Gazpacho Smoothie

1 small tomato, quartered
3/4 cup tomato juice cocktail, chilled
2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/4 jalapeño pepper (or to taste), chopped
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Juice of 1/2 fresh lime (about 1 Tbsp.)
Small wedge of fresh lime and a cherry tomato for garnish
(optional)

Freeze tomato in a plastic bag until hard, about 3 to 4 hours. (They will keep up to one week. Several tomatoes may be frozen at a time.)

Place frozen tomato, juice, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, cumin and lime juice in a blender. Purée until well blended and almost smooth.

Pour into a tall tumbler filled with ice cubes. Garnish, if desired, with a small wedge of lime and a cherry tomato, speared on a short skewer and added to the glass like a swizzle stick. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving. (Recipe can be multiplied to make more servings, but you may want to cut down on garlic and jalapeno if you do.)

Per serving: 63 calories, 0 g. total fat (0 g. saturated fat), 14 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 444 mg. sodium.