30-day smoothie challenge - day 28
Day 28 - Young and Raw Smoothie of the Day Recipe: Pink Mango Dream Smoothie
well, once you add the spinach, this smoothie is pink only in your dreams, lol. this smoothie is quite lovely. strawberry and mango go very well together, and i even tasted the mango a little bit. had a delicate, slightly tangy, tropical flair. much to my surprise, i am coming to the conclusion that spinach is my favorite green for smoothies, lol. today i used frozen mango and mostly fresh strawberries, though i didn't have quite a cup, so i had to add a few frozen to make up the balance. that's my preference - half the fruit frozen gives the smoothie a nice texture (and doesn't overtax the blender, though i still added about half the ingredients first with the water and then added the rest).
Parsley - Parsley just needs to be washed, and then it can be used whole, stems and leaves both intact
Cilantro - Cilantro (or coriander) can also be used with both leaves and stems intact. Just give your cilantro a quick rinse and it is ready to go
Dill - Dill can be blended with its stems also. Just wash your dill, and add it to your blender
Mint - Mint does have woody stems, so we prefer not to add them to our smoothies. Just wash your mint, and then pick the leaves from the stems. Discard your stems and use the leaves.
Basil - We also remove the stems from the basil. Give your basil a rinse, then pick the leaves from the stems. Blend the leaves and discard the stems
Ginger - Ginger is one of our favorite herbs to add to smoothies. You can choose to peel or not peel your ginger, depending on how powerful your blender is. If you have a weaker blender, or if the skin of your ginger is very thick, you can remove it with a knife, or by scraping it off with the back of a spoon. Then just give it a rinse and toss it in.
Turmeric - Fresh turmeric can be prepared just like ginger. It generally has a very thin skin, which can generally be left intact. Just wash your turmeric and throw it into the mix.
Garlic/green onion/regular onion - These items are VERY powerful when the are in blended form. Keep in mind that they will add a very strong flavor to your smoothies, and most fruit will not overpower them. They can be nice added to savory smoothies, but they may totally ruin the taste of sweet ones. Remove the skins from your garlic and onions before you add them to your smoothies.
Ground spices (ex: cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla) - Ground spices can add an extra fun dimension of flavor and nutrition to your smoothies. Start small, with about a ¼ teaspoon and work your way up until you reach the desired flavor.
i will note here that since i didn't have this information at the time, i used the stems of my mint and basil to no ill effect, and i peeled my ginger.
i am feeling a little sad that this challenge is almost over. i will continue to have my green smoothies, though i will have to come up with my own recipes, lol. oh, but then this other site is doing a 7-day juicing challenge starting may 1st, so i think i will try that, though i don't think i can do a green juice and a smoothie in the morning on days when i work - the juice will probably have to wait until i get home in the evening. and i still have to procure the necessary supplies - i have some but not all of what i will need for that one.
- 1 cup mango
- 1 cup strawberry
- 2 cups spinach
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup coconut or regular water
well, once you add the spinach, this smoothie is pink only in your dreams, lol. this smoothie is quite lovely. strawberry and mango go very well together, and i even tasted the mango a little bit. had a delicate, slightly tangy, tropical flair. much to my surprise, i am coming to the conclusion that spinach is my favorite green for smoothies, lol. today i used frozen mango and mostly fresh strawberries, though i didn't have quite a cup, so i had to add a few frozen to make up the balance. that's my preference - half the fruit frozen gives the smoothie a nice texture (and doesn't overtax the blender, though i still added about half the ingredients first with the water and then added the rest).
Parsley - Parsley just needs to be washed, and then it can be used whole, stems and leaves both intact
Cilantro - Cilantro (or coriander) can also be used with both leaves and stems intact. Just give your cilantro a quick rinse and it is ready to go
Dill - Dill can be blended with its stems also. Just wash your dill, and add it to your blender
Mint - Mint does have woody stems, so we prefer not to add them to our smoothies. Just wash your mint, and then pick the leaves from the stems. Discard your stems and use the leaves.
Basil - We also remove the stems from the basil. Give your basil a rinse, then pick the leaves from the stems. Blend the leaves and discard the stems
Ginger - Ginger is one of our favorite herbs to add to smoothies. You can choose to peel or not peel your ginger, depending on how powerful your blender is. If you have a weaker blender, or if the skin of your ginger is very thick, you can remove it with a knife, or by scraping it off with the back of a spoon. Then just give it a rinse and toss it in.
Turmeric - Fresh turmeric can be prepared just like ginger. It generally has a very thin skin, which can generally be left intact. Just wash your turmeric and throw it into the mix.
Garlic/green onion/regular onion - These items are VERY powerful when the are in blended form. Keep in mind that they will add a very strong flavor to your smoothies, and most fruit will not overpower them. They can be nice added to savory smoothies, but they may totally ruin the taste of sweet ones. Remove the skins from your garlic and onions before you add them to your smoothies.
Ground spices (ex: cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla) - Ground spices can add an extra fun dimension of flavor and nutrition to your smoothies. Start small, with about a ¼ teaspoon and work your way up until you reach the desired flavor.
i will note here that since i didn't have this information at the time, i used the stems of my mint and basil to no ill effect, and i peeled my ginger.
i am feeling a little sad that this challenge is almost over. i will continue to have my green smoothies, though i will have to come up with my own recipes, lol. oh, but then this other site is doing a 7-day juicing challenge starting may 1st, so i think i will try that, though i don't think i can do a green juice and a smoothie in the morning on days when i work - the juice will probably have to wait until i get home in the evening. and i still have to procure the necessary supplies - i have some but not all of what i will need for that one.