Swiss Chard That I Almost Put in the "Share Box"!

OMG! I almost gave up my Swiss Chard today into the share basket. But Trevor saved the day by telling me that it's good and I should keep it. So, I made this recipe and it was delicious! I especially liked the spiciness of the crushed red pepper. And I guess it didn't hurt that I smeared Smart Balance and salt on it in the end. He he he. I learned two things from this 1) maybe I don't want to discontinue my CSA subscription because I never would have bought swiss chard for myself and 2) fresher is definitely better when it comes to swiss chard.

P.S. I was thinking about not renewing due to financial circumstances (I'm a cheapskate!), however if I didn't have my box today, I might have just eaten a bowl of ice cream or cereal for dinner. Yikes!

Sugar-Free Virgin Mojito

This easy recipe yields a mighty refreshing guilt-free mojito on a warm summer day!!

• 1 can Diet Hansen's Tangerine Lime soda
• Fresh Mint Leaves (thanks CSA!!)
• Ice

Pour soda over ice and mint leaves. The longer it sets, the mintier it gets!! Mmmmm! But don't let it set too long or it will lose its fizz.

Maybe later tonight I'll add the white rum...:)

Hummus Recipe

After thinking we have nothing in the house to eat, I Googled hummus recipes. This is what I found out how to do; a very impressive hummus recipe sure to please guests. I didn't have a food processor, so I used my Vita-Mix machine. I am a big fan of Vita-Mix!!


Ingredients (add all to food processor):

1. 1 can garbonzo beans (or chick peas) (drain and rinse)


2. 1/4c to 1/2c of tahini (mix it in the jar before pouring out to merge the oil with the sesame)


3. 1/2c to 1/4c greek style plain lowfat yogurt (find at Wholesome Choice, Super Irvine, middle eastern food stores)


4. 3 or 4 mint leaves (I used the fresh mint leaves from my CSA basket. Thanks Farmer Donna!)


5. Juice of 1 lemon


6. 2 tsp ready to use minced garlic with 1/2 tsp. salt

Process all the above ingredients in your food processor or Vita-Mix. Use rubber spatula to check consistency. I saw that it was pretty think, so I added 2 tbsp of water and mixed again until smooth. At this point, you can add more lemon (in the form of citric acid - which I do not have). Just use 1/2 tsp.

Plate it!!! It looks fancier and more inviting to dipping chips in (see picture).
Spread on plate with spatula. Sprinkle chopped parsley (thanks CSA!!), sliced black olives, and paprika. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on it. I tasted it and decided it needed grounded Cayenne Pepper which I lightly dusted it with to give it some heat. Whala!! Perfecto delicious!!!

I might even make a veggie sandwich and use this hummus as the spread!! Or you can just dip chips or pita chips in it. Or dip veggies in it like broccoli, cherry tomatoes or cauliflower.

Fruit Smoothie

I love my daily fruit smoothie so much I had to share the recipe with you all.

Must include:
Sliced Apple (with peel on)
Peeled Kiwi
crushed ice
liquid (see below)

Any of the following:
scooped out passion fruit (no seeds)
Berries (blueberries, strawberries, and/or raspberries)

Must have some liquid:
Use water and lemon juice or squeeze an orange
Or use fresh (not frozen)grapes (best to use red and green grapes together) with orange juice

Put all ingredients in magic bullet and blend for 1-2 minutes until smooth. It tastes like a drinkable fancy apple sauce. Perfect to get your after lunch fiber fix!