Medjool dates

Best Mint Smoothie Yet!

It feels like harvest time already! The garden mint is nearly a foot tall and it’s finding its way into the kitchen every morning now. There’s nothing like fresh young mint in the early spring. Ok, well, it’s nearly summer, but everything is nearly 45 days late this year so I’m still thinking of it as early spring. I just hope we get a summer before fall comes around.

But, don’t let me get off track with this smoothie. I absolutely love the fact that I’ve got a lot of different things to mix up this year. As it turns out, this combination is a real keeper. I’ve been looking for something where when you drink it your taste budds say “wow, … savory, … sweet, … rich, but what is it?” That’s what this one is! You can taste the mint, but it’s not too strong. The orange, and it’s subtle too. The sweetness shines through, but it’s just enough. And finally, it’s creamy.

Unfortunately, I’m out of oranges. I guess I’m going to have to go shopping again. This time, I’ll pick up twice as many for the mint is coming on strong.

I highly recommend this smoothie. When you pick your mint, get more than you’ll ever think will work! I picked a big handful. And, make sure that its spearmint. When I asked Lori what she thought she said, “Did you put mint in it? I wasn’t too powerful. I think you put in just the right amount this time.” When I told her it as a huge handful, she was a bit shocked.

Let’s get on with it.

Recipe:

  • 2 Medjool dates (remove the seeds)
  • 3 oranges
  • 1 larger mango
  • 1 inch slice of pinapple
  • 1+ cup water
  • 1 large handful spearmint
  • ½ lb fresh young baby Spinach.

This is a recipe that needs some pealing. Peal orange, mango and pineapple the best you can and make sure no seeds make it into the smoothie. Remove the spearmint leave from the stocks adding only the leaves. Turn the fruit and then pack in the spinach. After a go 60 seconds on high it should be ready to go.

As you can see, it made more than a quart and I’ve got more pineapple left for next time.

I really like this combination. Notice that there is no cacao in it! As much as I wanted to add it, I refrained in order to see what it was like without. Well, it’s best without!

I’m sure you’ll love this one too. Let me know.

Good day!

Mint Chocolate Orange Spinach Smoothie

If you remember from a few days ago, I wrote about trying oranges rather than apples in my Mint Chocolate Spinach Smoothie. Well, this posting is that variation. I have to admit that I like the orange base much better than the apple one. Apple is good, but orange mixes so much better with the cacao.

If you have fresh mint and some oranges laying around, this one is worth a try.

Recipe:

  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 oranges
  • 1 banana
  • 2 medjool dates
  • Heaping spoon full raw cacao powder
  • Big hand full fresh garden spearmint
  • ½ lb fresh baby spinach

Remove the leaves from the mint stocks, remove the seeds from the dates and pretty much mix everything up on the blender.

As you can see, I added the cacao last. Everything else is just packed it.  Got to love that Vita-mix!

Got a little bit more than this, but the tastes all come together to make something that’s sweet and minty.

If I were to make this one again, I’d use orange juice as the base in order to really bring out the orange flavor. But even with just two, the orange flavor comes through and it balances out nicely with the cacao and mint!

I love mint!  It’s the first thing I get out of the garden every year. Yum…..

Mint Chocolate Spinach Smoothie

With this season being about 45 days late, yesterday was the first day where I actually got to harvest something out of the garden – Mint! It’s at the perfect age and height. As you can see in the mug (below) I’ve picked just the top six inches (or so) getting the best four sets of leaves. When in the garden, I samples a few leaves and they were delicately succulent and beautifully flavorful. I love the first of the season spearmint.

For the last couple days I’ve been craving mint-chocolate as a smoothie flavor. Last time I dug into the mint to put this combo together, the mint was older and a whole lot more pungent. This mint is smooth and subtle so I knew it would add a delicate savory essence rather than an overpowering one. If you’ve got some mint growing where you can get it before the sun burns in a lot of flavor, you’ll love it combined with cacao!

Here’s what I did, I’m sure you’ll enjoy something similar.

Recipe:

  • 1 organic Fuji apple (That’s what I had, got a great deal the other day)
  • 1 banana
  • 2 large medjool dates
  • 1+ cup liquid (I used watered down coconut milk)
  • 10 spearmint tops (about the top 4 sets of leaves)
  • ½ lb Spinach
  • 1 heaping tablespoon full cacao powder

Seed the dates, core and remove seeds from the apple, pinch off the leaves from the spearmint add all but the seeds to the blender and whirl until smooth.

I’ve got a few leaves left over for tomorrow. I’ve also got the second half of the package of Spinach. I’m going to give it a second go with an orange rather than the apple to see how that mixes up. Orange, mint and chocolate should be a really good combination.

Get out, grow some herbs and enjoy the life they bring to your own. Mint’s one of the easiest to grow and mixes will with lots of things. And, the best part is it’s good (great) for you.

Good day.

Blueberry Kale Apple Smoothie

Blueberries and Red Kale make a fantastic green smoothie combination. I’ve been dogging the kale for months reaching for Swiss chard, parsley and spinach (even lettuce) rather than picking up with vegan special. Yet, on the advice of one of my favorite yoga instructors, I broke down and picked up some kale to give it one more go.

As it turns out, this Red Kale mixes really well with blueberries! I would have never guessed – but my yoga instructor did!

I’ve always reached for the lemon to tame kale, but it looks like there is a match in the berry-world.

Recipe

I can’t believe when I was putting this one together that I totally forgot the blueberries!

  • 1 full bunch Red Kale (stems removed)
  • 1 crisp apple (seeded and quartered (or better))
  • 3 madjohl dates
  • 1 cup dark seedless grapes
  • 1 to 2 cups frozen blueberries
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • Juice of ½ lemon (if it’s juicy, else 1 lemon)
  • 1 probiotic
  • 1 serving ORMUS powder

Like most other smoothies that I put together, liquids first followed by soft fruit than harder fruit. In this case, water, coconut milk, lemon juice, grapes, blueberries, quartered apples (or even smaller) and dates. Blend until big chunks are broken down. It should taste fantastic at this point. Kind of like blueberry sorbet.

Next, stuff in kale and give it a good spin. The frozen blueberries will keep this on cold for a long time so blending can go for almost two minutes. When you get to blend this long you really break things down to the point where it’s easy to drink.

Finally, add the ORMUS and probiotic and give it a good mixing. Not need to go long, just stir it around.

I think I’ve found a new way to love kale. I’m also warming up to blueberries.

If you’re having a hard time getting to like kale, try this combo. I believe you’ll find it quite satisfying!

Amazing Peach Sorbet

This recipe is so simple and delicious that anyone should be able to whip it up in just a few minutes. I guarantee that it will take you ten times longer to eat this than what it takes to put it together for the flavor is to delicate that you’ll want to savor every spoonful.

Be prepared, for this will make a meal!

Recipe:

  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 4-5 large medjool dates (pitted)
  • ½ to ¾ tsp vanilla powder
  • ¾ bag of frozen peaches

First thing to notice here is that I prepared last summer! When boxes of peaches came on for ‘cheap’ I bought a bunch and saved them in the freezer. Each quart size bag as the equivalent of eight medium peaches so this recipe calls for about six. Note that the skins and pits have been removed so what comes out of the bag is pure peach ‘meat’.

Add the coconut milk into your 3-horse power blender (I strongly advise that you only use something that really has the muscle to get through this), drop in the dates, about a teaspoon vanilla powder and then about 6 frozen peaches. I use a knife break apart the frozen block of peaches. I make sure each piece I break off is no bigger than about ½ a peach (size wise – large ice cube size).

With all this in the blender you’ll want to start out on about 4 or 5 and use the tamper to press the frozen peach down into the blades. This is pretty hard to do. You’ll almost feel like standing on it in order to force the peaches down. As soon as the mixture starts to grip in, start counting in your head and turn the blender above 7. Quickly work the peaches down with the tamper and make sure to not let it develop an air bubble down at the blades. This hectic grinding process shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds. If so, you’ll end up with a milk shake rather than ice cream.

The little specs that you see in this mixture is the dates. Yum!

This six peach mixture makes two beautifully decadent servings. You’ll want to savor every bite. The little bits of dates come across as little cold sweet carmelly tidbits.

I highly recommend this desert (meal) and I believe you will too.

Let me know what you think if you try it!