So I tend to wing smoothies most of the time. Sometimes I don't have all the ingredients or sometimes I want to add or subtract something. This, thanks to Incredible Smoothies Cranberry-Kale Smoothie, (open in new window) sounded like a downright cure all tonic.
My voice came back halfway through my joyous cup and I am seriously feeling better. I was afraid it would be too cold with frozen blueberries and a frozen banana. The cranberries burst and were nice and meaty and took all of that freeze factor away. I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS SMOOTHIE!!!
They warned it was not for the faint of heart - or smoothie beginners, but I mustered up some moxie...
- 1 cup of whole cranberries
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 banana, peeled
- 2 cups frozen baby kale (I used fresh)
- 11 ounces of coconut water
My tips:
I used a VERY ripe banana that I had frozen. This guy was a little mushy even frozen! That extra creamy sweetness will make the tart cranberry and sharp kale more subdue.
I didn't have coconut water and did NOT want to use coconut MILK. Think of nut milks vs water/s just like "regular" milk and water. They are not interchangeable. Milk will weigh it down and is better for a hearty smoothie. With a really fresh and sharp taste like cranberry, you don't want to milk that.
SUBSTITUTION: I may be the only person that has kiwis but not coconut milk in January... I just need my kiwis and they are worth it! So instead of coconut water I used a kiwi and filtered water.
This probably didn't make much difference, but I used 1 cup spinach and 1 cup kale only because I have some spinach that is on the fast track to wilting.
ENJOY!!!