Green Smoothie With Cucumber, Celery & Pear

 If you have trouble eating enough vegetables, try making a green smoothie filled with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Today's smoothie has 6 ingredients: nutrient-dense greens, lemon juice, freshly grated ginger, pear, celery, and cucumber, plus ice water or ice cubes. The vegetables provide chlorophyll and alkaline-rich foods, which increase red blood cell count, improve circulation, calm inflammation, and oxygenate the body.

 The end of summer and the beginning of autumn are a great time to make a green smoothie with a fresh pear. Cucumber and celery are diuretic veggies great for weight loss and high in minerals. Kale is a super vegetable packed with vitamin K and has anti-cancer benefits. Plus, you can boost your immune system with cleansing lemon that’s full of vitamin C.  Pear is a great source of fiber and helpful for colon health. If you are unable to find kale, you can substitute spinach. If you are using a regular blender instead of a food processor or high-speed blender, blend kale or chard with ice water and then add the rest of the ingredients. Sometimes if you do all the ingredients at once, the greens clump and do not blend well.

 Green Smoothie with Cucumber, Celery & Pear

 Use organic when available; it makes 1 large serving 

Ingredients

• 1 cup kale, baby spinach, or chard
• 1 lemon
• 1 cucumber
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 1 pear cored & diced
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 cup ice water
• Optional 1 teaspoon chia or flax seeds
• Optional scoop of avocado or Greek yogurt 

 Instructions

• Peel rind off lemon, remove seeds, and quarter
• De-core pear
• Cut ends off celery and cucumber and chop
• Put all ingredients in food processor & blend until smooth
• Optional put greens in blender with ice water & blend
• Optional add rest of ingredients to blender and process
• Serve immediately

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Easy Black Bean Dip

 

 

Beans are great. They’re delicious, filling and packed with good-for-you nutrients like vitamins, fiber and protein. Black beans are among the most frequently consumed legumes around the world. They’re considered nutritional powerhouses that are rich in plant-based protein, fiber, and antioxidants that help manage blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol levels. They’re perfect to use in stews, soups, dips, and salads. You can use canned drained beans to cut down on cooking time, but you’ll save money cooking your own using dried beans. Add flavor by simmering dried beans with an onion, garlic, herbs, or dried chiles. For this recipe, I would cook them until they’re very soft and almost falling apart. Drain them and allow them to cool slightly before you blend up the dip. There are only a handful of ingredients needed to make the best bean dip right at home. You can easily control the heat by adding more or less jalapeño.

 

Easy Black Bean Dip

Use organic when available. Makes 3 cups

 

Ingredients

• 2 cans (15 1/2 oz) black beans drained, reserve 3 tbsp liquid reserve 
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 lime quartered
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped into large chunks
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• dash of salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add onions, garlic & jalapeño peppers & cook
• Stir occasionally & cook until very soft, about ten minutes. Do not brown
• Place onion mix and all other ingredients in food processor
• Process until smooth and thick
• If too thick add a tbsp of reserved fluid from beans
• Adjust for salt
• Serve with celery sticks, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, crackers, baked tortilla chips, or fresh bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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