Spinach

Spinach Strawberry Mango Smoothie

It’s the perfect time of year for this smoothie. Mangos are still available, the sun is helping the strawberries get sweet and the spinach is fresh and tender. The amount of strawberries really makes this smoothie shine. The pile might not look like a lot, but it’s probably more than four cups. Yet, because they tend towards the tart side, dates are pretty much in order here.

If you’ve got the strawberries, this one’s worth placing in the morning rotation.

Recipe:

  • 1 large mango
  • 4 large medjool dates
  • 4 cups (or so) fresh garden strawberries (or the next best thing)
  • ½ lb fresh young baby spinach
  • 1 ½ cup rejuvelac

There really isn’t anything special about this combination. Just place all the fruit in the blender and liquefy.

After a couple seconds, it won’t have any lumps to get in the way of adding the greens. Do so and blend until creamy (that should be about 60 seconds on high). Makes around 7 cups smoothie.

The baby spinach is so mild that it doesn’t stomp on the essence of strawberry like a lot of other greens do. The mango works like a ripe banana making it all come out creamy.

This one is easy, easy, easy! And, best of all, everyone will thoroughly enjoy it.

Strawberry Melon Spinach Smoothie

Today’s a good day to post another smoothie recipe. This one is mainly Strawberries, but it carries a hint of honeydew melon. The melon is subtle, but noticeable. The spinach, well, it just kind of blends in.

The thing that’s different about this smoothie than most others that I’ve posted is that this one is mainly one fruit – strawberries. I used a handful of fresh berries (what you see on the cutting board) and then finished it off with frozen berries.

Also, I’m using rejuvelac as one of the liquids. There is nothing like being able to create your own probiotic that actually has living yeast in it! If you haven’t made rejuvelac before, you’ll get an idea after viewing my previous post on it.

Recipe:

  • 1 cup homemade Honeydew melon juice
  • 1 cup rejuvelac
  • 16+ fresh strawberries (plus frozen ones to fill the blender)
  • Couple medjool dates to counter the tartness of the berries
  • ½ pound spinach

Place everything but the greens in the blender and get it spun up.

After just a few seconds, the mixture should be liquid enough to add the greens. When you and them, add a handful and press them in with the tapper. You’ll be surprised how the liquid fills in the space around the greens allowing you to shove in ½ pound without affecting the liquid level all that much.

When done, you’ll have a brown mess that looks somewhat like the following:

Notice that I’m using the larger craft for my Vita-mix and I’m using the whole thing. The result is two glasses to share and one quart for my breakfast. If I were to drink the full 64 oz’s, wow, that would be filling! Instead, I’ll drink just enough of the quart until I’m full (usually 2/3rds of it) and then I’ll have what’s left as the first course for lunch.

Smoothies are so easy, I can’t believe everyone doesn’t make them. It’s a great way to get more life-energy from greens into your diet.

If you haven’t made one, this is a great start!

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.