Chicken Bolognese and Coco-Nutty Orange Smoothie #AlmondFresh

Since first trying Earth’s Own Almond Fresh, almond milk a few years ago I was in love with the nutty taste (plus it’s a Canadian company too!). It was a welcome addition to morning smoothies and the vanilla tasted fantastic in my tea. Now with kids I love that Almond Fresh has great low sugar options for my family and only 35 calories per serving.  What I was really surprised to see is how versatile Almond Fresh is in recipes. Whether you are cooking or baking or blending a smoothie Almond Fresh is a great calcium alternative.

Earth’s Own Almond Fresh is available in six delicious flavours (Original, Original Unsweetened, Vanilla, Unsweetened Vanilla, Chocolate and Coconut); all flavours are low in sodium, an excellent source of Calcium and Vitamin D and lactose and cholesterol free. Plus, Almond Fresh also contains 15% of your daily Vitamin E allowance making it a healthy, nutritious and delicious choice.

My boys and I loved the Coconut Almond Fresh on it’s own and, in smoothies and in tea. I liked the taste of the unsweetened on it’s own but preferred it in recipes where it adapted well to a variety of flavours and spices. Plus, I have a sweet tooth so it’s no surprise I preferred a slightly sweeter taste. I was excited to use the Almond Fresh to create a main dish.

The first recipe we tried was this amazing Chicken Bolognese, a hearty, filling and delicious pasta sauce that had my boys coming back for seconds. While it took time to cook, the blend of flavours was absolutely worth it. Plus, the recipe made a lot of sauce (about 7 cups) so we had a great dinner and froze half of the sauce for another night. The use of lean chicken and Unsweetened Almond Fresh created a lower calorie version of a traditional bolognese compared to using heavy creams but didn’t change the robust flavours and was still a filling entree. Our family would highly recommend the Chicken Bolognese and will be making it again and again.

Almond Fresh Chicken Bolognese

Ingredients: 

2 cups Almond Fresh Unsweetened
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1.5 cups carrots, coarsly grated
1.5 cups celery, finely chopped
2 lbs ground chicken
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1.5 tsp salt
1 cup dry white wine, chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)

Directions:

Add olive oil and onions to a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Add carrot and celery to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables soften, approximately 3-5 minutes.

Crumble chicken into pan and cook, stirring often until meat is no longer pink. Stir in oregano, parsley, pepper, salt and Almond Fresh Unsweetened. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer, uncovered for 1 hour or until all liquid has been absorbed.

Stir in wine or stock and crushed tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the sauce has reached desired thickness.

Use sauce to top your favourite pasta.  Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese and a sprig of basil.

Check out my video on suggestions for plating Almond Fresh Chicken Bolognese:

5 from 3 votes

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Chicken Bolognese

A delicious Bolognese sauce made with Earth's Own Almond Fresh

Course: Main

Author: Earth's Own Almond Fresh

Ingredients

• 2 cups Almond Fresh Unsweetened
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1.5 cups carrots coarsly grated
• 1.5 cups celery finely chopped
• 2 lbs ground chicken
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 cup dry white wine chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 oz
• Fresh grated parmesan for garnish
• Fresh Basil for garnish

Instructions

1. Add olive oil and onions to a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent.
2. Add carrot and celery to the pan.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables soften, approximately 3-5 minutes.
4. Crumble chicken into pan and cook, stirring often until meat is no longer pink. Stir in oregano, parsley, pepper, salt and Almond Fresh Unsweetened.
5. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer, uncovered for 1 hour or until all liquid has been absorbed.
6. Stir in wine or stock and crushed tomatoes.
7. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the sauce has reached desired thickness.
8. Use sauce to top your favourite pasta.
9. Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese and a sprig of basil.

The second recipe that we tried was the Almond Fresh Coco-Nutty Orange Smoothie a delicious smoothie that is bursting with citrus and just the right amount of sweet.  It’s like a tropical vacation in a glass!

Almond Fresh Coco-Nutty Orange Smoothie

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

1 cup Earth’s Own Almond Fresh Coconut
1/2 cup orange juice
juice from 1 lemon
juice from 1 lime
handful of ice cubes
1 tbsp honey

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.  Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Looking for more fantastic recipes from Almond Fresh? Check out these fantastic Almond Fresh recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert!

Connect with Almond Fresh on their Facebook page.

Disclosure: I am participating as part of Chatelaine Tasters & Testers. I was compensated for this post; however, all opinions and results expressed here are my own.