This guy...
This monster will get you out of it and you'll just want to pour it over some rice or rottini or something and call it a day. And of all things whole-y is it GREEN!!!
At the store today, after a few days of going out to eat or forging in my boyfriend's kitchen or not home enough to cook I NEEDED a reminder, detox and center back to my veg self. I also curled up with this tamed beast and watched Forks Over Knives (will open in new window)
And if anyone is curious of my smoothie beginnings, this was my first try. And I got lucky! There are many names for the state I was in upon completion: fight or flight, whiskey throttle, panic button... I was making my first green smoothie after writing down all these recipes and with my new, shiny, Ninja Master Prep blender and I wanted a smoothie. I wanted a GREEN smoothie and I started putting things in and it was confusing and didn't seem right and this would be too bitter or too sweet and does this even blend? I DON'T KNOW, JUST BLEND IT! BLEND IT WITH CRAZY NINJA BLADES!!!
So here it goes:
I think I've posted this elsewhere, but here it is again. This time I know it will for sure be here so every time I go to give someone the recipe I don't have to stare at my fridge for 10 minutes to remember what my blender just obliterated. When you pile the ingredients I always forget to write the grapes or something.
THE Green Monster:
2 - 3 leaves kale depending on size (about 2 cups)
1 apple - sweet like honeycrisp or Johnny-whatever
1/2 large or 1 cucumber
1 handful grapes
1 carrot
1 banana
2 kiwis
pinch of fresh parsley
1-2 tsp ground flax/flax meal (optional)
WATER - Use water and not a milk because there is SO much veg sweet and savory going on in this that adding a strong flavor like a nut milk or coconut milk will blow it all
I don't know what blender you use, but my Ninja Kitchen Pro cuts through all of this like a champ. Otherwise I'd recommend layering the kale in between.
ADVICE:
Blend everything except the grapes and kiwis to almost smooth. Then add the grapes and kiwis at the end because it keeps that juicy sweetness. Also, the kiwi seeds intact are the same consistency as the flax so with every little crunch you hit will give you the tarty sweet taste of kiwi.
Kiwi and grapes are key to me for green smoothies because they give sweet, thin the dense vegetables out since they're packed with juice, and give unique texture - especially with the optional flax.
If you're feeling sweet: Drop the carrot and keep the banana
If you're feeling like vegetables: Drop the banana and keep the carrot
Don't like banana? Add a pear instead. This is true with all the smoothies I've made. Bananas are the filler to give you a nice smooth drink, but you can get sick of banana. Pear gives almost the same consistency, but a new taste. I do not recommend freezing pear, but frozen bananas are a godly gift to the world and can work in so many dessert recipes.
Frozen banana works perfectly well. And so do KALE CUBES (tip here opens in new window)
If you want cold, toss in about 3-5 ice cubes. If room temp, water is perfect.