Today's topic is smoothies. Maybe this is a no-brainer for my two readers, but sometimes I have "why didn't I think of that?" moments, and since I've had requests for recipes for things we frequently eat, I wanted to include smoothies, as they make up a nearly daily portion of our diet, particularly in warm weather.
There isn't a recipe, so much as some guidelines I follow for nutritious, tasty smoothies. You don't need special equipment: a decent blender or food processor will do (and if you have a magnificent machine like the Blend-Tec, all the better!) However, my smoothie-making tools of choice are a Mason jar and an immersion blender. The immersion, or stick blender, is one of my kitchen necessities. It's right under the food processor in my "wouldn't-want-to-be-without" items. I'm not a gadget person, choosing to keep my counters and drawers clutter free and my methods streamlined, but I have a love affair with my immersion blender.
For the children's smoothies, I start with about 1/2 cup frozen fruit, 1/4 cup homemade, whole-milk kefir (or yogurt. We prefer kefir because it has more high-quality bacteria than yogurt), and Stevia to taste, per person. Blend until smooth. This is the basic method. To increase the nutrition, I add a handful of spring greens, a chunk of cucumber, and/or a couple stalks of celery. For the children, the key is going heavy on the fruit, and lighter on the veggies, particularly strong tasting veggies like dandelion greens or celery, until they grow accustomed to the slight vegetable taste. For the grownups, I do it the opposite: light on the fruit, heavy on the vegetables. I usually start with 1 cup of frozen fruit, 1/4-1/2 cup of kefir or yogurt, a large handful of spring greens, one large handful of dandelion greens, a big chunk of cucumber, and a couple stalks of celery. It is very important to blend thoroughly, as few things spark protests in this house like finding chunks in the smoothies! These guidlines will make a very thick smoothie. In fact, it's so thick that I often serve it as "sorbet" in a bowl with a spoon. For drinkable smoothies, you'll want to add milk. I use either raw, grass-fed milk, or unsweetened coconut milk, for different twist.
Add-ins: A lot of people add flax or chia meal to their smoothies, but we get both of these in the baking I do, so I don't add them.
If I'm using the smoothie as a meal for lunch or breakfast, I like to add coconut or coconut oil to add filling fat to the mix.
A couple tablespoons of coconut flour also boosts fat, carbs, protein, and fiber.
Vanilla or coconut extract can make the smoothie even more flavorful.
During the summer, I often keep a jar of smoothie in the fridge to fill popsicle molds. The children love this. I also like to use re-usable snack pouches like these to fill with smoothies for on the go. If you have leftover smoothie, you can freeze it in these pouches for a quick healthy meal option for an outing. Stick them in the lunch bag frozen, and let them slowly defrost while you run your errands. There are many brands out there, and I'm sure most of them work great. The link I posted is the brand I use (bought for a song on an eco-baby site), and I know these work well. They're bpa free and easy to clean. They will leak if you overfill them, but otherwise they've been great.
Flavor combination ideas: mango and coconut milk with cinnamon OR mango and mint leaves...I'm eager to try this as the herbs come into season.
blackberry and cucumber
red raspberry and dandelion greens
strawberry and celery
blueberry and mixed greens
Throw the ingredients in a jar and puree:
Yum:
And I recommend a straw for the tiny humans:
