Beat the heat this weekend with this sweet smoothie! When I made this with just the fruit and yogurt it tasted sweet enough for me but if you wish you could mix in a squeeze of honey to your yogurt before blending it.
Blend until smooth and enjoy!
I’m on roll with the asparagus recipes, what can I say – it is one of my favorite vegetables and is in season now.
Pesto literally means paste. It is traditionally prepared by crushing pine nuts and garlic in a mortar and pestle, then adding basil, salt and olive oil. I prefer walnuts (and the use of a handy dandy food processor). While this recipe uses asparagus you can also experiment with basil, cilantro, arugula or throw in a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes if you are in the mood for spicy. Try this over pasta, baked potatoes or steamed veggies for a quick and easy meal.
Asparagus Pesto
1. Rinse the asparagus and snap off the woody ends.
2. Steam asparagus stalks for 5 minutes, or until the asparagus is bright green and fork tender. Remove from heat and plunge into ice bath. Chill for a few minutes, then strain.
3. Place the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse. Add the garlic, cheese and asparagus and pulse again. Slowly add the olive oil and pulse until blended. Add salt a pepper to taste and pule a few more times. Go easy on the salt as the cheese will be salty to begin with.
Store in the fridge for up to a week.
I am reading “A Year In the Village of Eternity” by Tracey Lawson. She describes her time spent in Campodimele Italy where the residents have gained fame via their unusually long lives. Most residents enjoy a quality of life not seen in other cultures including low incidents of common diseases like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, leading healthy vibrant lives into old age. Can you imagine your 80 year old grannie riding her vespa up and down cobblestone streets to tend to her olive trees, feed her chickens and gather fresh eggs for breakfast?
What I love about this book is each chapter includes several recipes from the locals, including this asparagus frittata recipe. You will have to read the chapter “Looking for Mamma” if you want to learn more about the hunt for the elusive green stalks – evidently very similar to truffle hunting. To prepare the asparagus the author suggests you hold the root end of the spear, snap off the tip and continue snapping down until you come to the root end which you discard. I don’t know why I never thought of doing this but it makes much more sense than snapping off the ends then chopping them into pieces.
Wash the asparagus, drain them and snap into pieces as described above. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a non stick pan over medium/ high heat. Cook the asparagus for two minutes. Meanwhile crack the eggs into a bowl and add a pinch of salt and a handful of parsley and beat vigorously. Pour the eggs into the pan and cook for about four minutes. When the underside of the frittata is golden and crispy remove the pan from the heat, place a plate over the top and quickly flip the pan so the eggs are now cooked side up. Slide the frittata back into the pan and return it to the heat. Cook for another minute, then slide it onto a plate. Slice it into squares and serve either warm or at room temperature. Serves four to six.
Recipe adapted from “A Year In the Village Of Eternity”
Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous family along with broccoli and cabbage and it contains several anti cancer phyto-chemicals. These compounds have proven benefits against prostate, breast, cervical, colon, ovarian cancers. It is loaded with B vitamins and an excellent source of vitamin C; a proven antioxidant that helps fight against harmful free radicals, boosts immunity and helps prevent infections and cancers.
Turmeric (the spice that makes curry powder yellow) has anti anti inflammatory properties and may improve your memory. It too has cancer fighting properties.
Try this easy cauliflower recipe and let me know what you think. I paired mine with roasted chicken and a baked sweet potato. yummy.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Sauté onion, garlic, ginger root, curry powder, and cayenne in oil. Add cauliflower and water. Simmer until tender. Add sea salt and adjust seasonings if needed. Enjoy!
When I made this I cooked my cauliflower until it was the consistency of mashed potatoes (hence the “mashed” in the title – get it?) about 30 minutes from start to finish.
I love holiday desserts but have been experimenting with limiting the amount of sugar in my diet for the past few weeks and came across this recipe in a recent Barre 3 newsletter. I’m going to try it out tomorrow. What are you making for turkey day?
Pumpkin Cream Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked one to three hours
1-1/2 cups pureed, cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk *
1/2 cup gently melted coconut butter (Artisana brand or Nutiva Coconut Mana)
30 drops liquid stevia, vanilla flavored or 3 tablespoons raw honey
2 tablespoons liquid vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Preparation:
1. Drain the soaked cashews, discarding the water. Place the nuts into a food processor and process them until a butter forms.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the processor and process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste to be sure that it meets your tastebuds. Since all pumpkins will be of varying degrees of sweetness, you’ll want to be sure that you’ve satisfied your taste buds before pouring the mixture from the food processor.
3. When the mixture meets your taste requirements, pour or spoon the contents of the bowl into a rectangular glass container in which you can store the cream “cheese”.
4. Allow the “cheese” to set in the fridge for at least two hours before trying to slice. You can store it covered there for up to four days. (Ours didn’t last so long!)
* Look for Native Forest brand coconut milk which doesn’t have BPA in the cans.