Green Smoothie Revolution Part 2

PART TWO.

GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPES.

VALUABLE TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SMOOTHIE PREPARATION.

YOU CAN USE ANY BLENDER TO MAKE SMOOTHIES, HOWEVER I recommend using the most powerful blender you can find, 1,000 watts or more. If you don't have a powerful blender, you can still make green smoothies and benefit from them, but you will have to chop your ingredients into smaller pieces, blend for longer periods of time, and put up with some chunks in your smoothie. A smoothie prepared in a high-speed blender is smooth in consistency and will be a.s.similated better by the body. For those who live in the United States, I recommend any model of the Vita-Mix blender. To purchase one free of s.h.i.+pping costs, visit my Web site at I recommend using the most powerful blender you can find, 1,000 watts or more. If you don't have a powerful blender, you can still make green smoothies and benefit from them, but you will have to chop your ingredients into smaller pieces, blend for longer periods of time, and put up with some chunks in your smoothie. A smoothie prepared in a high-speed blender is smooth in consistency and will be a.s.similated better by the body. For those who live in the United States, I recommend any model of the Vita-Mix blender. To purchase one free of s.h.i.+pping costs, visit my Web site at www.rawfamily.com. If you live outside of the United States, I recommend another high-speed blender, Blendtec, which is priced reasonably for international sales. To purchase this blender, visit www.thehealthylivingshow.com.

Blending time will depend on the ingredients you are using. I usually blend my smoothies for thirty seconds or less; however, when I blend hardy ingredients such as pomegranate seeds, celery, or slices of organic mango with peel, I might blend them for up to a minute. With tougher ingredients, I start at a low speed for approximately thirty seconds, then increase the speed and blend the smoothie until it is creamy, approximately another thirty seconds.

If you have a high-speed blender, we recommend not peeling organic fruit such as mangoes, apples, kiwis, and pears. You can also blend apples and pears with their seeds. If you have a regular blender that runs at slower speeds, peels and seeds will not blend completely and might destroy your blender. If you have a high-speed blender you can blend a pineapple's core but not the peel. We always peel fruit that is not organically grown.

Fruits that are rich in soluble fiber and pectin will make your smoothie creamy and will prevent the separation of liquid and fiber in the smoothie. My favorite fruits for smoothies are mangoes, bananas, pears, peaches, strawberries, and blueberries. The most likely cause of froth are apples, especially if they are not thoroughly blended. If you don't like the frothy appearance of your smoothie, here are some tips: Avocado pits have a high content of soluble fiber, so adding half of an avocado pit (seed) per 32 ounces of smoothie will reduce frothiness. However, only a high-speed blender can blend an avocado pit. For safety, cut the avocado pit while it is still inside of the avocado by slicing the entire fruit in half all the way through the middle. I usually add the avocado pit to my smoothie while its already blending to avoid wrecking the blender. You don't have to peel the avocado pit. Adding a whole avocado pit can result in a bitter-tasting smoothie. Another way of reducing froth is adding a cube or two of ice. Frothiness in your smoothie does not reduce its nutritional value, so you can simply shake it or stir it before drinking to reduce bubbles and separation.

You can blend greens whole, however I usually remove the stalks from kale, collards, and chard as they add a peppery taste that I don't like. I always leave the stalks on finer plants such as spinach, dandelions, parsley, and cilantro.

Several recipes call for coconut meat and water, so for those of you who are unfamiliar with coconut preparation, I include the following instructions below, excerpted with kind permission of Sergei and Valya Boutenko from their wonderful book Fresh: Fresh: Young coconuts, which contain about 750 ml of water, are healthiest to eat. As the coconut matures, the soft jelly inside hardens into flesh and loses some nutritional qualities. To choose a good coconut, pick one up and give it a shake. If it's a good one, it will be heavy and completely filled with liquid. Because it has no air bubbles, you won't be able to hear the water splash around inside. Of the many ways to open a coconut, we believe it's best to begin by setting the coconut on its side. The point (the top) should be pointing away from you. Take a large serrated knife and begin to shave the husk off of the point of the coconut so that the sh.e.l.l is revealed.

Rotate the coconut as needed and continue cutting off the husk all the way around the point. You will notice that under the white husk is a light brown sh.e.l.l. The coconuts usually seen in stores have their husk already removed. Make sure you have shaved off the husk in a complete circle so that it will be easier to open the coconut.

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Place your knife just inside the circle you have shaved. Stab the knife into the sh.e.l.l. Coconut sh.e.l.ls have a circular grain. When you force the knife through any part of the sh.e.l.l, a spherical crack will form. Cut about 1 inch into the sh.e.l.l of the coconut and slice down through the sh.e.l.l about 2 more inches.

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Put the coconut pointed side up again so that the coconut water does not run out. Twist the knife slightly and a round opening will easily form at the top of the coconut. When the coconut top is half way separated from the rest of the sh.e.l.l, you can use your hands to help lift the top off completely.

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If you drink the water but don't want to eat the coconut meat right away, you may put the pointy sh.e.l.l top back on the coconut like a lid and store the coconut in the refrigerator for three or four days. To remove the coconut meat, use a spoon to scoop it out of the sh.e.l.l. The younger a coconut is, the thinner and softer the white meat will be. When the meat of a coconut is slightly pink, it means it is starting to ferment. In most cases, the coconut is still okay to eat, but both the meat and the water will taste different. If you have doubts, discard the coconut.

I antic.i.p.ate that this book will be read by thousands of people in many different countries, where people use various measurements for fresh greens. To better explain the amounts of greens in the following smoothie recipes, I sometimes use cups and other times bunches as the unit of measurement. Do not be concerned about the varying sizes of bunches, as these recipes have plenty of room for error.

We have been collecting these recipes for four years from smoothie drinkers worldwide. We tried them all and selected only the best ones for your enjoyment.

GREEN SMOOTHIES FOR BEGINNERS.

BASIC BALANCEYields 1 quart Victoria Boutenko 1 mango1 cup kale1 cup water [image]

MORNING ZING SMOOTHIEYields 2 quarts Victoria Boutenko bunch dandelion greens2 stalks celery inch fresh gingerroot2 peaches pineapple [image]

CANTALOUPE PARSLEY SMOOTHIE.

Igor BoutenkoYields 1 quart 3 cups cantaloupe, cubed1 bunch fresh parsley [image]

PARSLEY Pa.s.sION SMOOTHIEYields 2 quarts Sergei Boutenko 1 bunch fresh parsley1 cuc.u.mber, peeled1 Fuji apple1 ripe banana12 cups water [image]

DANCING DANDELION SMOOTHIE.

Igor BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 3 cups freshly picked dandelion greens2 cups apple juice1 cup water1 fresh mango1 ripe peach [image]

DENT DE LION.

Valya BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 1 bunch dandelion greens2 mangoes2 cups apple juice2 pears1 cup water [image]

PERFECTLY PEACHY.

Victoria BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 3 peaches1 head b.u.t.ter lettuce pint raspberries2 cups water [image]

WICKED WATERMELON SMOOTHIE.

Sergei BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 4 cups fresh watermelon chunks, rind removed1 banana5 leaves romaine lettuceJuice of lemon [image]

P-P-PAPAYA SMOOTHIE.

Valya BoutenkoYields 1 quart 2 cups spinach1 fresh papaya, seeds removed1 banana1 cup water [image]

MEDALLION MELON SMOOTHIE.

Valya BoutenkoYields 1 quart 3 cups cantaloupe, cubed9 leaves romaine lettuce [image]

EUROPEAN BLACK.

CURRANT SMOOTHIEYields 2 quarts Victoria Boutenko 1 pint black currants1 ripe mango1 head b.u.t.ter lettuce2 cups orange juice [image]

THUNDERSTORM SMOOTHIE.

Sergei BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 1 cup pineapple chunks1 cup star fruit chunks1 cup pineapple guava chunks1 banana bunch chard2 cups water [image]

ROCKET FUEL SMOOTHIE.

Victoria BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 2 cups green or red seedless grapes3 golden kiwis1 ripe orange, peeled and seeded1 small thumb-sized piece of aloe vera, with skin5 leaves red leaf lettuce2 cups water [image]

MEMORY BOOSTER BRAIN SMOOTHIE.

Valya BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 2 cups freshly picked purslane1 organic cuc.u.mber with peel1 lime, juiced2 ripe pears apple2 cups water [image]

ORIGINAL RAW FAMILY SMOOTHIE IMPROVED.

Victoria BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 1 pint strawberries (fresh or frozen)2 ripe bananas avocado2 cups water46 leaves dinosaur kale [image]

PINK AND GREEN.

Bethany EinschlagYields 2 quarts 1 Pink Lady apple1 large d'Anjou pear5 ounces frozen strawberries3 cups red kale [image]

GOOSEBERRY CRUSH.

Valya BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 1 pint gooseberries3 cups green oak leaf lettuce2 cups apple juice [image]

LOVELY GREEN GOODNESS.

Tom MorrisonYields 2 quarts 2 bananas1 Royal Gala apple1 Bosc pear1 cup kale cup water [image]

SWEET PARSLEY SMOOTHIE.

Mieke HaysYields 2 quarts 2 cups fresh parsley1 Fuji apple1 banana2 Medjool dates, pitted2 ounces fresh lemon juice [image]

GREENA COLADA.

Kathy StonerYields 2 quarts 1 cup spinach2 bananas pineapple cup coconut meat1 cup coconut water [image]

WINTER GREEN SMOOTHIE.

Victoria BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 1 cup organic frozen berries (any kind)2 cups fresh spinach2 cups water inch fresh gingerroot, or to taste Decorate with a slice of fruit.

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GOJI BERRY ENCHANTMENT.

Sergei BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 1 cup goji berries, soaked for 20 minutes1 mango3 tangerines, peeled and seeded2 stalks celery1 head b.u.t.ter lettuce1 cup water [image]

IMPEACHMINT!.

Reni Atana.s.sovYields 1 quart 1 ripe peach or cup frozen peaches1 sprig mint, or 57 mint leaves1 cup spinach1 cup water [image]

ROMINTIC MANGO.

Reni Atana.s.sovYields 1 quart 1 ripe mango1 cup romaine lettuce1 sprig mint, or 57 mint leaves [image]

APPLE GREEN SMOOTHIE.

Anne LebeYields 2 quarts 4 cups romaine lettuce4 Fuji apples cup dates, pitted teaspoon cinnamon3 cups water [image]

SASKATOON SUNRISE.

Theadora Leigh McBrideYields 2 quarts 1 cup dandelion greens1 cup fresh Italian parsley2 bananas2 cups Saskatoon berries (or blueberries)2 cups water [image]

LOVE POTION.

Valya BoutenkoYields 2 quarts 4 cups wild sorrel4 cups fresh watermelon chunks, rind removed4 ripe white nectarines10 organically grown red rose petals1 organically grown four-leaf clover (or 4 three-leaf clovers) [image]

TROPICAL GREEN SMOOTHIE.

Janice SnowYields 2 quarts 2 cups spinach1 mango1 banana1 cup pineapple chunks1 cup water [image]

FAVORITE GREEN SMOOTHIE.

Vanessa NowitzkyYields 1 quart 36 leaves any kind of kale, depending on how large the leaves are (keep the stems except for the hardest inch at the bottom)1 banana1 apple inch fresh gingerroot2 cups water [image]

YUMMERIFIC!.

Derrin and Helen Dallman and kidsYields 2 quarts 2 cups dandelion greens12 cups blackberries2 cups tangelo juice1 tablespoon honey (optional) [image]

REVOLUTION-EVOLUTION.

Babsi ClarkYields 2 quarts 2 cups dinosaur kale23 apples1 Meyer lemon, peeled, seeds removed inch fresh gingerroot4 cups water cup raisins (optional) [image]

EVERY MORNING.

Naomi LorenziniYields 2 quarts 2 cups spinach1 banana2 cups orange juice1 cup frozen blueberries1 cup strawberries (optional) [image]

BLUE SKIES GREEN SMOOTHIE.

Pamela NesbitYields 2 quarts 1 cup dandelion greens1 cup fresh parsley3 apples1 cup blueberries1 cup cranberries2 cups water [image]

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S GREEN SMOOTHIE Esse HopperYields 2 quarts 2 cups green chard12 stalks celery2 cups cherry tomatoes1 ripe pear1 Pink Lady apple1 cup water [image]

ANDREA'S GREEN DELIGHT Samantha JohnsonYields 2 quarts 2 cups spinach1 green apple1 yellow apple2 bananas3 cups water [image]

GOOD STUFF.

Margaret MillerYields 2 quarts 2 cups romaine lettuce2 apples, peeled2 pears1 bananaJuice of lemon2 cups water [image]

BLACK SHEEP.

Eileen YoungYields 1 quart 2 cups lambsquarters4 figs cup blueberries2 cups water [image]

CHRISTMAS IN JUNE.

Chris SabatiniYields 2 quarts 2 cups spinach, packed1 mango2 oranges, peeled and seeded2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only [image]

GREEN JULIUS.

Charlene McClellanYields 2 quarts 1 cups orange juice, freshly squeezed2 cups ice2 large mangoes2 cups fresh parsley or spinach [image]

TURKISH GROVE.

Kristin WhitcoeYields 2 quarts 2 cups kale1 d'Anjou pear3 Turkish figs2 cups water [image]