Peachy Mint Green Smoothie

Sometimes it feels like inspiration finds the maker, not the other way around. Take this smoothie. I’ve been pretty fresh out of inspiration (or maybe motivation, it’s hard to tell the difference), as evidenced by the slow roll of recipes here at Foraged Dish over the last month. I’ll plan out a recipe, and at the last moment decide I just would rather make something else. But while waiting for an extraordinarily delayed flight, I stopped by a small café at the La Guardia airport, and ordered a green smoothie. It was mint-forward, made with summer fruits, and quite good, even though you never expect airport food to be any good. I’ve had so much mint in the garden, it’s been in just about everything these days. Here’s my recreation of that smoothie!

Peachy Mint Green Smoothie

Published June 26, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 2   |    Active Time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 banana, fresh or frozen

1 peach, fresh or frozen

2 large handfuls greens, such as baby spinach or baby kale

Leaves from 6-8 sprigs of mint

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup water or juice (such as pineapple or peach juice)

Optional: 4 ice cubes

Optional: 1 scoop unflavored protein powder, such as collagen or whey

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour into glasses and enjoy.

Peach-Jalapeño Grilled Chicken

We got a grill. WE GOT A GRILL! 

Over the last two years, I've slowly but steadily growing a list of "things I'll make when we get a grill," but we held out, looking for a good deal. And, after two years of waiting? Not once did we spot a grill on sale that was also a grill we wanted. But earlier this month, we finally got a grill off of Craigslist -- a steal, really. 

And oh have we been grilling. Chicken. Sausages. Fish for tacos. Even brussels sprouts. This Peach-Jalapeño Grilled Chicken is one of the highlights for me so far, something that I started working on B.G. (before grill 😏) but couldn’t get quite right until we had a grill. Nothing like cooking over an open flame! 

I have been super crazy for peaches lately, gobbling them up fresh every day. This recipe uses peach preserves, so you can make it any time of year, though if it is peach season, fresh grilled peaches make for a sweet side. Jalapeños add some zing, along with a bit of fresh ginger. It's a sticky, spicy, sweet, savory combo that screams summer, Perfect with a side salad or grilled veggies. 

(And, it’s fast to make and EASY. If you know how to stir, you can make this glaze — because that’s all you have to do, stir it together. 🙌)

Peach-Jalapeño Grilled Chicken

Published July 31, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 2-3   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

1/2 cup peach preserves

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, minced

1 pound chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)

For serving: 1-2 peaches, cilantro for garnish, lime wedges, fresh jalapeño slices

Directions:

1. Whisk together the peach preserves, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño in the bottom of a medium-sized mixing bowl.
2. Place chicken in the bowl with the sauce, and turn to coat.
3. Heat grill with a medium-high flame. When the grill is hot, place the chicken on the grate and close the lid. Allow the chicken to cook for 3 minutes with out moving to get good sear marks. Then, flip to the second side.
4. Cook chicken breasts until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F or the juices run clear.
5. If serving with grilled peaches: slice peaches in half and remove the pit. Lightly oil the fleshy side of each peach (use a high-heat oil such as coconut) and place on the grill. Grill for 4-5 minutes, undisturbed.
6. Remove chicken from heat, and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve hot with lime wedges and fresh jalapeño slices.

Arugula, Peach & Piquillo Pepper Salad with Goat Cheese

This time of year, just walking by the peaches at the market is enough to get my mouth watering, their sweet scent wafting yards away. Their flesh is tender -- almost too tender, you can't pack them away- and their juice is sweeter than pie. My favorite peaches are those grown on the Western Slope of Colorado. Palisade Peaches are worth every penny and the wait all summer for their peak season. 

Have you heard the saying "what grows together goes together?" This salad is further proof it's true: peppers are also a late-summer crop, and in this salad piquillo peppers are a perfect "pop" of flavor. Piquillo peppers are a little bit sweet but with a smokey, spicy edge. They match the brightness of peaches, with out overshadowing them. 

The combination of peaches and sweet peppers is pretty much begging for a bed of arugula. Arugula is a tad bitter, which balances out the other sweet ingredients. It keeps this salad from getting too sweet. It's delicate and leafy.

The final touch is goat cheese, which adds a streak of richness that makes this salad oh so satisfying. It's soft enough that it just barely begins to melt away as you pour the dressing in, emulsifying and cream-ify-ing the entire thing. It also cuts through the pepperiness of the arugula, and is the ingredient in this salad that brings it all together. 

Arugula, Peach & Piquillo Pepper Salad with Goat Cheese

Published August 24, 2015 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 pound baby arugula

2 ripe peaches, sliced thin

1/2 cup roasted piquillo peppers, diced (find these with the olives & pickles in the store)

1/3 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup red onion, finely diced

Creamy Balsamic Dressing (try this recipe)

Directions:

1. In a large salad, bowl, combine arugula, sliced peaches, peppers, and onion. Sprinkle goat cheese over top.
2. Just before serving, drizzle with balsamic dressing to taste.