Bananas

Swiss Chard, pineapple coconut ice smoothie

This is the Swiss Chard smoothie that I wanted to add to the multi-greens smoothie but didn’t. At the time, it seemed more important to get through the ripe bananas then continue with the smoothie experiment. This is a good smoothie, but in a way, I wish I’d mixed in grapes rather than the bananas. Oh well, maybe next time I’ll cut the grapes and simply go bananas!

Recipe:

  • 6 young fresh Thai Coconut water ice cubes
  • About 1 inch ripe pineapple
  • 2 bananas
  • Bowl garden Swiss chard (washed and ready)
  • ½ cup water.

Pile everything in starting with the soft fruit. Blend for 60 seconds (or more) and serve.

You’ll notice that you’ll get a bit more than a quart. Lori got to enjoy the extra. Swiss chard is a pretty smooth green which mixes well with the banana. The young fresh Thai coconut ice cubes give it a really fresh flavor that you don’t want to leave out. The pineapple seemed to be a bit like filler. But it was good RIPE filler.

This will be a great recipe to revisit come mid winter. I’m not looking forward to buying greens again, but, doesn’t look like I’ll have much of a choice before too long.

Take some time to put this one together, you won’t be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Orange Pineapple Banana and Lettuce

But this one has a twist of Honeydew melon to really round out the flavor. I can’t stress it enough, if you get a chance to make juice for the base of your smoothie, there are a few that work really well:

  • Watermelon
  • Honeydew melon
  • Orange
  • Apple + berry (whatever kind you really like)

Or, if there’s something else that stands out as easy for you, consider it. Juice makes the best base. I look forward to the start of summer every year for the first Honeydew melons to arrive. I know they are a little ‘crunchy green’ having been shipped half way around the world, but when you juice them, you get all the flavor that you can sweeten up a little if need be. It’s pure goodness!

  • 3 oranges
  • 1 banana
  • 1 inch ripe pineapple
  • 1 cup fresh Honeydew melon
  • A few small dates as a sweetener
  • 1 bowl fresh garden lettuce

I simply love the fact that my garden’s provided me with more than enough beautiful crisp green left lettuce all summer. I hope it lasts for a few more months.

Notice that I picked apart each slice of orange to see if it had seeds in it or not. If so, I removed the seed(s). There’s something about orange seeds that I really don’t like to blend. It’s up to you, but I remove them.

I’m sure this blender full made a little more than this quart. But yum.  Give it a try, I’m sure you’ll love it.

Papaya Banana Lettuce

Take a close look at this smoothie. It’s probably not one that you’re going to want to make. I love papaya when it’s ripe, but the green things that they ship up to my neck of the woods really is hit and miss. It’s just to be the perfect time of year and you’ve got to pick up the perfect fruit to have a really good experience.

But the way I really messed this one up was by adding a creamy papaya with creamy bananas with creamy coconut milk to a mild lettuce. If there were something sour or sharp, I’m sure I would have had a better experience.

  • ½ large papaya (remove the seeds)
  • 2 bananas
  • 1 cup coconut milk with vanilla flavorings
  • 6 to 7 little itty bitty dates
  • 1 bowl lettuce

The larger papaya increased the volume of this smoothie just past one quart. Which, to me, is perfect for my wife and I. It’s just that I didn’t get possible feedback on this combination.

Mango Lettuce Pineapple

This is one of my favorite winter time smoothies, yet I found a cold day in the summer (and I had some left over pineapple that needed to be used) that fit the bill perfectly for this one.

Even though the ingredients might seem a little complex, I assure you that it’s one simple little bold flavored treat that you’ll be coming back for more. Maybe tomorrow if you’ve still got the same collection of ingredients!  Lol….

  • 1 mango
  • 2 bananas
  • About 1 inch ripe pineapple
  • 6 to 7 small dates
  • Bowl of lettuce
  • About 1 cup water
  • 1 little probiotic

With all this lettuce, you’ll really have to cram it into your vita-mix blender. Just make sure you place the wettest things on the bottom for once the water gets spinning it tends to suck in the greens.

As you can see, I was definitely hungry this day! Or, I can’t remember, maybe I had company. People are starting to figure out that if they spend the night, they’ll get a green smoothie of some sort for breakfast. And, as luck would have it, I haven’t gotten any real complaints (except form a child that doesn’t eat anything but white bread and hotdogs).

Mango Watermelon Lettuce

Frozen bananas really add a cold creamy consistency to just about any smoothie. Yet, when you add a mango to it, you’re doubling your mouth watering experience. Take special note of the watermelon juice that used as the base. I love picking up inexpensive watermelons, juicing them up and drinking it all day long. Yes, it’s a cooling liquid, so make sure you pick out the hottest days if you’re really going to flush your system.

For now, that bowl of lettuce leaves are calling for a quick whirl.

  • 1 mango
  • 2 frozen bananas
  • 6 or 7 little dates (the really small ones)
  • 1  to 1 ½ cup watermelon juice
  • 1 bowl lettuce
  • One little probiotic

Stack them all up on the blender, if you’ve got a strong one, of slowly feed them in if it’s a more common variety.

In the end, you’ll have a treat that you can savor on your way out of the house in the morning. It’s also a way to get all the greens that you could possibly want in one little meal!