Don’t forget to use the mouth-watering juice, it makes a colorful sauce.

Nature’s Touch Frozen Fruit is available at: Sobey’s, Foodland, Fortinos, Loblaws and Costco. You can visit the website at naturestouchfrozenfoods.com.