Recipe Exchange

Recipe Exchange was a column I wrote for more than two decades. It was a way for me to connect weekly with the readers of The Advocate and Greenwich Time in Fairfield County, CT, a wonderful way to share what so many of us cherish: Our favorite recipes.

So from time to time, when I have a request or a recipe to post from a reader of Diet? Not again!, Recipe Exchange will make a comeback. Today is such a day.

• The first request comes from a dear friend, who edited Recipe Exchange -- and everything else that came out of the features department, Terri Vanech. Terri and her family will be abstaining from meat for all of Lent, and writes: "I need some meatless meal ideas beyond mac and cheese and spinach and rice." And I thought I had a problem with abstaining only on Fridays!
• The next request is from my lovely daughter-in-law, Kim Foster. She so disagreed with yesterday's posting about soy, because she really loves tofu. But even Kim admits that besides edamame, her favorite soy is fried. What Kim needs are some tofu recipes that taste terrific, are baked, but have the consistency of fried. Now that's a challenge!

A few days ago, "Admirality" posted a recipe, which I decided to repost because it made me do some homework. Years ago, I "translated" English cookbooks into ones an American audience could understand, and what I thought was going to be an easy project was anything but. When I saw the term "punnet" used in this recipe, I knew Admirality is probably from the British Isles, Australia or New Zealand. Am I correct? There was also an ingredient I had never heard of before -- Camu Camu from Madre Labs -- and it turns out it is a super form of Vitamin C, and something I might actually order after I delve a little deeper.

About this recipe, Admirality writes: " I do what I can to keep my diet simple, but when I start making smoothies it usually ends up with about ten ingredients, though the one I had this morning was fairly simple and tasted delicious."

ADMIRALITY'S SMOOTHIE

1 punnet (basket) cherries (I would add cherries to taste)
2 Tblsp. organic freeze-dried acai powder
1 Tblsp. raw honey
10 cashews
1/2 avocado
1 tsp. Madre Labs camu blend
1 Tblsp. bee pollen
Water for desired consistency!

• Admirality's directions: I like mine thick and creamy so it gets as little water as possible. This tastes amazing and would be even better with raw cacao liquor or powder. I also recommend raw honey -- if up until now you have deprived your poor taste buds thereof!! I get it from www.pyreneeshoney.com -- and the rest I get from iherb.com