Thirsty Thursday - Peach Pineapple Orange Smoothie

This is one of my favorite smoothies that I make at home.  I came up with this recipe, but it was inspired by one of my favorites at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.  The fruit is sweet enough by itself, so you don't need to add any sweetener.  The frozen fruit allows you to get a frozen smoothie without adding ice, which I believe waters down the smoothie and doesn't taste as good.  The yogurt adds creaminess, and the orange juice adds enough liquid to make it blend-able.  The result is a tasty combination of fruit flavors, which makes for a wonderful healthy breakfast or small meal replacement.

Sorry, no picture. But here - have a clip art!
(I'll take a picture next time I make it.)

Peach Pineapple Orange Smoothie

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

• ~1 C frozen pineapple chunks
• ~1 C frozen peach slices
• 1/2 to 1 container greek yogurt (I suggest vanilla or honey flavor)
• orange juice (1/2 to 1 C or more)
• optional: protein powder (I sometimes add a little BiPro protein powder, which is flavorless and unsweetened, so it can be mixed into just about anything without being noticed)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in blender, with a little bit of orange juice.  Pulse on ice setting until chunks are broken up, adding as much orange juice as is necessary to make it blend-able, a little at a time.  Puree until smooth.

Enjoy!

Hummus Crusted Chicken

This is a recipe that I had seen several variations of on Pinterest.  It seemed pretty easy, and healthy, and I like hummus...so why not?  So this is what I came up with after looking at a couple versions (all pretty similar).

Hummus Crusted Chicken

Makes 2 breasts (2-4 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
• 4 T hummus (roasted garlic flavor is good)
• salt
• pepper
• paprika

Instructions
Pound the thicker parts of the chicken breasts thinner, so it will cook more evenly.
Place on a pan, preferably lined with foil.
Pat the tops of the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel.
Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Spread ~2T of hummus evenly on top of each chicken breast.
Sprinkle paprika on top.
Bake at 450°F for 35 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

I baked mine slightly different than what the recipe called for, because I had something else in the oven with it.  I baked mine at 350°F for about 35 minutes, and then turned it up to 450°F and baked it for about another 10 minutes.  It cooked through just fine, but that's probably why the hummus didn't get as crusty as I was expecting.

Round 2:  I made this recipe again, and cooked at the higher temperature.  The hummus still didn't really get "crusty", but I don't care...it was still good!

Round 3: I made it with cutlets instead of regular chicken breasts.  The thinner meat meant that it took less time to cook.  Cutlets may be a better choice if you want smaller portions, but it's really just a matter of preference.

The Verdict

Awesome!  I don't think the hubby likes it as much as I do, but I love it!  I would say "will make again", but I already have made it again!  I think it's one of my new favorites.