Spicy Avocado-Cucumber Soup

Avocados can do so much more. With their creamy texture, subtle flavor, and robust nutritional benefits, avocados can take the lead role in soups, sauces, salads, and more. You need to get creative to use them up quickly for gourmet recipes.

This tangy, luscious vegetable soup recipe is an excellent make-ahead dish: Simply puree everything except the garnish, then chill. For a milder version, scale back on the serrano.

Ingredients
12 ounce(s) (2) cucumbers, peeled, seed and chopped
2 Hass avocados, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoon(s) Thai green curry paste
2 teaspoon(s) sugar
2 teaspoon(s) finely grated lime zest
1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped
13 ounce(s) (1 can) unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoon(s) fresh lime juice
Salt
1/2 cup(s) unsweetened coconut flakes, for garnish
10 cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Directions
In a food processor, puree the cucumbers until smooth. Add the avocados, curry paste, sugar, lime zest, and chile. Process until blended. Add 3 1/2 cups of water, the coconut milk and lime juice and process until smooth. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and season with salt. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, toast the coconut over low heat, stirring a few times, until lightly browned and crisp, 3 minutes. Let cool.
Ladle the soup into small bowls or cups, garnish with the toasted coconut flakes and cilantro sprigs and serve.

Mini Blueberry-Lime Tarts

Blueberries are a delicious source of fibre and vitamin C. They also contain phytonutrients that may help improve short-term memory. Plus, they’re pretty in presentation and delicious in taste, so they make for a sweet after-dinner treat.

A tart is a baked gourmet recipes dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savory, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with custard. Tartlet refers to a miniature tart; an example would be egg tarts. Tarts include jam tarts, which may be different colors depending on the flavor of the jam used to fill them for easy desserts.

Ingredients:
1 box (12 shells) Compliments Tart Shells
1/2 cup Compliments Balance Pomegranate & Blueberry Juice Blend
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tbsp finely grated lime zest, divided
1/4 cup light ricotta cheese
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 tsp Sensations by Compliments Pure Vanilla Extract


Preparation:
1. Bake shells according to package directions and cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, combine the pomegranate and blueberry juice, 2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar and lime juice in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Mix the cornstarch with 1 tbsp (15 mL) cold water to dissolve and whisk it into the juice, stirring until it returns to a simmer and thickens. Stir in the blueberries and half the lime zest. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, sour cream, remaining sugar and vanilla until smooth. Divide the ricotta mixture among all tart shells. Top each with the blueberry mixture and garnish with a pinch of the remaining lime zest, if desired. Chill 10 to 15 min. until set. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight in an airtight container.

Easy Cheezy Garlic Pull-Apart Breadsticks

Warm, fresh from the oven, pull-apart, Easy Cheezy Garlic Pull-Apart Breadsticks are one of the fave go-to appetizer recipes. Simple ingredients and minimal prep time mean you can be serving these fun, fluffy sticks in just under twenty minutes, start to finish. Serve with oil and vinegar dipping sauce, alongside crunchy veggie sticks, as a side for hot homemade soup, or even just as an easy afternoon snack. These garlicky, cheezy bites fill the whole kitchen with a cozy aroma.

The best part about these easy appetizers sticks is that you can use a wide variety of toppings once you get the basics added.

Sun-Dried Tomato Cheezy Garlic Breadsticks
vegan, makes about 8 large sticks (about 10″ each)

1 ball of pizza dough (plain, whole wheat or herb)
1/4 cup vegan butter, melted + kitchen brush for coating dough
1 Tbsp garlic granules
1/2 cup Daiya Mozzarella cheese shreds
1/3 cup sun-dried tomato slices
2 tsp dried parsley or basil flakes
flour to roll out dough (optional, add thick corn meal to the flour for texture)

To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with canola oil.
2. Sprinkle flour and optional corn meal on a flat rolling surface. Roll out a ball of store-bought or homemade pizza dough – roll into a rectangle shape about 3/4 inch thick.
3. Transfer the dough rectangle to the baking sheet. Make casual slices into the dough to form strips. They don’t have to be sliced all the way through – just enough so that “pull apart” strips will puff up and form during the baking process.
4. Melt your vegan butter and gather your toppings.
5. Brush the surface and slice crevices of the dough with a heavy handed layer of vegan butter. Sprinkle garlic over top. Then add the parsley, cheese and additional toppings like tomatoes.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for about 17 minutes – or until the edges begin to brown. Do not overbake. You want fluffy light sticks of bread.
Cool a few minutes before serving.

source: http://www.babble.com

Cooking Time-saving Tips for Healthy Meals

§ Cook simple. Steam or sauté some veggies. Bake a sweet potato. Grill some fish or chicken. Simple cooking recipes is a great way to keep things easy and quick. To make the food more interesting, you can add condiments, spices, and/or dressings to your food when you eat it. Individuals with different preferences can spice up their food in their own unique way. This is great for families.

§ Prepare food ahead of time. This will allow you to have easy access to items that you can add to your meals. Chop veggies ahead and store them in containers in the fridge. Hard-boil some eggs for breakfast. Package meal-sized portions to grab and take with you for lunch.

§ Cook more than you need for one meal. It’s great to have leftovers that can be used for a quick and easy healthy lunch or healthy dinner the next day. Also, when making things like whole grains, cook at least double the amount you need and store it in the fridge to use with other meals.

§ Use a timer. Many things don’t take a lot of preparation time, but need longer to cook. Using a timer allows you to prepare food in a short period of time and then do other things as they cook. For example, it doesn’t take long to wash some root veggies and put them in the oven, or measure, rinse, and throw rice into a pot to cook.

§ Invest in kitchen tools. There are many tools that make cooking easier and save time, such as a rice cooker, crock-pot (slow cooker), immersion blender, and food processor. Some of these devices save you time by cooking while you do other things (rice cooker and crock-pot). Others make it easier and quicker to make things like soups, smoothies, and hummus. If you’re on a budget, you can often find these items at garage sales or second hand stores.
3 Time-Saving Healthy Cooking Tips

How to Make Irish Nachos Recipe

Irish nachos are like the perfect fusion of traditional nachos and potato skins. This is really different appetizer recipes. Great taste. Everyone always seems to really like it. The gourmet recipes yield A LOT of Irish cheddar-covered chips.

Ingredients

1 large bag tortilla chips

6 small Kenny Beck Potatoes, boiled and sliced

2 red bell peppers, diced

3 cups roasted corn kernels

1 cup pickles, diced

1 cup Irish Cheddar, shredded

queso sauce*

Directions:

1. Roast unhusked corn on a baking sheet, turning occasionally, until heated through and crisp-tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Let cool. Shuck corn and cut kernels from cobs. 
3. On a large ovenproof plate, alternate layers of sliced potato and tortilla chips with the shredded cheddar, leaving just enough cheese to top the nachos.
4. Top the layered tortilla chips and potatoes with bell peppers, corn and pickles, then drizzle with queso dip to your liking.
5. Place the nachos under a broiler for about 2-3 minutes until the top is bubbly, then serve hot with your favorite St. Patrick's day beer.

Gluten Free Lumpia and Dipping Sauce

This gluten free lumpia recipe with dipping sauce makes delicious, crispy lumpia appetizer recipes. Adjust the beef filling to pork, shrimp, or all vegetables, to your liking.

Ingredients: 

For the Filling: 

1 Tablespoon neutral flavored cooking oil 

1/2 cup chopped carrots 

1 cup chopped yellow onion 

1/3 cup chopped celery 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1.15 lbs. lean ground beef (or ground pork, or mixture of pork and shrimp, or all vegetables) 

2 Tablespoons water

1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free beef bullion paste/cubes (Better Than Bullion or Herb Ox) 

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper 

For the Wrappers and Batter: 

1 recipe Gluten Free Egg Rolls 

For Dipping Sauce:

6 Tablespoons brown sugar 

2 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch (use potato starch for corn-free, but adjust amount as needed) 

2 teaspoons garlic powder 

1 cup gluten free beef broth (Herb Ox, Better Than Bullion, find more brands)

Instructions: 

To Make the Filling:
Preheat a heavy skillet and then add oil until warm.
Add the carrots and saute for 5 minutes over low .
Add the onion, celery, and garlic, and saute over low heat until the vegetables are tender, abut 7 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high and add the beef, and cook until no longer pink.

Add the water, bouillon, salt, and pepper to the skillet, low heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates.

Follow the instructions for making the batter in the Gluten Free Egg Rolls recipe, but make 1.5 times the batter.

Set the batter aside for at least 30 minutes and then refrigerate until ready to use. Roll the lumpia in the rice papers per the instructions using 1/4 cup of filling per egg roll.

Refrigerate the wrapped egg rolls until chilled.

Fry as few lumpia together as possible.

The more you add to the hot oil, the lower the oil temperature becomes, making the lumpia less crispy.

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, and garlic powder, breaking down any lumps.

Add the broth and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until it thickens.

Serve the lumpia with a small dish of dipping sauce on the side.

Wrap and refrigerate any uncooked lumpia for future use, or freeze them if you will not cooking them for a couple of days.

Caramelized Salmon Skewers

How to cook salmon with just five ingredients and a brief prep time, these sweet-tart salmon bites are one of those easy appetizers you'll call on again and again. The appetizer recipes is more tasty if wooden skewers is soak in advance. Enjoy having dinner or lunch with healthy recipes on the table.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup purchased caramel-flavored ice cream topping
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon lime juice
11 1/4 - 1 1/2 pound salmon fillet, skinned
Lime wedges (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)


Directions:

1. At least 30 minutes before grilling, soak twelve 6- to 8-inch wooden skewers in water. Drain; set aside. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together caramel topping, soy sauce, mustard, and lime juice; set aside.

2. Rinse salmon; pat dry with paper towels. Cut salmon fillet in half lengthwise, then cut each piece crosswise into 6 pieces (12 pieces total). Sprinkle pieces with salt and pepper. Thread one salmon piece onto each wooden skewer.

3. For charcoal grill, arrange skewers on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Brush generously with sauce. Grill for 3 minutes. Turn; brush with remaining sauce. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes more or until fish flakes easily with a fork. (For gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Arrange skewers on greased grill rack. Cover; grill as above.) Serve with lime wedges and sprinkle with pepper. Makes 12 servings.

Persimmon Carpaccio with Fennel Salad

For those of you not intimately familiar with this persimmons fruit, the most important thing to know is that there are two general types: fuyu persimmons (which is used in this salad) are short and squat, resembling an orange tomato. They are eaten while still firm. It is also a healthy food recipes.

Hachiya persimmons, on the other hand, can only be eaten when they are incredibly soft, practically turning into pudding, otherwise they are inedibly astringent. So needless to say, don’t try to make this carpaccio recipe with hachiya persimmons or you’ll have a frightful mess on your hands. But do buy some hachiyas and scoop ‘em out with a spoon, or make persimmon pudding.

Once you have the right kind of persimmons, and a simple mandoline, you can toss this together in minutes. You’ll impress your friends and family out of all proportion of these healthy recipes how difficult it was to actually do!

Persimmon Carpaccio with Fennel Salad

Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free 

Ingredients:

10 minutes

2-3 fuyu persimmons

1 bulb fennel (reserve fronds)

4 radishes

1/4 of a small red onion, peeled

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (preferably Maldon (aka the world’s greatest salt))

2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Preparation:
Chill 4 salad plates. Slice the persimmons about 1 mm thick on a mandoline, discarding the end slices. Use a circle cutter to cut out each slice. For the persimmons I used, a 2 1/2″ cutter was perfect. Alternatively, you can skip using the circle cutter but you’ll need to peel the persimmons.

Thinly slice the fennel, radish and red onion on the mandoline and put them in a small bowl. Dress with the olive oil, champagne vinegar and sea salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Arrange 7 persimmon slices in a circle on each plate. Top with 1/4 of the salad, keeping it centered and as tall as possible on top of the persimmons. Garnish with a few of the reserved fennel fronds and the pepitas and serve.

Valentine’s Day Soup & Sandwich

Tomato soup is just ideal for Valentine’s Day. The soup could be perfect if you add a heart-shaped sandwich! Made these vegetable soup recipe with one tweak, & then served it with grilled cheese sandwiches on whole-wheat bread cut into heart shapes with a large cookie cutter. Comforting, delicious and easy appetizers!



Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 small clove garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp. paprika
3 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped, plus additional leaves, chiffonade, for garnish
3 oz. softened Neufchatel cheese
3/4 cup skim milk
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 can (15 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained


Method:

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion & garlic & saute about 2 minutes, until tender.
Reduce heat to low & add paprika, basil, & cream cheese. Gradually stir in milk & soup & stir until smooth.
Turn heat back up to medium & add tomatoes, stirring constantly & breaking up tomatoes further by squashing them with the back of a wooden spoon, until hot.
Serve with heart-shaped grilled cheese sandwiches!

Ice Cream Pizza

A delicious easy desserts that's fun to make. The kids will go wild over the idea of a brownie-crusted ice cream pizza. Just four fabulous ingredients, and you're ready to create a winning ice cream recipes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup walnut or pecan pieces
1/4 cup butter
3 ounces coarsely chopped unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 gallon ice cream (we like strawberry for pizza color)
canned whipped cream
various decorative candies

Preparation:
Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly butter the foil and set it aside. Finely chop the nuts and set them aside.

Melt together the butter and chocolate in a double boiler (or in the microwave at half power, stirring every 30 seconds), stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Beat the sugar and eggs on high speed in a large bowl for about 5 minutes. Blend in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in the nuts. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add them to the chocolate mixture and stir until evenly blended. Let the dough sit for 2 to 3 minutes.

Scrape the dough into the center of the buttered foil. Spread the dough into a more or less level circle 12 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for 10 minutes while you heat the oven to 350º.

Bake the crust on the center oven rack for 13 minutes. Transfer it to a cooling rack and cool it until it is just warm to the touch. Invert the crust onto a second cookie sheet, then gently peel off the foil. Invert it again onto the sheet or a serving tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Smooth a layer of slightly softened ice cream 1/2 to 1 inch thick evenly over the crust. Decorate with canned whipped cream and candies (if you're presenting the pizza whole, consider using lines of whipped cream to draw slices). Transfer the pizza to the freezer until you're ready to slice and serve.

Chicken Fillets, Chicken Fingers, or Chicken Strips

What’s so great about chicken recipe tenders is that they can be dipped in many kinds of sauces including ketchup, honey mustard, hot sauce, marinara, salsa, barbecue sauce, sweet and sour sauce, curry mayonnaise, plum sauce, butter and garlic, blue cheese dressing, melted cheese, or sour cream.

One thing’s for sure, no kid will say no to fried chicken tenders easy appetizers. Sold in many fast food chains, crispy golden and juicy chicken tenders are not that difficult to make and can be prepared and cooked under thirty minutes. Make this dish for a quick and exciting appetizer recipes for lunch or make a large batch one lazy weekend to surprise your family and friends. Serve it with ice cold beer or a bottle of wine and you have yourself a party.

Ingredients

6-8 chicken breasts
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup flour
2 cups bread crumbs

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees F.
Whip eggs and milk together and season with salt and pepper.
Combine flour and bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper.
Baste chicken pieces (cut to size) in the egg mixture followed by the flour mixtures. Fry until golden, about six to eight minutes.
Serve warm with any sauce.

Skinny Baked Jalapeno Poppers

An easy appetizers that we must try to get whenever we go out. It is a big hit from house events especially during the summer months since they are awesome with any burgers. This version of appetizer recipes is a lighter version: it uses panko crumbs to give the extra crunch that a lot of us love, but uses lighter cream cheese and cheddar cheese as filling mixture, and egg whites for the coating of the healthy recipes.

Ingredients:
12 jalapeño peppers, sliced in half lengthwise
4.5 oz light cream cheese
5 medium scallions, green part only, sliced
2 oz shredded low fat sharp cheddar
1/2 cup egg beaters or egg whites, beaten
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp chili powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cooking spray oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Wearing rubber gloves, cut peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and membrane.

Combine cream cheese, cheddar and scallions in a medium bowl. Combine panko, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in another bowl, a shallow one would work better.

Fill peppers with cheese filling with a small spoon or spatula. Dip peppers in egg beaters. Place pepper in panko mixture, using a spoon to make sure all the seasoning doesn’t fall to the bottom of the bowl.

Spray a baking pan with oil spray. I lined my pan with parchment for easier cleanup. Lightly spray the peppers with a little more oil spray.

Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, until golden and cheese oozes out. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Serve hot.

Yield: 24 half-pepper

PHEASANT WITH FIGS, CHANTERELLES AND GNOCCHI

You know how sandwiches get superbly crispy and evenly golden when cooked in a panini press? Same goes for pheasant breasts healthy food recipes when cooked in a hot skillet under a brick. The skin gets deliciously crispy, while the meat cooks quickly without drying out. This pheasant recipes dish is a wonderful alternative to a traditional English roast.

Ingredients:

4 (8-ounce) pheasant breasts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 ounces bacon, diced

8 ounces fresh or frozen gnocchi

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

20 cherry tom atoes

8 dried black mission figs, halved

1 cup roughly chopped chanterelles (about 2 ounces)

1-1/2 cups chicken stock

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/4 cup unsalted butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap a brick in foil. Season pheasant breasts with salt and pepper.

Set a large cast iron Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings behind.

Set the pheasant breasts, skin-side down, in the drippings. Immediately set the foil-wrapped brick on top. Place pot or skillet in the oven and roast breasts for about 10 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Turn breasts over and remove from heat.

While breasts cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt, and add the gnocchi. Cook according to the package directions.

Transfer breasts to a warm plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Set the cast-iron pot or skillet over medium heat and add chickpeas. Sauté for a minute, then add tomatoes, figs and mushrooms. Deglaze pot with stock and add thyme. Bring to a simmer, add the cooked gnocchi, butter and bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the gnocchi mixture among 4 dishes, place a pheasant breast on top and serve.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup found a sweet niche in an arrayof different regions. There is evidence Preparation, Cooking and Total time.Enjoy the taste of Savory vegetable soup recipe!

Healthy Meals 

Ingredients

5 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms

5 oz fresh portobello mushrooms

5 oz fresh cremini or porcini mushrooms

1 tbsp good olive oil

1⁄4 lb (1 stick) plus

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 sprig fresh thyme, plus

1 teaspoon minced leaves, divided

1 kosher salt

1 black pepper, freshly ground

2 cup leeks, (white and light green parts), chopped (2 leeks)

1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup half-and-half 

1 cup heavy cream

1⁄2 cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, minced

Directions

1. Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a drypaper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, andcoarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if thereare big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

2. Tomake the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a largepot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil,reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving theliquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

3. Meanwhile,in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks.Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Addthe sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned andtender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir foranother minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, mincedthyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, andparsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do notboil. Serve hot.

Hearty Vegetable Soup with Orzo

There's nothing better on a cold and rainy day than a nice warm bowl of hearty vegetable soup recipe. Start with some basic vegetables and then add in some orzo and kale to make it a bit heartier. The lemon thyme and balsamic vinegar added at the end round out the full and tasty flavor of this soup healthy meals. Go ahead and curl up with a bowl of this delicious soup.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cups zucchini, chopped
3 cups baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with italian seasoning
6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup orzo
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp lemon thyme leaves, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 cups kale leaves, stemmed and chopped

Preparation:
Heat up olive oil in large saucepan. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add onion and zucchini, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, cover and saute for 3 minutes.
Add mushrooms, replace cover, and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add orzo, lower heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until orzo is tender. Stir in pepper flakes, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and kale, and simmer for an additional minute. Remove from heat and serve.