Monday, July 2, 2012

Green Smoothie 
my style


Here is how I make me green smoothie every morning.  Of course the ingredients vary, but the how-to is basically the same everyday.  I like mine less thick so toward the end I generally add a little more ice and water till it's "right."  If you start to experiment, you'll begin to figure out what you like and how you like it.  For example, I really thought I would be a fan of the vegetable based smoothies--tomatoes, carrots, jalapeno, cucumber, carrots etc but so far I haven't loved anything I've made.  Maybe if I thinned them out more with tomato juice, I'd be better off.  But so far the consistency kind of gags me with the vegetable flavors.  Here's what I made just now and so far it was my favorite:

2 very ripe peaches--skin on
1 cup of blueberries
2 1/2 frozen bananas
1/2-1 inch slice of lime--peel on
2 cups cold water


Blend this very well so lime skin is pulverized


This filled my vitamix nearly half full.  Then I added about 5-6 cups baby spinach.  After that was smooth I added enough water and ice to take the smoothie all the way to the top of the blender which makes about 64 ounces. It was a dark brownish color thanks to the blueberries--not pretty but very good!

I've found that adding a thick slice of lemon or lime and/or a huge handful of mint makes the drink so fresh tasting--I love it.  I always include lemon or lime now. Just use what you like fruit-wise.  I've tried almost everything so far and don't think you can really go wrong with anything--by always adding the frozen banana, it'll generally be sweet enough.  A tart honey crisp apple is also very flavorful.  Lately I've added half a cucumber (skin on) which gives it a different taste, but good.  One other add-in I just started is ground flax seeds or chia seeds--can't even taste them.  If you make something and it's too tart you can always squeeze in some honey--which usually fixes it.

My general rule is fill the vita-mix with about 1/3 fruit then the rest will be water, ice and greens.  Baby spinach and kale are really mild tasting but I think it's really important to add in other stuff.  I have used different chards, lettuces, beet tops etc.  but it will mostly come down to what you like.  Even if I don't love the flavor of chard, I don't really mind using it a few times a week since I believe in the health benefits.  One way to incorporate a variety of greens is to mix them up in the same smoothie--1/2 spinach 1/2 rainbow chard for example--this will help tone down the flavor of something you don't love.  Next thing I want to try is lime, coconut and banana as the fruit base.  We had a smoothie in St. John made with those fruits + soursop, whatever that is, and it was incredible.

Cheers!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks this is great! Can't wait to try this. Kelley

Anonymous said...

Thanks this is great! Can't wait to try this. Kelley

Ann Marie said...

I am not supposed to be reading blogs.. much less commenting.. but I just HAD to write a THANK YOU to you for writing these last 2 posts.

I have tried a few different green smoothies.. and likes only one really well. Just LOOKING at your ingredients.. I can tell I am going to be a FAN GIRL.

So.. please tell me what blender you use. Do you love it? How do you clean it? I am shopping for one soon -- to use daily!

Did I say THANKS? Thanks for this post!!!!!!

Jayne Layne said...

confused... what is green about this smoothie?? The lime peel?

Jayne Layne said...

confused... what is green about this smoothie?? The lime peel?