My Favorite Smoothies

Dairy-Free Classic Smoothie

After I developed a slight milk allergy, I didn’t want to give up one of my favorite summer treats. So I developed this dairy-free version of a classic smoothie recipe. Unless you add the almond milk, it’s missing the creaminess/fattiness of the classic smoothie, but it’s still exceptionally tasty and healthy since it’s all fruit. It is also easily adaptable to make a classic smoothie for those of you who aren’t dairy-free.

Makes 1 big smoothie or 2 small smoothies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 C. water (can also use almond or other nut milk, or regular milk)
• 1/3 – 1/2 a small orange, peeled and sectioned OR a generous spoonful of frozen orange juice concentrate
• 4-5 medium-sized strawberries (if frozen, make sure they’re sliced)
• 3/4 of a banana, sliced into 1” chunks (I usually pop the rest of the banana into a bag in the freezer… or just eat it…)
• Optional: Sometimes I throw in a few almonds and /or ground flax seed for added nutrition. Changes the texture, but I like the flavor and health benefits!

DIRECTIONS:

• Layer the ingredients in the blender in the order listed (see photo at the bottom of this post)
• Blend together, beginning on a low setting, then increasing until it’s on high. Maintain a vortex in the middle of the mixture while blender is running. If there is no vortex, add more water as necessary
• Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Green Smoothie (also Dairy-Free)

Okay, there’s no way to get around it. That looks nasty. As my husband honestly admitted, “It looks like something you poured out of the sewer.”

Yeah, he’s right.

So with that dazzling review, I’d like to share with you my absolute favorite smoothie recipe.

Yes, I did say my favorite. This crazy concoction is one of the most delicious ways I know of to get 3-5 servings of fruits AND vegetables.

And yes, I did say most delicious.

The main reason this smoothie is so delicious is that it tastes like fruit, instead of like vegetables. And I’m all about making my veggies taste better. I’m enough of a health nut to eat them anyway, but I won’t argue with making them taste like fruit!

In this recipe, the mild tasting greens (spinach or kale) are over-powered by the fruit (bananas, strawberries, and oranges), thus making a fruity-yet-less-sweet version of the classic recipe that you saw above.

Here’s how I make mine:

Makes 1 big smoothie or 2 small smoothies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 C. water
• 1/3 – 1/2 a small orange, peeled and sectioned OR a generous spoonful of frozen orange juice concentrate
• 4-5 medium-sized strawberries (if frozen, make sure they’re sliced)
• 3/4 of a banana, sliced into 1” chunks (I usually pop the rest of the banana into a bag in the freezer… or just eat it…)
• 3-4 handfuls of fresh spinach or kale plus 1-3 more
• Optional: Sometimes I throw in a few chopped baby carrots, slices of cucumber, almonds, and /or ground flax seed for added nutrition. The almonds and flax seed changes the texture, but I like the flavor and health benefits!

DIRECTIONS:

• Layer the ingredients in the blender in the order listed (see photo below)
• Blend together, beginning on a low setting, then increasing until it’s on high. Maintain a vortex in the middle of the mixture while blender is running. If there is no vortex, add more water as necessary
• Thanks to the marvelous blend of all these different colors, you will probably have to add 1-3 more handfuls of spinach/kale to get a strong green color. I usually add them while the blender is running and keep it running on high until I don’t see any more leaf fragments.
• Pour into a glass and enjoy! (yes, you really can enjoy this!)

Lindsay, from Passionate Homemaking has a similar green smoothie recipe that inspired this one.Thanks Lindsay!

Do you have any favorite smoothie recipes? I’d love to find some more favs to add to my Recipe Box. Also, if you try either of these recipes, feel free to post a review in the comments.

(For more smoothie fun, check out This Week’s Cravings at Veggie Converter.)