Tropical green smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 cups frozen spinach
• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 cup frozen mango chunks
• 1 medium ripe banana, peeled
• 1 cup strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or a favorite berry, optional
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon+ vanilla extract
• sweetener, to taste

Instructions

1. All ingredients and amounts are to taste. Use seasonal fruits or vary the quantities of fruits, to taste. I use frozen fruit and prefer it to fresh because it keeps the smoothie cold, without adding ice which waters it down. Frozen is cheaper and I can buy in bulk and keep in the freezer and use when needed.
2. Place all ingredients in the canister of a Vita-Mix or blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately. Pour extra portions into freezer-safe cups and freeze for up to 1 month, thawing before serving.
3. Optionally, consider adding a scoop of protein powder, dollop of yogurt for extra protein; add fat for staying power such as coconut oil, coconut butter, peanut butter, almond/cashew/sunflower seed/Cookie Butter. Blend with juice to increase the amount of Vitamin C. Add coconut flakes, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, or your favorite smoothie add-ins to either the blender canister before blending or garnish smoothie with them after blending.
4. Recipe is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free as written. Take care any ingredients used and added optionally are suitable for your dietary needs.

GRILLED BERRY PEACH PIE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pie crust or you can use a homemade crust
• 3 cups berries
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, from 1/2 a lemon
• Zest of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream
• 2 disposable foil pie pans or square baking pans

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat grill to as close to 350°F as you can get it.
2. Place berries in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest. Toss with your hands.
3. Unroll pie crust and place it in a disposable foil pie plate. Place fruit in the center and fold up the edges to form the crust. Brush the edges with heavy whipping cream and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
4. Place a second foil pie plate or square baking pan upside down on the grill. Place the pie on top of the inverted pan and close the lid to the grill. Cook until the crust is cooked through, from 20-30 minutes depending on how hot your grill is. Check it at 15 minutes and then every few minutes after to make sure it doesn’t burn.
5. Carefully remove pie from grill. Cool before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse Cups with Berry Compote

Ingredients

• 6 ounces semisweet chopped chocolate

Cheesecake Mousse

• 8 oz. light (Neufchatel) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1 cup whipping cream

Berry Compote

• 1 cups frozen sliced strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups fresh berries

Directions

Cheesecake Mousse

In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla bean paste. Slowly add the cream and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Pipe in to chocolate cups. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve with mixed berries

Chocolate Cups

Place chocolate in microwave safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir thoroughly. Continue to microwave and stir at 15 second intervals until smooth and completed melted. Put 2 tablespoons chocolate in the bottom of a heart shaped silicone cupcake mold. Slowly rotate the mold at an angle so the chocolate evenly coats the sides of the mold. Chill until set, about 25 minutes. Carefully loosen the edges and then slowly peel the baking cup away from chocolate cups. (If you're using a heart shape, start peeling at the v instead of the point.)

Berry Compote

In a medium saucepan, mix together the frozen strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and is syrupy about 10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool slightly. Add fresh berries and stir to coat berries. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to use

Goat Cheese And Berries Tarts.

Ingredients

For the pate sablee

• 2 tablespoons (20gr) slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup (50gr) cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 stick (56.5gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup (90gr) all-purpose flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the goat cheese mousse

• 200 ml heavy cream, cold
• 4 oz (120gr) goat cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons (25gr) to 1/4 cup (50gr) sugar, depending on your preference
• juice and zest of half a lemon

• 2 cups assorted berries such as raspberries, red currants, blueberries, etc...

Method

Prepare the pate sablee

Preheat oven to 350F.
Place almonds and 2 tablespoons (25gr) sugar in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla bean seeds, ground nuts and salt on medium speed until well-combined. Slowly add remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and flour and mix well. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Shape the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.
Place the dough in between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll it out to about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out four 6- inch rounds and fit them inside four 4- inch tartlet rings, patting the dough in with your fingertips if it breaks on you as you transfer the rounds. Gather the scraps and set aside.
Prick the dough with a fork and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Place a piece of parchment paper inside the tart shells, fill with beans or pie weights. Bake the shells for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks and remove the pie weights.

Prepare the goat cheese mousse

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream to medium stiff peaks and reserve it in the refrigerator while you prepare the mousse.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the goat cheese and sugar with a spatula (if the goat cheese is soft enough there is no need to put your mixer to use on that one). Add the lemon zest and juice and mix thoroughly until incorporated.
Carefully fold the reserved whipped cream into the goat cheese base by placing your spatula in the center of the bowl, scooping the bottom over the top. Give your bowl a 45 degree turn and repeat until the batter is smooth. Fill a pastry bag with the mousse and divide it evenly among all tart cooled tart shells.