My January is
abnormally colorful amidst the early nightfall and often grey skies. I happen
to love winter. This month is a perfect time for cleansing your body of the
indulgences and temptations from the holiday season. Fresh shakes and juices
are a great vehicle for vitamins and minerals in their natural form. No pills
or preservatives. I am not suggesting a full cleanse for all, but perhaps
adding one or two drinks per day will start your days off right. A smoothie
with yogurt can even be a meal replacement. You will find your favorite
combination and look forward to creating new ones. It takes a little planning
and a decent blender, but I encourage you to commit to a drink or two a day for
a week. Your skin will brighten and your energy will get a boost. They taste
best fresh, but if you make a large batch, it will keep for a couple days.
Choose organic ingredients whenever possible as well as frozen ‘out of
season’fruits. Experimentation is encouraged!
*Unless you have a
high speed blender like a highly recommended Vita-mix, please small dice
each fruit or vegetable. You may have to half the recipes to fit your standard
blender. Also, these are just guidelines, so if you don’t like a particular
item, take it out or use less.
As seen in the
photograph, recipes are listed clockwise starting from my favorite basic green
drink at the bottom.
1. Basic Green
Drink: 1 apple, juice of 1 large lemon (skin can be left on for high speed
blender), ½” knob of ginger peeled and minced, 6 mint sprigs chopped, 1 cup
spinach, 1 cup lacinto kale chopped, 1-2 cups cold filtered water. Blend all
together.
2. Root juice: 2
beets peeled and trimmed and chopped, 3 carrots peeled and chopped, 1” piece of
ginger peeled and minced, juice of 1-2 oranges, 1-2 cups cold filtered water.
Blend all together.
3. Good morning sunshine: 1 apple chopped, 2 carrots peeled and chopped,
juice of 1 orange, juice of 1 lemon, 1” knob of ginger peeled and minced, 1 cup
cold filtered water. Blend all together.
4. Health tonic: 1 ½ cups spinach, 1 granny smith apple, 1 cup pineapple or
green grapes, 1 cup cucumber skin on, juice of 1 lemon, 5-6 sprigs of mint, 1-2
cups cold filtered water. Blend all together.
5. Strawberry Banana smoothie:1 cup
frozen or fresh strawberries, 1 banana, ¼ cup Greek plain yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla
extract, 1-2 cups cold filtered water and a handful of ice cubes. Blend all
together.
6. Berry-lemon
smoothie: 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 cup fresh or frozen
strawberries, juice of one l lemon, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 1 cup cold filtered
water and a handful of ice cubes. Blend all together.
7. Mango lassi: 1 cup frozen mango, 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple, 1 cup
coconut water, ½ cup Greek yogurt, 1 handful ice cubes. Add cold water to thin
it out. Blend all together.(drink not
shown).
Other supplements include bee pollen for an energy boost (can
be purchased at PCC), coconut water for electrolyte balance, protein powder,
peanut butter, or honey for a natural sweetener or healing agent. Questions?
Email me at chefschu@gmail.com.
