Showing posts with label vitamix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vitamix. Show all posts

Avocado Smoothies

Today I thought I would try an avo smoothie since we have a few of those little green eggs in our pantry... Avocado makes smoothies sooooooooo smooth (as in silky smooth and thick) and have healthy belly-fat-fighting properties.  When I tried to get at the recipes, I got locked into either abandoning what looked like a pile of fantastic recipes OR signing up for a newsletter that I don't want... because down came a pop-over or pop-up with NO way to exit or get at the recipes.  Grrr.... Ah well, life is too short to go on and on about that.

Here is a sample recipe, with adjustments of my own (like, who needs ice cubes when you can use frozen fruit instead? and out with extra sweeteners and dairy, wherever possible):

AVO-PEAR SMOOTHIE
1 large pear, chopped
1/2 cup frozen green grapes
1/4 avocado
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Cold Water to level wanted
**Spin all the above up in your Vitamix! (serves 1 or 2)

Click HERE to scroll other luscious Smoothie recipes containing Avocado


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Decadent Raw Brownie-Frozen Banana Smoothie



Yes, this raw brownie-frozen banana smoothie is sweet, chocolate-y and decadent... even tastes better than those sweet frosty drinks you get from the fast food chains... and guess what? NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP! I'm using it to wash down my Vitamin D, but you might want to make it your lunch or supper or afternoon coolie...yum!

INGREDIENTS:

*1-2 regular size slices of Raw Brownie (<~click for recipe- scrape off frosting I think)
*2 Frozen Bananas (peeled, broken in pieces)
*10 oz. Almond Milk
Blend until smooth-- a heavyduty blender like Vitamix probably works best (what I use) but it should work okay in a regular blender... just take a little longer, maybe add a little more nut milk.

Enjoy!

This smoothie information is for you-- it's my bias-- so please see your own health care professional before making any health-related decisions. If you found anything useful, intriguing, or have questions, I appreciate your feedback... please use the comment box below.  ~Cynthia

Smoothie of the Week: ABC Smoothie


I was with a group of people last week talking about refreshments we would serve after a presentation we were hosting. We wanted the said refreshments to reflect upon our support for healthy living, so out went coffee, Black Forest cheese cake, and the like.

 Someone suggested fruit trays. Another pointed out that people get as much of a glycemic surge with several pieces of fruit as they do with a cookie.

It got me thinking about fruity smoothies... and today's recipe is for a smoothie that is sweet, without being cloying, but made with blackberries and mostly greens. There is no banana-- just an apple and an avocado. It is smooth, flavourful, and creamy delicious... isn't that what one wants in a smoothie? Oh yes, and extrememly healthy!


Put the following in the carafe of a Vitamix and whirl up together until smooth and creamy:

  • 2 C. frozen organic Blackberries (or other low glycemic berries)
  • 1 handful fresh organic Cilantro
  • 1 small, very ripe Avocado
  • 1 4" piece of fresh Aloe Vera (if you have it- and peel off/discard the outer layer of skin)
  • 1 small organic Apple, cored
  • Stevia to taste (if desired)


Smoothie of the Week: Raw Caesar (Dressing)

Yes, Caesar Dressing is a kind of smoothie!  Image courtesy of ailinder at pixabay

Again, acting on the premise that ketchup is basically a smoothie, here is my favourite smoothie of the week: delicious raw Caesar dressing for a delish broccoli-caesar salad.  Besides giving the little fishes (anchovies) a break, this smoothie is full of vitamins, minerals, omegas and flavour.  It is magnificent in a salad made of raw veggies like broccoli, romaine, onion, cucumber, tomatoes and orange sweet pepper.  It is also yummy as a veggie dip. 
Combine the following in your high-speed blender (soak the seeds and dates if you have a regular blender):

3/4 C. organic, shelled, unsalted Sunflower Seeds
1/4 C. Nutritional Yeast  (ask at the Health Food Store)
1/4 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt
3 or more cloves Garlic
2 Lemons, peeled, seeded, and chopped
Freshly grated Black Pepper (to taste)
3 pitted Dates
2 large stalks Celery
1/2 C. Water
Optional: 1 tsp. of dried Sea Vegetable (I used Dulce) to simulate anchovies
Store in a glass jar with lid.


Smoothie of the Week: Orange-Date Pancake Sauce

Orange - Date Pancake Syrup: Delicious, Healthy, Gluten-Free
Ever since I saw the little joke that goes: "Tomato is a fruit, right? Then Ketchup is a Smoothie?" I've been to expand my definition of smoothie... today's pure fruit, no refined sugar, gluten-free smoothie falls into that category and it is DELISH!

Put the following in the canister of your Vitamix:

  • 1/2 Container of unsweetened Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate
  • 6 pitted Medjool Dates
  • 1/2 Banana
  • handful of dried shredded Coconut (unsweetened)
  • 1/4 C. Almond Mylk or Water
Spin it up and pour over your fave pancake... I personally love it over the gluten-free toaster waffles I eat. Yum yum yum!

<<BONUS: Try this delish breakfast smoothie with a tablespoon of the Orange Date sauce as one of its ingredients

>>Try it over ice cream, plain yogurt

>>Try it as a scrumptious salad dressing

>>Other ideas?  Maybe a dip?

To your better and better health, ~Cynthia


Smoothie of the Week: Emperor Blueberry Smoothie

          

This Emperor smoothie originally appeared in the first issue of the Smoothiemoves ezine, but I'm updating it a little here so that it can be made for 2 people (and I have cut out the expensive MLM "juice")

  • Soak about 6-10 natural almonds in 2 oz. of organic Orange Juice
  • Grind up 2 T. Flaxseed in coffee grinder
Add to the Vitamix canister in the following order:
  • 1 C. Frozen organic Blueberries
  • Ground Flaxseed
  • 1 T. Hemp Protein Powder
  • 1 organic Apple, cored, seeded and cut into segments
  • the Almonds and soak juice
Whirr until smooth.  Eat it like ice cream with a spoon, or if you want to drink it, add more fluid (water or organic orange juice.

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This smoothie information is for you-- it's my bias-- so please see your own health care professional before making any health-related decisions. If you found anything useful, intriguing, or have questions, I appreciate your feedback... please use the comment box below.

 To your better and better health.
-- Cynthia





Smoothie of the Week: Cool Northern Front Green Smoothie

This morning I was looking for something that was clean and crisp, not sweet, but kind of like our West Coast climate, and using some of our high octane (read: antioxidant) berries-- especially some of the mass of frozen blackberries I have from picking last fall. lol

So, I combined the following, and it IS the best smoothie I have had all week... has a lovely fruity flavour, but not cloying, just West Coast (haha).  Put the following in your Vitamix canister:

*1 organic Apple, cored and chopped (skin intact)
*1 organic Lemon, peeled (leave the white) and seeded, chopped
*1 C. Frozen Cranberries
*1 C. organic Frozen Peaches (alas, farewell...all gone!)
*1 C. Frozen Blackberries (or other berries of choice)
*2 T. Organic Traditions organic Stevia powder (or similar-- no additives)
*1 narrow head organic Romaine Lettuce 
*Filtered Water to level 


Sweet Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (Thickalicious, Vegan, Gluten-Free)


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When I was a child, pumpkin pie (with whipped cream or ice cream) was a dessert that my Grandma Sanders always contributed to the holiday meal.  Since I continue to love pumpkin pie but can't make pie crust to save my soul (perhaps fortunately), this lovely sweet pumpkin pie smoothie is a great tribute to that great tradition!

Ingredients:

1/2 C. Rolled Oats (Gluten-free variety, if you are wheat-sensitive)
1 T. ground Chia Seed (Grind in the Coffee Bean grinder)
2 cups Almond Milk
1 cup frozen Banana chunks
1/2 cup Ice
3/4 cup canned organic Pumpkin (unsweetened)
2 organic Mandarin oranges, segmented, seeded if they have seeds
1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
1+ tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice or a mix of Cinnamon/Nutmeg to suit you

Method:
  1. Put the Oats and the Chia Seed into the blender carafe first and then pour in the Almond Milk, letting the Oats and Chia soak for 15 minutes or longer.  Their rehydration really helps with digestibility.
  2. Put other ingredients in to the carafe and spin up for as long as it takes to produce a nice silk-blended smoothie.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Smoothie of the Week: Pumpkin Howl

courtesy of JillWellington at Pixaby
Pumpkin Howl is just a real scary name for a delectable 'pumpkin pie' type smoothie. I think you'll love it:

Put the following in your blender canister:

  • Meat and Liquid from one Young Thai Coconut (or 12 oz of Coconut Water)
  • 1/2 C. of canned Organic pumpkin puree
  • 4 soaked dates (pit removed) or Stevia to taste or Maple Syrup to taste
  • Cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon or as desired)
(makes enough for two adult portions)  

Bwahahahahahah



Smart Pineapple Sage Smoothie (vegan)

Salvia elegans, photographed at the San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum- Wikipedia, Eric Hunter, cc-

Okay, I've been wondering this all summer: what would a green smoothie with sage in it taste like? More specifically, what would a green smoothie with some of my abundant pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) in it taste like?  It smells like pineapple, it tastes slightly like pineapple and a lot like a mild version of the sage you put in your Christmas turkey.  I'm thinking it will have a sharp bitter flavour that will punch through any fruity flavours.  I decide to give it a try anyhow.

Ingredients:
  • Water drained from 1 Young Thai Coconut (gel/meat reserved for another recipe)
  • Handful of cleaned (with water) Pineapple Sage Leaves
  • 2 Bananas
  • 1/4 C. Organic Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)
  • Dash of Cinnamon (optional)
  • Filtered Water - as much as you want (1-2 Cups?)
Whirl up the above in your blender.  

Result: Actually, this is one of the mildest, sweetest Green Smoothies I've ever made. I may try it again and only use 1 banana.  It tastes very tropical.  I think some fresh pineapple would be very nice in this as well.  Sage is an herb with many ascribed natural healing properties.  Go here to read an interesting article from that perspective (also a recipe for Pineapple Sage Pound Cake). 

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This smoothie information is for you-- it's my bias-- so please see your own health care professional before making any health-related decisions.
 To your better and better health, 
 ~Cynthia


Smoothies for Health

Smoothies are made by combining fresh fruit and/or veggies and/or other healthy stuff with a liquid (I go for water or coconut water most of the time).  My husband and I mostly drink what are called GREEN SMOOTHIES.  We make them ourselves in a heavy-duty blender called a VitaMix although there are certainly other heavy-duty blenders that do a good job, and there are actually cheap-o blenders you can pick up at the Sally Ann Thrift store that will serve you well enough (they may just break down earlier).  The chief advantage of the VitaMix is that it will rupture the plant cells in a few seconds and create a smoooooooth blended drink without strings and chunks and other things we sometimes come across in less powerful blenders.  However, in a less rugged blender you can still get the task done: simply run things through in several smaller batches and then re-combine when they are to the smoothness of your liking.

Some Questions that have come up about Green Smoothies include:
Q: Why do you add greens to your smoothie?  Doesn't that make it taste...um... bad?
>The delicate, mineral-dense greens that one adds to a Green Smoothie are generally over-ridden in taste by the intense flavour of whatever fruit you have added.  Use a 60% fruit to 40% greens ratio.  In putting together her thesis for the greens going into a Green Smoothie, Victoria Boutenko researched what the strongest, healthiest vegetarian mammals in their natural habitat, the gorilla, eat--  not only bananas, as some might think, but about 60% of their food is greens-- branches, grasses, etc.  A chimpanzee eats similarly in nature.  While humans generally begin to look older as they enter their mature years, an elderly chimp (35-60 years old) often is indiscernable from an adolescent chimp in her/his early teens.  Diet certainly has a lot to do with longevity.  Boutenko and others point to the high mineral bio-availability of greens that are well-chewed.  They are easily digested, full of chlorophyl and digestive enzymes, and the perfect match for a delicious, nutritious fruit.  Because most of us have weak jaws or compromised teeth, it is difficult for us to chew the greens and rupture open their cell walls as a chimp is able to do.  However, we now have these fabulous blenders to make up for our deficient jaws!

And yes, some people are called "tasters" and will find the flavour of the various greens unpleasant for sure-- so it is a good idea to up the fruit ratio until you no longer feel ill with the taste of the greens.  Victoria Boutenko herself said that she felt like vomiting when she first began to drink "green" drinks.  But, hang in there, because the health benefits far, far outweigh any unpleasant initial reactions.
Q: What about food combining?  I heard you're not supposed to eat vegetables and fruits at the same time... isn't that what you are doing with green smoothies? 
>I know that I sound like I'm chronically quoting Victoria, but she is the woman in the know.... she states that she sees "greens" as a category separate from vegetables and fruits... its own new category.  When blended up in the VitaMix or other high speed blender, the greens perfectly combine with the fruit-- no worries about indigestion.  I do practice a couple of precautions: when I use melon (cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew) I use it with greens, water and nothing else.  I know that cucumber is in the same family as melons but I don't seem to have any issues with using it with other things like tomatoes, garlic, and other ingredients in a "blended salad"....which I think I will have for supper! 
So, that's it for today!  Just screw up your courage and pick a fruit and some greens to try with some water, 60-40.  Blend until smooth and enjoy! If you are used to a lot of processed sugars, you could use a little Stevia, but you will be amazed at how quickly your body will adjust to cutting down on, and eventually out, processed sugars, table salt, etc.. SMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSSMSMSM

This smoothie information is for you-- it's my bias-- so please see your own health care professional before making any health-related decisions. If you found anything useful, intriguing, or have questions, I would really appreciate your feedback... please use the comment box below.  
To your better and better health, ~Cynthia



Smoothie of the Week: Blueberry Breakfast Bomb Green Smoothie (vegan)


This morning my breakfast smoothie was sooo fantastic-tasting that I thought I had better pass the recipe along before I forget:

Into the blender canister, add the following:

*1 large cup frozen organic Blueberries

*1/2 C. Chia Gel*

*2 scoops Vanilla protein powder (there are lots out there-- my husband buys Brendan Brazier's Vega brand)

*1 organic Banana (peeled of course)

*Large Handful of Fresh Parsley (leaves & stems)

*About 4 C. of Filtered Water (or 2 C. Water, 2 C. nut milk)

To make Chia seed Gel
, place 1/4 Cup of whole chia seeds in a quart mason jar and add water to the top. Stir until the seeds are dispersed. Let absorb the water for at least 15- 20 minutes. Stir again. Put on lid and keep in the fridge to use with other recipes. Provides a high source of protein (4 gm in an ounce), fibre, calcium, magnesium, and more Omega3's than any other plant source, including flax seed. Use the "whole seeds" and not milled seeds. There is some indication that milled seeds lack the nutrients.

This is a 'green smoothie' but it turns out purple because of the blueberries (they are almost always the dominant color-maker). Position the 2-piece VitaMix lid securely and then start the VitaMix on low, increasing the speed gradually, and ending by flipping over into the highest speed until homogenized (about 1 1/2 minutes?). You can use a regular blender, but it will just take longer-- pulsing to break the stuff up helps. Enjoy!


Sunshine-Shopping-Smoothie (Heaven)


I'm enjoying a terrific day here-- went shopping at the Sally Anne and came home with a stack of great fitness and gardening mags and a wonderful and recent Vita-Mix Whole Foods Recipes Book <--for 99 cents!

Then we had my all-time-favourite smoothie to date-- tasted like "summer in a glass":

  • 4 ripe Apricots
  • huge handful of fresh-from-the-garden Cilantro
  • 1 C. + frozen organic Blueberries
  • 3 frozen Bananas
  • Liquid and Meat from a Young Thai Coconut
  • 2 T. Ground Flaxseed (ground in coffee bean grinder)
  • 4-6 oz. of Filtered Water
This recipe provided both my husband and I with about 20 oz. of sheer ambrosia.  Aren't Green Smoothies just the bomb?




Smoothie of the Week: The Ultimate Runners' Smoothies


A while back VitaMix Corporation sponsored a couple of Ultra Marathoners to run across America as their contribution to finding more solutions around the burgeoning epidemic of childhood obesity across America and the world. VitaMix was right there with them (I'm thinking in a camper that doesn't exude too much exhaust-- maybe a hybrid?). The runners, Charlie Engle and Marshall Ulrich, needed massive amounts of calories and nutrients to fuel them each 70-mile day. I don't have access to the soup recipes etc., that they were fed, but the smoothies looked like lacto-vegetarian fare. I changed them up a little to reflect the preferences of the veggie athletes I hang with/know. Skøl!

Banana Apple Oatmeal Smoothie

1 ½ cups freshly-made raw almond milk
¼ cup oats
1 banana
1 apple, quartered
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup vanilla yogurt OR 1/4 C. Chia Gel*
¼ cup almonds
3 cups ice
Yield: 2 (3 cup) servings


Almond Butter Chocolate Banana Smoothie


1 banana
1 ½ cups fresh-made raw almond milk
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons raw cacao syrup
1 scoop Hempseed protein powder

Green Protein Smoothie

1 ½ cups pineapple juice
1 banana
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 scoop Hempseed protein powder
2 cups ice
Yield: 4 ½ cups (1-1.5 servings)

Banana Split Power Smoothie

2 cups plain yogurt
½ banana
1 cup strawberries, frozen or fresh
1 ½ cups pineapple, frozen, fresh, or canned
Note: If using fresh or canned fruit, add 1-2 cups
of ice before blending
Yield: 1 (3 ½ cup) serving

Recipe Instructions:


1. Place ingredients in the Vita Mix container in order
listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable #1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase to Variable #10,
then to High.
4. Blend for 45 seconds. Serve immediately

*to make Chiaseed Gel, place 1/4 Cup of whole chiaseeds in a quart mason jar and add water to the top. Stir until the seeds are dispersed. Let absorb the water for at least 15- 20 minutes. Stir again. Put on lid and keep in the fridge to use with other recipes. Provides a high source of protein (4 gm in an ounce), fibre, calcium, magnesium, and more Omega3's than any other plant source, including flax seed. Use the "whole seeds" and not milled seeds. There is some indication that milled seeds lack the nutrients.

This smoothie information is for you-- it's my bias-- so please see your own health care professional before making any health-related decisions. If you found anything useful, intriguing, or have questions, I would really appreciate your feedback... please use the comment box below. To your better and better health, ~Cynthia

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