These recipes originally appeared in the June 2019 issue of Mature Living Magazine.
Green Tea Lemonade
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
4 green tea bags or 4 heaping teaspoons loose green tea
juice of 4 lemons (about 1/2 cup)
zest of two lemons
4 cups cold water
Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Add sugar; stir until dissolved. Remove from heat, and add tea or tea bags. Steep for 4-5 minutes. Discard bags or strain to remove tea leaves. Transfer the tea mixture to a pitcher. Add lemon juice, zest, and 4 cups cold water. Stir well. Serve in glasses over ice. Lemon zest will sink to the bottom but helps flavor the drink. Serves 4.
Sweet and Spicy Chicken Sausage Spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
12-ounce package chicken sausage with apples, like Aidells®
10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
3-4 Campari or cherry tomatoes, diced small (optional)
1 cup marinara sauce
12 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Slice sausage into ¼-inch slices. Add to hot oil and cook until brown, flipping as needed. Add diced tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, and marinara sauce to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer over medium-low about 30 minutes. Serve sauce spooned over cooked spaghetti noodles. Serves 3-4.
Fresh Strawberry Muffins
½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups chopped strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a muffin tin with muffin papers or spray with cooking spray. With an electric mixer, cream together butter and ¾ cup sugar. Add egg; mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. Alternately, add flour mixture and milk to the butter mix, beating with mixer. Stir in vanilla. Gently fold in strawberries. Scoop batter evenly into muffin tin. In a bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle over muffins. Cook muffins 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12.
Sautéed Swiss Chard with Stems
2 strips raw bacon
1 bunch Swiss or rainbow chard
3 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup chicken broth or stock
salt and pepper
Cut off long lengths of the chard stems. If stems are very thick, you may want to cut them lengthwise in half. Discard woody end, and then slice into 1-inch lengths. Cut the leaves away from the remainder of the stems. (Discard that part of the stem.) Cut bacon into small pieces, and saute on medium-high in a large skillet until crispy. Remove bacon to a paper towel with a slotted spoon, leaving fat in pan. Add the stem pieces and garlic cloves. Cook on medium heat about 8 minutes, until stems are soft. Add chard leaves and toss. Stir until wilted. Remove garlic cloves. Pour in chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and let boil, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes. Taste to make sure chard is not too bitter. Drain off remaining chicken stock. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in bacon pieces, and serve. Serves 2.