Drinks

I have been making this green smoothie for years and it just finally occurred to me that I should post the recipe and share it with everyone. I never thought to post a drink!

This smoothie is purely fruit, greens and water…no yogurt, no milk. Therefore, it is not thick and creamy and, in my opinion, really can’t be classified as a meal replacement. Maybe a light snack? I just drink it to do my body good. It is so unbelievably healthy I can hardly stand it. Every time I drink this I feel that I am doing something great for myself. I think it is the quickest way to ingest a ton of greens and it ends up being quite refreshing.

I recommend using the most powerful blender you can get your hands on. Mine blasts everything I put into it to smithereens. I put the apple and pear in WITH the skin on and after blending there is not a trace of fruit skin or bits of leaves. If you are using a regular blender you might want to peel the fruit. However, you will be losing out on the benefits of eating the skin. Another point to make, I am not “juicing” the fruit and greens, I am pulverizing them into a smooth liquid therefore retaining every ounce of nutrition and fiber. I told you this was healthy!

I have posted a recipe below but want to explain that this is just a base from which you can add or eliminate in many different ways. This is a combination I came up with that I think tastes amazing. And my two year old agrees. But if you don’t have kale on hand, use swiss chard instead, or whatever is in your fridge. If you don’t have a pear, don’t use it. I have done that and it turns out just as delicious. I do recommend always using the romaine and spinach as a great base though. I promise, you will not even taste the spinach. Putting in the few chunks of frozen pineapple really helps mask the “green” flavor. Another trick is to drink this cold, over ice.

I usually make a full batch which makes enough for about 4 tall glasses. If I don’t use it all immediately I store the remainder in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Give this one a try. Your body will thank you. And I bet you will like it!

Here’s what you need to serve 4, approximately….

Recipe

1 small head of romaine, roughly chopped

2 handfuls of spinach

3 large kale stalks, ribs removed

2 large mint leaves

2 1/2 – 3 cups coconut water (plain water is fine)

1 banana (preferably frozen)

1 apple, stems and pits removed, roughly chopped

1 pear, stems and pits removed, roughly chopped

1/2 of a large lemon, juiced

small handful of frozen pineapple chunks (4-5 small chunks)

small handful of ice cubes

*Optional Add-Ins: ground flax seed, chia seeds, cacoa nibs, 1/2 an avocado (will thicken the liquid slightly).

Method

In a powerful blender add the romaine, spinach, kale, mint leaves and coconut water (or whichever greens you choose). Blend on high until liquified. Turn off the blender (obviously!) and add everything else. Blend on high (or on the smoothie setting) until everything has completely turned to liquid. I usually let it run for just under one minute.

Pour over ice and enjoy.

Although this is not really a ‘recipe’ I thought I would share how I start every single day right now. And I’m not stopping. Nope. Never. It’s heavenly liquid, I’ll tell ya. Don’t you just want to dive into this?

Everyone has certain things in life they can’t live without. Ok, well, let’s not get overly dramatic with ‘can’t live without’ – that would mainly be water and food. I’m talking about certain things people have or do each day that has become a ritual. A habit. For me, it’s this latte first thing in the morning.

It all started four years ago in Paris. Yup, Paris did it to me. They truly excel in the casual sidewalk cafe arena. I went to a different cafe every morning and had myself a latte, the thing to do in Paris. I loved lazily watching the Parisians pass by while sipping this hot, frothy concoction. So, when I returned to NY I thought why not make it for myself at home? Being Italian, I already had a stove top espresso maker. So that’s exactly what I did, every Saturday and Sunday morning. It was my weekend treat. I yearned for Saturday to come each week!

It was about six months into this new ritual of mine that I thought to myself….why am I limiting this special treat to only on the weekends?! Why on earth am I not having this every single day?! What am I nuts?? So, I started making it every day. And it’s been about 4 years and still going strong. There are mornings that just thinking of having this latte is what gets me out of bed in the morning. There are nights that as I go to bed I am looking forward to waking up to have this latte. Hmmm…good thing I’m not talking about Scotch.

I use either Lavazza or Kimbo espresso coffee. And although I started with regular lowfat milk, I now primarily use Soymilk. Sometimes I throw in a splash of half and half if I’m feeling particularly wild that day! But it’s not really needed, the Soymilk frothes wonderfully. And for a little extra somethin-somethin I always…always…add into my milk, before frothing, a pinch of cinnamon and a touch of freshly grated nutmeg. That’s just how I roll.

My ritual is this…I either sit on my living room couch and sip my latte while looking out the window at the trees in front of my apartment. My cat Billy likes to cuddle up to me during this time, so I pet him and we just hang out. Or, I sit in my comfy ‘romantic’ chair (an antique slipper chair I had re-upholstered) in my bedroom and look out my window at the trees in the back and listen to the birds and watch the squirrels chase each other up and down the trees. They are very active and quite funny to watch. Basically, it’s just a relaxing, quiet, comforting time before the day starts. Before the craziness of the day ahead. And I love starting my day this way.

It truly is a simple pleasure that I treasure. And after all, it’s all about the simple things in life, right?

Green Smoothie

Lovin The Latte