26 v8 juice recipes

A light, jiggly tomato aspic salad made with tomato juice, unflavored gelatin, and a squeeze of lemon. Diabetic-friendly at just 15 calories per serving, served on crisp lettuce with colorful pepper strips.

Strawberry orange muffins: tender sour cream muffins with fresh sliced strawberries and orange zest, hiding a hidden jam center. A brunch favorite that bakes in under 30 minutes.

Apricot and cardamom bars with dried apricot, apricot nectar, and unsweetened applesauce in the batter, finished with a sweet apricot glaze drizzle. Low-fat and done in 45 minutes.

Lightly spiced bars made with apricot nectar and dried apricots, finished with a tangy apricot glaze for double the fruit flavor.

The secret to tender baked beans is to leave the salt out until they are finished cooking. For some reason, salt toughens them. To pamper your tummy, rinse off the beans when they are finished soaking in several changes of cold water. This recipe is easy to prepare ahead and cooks in only two hours.

Beau's notes: * There are no "jalapeno beans;" there are jalapeno peppers and pinto beans. I have two recipes, both of which are quite tref, but a Catholic should worry? But if you are hosting a Jewish person, smoked turkey will substitute most agreeably for the chazer called for in either recipe.]

Smoky vegetable chili with zucchini, bell peppers, and jalapeño simmered in tomato sauce, crowned with tender cilantro-cheese cornmeal dumplings. A meatless main that satisfies.

Paper-thin swordfish paillard flash-cooked until just opaque, topped with blanched leek julienne, fresh grapefruit segments, and a tangy mustard seed vinaigrette. An elegant 30-minute dinner.

Fresh tomato salsa with bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, and lime, brightened with red wine vinegar and chili powder. The chunky homemade salsa that beats jarred every time, served fresh or rested for deeper flavor.

Dried pinto beans simmered from scratch with carrots, celery, Roma tomatoes, fresh thyme, oregano, and cilantro. A nourishing bean soup served over rice or barley that's worth the overnight soak.