Most mornings it’s Hubby who’s doing the smoothie making. Occasionally, I take a turn at the blender. My theory, however, is why look that proverbially gift horse in the mouth so I usually hang around with the newspaper and a cup of coffee until he decides it’s his turn. I think it’s a very good way to encourage his inner chef.
To tell the truth, most of our smoothies are impromptu versions. Whatever fresh or frozen fruit we have on hand, plus protein powder, plus Greek yogurt and juice or water. The recipes supplied are typical of what we do, but please know that they are widely variable as well. The one in the picture was mainly strawberries, blueberries, coconut water and Greek yogurt.Basic Frozen Fruit Smoothie
2 large servings
½ – 1 frozen banana, peeled and chunked*
2 cups frozen strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, pineapple, peaches, mango (any combination of fruits you desire)**
1 cup milk (dairy, rice or soy) ***
1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt, thickened (or your choice)
1/2-1 cup juice (orange, pineapple, cranberry, blueberry are usually our choices)
2 to 3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar, to taste (or substitute sweetener), optional
1 teaspoon lemon-flavored sugar-free Jell-O (or lemon juice), optional (a real flavor perk)
2 cups frozen strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, pineapple, peaches, mango (any combination of fruits you desire)**
1 cup milk (dairy, rice or soy) ***
1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt, thickened (or your choice)
1/2-1 cup juice (orange, pineapple, cranberry, blueberry are usually our choices)
2 to 3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar, to taste (or substitute sweetener), optional
1 teaspoon lemon-flavored sugar-free Jell-O (or lemon juice), optional (a real flavor perk)
Put all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.
**I keep frozen fruit in the freezer all of the time. Whenever I have fruit that is starting to get too ripe, I cut it up and layer it on a cookie sheet. When it is frozen, I break it up and put it in a large freezer bag.
***We usually start with HMR’s 120 vanilla shake meal replacement in place of the milk. Since smoothies are our breakfasts, I like the extra nutrition provided by this product. There are numerous protein products on the market that you might want to investigate.
Obviously, there any number of combinations you can use for these smoothies. Don’t feel bound by a recipe.
Peanut Butter and Banana Frozen Smoothie
1 fresh or frozen banana
2 – 3 Tablespoons PB2 powder
1 cup Greek yogurt, thickened
1 cup milk (dairy, soy, rice)
1 Tablespoon sugar-free lemon Jell-O or lemon juice, optional
2 large servings
1 fresh or frozen banana
2 – 3 Tablespoons PB2 powder
1 cup Greek yogurt, thickened
1 cup milk (dairy, soy, rice)
1 Tablespoon sugar-free lemon Jell-O or lemon juice, optional
Water and crushed ice as needed.
Chocolate and/or frozen strawberries can be added if desired. Blend well.
Blueberry-Cucumber Smoothie
4 servings
½ – 2 large garden cucumbers, seeded and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
1 ½ cups vanilla Greek yogurt
1 ½ cups frozen blueberries
1 – 2 Tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1 Tablespoon sugar-free lemon Jell-O or lemon juice
1 ½ cups vanilla Greek yogurt
1 ½ cups frozen blueberries
1 – 2 Tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1 Tablespoon sugar-free lemon Jell-O or lemon juice
Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Add crushed iced and blend if desired.
Adapted from Vegetarian Times via Arkansas-Democrat Gazette
Adapted from Vegetarian Times via Arkansas-Democrat Gazette
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Visit these terrific bloggers for some other suggestions:
The Green Smoothie from Our Everyday Dinners
Post-run Smoothie from Eggs and Herbs
Fruit Smoothie from Allison Chino
Incredible Smoothies by Tracy Russell
Summertime Smoothie from Spotted Cow Review
Smoothie Blues from Spotted Cow Review
Green Breakfast Smoothie from The Busy Nothings
Spiced Apple Pie Smoothie from East 9th Street
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And this web site from which I get tons of ideas
Smoothie Web – anything you might want to try in a smoothie
