Smoothie Recipes...easy, quick and cheap
Smoothies are a delicious, easy and nutritious. But is can be easy to get stuck in the banana-strawberry-yogurt milk routine. Don’t be afraid to think outside the conventional blender box! Think of smoothies as a flavour adventure, an economic and tasty way to get all those fruit and veggie servings the media keeps telling you, you are not getting enough of.
Freeze Your Smoothie!
Does the idea of dragging out your blender and making all that mess that then has to be cleaned up make you think…..nah….I will just have this doughnut? Good news….smoothies can be made ahead and will last for a few days in the fridge, or much longer in the freezer. If you freeze them just take one out the night before you want it, put it in the fridge, in the morning or whenever you are ready for it, add a few ice cube, give it a good shake and voila! Instant healthy guilt free breakfast.
Take One In Your Lunch
You can also pop a frozen one in your lunch bag in the morning and you will have a wonderful beverage at noon. Just a few warnings though-if you are using fruit that goes brown when exposed to air like bananas or apples be aware that your smoothie will go slightly off color. It won’t hurt you, but it might not appeal to you. It is easy to solve though. Just put a squirt or two of lemon or lime juice in it while you are blending it.
How To Make The Perfect Smoothie!
Here are a few tips on making the perfect smoothie. Put in all the liquids first so the blades can move freely, then add your chopped up food. Start the blender on slow to help the fruit chop up and then let her rip! How long you blend is up to you. Some people like yummy little chunks in their smoothies, while others like their smoothies…well…smooth.
It is also very easy to keep ingredients on hand and ready to toss in the blender and this can save you money on your groceries bill as well. Here are a few examples.
Stop Throwing Away Food!
Do you have a banana that has just passed the stage of perfect ripeness and your family is now turning up their nose at it? Peel it, cut it into chunks, toss in a bit of lemon juice and freeze it in a baggie or Tupperware container and freeze it. Just take a chunk or two or three and toss it in your next smoothie. You can do the same with any fruit or veggie. Do you have spinach lettuce or kale that has gone a little limp? Chop it, freeze it and toss it in your next smoothie. Left over fruit or veggies from a fruit or veggie platter? Same thing. You can also add leftover cooked veggies to your veggie smoothies.
Easy Substitutions
Smoothies are not rocket science and although there are lots of recipes out there (and below here), just remember you can create your own with what you have on hand. In a recipe calling for plain yogurt and you have flavoured yogurt it will be just fine with fruit. Try substituting frozen yogurt, sherbet or ice cream for sweet type smoothies.
Vegetable Smoothies
For vegetable based smoothies you can use water, milk, beef or chicken broth or vegetable juice such as tomato juice as your liquid. A fun little hint here-make your veggie smoothie in a blender with broth as you liquid, when it is done, pour in a bowl, heat in the microwave ad a dollop of sour cream to the top and you have got yourself a nice cream soup.
Almost all vegetable based smoothies benefit from a small handful of fresh or frozen parsley. Try growing you own. It is one of the easiest of plants to grow, is abundant and freezes beautifully. For added nutrition you can throw a teaspoon of ground flax seed or wheat germ or oats in you smoothie. When it is all blended up you won’t even know it is there and you will get a powerful nutrition punch. This is also a great way to sneak extra vitamins and mineral into picky kids.
The Recipes
Here are some of my favourite combinations for smoothie. Most of these will produce one generous sized smoothies, but it is ok to add more or less of any ingredients depending how many people you are cooking for or if you want to freeze or store in the fridge for future use
Celery Pineapple Banana Smoothie
½ a ripe banana peeled and sliced
1 stalk celery chopped
½ cup frozen, canned or fresh pineapple
1 handful fresh or frozen parsley
Water as need for desired consistency
Peach Apricot Smoothie
Peach Apricot Smoothie
½ cup plain yogurt
½ cup fresh, frozen or canned peaches
1 cup apricot nectar
½ a banana
Few drops of vanilla extract
(Hint…add a measure of rum or vodka, a little paper umbrella and you have yourself a lovely tropical drink worthy of the best Mexican resort!)
Berry and Jam Smoothie
½ cup plain or vanilla yogurt
2 teaspoons strawberry or raspberry jam
½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries, blackberries or raspberries
½ cup of milk
1 teaspoon each rolled oats and wheat germ
Blueberry Lemon Lime Smoothie
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
½ cup yogurt, ice-cream or sherbet
½ cup apple lime juice
Squeeze of lemon juice.
(Hint…for a yummy but less healthy smoothie use a lemon lime soda such as seven up instead of apple lime juice. Good idea for kid’s party)
Grape Apple Banana Smoothie
½ banana peeled and sliced
½ cup seedless green grapes
½ cup plain or vanilla yogurt
¼ apple peeled and chopped
½ cup fresh spinach
Broccoli Spinach Apple Orange Smoothie
1 grated carrot
1 handful of chopped broccoli florets
1 large handful of fresh spinach
½ apple peeled and chopped
½ orange peeled and chopped
Water or vegetable juice to desired consistency
Avocado Apple Smoothie
¾ cup apple juice
1 large handful of spinach or kale
½ apple peeled and chopped
1 ripe avocado peeled and chopped
As you can see, the possibilities are endless. I am a real believer in make do with what you have, so look in your cupboards, you crisper and your freezer. Go ahead and try something new! Your body, back account and family will thank you!