Yesterday's Green Juice

Yesterday's green juice contained the following ingredients:

• 1 cucumber (only need to peel if not organic)
• 1 small yellow squash
• 1 large celery stalk
• 1 mango, peeled
• little chunk of ginger root, peeled
• 2 big handfuls of kale, any variety

Green Juicin'

Hey look, I'm still here! It's been more than a year since my last post and I doubt anyone even reads this little blog anymore, but I like keeping it if only for my own reference - it's handy to be able to scroll back and remind myself of some good recipes when I start to get bored... and to those of you who may still be around - hello again!!!

Anyways, I read Crazy Sexy Diet recently and it got me all excited about juicing. In the past I've stuck with smoothies, and I still like smoothies for the fact that all of the good fiber is incorporated into your drink, but variety is good, and green juices have a lot going for them as well. I got a used Champion juicer a few weeks ago on Craigslist and ever since, I've been making juice nearly every day.

I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, but here's a shot of a big 'salad-in-a-glass' juice I made tonight - it contained an entire bunch of spinach (leaves only), one cucumber, two celery stalks, 1/4 lemon (sans peel), one mango (also peeled), and one pear.

Wishing I was somewhere tropical...

... this smoothie almost takes you there. :-)

1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup coconut water
1 heaping cup pineapple chunks, fresh or canned
1 heaping cup frozen mango chunks
1 banana, fresh or frozen
flax seeds, flax oil, or chia seeds, optional

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. I'm sure this would also be good with some greens added.

What I'm drinking right now.

No photo again (sorry!), but this is delicious if you're in the mood for something dessert-ish but still healthy...

1 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana, frozen into chunks
4 medjool dates
1-1/4 cup vanilla soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 tablespoon Chia seeds

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth, adding more milk if needed to make it blend.

Today's Smoothie

I forgot to take a photo, but this was a yummy one!

1 cup apple juice
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blackberries
1/2 cup frozen cherries
1 banana, fresh or frozen
as much kale as you like
2 medjool dates

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Limeade

This recipe is one of many delicious concoctions from the cookbook, The 30 Minute Vegan, which I recently acquired.

Limeade

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
2-1/2 cups water or coconut water (I used half and half)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons agave nectar

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and stir, or process in a blender for a few seconds. Serve in chilled glasses.

Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles

Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles

2 cups chopped watermelon
1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
2-4 tablespoons sugar or other sweetener, optional

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds* and freeze.

* I used these, and had just a bit of liquid left over.

More Parsley Goodness

I had some parsley in the fridge that needed to be eaten, so I wanted to make some good old parsley juice tonight. Sadly, I was missing a few ingredients, so I had to improvise, and this version turned out quite tasty as well - surprisingly mild and smooth.

New Parsley Juice

~1 cup pineapple chunks and juice (I used canned)
1 large banana
~1/2 cup orange juice
one half to a full bunch of parsley leaves
4 ice cubes
a squirt of agave nectar (or dates if you have them; I didn't)

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Still Craving Blackberries

Ever since I drank a couple of Jamba Juice blackberry smoothies on vacation a few weeks ago, I've been fiending for more blackberries. This was quite good, if I do say so myself.

Purple Berry Smoothie

1 cup frozen blackberries
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana, chopped into chunks and frozen
1-1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup raspberry sorbet
1 tablespoon flax oil or flax meal, optional

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Note: For a healthier version, omit the sorbet and add a generous handful or two of kale. Also very tasty!

Blackberry Milkshake

Perhaps you've noticed that my smoothie adventures are leaning more towards the fruity and less towards the veggie lately... I blame it on summer. I really indulged the other day and made a milkshake instead of my usual all-fruit (and sometimes veggie) smoothie.

Easy Blackberry Milkshake

1/2 cup vegan vanilla ice cream
1 cup frozen blackberries
1 cup vanilla soymilk or other non-dairy milk

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Fruity Summer Cooler

1/8 large watermelon, chopped
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup red seedless grapes
1 tablespoon agave nectar, optional
a few ice cubes
a bit of water, if needed to blend

Blend and enjoy! Makes kind of a lot...

Strawberry Watermelon Juice

Sorry again for the inexact measurements - I've been a lazy smoothie maker lately.

a couple of handfuls of frozen strawberries
about twice as much watermelon than strawberries (by volume)
a squirt of lemon or lime juice
a squirt of agave nectar
enough water to blend

Blend and enjoy!

Long Time No Post...

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've still been drinking my green smoothies (last weekend I even shared some with family members who had never tried them before - that was fun!), but life has been beyond crazy and I just haven't had time to get too creative with my recipes. I did throw something together this morning that turned out pretty tasty though, so I thought I'd share, even though I didn't measure ingredients. Be warned, the combination of red fruits with fresh leafy greens produces a brownish color that is not the most visually pleasing thing, but the taste is great.

a handful or two of frozen strawberries
a handful or two of frozen cherries
2 medjool dates
1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
lots of kale
enough non-dairy milk to make it blend (I used vanilla rice milk and vanilla soy milk)

Enjoy!

Yum!

Delicious Tropical Juice

watermelon chunks, chilled
mango chunks, frozen
papaya nectar, chilled
a bit of agave nectar, optional

Blend and enjoy!

Tropical Paradise

This is another one from my other blog, again without absolute measurements... sorry.

Tropical Smoothie

frozen strawberries
frozen banana chunks
pineapple chunks (from a can)
frozen mango chunks
orange juice
a splash of flax oil

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Pomegranate Smoothie

(originally posted on my McFarland Designs blog)

I don't have exact measurements for this one - more of just a general guideline. :-)

Pomegranate Smoothie

frozen banana chunks
frozen strawberries
frozen mango
pomegranate juice, frozen in ice cube trays
ground flax seed (1 tablespoon per person)
apple juice

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Repetition

Sorry I haven't posted much lately; I've been drinking pretty much the same smoothie over and over lately and here's why - I learned a few months ago that I'm mildly iron deficient. The doctor recommended a supplement, which I attempted to remember to take for a while, but I prefer to get my nutrients from whole foods whenever possible, and I recently read that combining spinach (a good source of iron) with vitamin C helps to increase your body's absorption of the iron. So I've been dedicating myself to drinking lots of shakes with spinach and oranges. Here's a current favorite -

Iron-Rich Green Smoothie
makes one large or two smaller servings

1 cup pineapple juice
2 oranges, peeled
half a bunch of spinach (or more)
2 medjool dates, optional
1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Popsicles

Last night I made fruit popsicles for my son. They didn't set up quickly enough for him to try one last night, but right now he's eating a popsicle for breakfast. And I don't even have to feel guilty because it's all fruit!

Fruity Popsicles

1 cup apple juice
1/2 can pineapple chunks and juice
2 handfulls frozen mango chunks
2 medjool dates

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

This recipe made more than I could fit into my new rocket popsicle molds, so I saved the leftovers and this morning, I added an orange, half a bunch of spinach, and a couple of ice cubes, and I had a delicious green smoothie for breakfast.

Sorry, No Photo...

...I gulped this one down today after my run without even thinking of taking a photo. It was tasty though!

Serious Spinach Smoothie
makes one large or two smaller servings

1 ripe pear, quartered and cored
2 hand fulls frozen mango chunks
2 hand fulls frozen blueberries
4 dates, pitted
lots of spinach - I used an entire bunch, minus the stems
just enough orange juice to make it blend

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Day of Smoothies

I overate yesterday big-time (homemade vegan cinnamon rolls in the morning, plus vegan cheese tasting and dinner out in the evening - lots of fun, but ugh!) I decided I needed to detox a bit today, so I had a green smoothie for each meal with a smaller-than-usual portion of solid food. I know, I probably should have stuck with just the smoothies, but what can I say - I have a healthy appetite. :-)

Breakfast -

Minty Green Smoothie
makes one large or two smaller servings

This smoothie had a fairly thin consistency; if you prefer a thicker smoothie, reduce the amount of non-dairy milk and/or use frozen bananas instead of fresh.

1 cup non-dairy milk (I used vanilla rice milk)
1 large ripe banana
1/2 can pineapple chunks, drained
4 dates
5 small mint leaves (use fewer if your leaves are large)
3 ice cubes
as much kale as you can handle

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Lunch -

Blueberry Green Smoothie
makes one large or two smaller servings

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used vanilla rice milk)
1 large ripe banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
4 dates
4 ice cubes
as much kale as you can handle
handful of alfalfa sprouts, optional

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Dinner -

Mild & Fruity Green Smoothie
makes one large or two smaller servings

1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 ripe pear
1/4 cantaloupe
4 ice cubes
as much kale as you like

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.