Strawberry-Mint Smoothie

I have an abundance of Lebanese mint growing in my herb garden. It was given to me by a friend whose husband is from the Mideast.  It can be invasive, so I wisely put it in pots dug into the the herb garden when I planted it several years ago and this has helped to contain it.  It has a lovely taste and I find as many ways to use it as possible.  I particularly like to pair it with strawberries.  I had organic strawberries in the freezer from last summer, so I paired them together today.  To add a healthy dose of Omega-3, I included ground flax seeds.  Delicious!

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries, halved
3 - 4 fresh mint leaves (or more)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed 

Preparation:
Put all ingredients into the blender and puree until thoroughly mixed.   

Nutrition:
Servings: 1
Serving Size: About 3/4 cup
Calories: 125
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium:  2 mg
Carbohydrates: 15g 
Dietary Fiber: 8 g
Protein: 4 g

Jamaican Black Bean-Sweet Potato Mash

This was originally a salad recipe that I transformed into a delicious spread for me.  I made it for lunch today and served it as a side dish with flaked halibut flavored with jerk seasoning.  It was a great combination. I finished the meal with Strawberry Mint Smoothie.  A very satisfying meal!

Ingredients:
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 15 oz. can black beans
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
juice from 1/2 lime
1/8 tsp paprika
1/4 cup chopped red onion
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Drizzle sweet potatoes with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast for about 30 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven, until soft.   When the sweet potatoes are cooled, mix them with the other ingredients.  Puree with an immersion blender, adding a bit of water as needed.   

Nutrition:
Number of Servings:  6
Serving Size: Approximately 1/4 cup
Calories: 132
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium:  289 mg
Carbohydrates: 27 g 
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 5 g

Black Bean Dip

I don’t recall where I originally found this recipe, as I just had it written on a scrap piece of paper. But it was an instant favorite with Caleb, Kiara, and Tom when I made it for them. I love it when the rest of my family enjoys a puree as much as I need it! They mixed it with a bit of salsa and had it with chips and raw veggies. I mixed mine with some taco sauce and spread it on a piece of low-carb bread. YUMMY!

Ingredients

1 15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained                                         
½ avocado, peeled and sliced
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 Tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Preparation:
Puree all ingredients in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion stick. (My blender didn’t work for this because there wasn’t enough liquid in it, so I used the immersion stick.)

Nutrition:
Serving Size: 3 ½ Tablespoons
Calories: 60
Fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 9 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 3 g

Gingered Carrot Soup

This is one of my favorite soups with lots of powerful zing, both in taste and nutrition.  I used fresh mint from my herb garden rather than dried mint.  This recipe is a modification of one by Mollie Katzen in her 2000 Moosewood Cookbook. Her recipe added cashews into the puree, but that would be more fat of the type that I don't digest well, so I omitted the cashews.  Even without the cashews, it is scrumptious!





Garden Carrots




Onions and spices simmer

 







Carrots simmer

 Ingredients:

2 lbs (about 14 large) carrots                                                      

4 cups water

1 1/2 cup chopped onion

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

One 1” piece of fresh ginger, grated (about 2 Tbsp)          

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp dried mint
3 – 4 Tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Chop carrots into 1" chunks. Simmer in the water approximately 15 minutes until tender.

Sauté onions on medium heat 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, salt and spices. Reduce heat to low and sauté 8 - 10 more minutes until everything is soft and well mingled. Add lemon juice. Combine everything and puree in small batches in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender stick.

Nutrition:
Servings Per Recipe: 6

Serving Size: Approx. 1 cup

Calories: 91

Total Fat: 1 g                                                                
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 704 mg
Total Carbs: 21 g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 2 g

Mango Kefir Delight

Ingredients:
1 Mango, peeled and diced
1/2 cup low-fat plain Kefir

Preparation:
Combine and puree in blender until smooth and frothy.  Enjoy slightly chilled.

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: Approximately  3/4 cup
Calories: 222
Total Fat: 2 g 
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 67  mg
Total Carbohydrate: 48 g 
Dietary Fiber:  5 g
Protein: 8 g