Banana-Beet Smoothie

This is a quick and simple recipe for anyone and also a healthy alternative to a fast-food snack in the morning if you do not have time for breakfast. The benefits of this smoothie include a great source of folic acid, antioxidants, fiber, potassium, vitamin C and B6. The banana-beet smoothie makes a great healthy combo for your body! I make this on most mornings or on some early evenings when I'm not too hungry for dinner.

Ingredients:

1 banana (medium-sized)
1/2 cup of sliced beets
1/2 cup of orange juice
6 oz plain, non-fat organic yogurt

Directions:

* Pour the juice in the blender

* Add the banana, sliced beets and yogurt in the blender

* Blend until you get a smooth texture

Helpful hints & more:

**For this recipe, I use canned sliced beets (make sure " no salt added" is written on the can! ) but you can opt for fresh, non-canned beets.
**Do not use flavored or low calorie yogurts as they contain too much sugar or artificial sweeteners, neither of which, in my opinion, are good for your health!
**To change up the taste, you can use orange-mango juice or even pineapple juice

Johnny Crêpe

I visited Burlington ( in Vermont) for the first time this past July 4th weekend and I came across a quaint restaurant called the Skinny Pancake. It's a small restaurant with outdoor seating, a great view of the Lake Champlain and great crêpes. One thing I like about the dish I tried was that the crêpe wasn't "skinny ( no pun intended) ... If I had the appetite, I would have tried all of them but I settled for the "Johnny Crepe" which is pulled pork, braised in a sweet whiskey BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, and Cabot cheddar cheese folded into a corn meal crêpe. This is served with root vegetable slaw. All the ingredients seem local which is always another plus for me! So, if you are ever in Vermont, try one of my new favorite foods, the Johnny Crepe and let me know what you think!

Strawberries and pear with cream

Yesterday, I decided to try a little something different ...a light, healthy dessert with a hint of naughty so I opened my fridge and found some strawberries, Anjou pear and some french vanilla ice cream. Here is my take on some fruit and cream...something different from using whipped cream.

Ingredients:

1 Anjou or Bartlett pear
4 strawberries
2 scoops of French Vanilla Ice-cream

Directions:

1. Slice up the pear into bite-size cubes
2. Slice up the strawberries
3. Place 2 scoops of the ice-cream in a small serving bowl and microwave
for about 15 - 30 seconds ( depending on your microwave)
4. Place sliced fruit into warm ice-cream
5. Grab a tablespoon and enjoy!

Helpful Hints:

1. Make sure ice-cream is lukewarm and not hot
2. You can add an extra scoop of ice-cream before microwaving

"Akwaaba: A Taste of Ghana" is great!

If you have ever tried or wanted to try great food from the African continent, this cookbook is for you! "Akwaaba: A Taste of Ghana" has over 50 recipes from Ghana ranging from breakfast through dinner to desserts!

Copies are available at Alikobooks , Barnes&Noble and Amazon.

Try some recipes and let us know what you think!