Carrot-Spinach Soup with Dill
Makes Three 3-Cup Servings

This was actually last week’s Sunday Night Dinner, but I am way behind when it comes to posting things. I have a whole backlog to get through. At any rate, this was a simple, very tasty soup filled with fresh flavors. The type of dish that tastes like clean eating. It is designed to be detoxifying, which is a bonus. The recipe also allows you to make a big batch of the soup base, and then add in fresh ingredients each time you serve it.

INGREDIENTS

For the Big Batch

1 large onion, diced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

7 carrots, diced (about 5 cups)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon coarse salt

8-ounces green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For Each Serving

1 packed cup baby spinach

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: In a pot over medium heat, cook onion in oil until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in carrots, turmeric, and salt. Add 10 cups water, bring to a boil, then simmer, 30 minutes. Add beans and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes.

Step Two: To serve, fill a bowl with spinach and dill. Ladle 3 cups hot soup over greens, cover with a plate, and let steep 5 minutes. Add lemon juice.

Source: Whole Living, May 2012. View the recipe on WholeLiving.com.

Fruity and Tart Icy Morning Beverage
Serves 2

This little concoction is not quite a smoothie—it is not thick enough or frozen enough for that classification. But it is indeed “icy.” It is also not for the faint of heart when it comes to tartness. The cold-tart combo is sure to wake you up in the morning, plus there is a lot of fruity goodness and a bit of coconut water for hydration and potassium. Since I am not drinking alcohol these days, I have not tested my theory…but I have a feeling that this little friend would come in handy when a hangover is lurking around!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice

1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice

1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1/2 cup unflavored coconut water

1 1/2 cups ice

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Place all ingredients into a blender and mix until combined. Serve immediately.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.

Easy Vegetarian Supper Hash
Serves 4

Sunday was a day of utter exhaustion for me, which led to the creation of this “cheater” meal. It was mighty tasty, so I suppose that is the silver lining? I chose to use a frozen veg mix from Trader Joe’s that I am currently obsessed with. It contains green beans, carrots, corn, and peas, but any combo of your favorites will do nicely. The potatoes can be cooked up to a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to use as a way to save prep time on cooking day.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed (halved if large)

1 pound Trader Joe’s “Organic Foursome” frozen vegetable mix

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 can (15-ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender (about 12 minutes). Drain potatoes and allow to cool before handling. Once cooled, chop potatoes into large pieces

Step Two: In the same pot, prepare frozen vegetables according to package instructions.

Step Three: While frozen vegetables are cooking, heat oil over medium in a large pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic and potatoes and continue to sauté until potatoes begin to brown, about 8-12 minutes.

Step Four: Add cooked vegetable mix, beans, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook until beans are heated through. Remove from heat, stir in dill, and serve.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.

Spicy-Sweet Pretzel Mix
Serves 8

My mom made this delicious and totally addictive snack mix as one of her contributions to the Easter/Poppa’s Birthday get-together that we had on Sunday. She said it was super easy to make. I loved the sweet and salty contrast and the wee kick of heat from the cayenne pepper. (Mom thought the mix needed more heat, but I disagreed).

As you can see from the photo, she also made clever and charming paper daffodil cups to serve the mix in. You can find the instructions for those here.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups thin pretzel sticks

1 cup natural almonds

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

INGREDIENTS

Step One: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss together pretzels and almonds.

Step Two: In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon water to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour over pretzel mixture in bowl; gently toss to combine.

Step Three: Spread pretzel mixture in a single layer on prepared sheet. Bake until almonds are crisp, about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally. Cool on sheet before serving.

Source: Everyday Food, September 2008. View the recipe on MarthaStewart.com.

Blueberry-Lemon Smoothie
Serves 1-2

This smoothie was born out of a need to use up ingredients that had been camping out in my fridge longer than need be—but it worked out well. Of course, the classic combo of blueberry and lemon is always sure to please. This recipe makes a fairly thick smoothie. If you like things on the thinner side, I advise adding a bit of your favorite milk or even water.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup fresh blueberries

6-ounces unsweetened lemon flavored Greek yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 tablespoon wheat germ

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup ice

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Place all ingredients into a blender. Pulse until smooth and well combined. Serve immediately.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.

Roasted Asparagus, Tomato, and Mushroom Medley
Serves 4-5

Yes, it is accurate that this was the dinner I prepared on Sunday, and it is currently Friday and I am just now getting around to posting it. But, give a girl a break, I haven’t been feeling so hot. This dinner on the other hand is “dancing screaming itching squealing fevered feeling hot hot hot!!!” (Sorry about that. Spring weather always puts The Cure into heavy rotation on my playlists). But really, this was a mighty tasty meal, even if that means a big ol’ toot on my own horn. Plus, it doesn’t get much easier than a dinner composed almost fully of roasted ingredients—your oven does all the work for you!

INGREDIENTS

2 bunches asparagus (2-pounds), tough stems removed

1-pound large crimini mushrooms, cut into quarters

1 medium red onion, cut into half-moons

10-ounces golden cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 can (15-ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomato halves (not packed in oil)

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Heat oven to 425°F. In a large roasting pan, combine asparagus, mushrooms, onion, and tomatoes. Add olive oil, vinegar, and citrus juices. Stir gently to coat vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Step Two: Roast for 20-25 minutes (stirring halfway through) or until vegetables are just tender and beginning to brown. Add cannellini beans and roast an additional 5 minutes.

Step Three: Remove from oven and transfer to a serving platter. Top with sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.

Mixed Fruit and Avocado Salad
Serves 2

Continuing on my current grapefruit craze, I made this lovely fruit salad for breakfast earlier in the week. It filled with bright flavors and a variety of textures. It is quick enough to prepare for a weekday morning, but has the lovely feel of a weekend brunch or a spring picnic in the park!

INGREDIENTS

1 medium grapefruit

5 tablespoons unsweetened lemon Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon agave

1 tablespoon fresh grapefruit juice

1 large avocado

6 medium strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup blueberries

1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes

1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Remove peel and pith from grapefruit and section over a bowl to catch juice. Squeeze grapefruit skeleton over bowl to extract remaining juice; set juice and sections aside.

Step Two: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, agave, and 1 tablespoon of the reserved grapefruit juice; set aside.

Step Three: Remove peel and pit from avocado and slice. Divide grapefruit, avocado, strawberries, and blueberries between two individual salad plates. Drizzle each plate with dressing and top with coconut and sunflower seeds.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.

Broccoli-Spinach Soup with Avocado Toasts
Serves 4

Hot dog, did I love this soup and these delicious little toasts! I whipped up a batch of the soup early in the week and loved it so much that some days I ate it for both lunch and dinner. If you use bagged spinach this meal is also a snap to prepare—big time bonus for weekday fare. For the toasts, I added a bit more zip by rubbing a peeled garlic clove on the toasted bread before layering on the toppings.

INGREDIENTS

Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 leek, white and pale green parts thinly sliced

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 bunch broccoli, chopped (6 cups)

6 ounces baby spinach (6 cups)

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons tahini

coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toasts

4 slices rustic bread, toasted

2 avocados, sliced

1/4 cup radish sprouts

1 lemon, cut into wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Add broccoli and cook, covered, until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes.

Step Two: Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and tahini. Let cool slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Step Three: Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth.

Step Four: Top bread with avocado and radish sprouts. Season with salt and pepper, squeeze with lemon, and drizzle with oil.

Source: Whole Living, March 2012. View the recipe on WholeLiving.com.

Lemon-Ricotta Spaghetti Squash
Serves 2

Here’s a little ditty that was born from odds and ends laying about my kitchen counter and residing in my refrigerator. I was craving a light, low-labor dinner one night last week and this fit the bill on both accounts. Nothing fancy, just complimentary flavors and no hassle.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium spaghetti squash (2 pounds)

2 tablespoons unsalted pistachios, chopped

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (+ zest of 1 lemon)

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: For the spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 375°F. Carefully cut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Place squash flesh down in a shallow baking pan large enough that both halves lay flush. Add 1/2-inch of water, cover, and bake until squash is easily pierced with a fork, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before handling.

Step Two: While squash is cooking, place chopped pistachios in a small, dry pan. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally until lightly toasted. Set aside.

Step Three: Combine ricotta, oil, and lemon juice in a large pan. Gently warm over low heat, stirring continually until a thick sauce forms. Use a fork to separate spaghetti squash strands into pan. (Use a pot holder to handle if necessary). Stir sauce into squash; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and toasted pistachios. Top each serving with lemon zest and Parmesan cheese.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.

Strawberry-Peach Smoothie
Serves 1

I’m currently under doctor’s orders to get more potassium into my diet. I’m allergic to bananas, so he offered up strawberries as an alternative. (Who knew)? They have about half the potassium of bananas, but half is better than nothing, right? Like a good little patient, I whipped myself up this yummy smoothie for breakfast earlier in the week.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup frozen unsweetened organic strawberries

1/2 cup frozen unsweetened organic peaches

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon wheat germ

1/2 cup strawberry juice blend (I used Odwalla Strawberry C Monster)

1/4 cup cold water

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and serve immediately.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.