30-day smoothie challenge - day 27
Day 27 Young and Raw Smoothie of the Day Recipe: Cinnamon Anti-Oxidant Rich Green Smoothie
- 1 cups blueberries - frozen or fresh
- 1 cup pineapple - frozen or fresh
- 2 cups greens of choice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup coconut water or regular water
this smoothie was okay. the pineapple blueberry combo tasted a little more exciting before i finished adding the greens, and also i had to add a little extra water again because of both the pineapple and blueberries being frozen. i do think adding extra water dilutes the flavor a little and makes me a little less happy with the results. if i had fresh for either of the fruit options, i might like it better. i used kale as the green. who knows, maybe i'd have liked it better with spinach. i'll try it again to adjust some of those variables. it was fine, but not as delicious as some of the other ones i've had.
Bananas - We like to add frozen bananas to our smoothies, because in their frozen form they add a rich creaminess as well as a thickness to smoothies that room temperature bananas do not. To freeze your bananas, all you do is wait until they are ripe (no green left in the peel, with a few brown spots), then peel them, and store them in a glass or other freezer safe container. Transfer to the freezer and allow to freeze all the way through before use. If you do not have a high speed blender, it is often best to chop up your frozen bananas a little before adding them to your smoothie to be blended
Mango - Mangoes can both be used fresh or frozen. There are two schools of thought on how to prepare your mango for use. The method we use is this - stand your mango up tall. It can be easier to place it stem side down, because that can give you a wider base. From here, make a cut straight down, but not directly through the center, as there is a large pit. Find the pit with your knife, and cut along it, removing as much fruit as you can. Repeat on the other side. You will be left with two mango “cheeks” From here, you can cut away the remaining fruit from the pit by following the pit with your knife from top to bottom on the sides. From here you can slice your cheeks into long strips and remove the peel from them. From here you can either use your fresh fruit as is in your smoothies or you can freeze your mango. To freeze your mango, follow through with the peeling and pitting described above. Then, cut your mango into cubes or diced shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and transfer to your freezer. Allow to freeze. Once frozen, you can take your mango chunks and move the move them to a freezer safe container. Allowing your mangoes to freeze on trays will help you to avoid having one huge, frozen mango mass that is tricky to deal with. You can also just use ice cube trays!
Pineapple - Like mango, pineapple can be used fresh or frozen. To use pineapple fresh, simply cut off the top and bottom. Then, place on of the flat surfaces down on your cutting board, and cut the peel away from the flesh from top to bottom, all the way around. Do not worry if there are a few “eyes” left, they will get blended. From here, you can choose to leave the core in (as it has lots of nutrients, and will get blended in a high speed blender) or remove it. Either way, cut your pineapple in half down the core line from top to bottom (cutting it into two sections left to right, not top and bottom), then cut both of those sections into 2, so you end up with 4 long spears. To remove the core, take one of your four sections, and leave it standing up. You will be able to see where the core is. Take your knife and just cut down, to remove the core from the pineapple. Next you can chop your pineapple into pieces, and use it fresh, or follow the same process that you would to freeze mango to use it frozen.
Citrus - To use citrus in your smoothies you can do one of two things:
1. You can cut your chosen citrus in half, and use just the juice, squeezing it into your smoothie.
2. You can use the whole flesh. To use the whole flesh, all you do is cut either peel your fruit as you would peel an orange, or you can cut the top and the bottom off of your fruit. Then, just as you would a pineapple, cut the peel away with your knife, working from top to bottom. Then you can just throw the whole fruit into your blender and blend away! We do recommend that you remove the peels from your citrus. The white pith of the peels can add a bitterness to smoothies that is rather unpalatable. If you want to use the zest, we recommend using a zesting tool to remove the zest, and then peeling or juicing your fruit.
Berries - Again, berries are great fresh or frozen in smoothies. If you are using them fresh, just wash them, and remove any stems or leaves. To freeze them, wash them and gently pat them dry. Remove any stems or leaves. For large strawberries, you may choose to cut them into smaller pieces if you like. Place your berries in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Transfer your berries into the freeze, and allow to freeze. Then move your berries to a freezer safe container and you are good to go! You can also use a freezer safe container or freezer bag :)
Stone fruit - To use stone fruits like apricots, peaches or plums in a smoothie, first allow the fruit to ripen until it is soft, this will make removing the pits much easier. When your fruit is soft, you can cut it in half around the pit, and pull one side of the fruit away from the other. Then just use your fingers to remove the pit from the other half of your fruit, and you are good to go. If your fruit does not release the pit easily, it is most likely not ready to be consumed! Next, you can chop your chosen fruit and use it directly in your smoothies, or you can freeze them like you would mango or pineapple. Frozen peaches and apricots are especially tasty, and a great way to make their short seasons last!
Apples - Apples can be used with or without their skins, that is a personal choice :) If your apple is not organic, it may be a good idea to peel your apple before using it in your smoothie, to avoid adding excess pesticides and waxes to your drink. To remove the apple core, simply cut your apple into 4 sections from top to bottom, and then slice along the core to remove the seeds, much like you would do to a pineapple. Dice your apple and add it to your smoothie.
Melons - To use melons in a smoothie, first thing is to remove the peel. The easiest way to remove a peel from a melon is to cut of both the top and the bottom. Then cut your melon in half crosswise (east to west, not north to south. Remove the seeds if there are seeds. Next, place the large cut side down on your cutting board, and peel the peel with your knife from top to bottom. Next, dice your melon. You can then add it to your smoothie as is. I will say that I have tried both frozen cantaloupe and frozen honeydew, and really enjoyed them! If you want to give frozen melon a try, just follow above directions, and then freeze them as you would pineapple or mango.
Grapes - Grapes are one of the lowest maintenance fruits for smoothies. All you have to do is give them a good wash, remove them from their stems and you are good to go! You can easily freeze them by spreading them on a parchment lined baking sheet and then transferring them to a freezer safe container. They are also amazing fresh, we like them paired with watermelon, celery, lime and basil!
Papaya - Papaya is one of my favourite things to add to a smoothie. To get them ready, all I do is cut them in half and scoop out and discard the seeds. Then I scoop the flesh away from the peel using a spoon into the blender, and then I throw away the peel. I find it easier to scoop the flesh out, rather than trying to peel it away with a knife if the fruit is really ripe. You can freeze it like you would mango or pineapple as well.
tomorrow's bonus information will be about preparing and using herbs in smoothies.