COOL AS A CUCUMBER SMOOTHIE

When it comes time for lunch, my husband and I go in different directions.  He prefers a sandwich and chips, while I love a cool smoothie and a few wheat crackers, Usually,  I start with Greek yogurt, then throw in three or four handfuls of  grapes, oranges, bananas, strawberries—whatever was on special at the supermarket.

But every so often, I want something different. Lately, I remembered the marvelous cool soups I’ve ordered in nice restaurants over the years.  Cream of asparagus  and cucumber were two of my favorites.  So, why not combine the veggies for a unique flavor?  First, I snipped the ends from 6 asparagus spears and microwaved them for two minutes. Then, I peeled and cubed about a third or maybe half a cucumber.

The yogurt goes in the blender first, then the chopped asparagus and cucumber, topped with 1/2 teaspoon of dill and 1/4 wedge of a peeled lemon.  Salt can be added to taste, or not, if you’re on a low sodium diet.  A minute or two in the blender, and my delicious cool lunch is ready to serve!  Some people might want to add a little garlic or onion, but I’ll leave that to your discretion (depending on any close encounters you anticipate).

 Here’s my recipe, but it won’t hurt if you use more or less of anything.

Creamy cucumber asparagus smoothie:

1/ 2 cup Greek yogurt

1/3 peeled, chopped cucumber

6 cooked asparagus spears

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/4 peeled fresh lemon

Puree ingredients in  blender for a minute or two, pour in a pretty glass, grab a few crackers, and have lunch on the

front porch while you smell the roses.

Easy, low calorie, nutritious, and satisfying. Enjoy! 😊

Hooray for Cheap Asparagus

Asparagus is basically an elitist vegetable, often served at upscale restaurants where you can pay

ten or twelve dollars for a glass of wine.   But now is the season when we commoners can enjoy it at bargain prices.  I used to treat asparagus with great care, steaming it for just the right number of minutes to keep it crisp and rushing it to the table before it got cold.  But when my husband brought home a bundle of it last week and requested asparagus quiche for dinner, I decided to try cooking the spears  in the microwave.  One and a half minutes was all it took. Super easy! 

Asparagus is nutritious, delicious, and versatile.  It’s wonderful as a salad—just lay some cold, cooked spears on a bed of lettuce, sprinkle them with red pimento , top with egg slices, and serve with thousand island dressing.

It is a low calorie accompaniment to any meat, poultry or fish entree. But we love it in this quiche recipe which I clipped from a gourmet magazine years ago, then modified the part where it called for home made pie crust.  I haven’t made pie crust for 15 years.  I know it’s good, but the supermarket variety isn’t that bad. 

                                                Asparagus Quiche

Unwrap a pre made pie crust in a pie plate, bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for about ten minutes until it’s dry but not brown.  (You pre bake it so it doesn’t come out soggy). Take it out and let it cool while you prepare the filling:

                                Filling: ¼ pound bacon

                                1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into half inch pieces

                                4 large or 5 medium eggs

                                1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese (can use whole milk or low fat)

                                1 teaspoon salt

                                ¾ teaspoons pepper (unless it makes you sneeze)

                                Pinch of ground nutmeg
                                3 chopped green onions.

Fry bacon until crisp;  drain on paper towel. Chop bacon. Cook asparagus about 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave and let cool. Whisk eggs, ricotta, salt, pepper and nutmeg in bowl. Stir in bacon asparagus and green onions.

Spoon filling into crust. Bake 35 minutes at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until filling is firm. Let cook 5 minutes, then cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!