Smoothie Inspiration - Recipe Sources

I've been relying heavily on the internet this past week for some smoothie inspiration. The standard fruit smoothies are oh so uninspiring to me this time of year. How about incorporating some seasonal oranges, pears, or even beets into new drinks?

I discovered Whole Living has a bunch of great smoothie recipes online for free. And if you've got an iPad/iPod/iPhone, the app and all recipe packs are FREE to download right now! Through this app I've discovered some great new recipes incorporating things I'd never before considered using: beets, carrots, pears, apples, oranges.

I've also searched Pinterest for new and interesting smoothie combinations. This cucumber pear smoothie was quite the delicious surprise! For a larger collection, I'm definitely loving the Healthy Happy Life blog list of drinks, juices, and smoothies. I keep revisiting this list because everything sounds so great!

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Orange Cream Delight Smoothie

It's peak citrus season again and I have been enjoying those insanely delicious little satsumas while they've been on special in past weeks. Recently, oranges have been on special and I have been loving them in this smoothie as a mid-morning snack or after dinner treat.

This is what I imagine Orange Julius to taste like (are those mall food court places even still around??). A slightly slushy, creamy orange drink with a hint of vanilla.

Orange Cream Delight Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 orange, peeled
• 1 Medjool date, pitted
• 1/2 vanilla bean or 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp raw cashews or brazil nuts
• Pinch salt
• 6-8 ounces water
• 2-3 ice cubes, optional

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

The nuts and water can be substituted for your favorite nut milk. I think almond would be great in this!

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Summer Berry Shake

There's nothing like fresh summer berries, whether plucked from the vine by hand or purchased at a farmer's market. Raspberries have always been one of my favorite berries and I can never get enough of them. I picked some up at the farmer's market over the weekend and man are they good!

This recipe is based on one I discovered a couple years ago, the origins of which I cannot remember. I always used frozen strawberries to make it, but adapted it to use fresh (non-frozen) fruit and of course, raspberries. Feel free to use whatever berries you like and/or have on hand. If using frozen, replace the ice with an equal part of water. It makes an excellent light snack or dessert.

Summer Berry Shake

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc)
• 3-4 pitted dates
• Pinch salt
• 1 C water
• 1 C ice
• 1/4 vanilla bean or 1/4 tsp vanilla, optional

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend at highest speed until smooth.
2. Taste and adjust for sweetness (dates) and consistency (water/ice).

Makes 2 servings.

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green protein smoothie

So...green smoothies. Is it just me, or does it seem a bit strange to drink a mysterious green liquid that looks like it would be quite at home in a swamp? The secret is to balance the green with fruit, banana really helps out here, plus it's a great thickener.

I'm a little bit crazy about this green smoothie specifically because it just tastes so good! Plus it's easy to mix up with different frozen fruit on hand. This blend in particular masks the slight grittiness to the hemp protein powder (any unflavored variety of protein powder would work great, too).

Green Protein Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp hemp protein powder
• 4 cups spinach
• 1 banana
• 1 C frozen blueberries or strawberries
• 1 C water or milk (So Delicious coconut adds a subtle richness), or more for a looser consistency

Method

1. Add ingredients to blender in the order listed.
2. Blend until smooth.

Yields about 20 ounces, enough for one large or two small servings.

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Raspberry Tropical Smoothie

I'm trying to perfect my smoothie technique. When not following recipes and making my own, I tend to over-do it in terms of quantity and end up with 40 ounces of smoothie. But today, success! I had some "tropical" produce around (pineapple, mango, banana) and thought the combination would pair well with some fresh raspberries.

Raspberry Tropical Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 C mango, cubed
• 1/2 C pineapple, cubed
• 3/4 C raspberries
• 1 large orange, juiced
• 6 ice cubes

Method

1. In a blender, combine the mango, pineapple, raspberries, an orange juice until well blended.
2. Add the ice cubes and blend until it reaches a smooth consistency.

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Watermelon Tropical Smoothie

Fun fact that I didn't realize was such a fun fact until recently: I don't like watermelon. I recently tried it juiced, still didn't really like it. But juiced with other ingredients, it's not so bad. So I picked myself up a hunk at the grocery store for just that purpose and made a tropical smoothie. While the color in the end was not so appetizing, it tastes good!

Watermelon Tropical Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups watermelon, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups pineapple, cubed
• 1 cup mango, cubed
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 cup blueberry juice

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender on high speed until well blended.

Makes 40oz.

Another fun fact: Equal parts watermelon, pineapple, and mango taste just like cantaloupe...another one of my least favorite fruits ;)

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