Planning a fiesta this summer? Our cumin rubbed chicken tacos are sure to spice things up!

Cumin Rubbed Shredded Chicken

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs

1 tsp. Watkins Cumin

½ tsp. Watkins Chili Powder

½ tsp. Watkins Sea Salt, ground

¼ tsp. Watkins Paprika

2 tbsp. Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil

Salsa

1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 large tomato, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 Anaheim or poblano pepper, diced

1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1 tbsp. Watkins Salsa & Sour Cream Snack & Dip Seasoning

1 tbsp. cilantro

1 tsp. Watkins Cumin

1 tsp. Watkins Garlic Powder

1 tbsp. Watkins Garlic and Parsley Grapeseed Oil

Shredded lettuce for garnish

Chicken Directions

Rub chicken breast with spices. In a large skillet sauté chicken in grapeseed oil. Cook over medium high heat, turning once, for 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Shred chicken for tacos, enchiladas or fajitas.

Salsa Directions

Combine all ingredients and serve on top of tacos with lettuce.

Image found at: http://bit.ly/11FvnyR

Out of a spice with no time to run to the store? Check out these substitutions!

If a recipe calls for:

• Allspice – you can use cinnamon, cassia, a dash of nutmeg or a dash of cloves
• Aniseed – pull out the fennel seed or anise extract
• Cardamom – ginger is a great alternative
• Chili powder – use a dash of bottled hot pepper sauce mixed with a little oregano and cumin
• Cinnamon – nutmeg or allspice can be used, just make sure to use ¼ of the amount
• Cloves – cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger
• Ginger – can you guess these ones? Allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg can all be used to substitute ginger
• Nutmeg – cinnamon or ginger; easy alternative 

And just like that, your recipe is saved!

It was just our luck that we stumbled across Laura from Real Mom Kitchen’s recipe for a copy cat Shamrock Shake days before St. Patrick’s Day. Our Peppermint Extract is the perfect ingredient to give this shake a delicious minty flavor! 

(image courtesy of Laura at Real Mom Kitchen)

Copy Cat Shamrock Shake

• 3 cups of vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
• 8 drops of green food coloring
• green sprinkles, if desired
• Watkins Sweetened Whipped Cream recipe: http://bit.ly/WXoV9n

Place the ingredients in the order listed above in a blender. Start out with the 1/4 tsp extract and taste after blending to see if you want a stronger mint flavor, if so add another 1/4 tsp extract.

Blend in the blender until smooth. Pour mixture into 2 glasses and top with whipped cream and sprinkles if desired. Makes 2 shakes.

Shrimp & Veggie Pizza

1/2 cup sliced onion

1/2 cup cup sliced fresh mushrooms

6 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tbsp Watkins Garlic & Parsley Grapeseed Oil

1/2 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half

1 tsp Watkins Oregano

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Packaged Pizza Crust Mix

Heat grapeseed oil in a skillet and sauté vegetables until almost tender. Add shrimp; cook until the shrimp turn pink and remove from heat. Prepare pizza crust as directed. Spread the pizza crust with sauce and top with the shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake the pizza mix as directed.

Pull out those crock-pots, January is in full swing and it’s time to warm up with your favorite comfort food! While you’re preparing your favorite chilies and soups this winter, try bringing a little something extra to the table. Spice things up with Confetti Corn Bread from the Watkins Cookbook! 

Confetti Corn Bread

1 package (14 oz/397 g) corn bread mix

1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Onion Powder

1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Parsley 

1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Chili Powder 

1/4 tsp/1.2 mL Watkins Thyme

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup/250 mL water

2 tbsp/30 mL diced pimento

2 tbsp/30 mL diced canned green chiles

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. In large bowl, combine first five ingredients. In small mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients; add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Turn batter into an 8-inch/20-cm baking dish coated with Watkins Cooking Spray. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares. 

Makes 9 servings.

We can’t believe Christmas is only five days away! This weekend might get a little crazy with last minute shopping, wrapping and putting the final touches on your holiday delights. By now we hope you’re still in the holiday baking mood (it’s a joyous place to be) and ready to make a few last batches of scrumptious treats! Channel your seasonal spirit and try this traditional holiday recipe perfect for gifting and giving: Russian Tea Cakes from the Watkins Cookbook. 

Ingredients

1 cup/250 mL butter, softened

1/2 cup/125 mL powdered sugar

1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract 

1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Rum or Butter Pecan Extract

2 cups/500 mL sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup/250 mL finely-chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans

2 tbsp/30 mL half-and-half

Additional powdered sugar

Watkins Cinnamon

Directions

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, walnuts and half-and-half; beat until smooth. 

Shape into 1-inch/25-mm balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400°F/200°C for 12 minutes or until set (but not brown). 

Cool slightly, roll in powdered sugar and set on wire rack to cool. Mix additional powdered sugar, and cinnamon to taste; roll balls again in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Store in well-sealed containers.

It’s the time of year when many of us start getting crafty in the kitchen, whether we’re baking traditional holiday treats or coming up with new ideas to wow the guests. If you’re strapped for time and looking for a quick and easy dessert, try our recipe for coconut fudge sauce. Best part: you can make this in advance and refrigerate for up to four weeks!

Serve warm or cold over your favorite holiday ice cream and voilà!  

Ingredients

3/4 cup/180 mL evaporated milk


1 package (6 oz/170 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips


1/2 cup/125 mL sugar


1-1/2 tsp/7.5 mL butter


2 tsp/10 mL Watkins Coconut Extract

Cooking Directions

Heat milk, chocolate chips and sugar in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat; stir in butter and extract.

Pour into jars; cover tightly. Refrigerate no longer than 4 weeks. Serve warm or cold over ice cream. Makes 1-1/2 cups/375 mL.

The holiday season always comes with the hustle and bustle of things to do, places to be and something to bake or bring for get-togethers. If you’re looking for a new dish to share with family and friends, delight them with our unique and scrumptious raspberry & cinnamon cream cheese coffee cake (trust us, everyone will be asking for the recipe)! 

Enjoy!  

Cake


2 ½ cups/600 mL flour


3/4 cups/180 mL sugar


1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Cinnamon


1 cup/250 mL (2 sticks) butter, cold


1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Baking Powder


1/2 tsp/2.5 mL baking soda


1/4 tsp/1.2 mL salt


3/4 cup/180 mL sour cream


1 egg


1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract 



In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 1/2 cups/125 mL of crumbs for topping. To remaining crumb mixture add baking powder, baking soda, salt, sour cream, egg and vanilla extract; blend well. Spread batter over bottom of 8 x 8-inch/20 x 20-cm baking pan. 



Filling


1 pkg (8 oz/227 g) cream cheese, softened


1/4 cup/60 mL sugar


½ tsp Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract


1 egg 


1/2 cup/125 mL raspberry preserves

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and eggs; blend well. Pour over batter in pan. Carefully spoon preserves evenly over filling. Sprinkle 1 cup of reserved crumbs over preserves. Bake before adding glaze.





Glaze (optional) 


1 ½ cup/375 mL powdered sugar


½ tsp  Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract


2 tbsp water



Combine powdered sugar, water and vanilla, drizzle on top of coffee cake. 

Bake at 350ºF/180ºC for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve warm or cold. 

Today we are featuring an interview with Kiersten from Oh My Veggies, one of our favorite food blogs! Oh My Veggies is a vegetarian food blog sharing delicious recipes that we often hurry home to try.

We’ve known Kiersten for a little over a year – last year she traveled from North Carolina to Winona, Minnesota to spend a few days with us exploring the Watkins headquarters, testing new products, and learning more about J.R. Watkins and our commitment to all things natural. (Check out a post she wrote about her visit, here.) Now she’s back to share with us a little bit about her favorite things!

What inspired you to start Oh My Veggies?

When I started blogging, I was scared to pick a specific niche, so I did a little bit of everything. Eventually, I realized that my vegetarian recipes were the posts that people loved the most, so I rebranded as Oh My Veggies. It’s gratifying to help people see that vegetarian eating doesn’t have to mean you’re missing out on anything.

What is your favorite recipe you have created?

That is a tough one—it seems to change all the time! Lately I’ve been having my Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Shake a lot. It’s perfect with some J.R. Watkins cinnamon sprinkled on top!

What is your favorite food to cook with?

I like using whatever is in season, so this changes all the time too. Now that it’s fall, I’ve been working on developing recipes with kale and squash. This summer I cooked with a lot of corn, zucchini, and peaches. 

We noticed that you like to garden, do you use a lot of your own fresh produce in your recipes?

I have three small raised beds in the backyard and an herb garden, so I don’t get a ton of fresh produce, but I love using what I do get! I grow heirloom vegetables, which are harder to find at the grocery store or farmers market. This summer I got more little finger eggplants and red noodle long beans than I knew what to do with!

Fall is here and that means more hearty dishes and yummy baked goods. What is your favorite thing to make in the fall?

My favorite fall side dish is roasted butternut squash—peel it, cut it into cubes, toss it with a tablespoon of olive oil and bake it at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. It is so good! My Sweet Potato Pizza with Kale & Caramelized Onion is always a favorite for fall too, when sweet potatoes and kale are both in season.

Are your recipes beginner-friendly?

Yes! I try to post recipes that are doable. I think we all have those recipes we’ve saved that look amazing but they’re so involved that we know we’ll never really make them. 

You recently did a give away of J.R. Watkins products on your Facebook page. We would love to know, what is your favorite Watkins product?

I have loved every J.R. Watkins product I’ve tried, which is why it’s one of my favorite brands. Almost every cleaning product in our household is from J.R. Watkins (and the rest are things that Watkins doesn’t make!). But if I have to pick a favorite, it would be the Lemon Cream Hand Cream. It smells like lemony frosting (and it’s incredibly moisturizing too)!

Anything else you’d like to add?

Nope! But thank you for interviewing me for your blog!

“In Their Expert Opinion” features three bloggers who bring special expertise on living a natural lifestyle to The Clear Conscience Blog. Each month, we’ll share tips and advice on how to live a little greener from a few of our favorite experts.

By Micaela Preston, Mindful Momma

(Image by foodswings via Flickr)

We’ve all been there. It’s 5:00, we’re starving, and we have no idea what to make for dinner. This is when the frozen pizzas or mac-n-cheese usually come out. If eating healthier is on your list of New Year’s resolutions this year, you are probably going to have to put a bit more planning into mealtime. It doesn’t have to be painful though. I try to sit down with a cookbook or two over the weekend to plan for the week ahead. Not only does this help with my grocery shopping, but it puts my mind at ease, knowing that I have healthy meals planned for my family.

Check out some of my favorite resources for healthy recipes and meal ideas:

Cookbooks:

• The Family Dinner by Laurie David – My copy of this book is tabbed with recipes I want to make like Moroccan Chicken Tagine and Slooooow Cooker Curry.


• The EarthBound Cook by Myra Goodman – Filled with planet-friendly, healthy recipes, this cookbook is a great addition to any kitchen. We love the Whole Wheat Crepes recipe because it is easily customizable to both kids and adults.


• The Homesteader’s Kitchen by Robin Burnside – The emphasis of this book is on using fresh, local and organic ingredients to create nourishing meals like winter vegetable stew and vegetarian enchiladas.


• Power Foods from the editors of Whole Living Magazine – My newest cookbook purchase boasts “150 recipes with the 38 healthiest ingredients”. So far, the soba noodle, tofu & veggie stir-fry and the chicken with fennel & carrots have been big hits around here.


• The New Basics by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins – An oldie but a goody, I refer to this book for everything from basic tomato sauce to polenta casserole (and they have some awesome cake recipes too!) 

Blogs and Websites:

• Dinner A Love Story – This sweet blog by veteran food magazine editor, Jenny Rosenstrach, is a wonderful resource for dinner inspiration. Not only does it give you the inside scoop on cooking for a family, but it has excellent, family-friendly recipes too. My fav? Chicken Curry with Apples.


• Food for My Family – Minnesota mom Shaina Olmanson serves up healthy homemade recipes with enticing photography and a side of humor.


• EatingWell.com – A searchable database of healthy recipes from the publisher of Eating Well magazine. 

What are your go-to resources for healthy recipes?

Disclosure: The bloggers featured in the Clear Conscience Blog “In Their Expert Opinion” series have received product samples and compensation from Watkins, Inc.