Super Simple Smoothies
So this is getting late for Chow Saturday, but I've been meaning to post this for a while, and just recently got time to write it up!
Smoothies are all-around awesome, not only because they're tasty, but because they have good things in them. I make my smoothies with yogurt, which has a fair amount of protein, depending on the type you get. I also like them because I can freeze portions ahead of time and thaw them when I need them. (I'm all about the convenience!)
My smoothie recipe is more of a formula. For each cup of yogurt, I also use 1 banana, for texture, and approximately 1 cup/two handfuls frozen fruit. Some fruits, like peaches, don't fit very snugly in a cup, so I just estimate with handfuls.
you need:
a blender
1 c. plain yogurt
1 banana
~1 c. frozen fruit of your choice
optional:
honey or other sweetener
fruit juice or milk
what to do:
-put yogurt, banana, and fruit in blender.
-blend.
-pause to poke stubborn floating fruits down to the bottom.
-blend some more.
-done!
If your smoothie is too tart for your tastes, add a tablespoon of honey at a time to make it sweeter. If it's too thick, add a splash of juice or milk.
This is sooooo customizable and so easy. And healthy! You can make fancy flavors, like strawberry-banana or peach-mango, or you can be lazy like me and just buy a frozen mix at Costco (with pineapples! :) and make a vague fruit flavor.
For freezing:
I make a double or triple batch at a time and then pour it into half-pint canning jars, leaving at least a half inch headspace. It doesn't expand much when it freezes, but better safe than sad about broken canning jars. When I want to thaw one, I put it in a bowl of water up to the lid (not warm water, just tap-temperature) for about half an hour. Mine are sufficiently thawed by that time to be mushed up with a spoon and eaten with said spoon. If you leave it a little longer, it will be drinkable.
Smoothies are all-around awesome, not only because they're tasty, but because they have good things in them. I make my smoothies with yogurt, which has a fair amount of protein, depending on the type you get. I also like them because I can freeze portions ahead of time and thaw them when I need them. (I'm all about the convenience!)
My smoothie recipe is more of a formula. For each cup of yogurt, I also use 1 banana, for texture, and approximately 1 cup/two handfuls frozen fruit. Some fruits, like peaches, don't fit very snugly in a cup, so I just estimate with handfuls.
you need:
a blender
1 c. plain yogurt
1 banana
~1 c. frozen fruit of your choice
optional:
honey or other sweetener
fruit juice or milk
what to do:
-put yogurt, banana, and fruit in blender.
-blend.
-pause to poke stubborn floating fruits down to the bottom.
-blend some more.
-done!
If your smoothie is too tart for your tastes, add a tablespoon of honey at a time to make it sweeter. If it's too thick, add a splash of juice or milk.
This is sooooo customizable and so easy. And healthy! You can make fancy flavors, like strawberry-banana or peach-mango, or you can be lazy like me and just buy a frozen mix at Costco (with pineapples! :) and make a vague fruit flavor.
For freezing:
I make a double or triple batch at a time and then pour it into half-pint canning jars, leaving at least a half inch headspace. It doesn't expand much when it freezes, but better safe than sad about broken canning jars. When I want to thaw one, I put it in a bowl of water up to the lid (not warm water, just tap-temperature) for about half an hour. Mine are sufficiently thawed by that time to be mushed up with a spoon and eaten with said spoon. If you leave it a little longer, it will be drinkable.