Bursting with flavor, the juicy, sweet peach signifies the fresh fun of summer!! Great news, peach season is here! Whether you enjoy yours fresh, canned, or cooked enjoy them while you can. It is no secret a grocery store peach cannot hold a candle to a fresh in season juicy one.
According to nutrition experts, side from the taste, peaches are one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. Peaches have antioxidant benefits; in fact, some peach varieties show as much antioxidant benefits as blueberries. Antioxidants help your body combat and prevent inflammation and actually lower your risk for chronic diseases such as cancers and heart disease.
Peaches help protect your eyes, skin and immune system, like carrots they contain beta-carotene which plays an important role in skin and eye health. Beta-carotene also aids in keeping your gut healthy and boosting your immune system.
Peaches have shown to have anti-cancer properties, and can lower your risk for heart disease.
Peaches also have digestive benefits since they are a good source of fiber, one large peach has about 3 grams of fiber and just under 70 calories. This aids in stabilizing blood sugar levels.
I see all the health benefits as a bonus because the real joy comes from a juice ripe peach!!

Quick and Easy Frozen Peach Yogurt

• 4 cups fresh peaches, cut into pieces and frozen
• 3 tablespoons local honey
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Add the frozen peaches, honey, yogurt and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor. Process until creamy, about 5 minutes.
Serve the frozen yogurt immediately or transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 113, Carbohydrates 25g., Protein 3g., Fat 1g., Fiber 2g.,
Sodium 15mg.

Peach Habanero Hot Sauce

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 2 cups water, more if need
• 1½ pounds fresh peaches, about 5-6 small, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 8 habanero peppers, stems and with pith discarded, chopped
• 6 tablespoons cider vinegar

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until the carrots start to soften, about 4 minutes. Add water and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
Carefully transfer the carrot mixture to a blender and add peaches, habaneros, vinegar, lime juice and cider (or juice). Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Adjust the consistency with more water, as needed, so the sauce is not too thick.
Yields 56 servings, each 2 tablespoon serving contains; Calories 17, Carbohydrates 3g., Fat 1g.,
Sodium 72 mg.

BBQ Chicken Bake with Peaches

• 1 pound boneless chicken breast
• 2-3 peaches, thickly sliced
• ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup your favorite BBQ sauce (I love Carolina Treat and it mixes well with peaches)
• Cilantro, optional for garnish

Preheat your oven to 375°.
Add the chicken breasts to a large resealable bag. Using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin, pound out the chicken breasts in the bag until they are 1/2 inch thick.
Add the BBQ sauce and sliced red onions and squeeze until everything is well coated. If you are prepping this recipe for the next day, store refrigerated at this point.
Dump the contents of the BBQ chicken bag into a sprayed 9×13 baking dish. Top with thick slices of peaches.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°.
Serve topped with cilantro and additional BBQ sauce.
Serves 4, (depending on BBQ sauce) each serving contains; Calories 284, Carbohydrates 23g.,
Protein 37g., Fat 5g., Fiber 2g.

Spiked Peach Chili

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound lean ground beef or ground chicken
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 large peaches, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon, optional
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can of kidney beans, or black beans

Toppings, optional

• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Fresh cilantro
• Chopped onions
• Cheddar Cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add ground beef to pot and cook, breaking beef up with a wooden spoon, for 8-10 minutes until beef is cooked through.
Add peaches and cook until peaches are soft, about 4 minutes more.
Add whisky to the pot to deglaze and give everything a stir.
Add cayenne pepper, chili powder, and molasses to pot. Stir to combine.
Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Bring chili to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until time to eat.
Add beans and stir to combine.
Ladle chili into serving bowls and top each serving with a scoop of sour cream, cilantro, onions and cheese. Serves 4.

Balsamic Glazed Peach Chicken

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon local honey
• 2 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 6 leaves fresh basil

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Cut the onion into small slivers and chop the garlic. Add the onion slivers and chopped garlic to the skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet.
Sauté until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the meat from the skillet and transfer to a plate (chicken is not done at this point).
Add the balsamic vinegar and the ground ginger to the skillet and stir until the liquid is reduced by half, about 1 minute.
Stir in the honey and then add in the fresh peaches and tomatoes. Add in additional salt and pepper to taste.
Return the breasts to the skillet, placing them in the middle between the peaches and tomatoes.
Allow the meat and sauce to simmer until it is cooked all the way through, about 12 to 15 minutes, check internal meat temp until it reaches 165 degrees.
Cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Top with fresh basil. Serves 4.