Green veggies tasty way to fight inflammation

Here are a couple of recipes for going green from “The Juice Lady’s Anti-Inflammation Diet” by Cherie Calbom.

Cherie’s Awesome Green Smoothie

Rich in flavonoids, kale is the superstar of this recipe.

1 avocado, seeded, peeled and cut into quarters

1 cup baby spinach

2 kale leaves

1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into pieces

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon green powder of choice (optional)

2 to 3 tablespoons ground almonds, for garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend well until smooth. Sprinkle ground almonds on top, if desired.

Yield: 1 serving

Cream of Asparagus Soup

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 tablespoon green curry paste (optional)

5 cups fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces (2 bunches)

4 cups rutabaga, 1-inch dice

4 cups vegetable stock, to cover

1/4 bunch parsley, rough chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 to 2 cups coconut milk, or to taste

Fresh water, as needed

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot set over medium heat and stir in garlic, onion and curry paste. Add in the cut asparagus and rutabaga. Add just enough stock to cover the vegetables, but not too much; you can always thin the soup later if you need to.

Add the chopped parsley. Season with sea salt and fresh pepper, to taste. Bring the vegetables to a high simmer. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a medium simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or so, until the rutabaga are fork tender.

Remove the pot from the heat. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup. Return the pot to the stove and add the coconut milk. Stir and heat through gently (don’t boil the puréed soup). Taste test and adjust seasonings.

Serve with a sprinkle of fresh minced parsley or a spoonful of plain yogurt or sour cream.

Yield: 6 servings