Carrot & Green Apple Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Carrots and green apples, both of them crunchy and sweet, are a winning combination in this tangy salad. Serve this salad as an accompaniment to a smoked turkey sandwich or grilled chicken, shrimp or fish. Look for interesting varieties of carrots in different colors, and use a Thin Julienne Slicer to slice them perfect thin strips.

Coconut & Lime Cream Cheese Cookies

Dragon Fruit - What is it and how to eat it

Dragon fruit (Pitaya) is part of the cactus family, and has sweet, kiwi-like flesh. Dragon fruit is quite exotic for our latitudes and if your grocery store does not carry it, usually you can find this bright red skinned fruit, very rich in vitamins B and C as well as fiber, at your nearest Asian market. You can easily check if fruit is ripe by pressing on it, just like you’d choose ripe avocado, kiwi or peach. If it’s too soft that means it is overripe and the texture will not be as good. If it is too hard, you can still buy your dragon fruit but let it stay in cool dry place for few days to fully ripen. Any dry brown spots or dry spines on dragon fruit leathery skin are a sign to avoid it.

Minty Kiwi Smoothie with Lime - Refreshing Drink

Minty Kiwi Smoothie with Lime - wonderful, slushy drink that is easy to make, instantly refreshing, and always delicious. Whether you buzz up a quick batch for breakfast on the run, a pick me-up after a workout, or a fun, healthy snack for the kids, you'll soon discover that smoothie is perfect for today's fast-paced, healthy lifestyle.

Gazpacho with Lemon Thyme and Smoked Paprika

"Soup," declared the French gastronomer, Grimod de la Reyniere, "is to a diner what a portico or a peristyle is to a building… not only the first part of it, but must be made in such a manner as to set the tone of the whole banquet, in the same way as the overture of an opera makes known the subject of the work."



Tomatoes, both row and cooked, play such a tremendous part in our diet that it is hard to believe that they have been in the general category of edible vegetables for only about a hundred years.

Note: If you wish to peel tomatoes, hold them over a gas flame, turning constantly, or blanch them in boiling water for minute. When cool, the skins will slip off without any trouble. Remove the stem ends. If you are planning to use the tomatoes for seasoning a dish, cut in quarters and remove the seeds.This means that you will have the essence of the tomatoes without the additional liquid that results from the cooking of the seeds.

Tomatoes, cucumber and peppers from the basis of the classic, Gazpacho soup. Add a spoonful of lemon thyme and chunky roasted cherry tomatoes for a refreshing summer appetizer. This is quite a substantial soup, so follow with a light main course, such a broiled fish or chicken.



Ingredients:

• 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 purple onion, finely chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
• 1 sweet red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1-2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh lemon thyme
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• few drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
• 2 cup tomato juice
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until mixed but still chunky. Season well. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving.

Papaya-Lime Soup with Strawberries - simply prepared but satisfying end to any meal

Papaya is at its best uncooked, so it typically makes its way into recipes like fruit salad and sorbet. But this soup is a more elegant venue for the sweet, earthy fruit, and it's especially perfect for papayas too ripe for salad. Add a little lime juice to round out spark the flavor. The result is a refreshing, velvety, vivid orange soup that is entirely welcome after a rich meal.



Serve it as is, or with sliced strawberries, or have fun dressing it up with other fruit like cubed melon, or with scoops of sorbet or ice cream.



From the book "The last Course"


Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 large papayas
• 3/4 cup of syrup (2 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cups of water for 2 1/2 cups of syrup)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, or to taste (from 2 to 3 limes)
• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced in quarters
• sage for garnish

Directions:

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let the syrup simmer for one minute, then turn off the heat and allow to cool. Use 3/4 cup for the soup and the rest will keep almost indefinitely in a tightly sealed bottle in the refrigerator.

Halve the papaya and scoop out the seeds. Cut into thick slices, then peel away the skin. Cut into cubs.

Puree the papaya with half of the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Put it in the bowl and stir in 1 1/2 cups water, the syrup, and the lime juice, adding more lime juice to taste if necessary.

Chill the mixture until very cold, at least two hours.

Serve the soup with sliced strawberries and garnish with sage.