Cantaloupe-Strawberry Blended Juice or Slush

Recipe & Photos sent in by:
N. Marion

Healthy, refreshing, and super easy.






Preparation time: 5 minutes. Makes: 2-3 servings.
- 1 whole cantaloupe, pref. organic and local (for juicy freshness!)
- 2 cup strawberries, cleaned and hulled (freeze for a "frozen" drink!)

Do Ahead If you want a cold drink, have your cantaloupe in the fridge. I like to freeze the strawberries also.
1) Clean and cut the melon in half. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Using a big spoon, scoop out the flesh and put it into your high-speed blender. Be sure to catch all the juice that comes out when you're scooping and add that to the blender.
2) Place strawberries in next. Place lid on blender and blend on high for about 1 minute, or until the cantaloupe and strawberry have turned to juice.
Note:
If you have a dryer melon, you might need to add a little water to get it moving. ~Also~ If your blender is not super powered, you might have to add a little water to help get things moving.

Enjoy!

Pan-Seared Polenta with Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce

Pairs nicely with Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce

8 servings
- 8 cups water
- 5 tablespoons (or more) olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups polenta (coarse cornmeal)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce (click for recipe)
- Fresh basil sprigs (for garnish; optional)

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish on rimmed baking sheet. Combine 8 cups water, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 teaspoons salt in dish. Gradually mix in polenta.
2) Place baking sheet with polenta in oven. Bake polenta 1 hour. Add pepper and stir to blend. Bake 20 minutes. Stir again and spread evenly. Bake until polenta is very thick, about 20 minutes longer. Cool polenta to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours (polenta will become firm). Using metal spatula, press polenta all over to even thickness.
DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap; chill.

1) Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut polenta lengthwise into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 6 squares. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add polenta squares. Sauté until crisp and beginning to color, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer polenta to small baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining polenta, adding oil to skillet as needed.
2) Divide polenta among plates. Top with warm Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs, if desired.


Recipe from bon appétit, for more information: Pan Seared Polenta with Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce

Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce

Pairs great with Pan Seared Polenta with Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce or your favorite pasta!

Makes about 4 1/2 cups
- 4 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes with added puree (from two 28-ounce cans), divided
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (finely crushed in plastic bag)
- 3/8 teaspoon (or more) dried crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil, divided
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper

1) Place 1 cup crushed tomatoes in blender. Add pine nuts and blend until very smooth, about 1 minute.
2) Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, fennel seeds, and 3/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper. Sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons chopped basil, wine, and oregano. Scrape in tomato mixture from blender and stir to combine. Simmer sauce until flavors blend, 5 to 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more dried crushed red pepper, if desired.
DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill.

Rewarm sauce. Mix in remaining chopped basil.

Recipe from bon appétit, for more information: Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce

Lemon-Berry Cheesecake

Makes: 8 Slices, Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 1 hour and 10 minutes

Ingredients (use vegan versions):
- 1 graham cracker pie crust (store bought or home-made)
- 1 cup silken tofu
- 1 cup strawberries, fresh or thawed frozen
- 1/2 cup mixed berries (I used blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a food processor, combine silken tofu, mixed berries and strawberries. Process until smooth. You’ll probably have to scrape down the sides a few times to make sure everything is combined.
2) Add constarch and lemon extract, then blend until smooth. Then pour in the sugar and (for the last time, I promise) combine until smooth.
3) Pour the tofu/berry mixture into the pie crust. Put the pie into the heated oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Chill for at least 5 hours, then slice and serve! Feel free to garnish with vegan whipped cream.

Source of recipe: VegWeb Lemon-Berry Cheesecake

More on this recipe, comments & photos can be found on the link above. I thought I'd post this because it sounds great for summertime heat!