Green Smoothies & Juices

[Kitteh]

Lately I have just been having kale, 2 narnas & a kiwi.

Some mornings I add a papaya to that combination. Other mornings I add frozen mango & raspberry in place of a kiwi, this combo is yum!

[LittleSeaWolf]

I just bought this book:

http://www.amazon.com/100-Health-Boo...7649993&sr=8-1

I love it!!!!!! except with one soup recipe and one drink with honey it's vegan, fresh and really informative. Each recipe (which doesnt exceed three key ingredients in ea case) explains how each veggie and fruit is beneficial. Last night I made a juice with celery, blackberries and red swisschard and iwas really surprised at how good it was. I digested it so fast too lol.... Maybe common sense to most of you, but I found it not only a recipe book but a little classroom action. I read it like a book and dogeared all the drinks im going to try

[Kay]

I have a green smoothie almost every morning. My favorite is:

juice of 3 or 4 oranges
small handful of greens (usually kale/spinach/or romaine)
a ripe banana
1 cup of frozen cherries
1 cup of frozen raspberries
1 teaspoon of raw cacoa powder
dash of cayenne pepper
a little agave to sweeten it (about a tablespoon full)
a little water to help mix it up

[Kitteh]

I just bought this book:

http://www.amazon.com/100-Health-Boo...7649993&sr=8-1

I love it!!!!!! except with one soup recipe and one drink with honey it's vegan, fresh and really informative. Each recipe (which doesnt exceed three key ingredients in ea case) explains how each veggie and fruit is beneficial. Last night I made a juice with celery, blackberries and red swisschard and iwas really surprised at how good it was. I digested it so fast too lol.... Maybe common sense to most of you, but I found it not only a recipe book but a little classroom action. I read it like a book and dogeared all the drinks im going to try

Looks good, I recently borrowed "Fresh Vegetable & Fruit Juices". Each fruit and veg is discussed and it explains what you will get from each particular juice and juice combination
http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Vegetabl.../dp/089019033X

[LittleSeaWolf]

Cool... I'm going to check that book out. I've been going nuts on this juicing phase... Ive never felt better :P I get really excited to go to the store now and Ive been stocking up on tons and tons of organic produce. In fact Ive been raw since sunday without actually trying... its absolutely refreshing.

I got this raw book.. and it has a huge chart of veggies and juices and how they are compatible. I didnt know it was so complicated.... I was making spinach, pear and pitted plum smoothes.... and apparently pear isnt as compatible as an apple. WHY?! Is it something i should avoid? How much should I stick to this chart?

anyways... yeah. I never thought of going raw.... but wow... I feel like a superhero .. so much energy and I dont feel sluggish. Its refreshing... ok im blabbing. hehe

I also made this string bean "pate" this past weekend... but it said "cooked" beans... isnt this going against raw?! I didnt end up cooking it... it was ok.
I really like to wrap stuff in lettuce leaves and dip... my favorite thing. Can you guys recommend anythign id like? raw dips? I mean "your" favorite recipes and fillings. The ones you know by heart. I need some favorites. :P

thanks guys sorry to rant. haha

[Kitteh]

Haha, go LSW, sounds like it's going really well for you!

Hmm.. I guess pears are softer than apples, so maybe you could blend them rather than juice them? And I'm not sure about the chart you're talking about, but if it is one on food combining it's based on how well a combo will digest in your belly or maybe it's based on taste?

Generally ppl say not to mix, fruit and nuts or fruit and veg but in a juice/smoothie it's all in much smaller bits, so it's usually ok to mix them and it will digest ok. I guess make combos that you enjoy and that don't make you feel yuck.

Hmm.. was the "pate" recipe from a Raw book? I had a Raw book that reccomended blanching beans or nuts or something but said you could skip it, so I would just ignore any parts that say to cook anything.

I just had tom, carrot, cuc and avo wrapped in lettuce leaves but as yet I have not made any dips. I do love non-raw hummous, so I would like to try making Raw hummous soon!

[cedarblue]

i make a raw marinara (tomato) sauce and a creamy raw dip/sauce. i'll dig them out.

there's always a raw fresh salsa too of course with things like tomatoes, cuke, spring onions, sugar, cider vinigar, chilli etc

[Zero]

i make a raw marinara (tomato) sauce and a creamy raw dip/sauce. i'll dig them out.

there's always a raw fresh salsa too of course with things like tomatoes, cuke, spring onions, sugar, cider vinigar, chilli etc

I usually make marinara sauce with tomatos, sundried tomatos, bell pepper and 2-3 dates, a little shoyu or tamari, you can add a little oil or avocado thicken it.

[cedarblue]

i also add a splash of cider vinigar or i find the dates can make it a little too sweet, and splash of oil, salt & pepper too.

lovely smoothie today;
2 bananas
1 orange
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
handful spinach leaves

[Darky_]

I would defiantly recmommend adding a small handful of different seeds (like pumpin for example), they are full of the Omega 3's too, so i do that and at first I thought it might make it tastebad, but i tryed it anyway and i could hardly taste it at all... Great for days you can't be ar*ed eating them lol (I get them days a lot).

I have made a few simple fruit smooties in my life, but i made boring banana wth plain yoghurt and sometimes berry one's. . . They're nice, just get boring.
Seems everyones adding spinich/leaves!!
Will try that one. Never thought of that, thanks. . .

I made a smoothie today actually and i would like to say, do NOT add peanut butter...... lol!! Tasted like wall paste or something. I felt sick. I think I serously need to always remember - less is MORE - as the saying goes....might taste right! *rolls eyes*

Thanks for the new ideas people.

Whats easier and quicker to clean though....a blender or food processor??? I only have a plain old blender that can sometimes be a pain to clean in gaps and edges and under the blades.....Maybe I am just lazy. I don't have many cooking/mixing/slicing tools though.
I wsh I could get fruit & veg more often. Some one said buying a big organic box is cheaper(?) Hope so...I'll order 1. Simple...

[emmy]

I've thought about the organic box schemes, they really seem popular now. My only reservation is that I would undoubtedly end up with stuff I wouldn't use. I've read that you can specify your dislikes, but I think I'd end up being too picky! Especially if I was focussing on more raw foods, I wouldn't want potatoes, not too many onions etc etc! Would it be worth it? I'd pretty much have to write them a shopping list!!

[drumsgemma83]

wow all your smoothies sound really good...mine are all really boring!!! Always involve strawberries, banana and soya milk. Love smoothies though, especially for breakfast x

[cedarblue]

try smoothies without the soya milk gemma, the banana makes it smooth and creamy.

fruit is possibly the best and gentlest thing for a stomach to 'break fast' with after digesting and being emply all night.

[Noogle]

I thought here might be the best place to ask!

I'm really wanting to try this juicing - but what do I buy? A blender, smoothie maker, juicer, other? Are they all the same?! They all look the same!

Any help would be appreciated, I'm planning on going out tomorrow to buy one, maybe this one: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...%3EBLENDER.htm

Would that be okay?

[emmy]

Noogle,
I think (emphasize the THINK!) that a juicer extracts the juice and leaves the pulp out. Whereas a blender literally blends the whole lot up, including the pulp. I use a blender and find it great because you keep all the fibre in as well. It makes it thicker though.
I'm not sure about a smoothie maker. I would imagine it's just a blender that's been marketed as a 'smoothie maker' to appeal to those who like smoothies as part of the latest craze!

[emmy]

That argos one looks fine

[Noogle]

Hmm but I think I read somewhere that it's better to not have all the fibre in it, as that's the part of vegetables that are harder to digest [or something, all the info is too much!]... Does that sound ridiculous?

[emmy]

Doesn't sound ridiculous...
I'm not sure about that, it's not something I've heard before...and I am only just starting to read about raw food myself.
Making smoothies has always been an easy way for me to eat enough fruit, so that's probably why I tend to blend the whole lot. I always presumed the bulk and fibre would be good for me. More filling too.
Would be interested if anyone knows anything about this!

[Noogle]

I found the thing I'd read, it's from 'You Are What You Eat' and it just says:

Once a week at least, make yourself a green juice. Green juices, made from a variety of green vegetables, have a rejuvenating effect on the body because they are rick in chlorophyll (the life blood of the plant) which helps to purify the blood, build red blood cells, detoxify the body and provide fast energy. Green juice is the perfect fuel for your body. Its high water content means it is easily assimilated and it contains the whole vegetable except for the fibre, which is the indigestible part of the plant. Green juice therefore provides all the healthful ingrediends in a form that is easy to absorb and digest.

[Noogle]

So I went out and bought both a blender and a juicer - juicer for vegetables and I figure I should have a blender anyway.

I tried juicing [for 2 people] spinach, a carrot, half a cucumber, an orange, a kiwi, a stick of celery, ten grapes - I enjoyed it, my housemate thought it tasted horrible and I ended up with one and a half glasses.

[emmy]

Sounds good, Noogle!
I bought plenty of fresh fruit and veg today, and may even be adventurous enough to try a green juice tomorrow!
It occurred to me earlier that the food processor I have may have a juicing attachment for it (it seems to have everything else!). I'm going to investigate!

[ellaminnowpea]

I have a Breville juicer that's awesome at extracting the juice from all kinds of greens. It cost around $120 but it was definitely worth it! I've made a few good juices in it so far. One of them:

1/4 head of organic kale
2 fuji apples
1 banana
10 or so baby carrots
+ whatever other veggies I have around that need to be used

If I make stuff with soy I just use a blender because the greens are usually too chunky in a smoothie for me to handle.

And I always use apples to sweeten my green drinks; its the only way I can handle that raw "green" taste of kale.

[Darky_]

I've thought about the organic box schemes, they really seem popular now. My only reservation is that I would undoubtedly end up with stuff I wouldn't use. I've read that you can specify your dislikes, but I think I'd end up being too picky! Especially if I was focussing on more raw foods, I wouldn't want potatoes, not too many onions etc etc! Would it be worth it? I'd pretty much have to write them a shopping list!!

I know its not Raw, but with the leftovers like potatoes and maybe even onions or carrots, etc . . . Make a lentil soup or Casserole with the left over. Its sooo nice and if you leave the soup for a day, it goes really thick in the next few hours, really good stuff. Just chop the veg and throw it in water in a giant pan....
(or make jacket potatoes, roasts, I just LOVE potatoe) :P


I'll get my coat..... lol

[emmy]

I love potatoes too! If I went raw I would probably have to reserve 10% non-raw just for them!

[cedarblue]

today:

1 kiwi
1 orange
1 banana
handful spinach

[Noogle]

today:

1 kiwi
1 mandarin orange
6 or so grapes
handful of spinach
handful lettuce
half cucumber
1 carrot
bit of ginger
1 stalk of celery.

[Andy]

lol I love smoothies... I tend to just bung anything in, sometimes its really nice and sometimes its awful

I had one today with all the fruit that I could find.
Apple
Satsuma
Banana
Strawberries
Grapes
Watermelon
Kiwi
Peach
Raspberry and Vanilla soya yoghurt
Soya Milk

Was one of the best ones i've had, maybe because of the yoghurt, never tried that before

[emmy]

today:

1 kiwi
1 mandarin orange
6 or so grapes
handful of spinach
handful lettuce
half cucumber
1 carrot
bit of ginger
1 stalk of celery.

was it good?! how did the juicer work out in the end? which did you get?
i can't get the argos page to open. grrr.

[Darky_]

TODAY: -

1 banana, quarter a dried piece of wholemeal bread..

Bowl of (dorset) cereals fruity one (same as mentioned above),
Homemade peanut sauce stir fry,

teeny bits of home made chocclate truffle thing (using green & blacks chocococolate, I should of added more of the soya cream/milk and though, its a very rich cocolate and yummy, but a LITTLE strong really....)
Well guess its learning, might be better next time!

[Noogle]

was it good?! how did the juicer work out in the end? which did you get?
i can't get the argos page to open. grrr.

This is the juicer I got! Only £10 at the moment, and it works just lovely! Bargain. We ended up getting the blender as well but don't like it so much.

TODAY: -

1 banana, quarter a dried piece of wholemeal bread..

Bowl of (dorset) cereals fruity one (same as mentioned above),
Homemade peanut sauce stir fry,

teeny bits of home made chocclate truffle thing (using green & blacks chocococolate, I should of added more of the soya cream/milk and though, its a very rich cocolate and yummy, but a LITTLE strong really....)
Well guess its learning, might be better next time!

Are you in the wrong thread or have you made a peanut sauce stir fry chocolate truffle smoothie?!

[cedarblue]

new year smoothie!

banana
orange
papaya
spinach

a green and healthy smoothie new year to all!

[Kitteh]

I have the same new year smoothie as you today but minus the orange

[Roxy]

Mmmm this thread is making me want to buy a juicer. I have a blender for smoothies, but juices in the spring and summer would be delicious!

[Kitteh]

Yeh, I love getting home and making a beet, celery, carrot, green apple and ginger juice. Or juicing watermelon first thing in the morning - yum!

I think it's good to have both a juicer and a blender (I just have a super hand blender)

[Roxy]

Carrot, apple and ginger! I love having those when I feel like I'm getting a cold. Watermelon juice is nice and refreshing isn't it I had a strawberry juice in Australia and it was soooo nice too!

[Kitteh]

I have never tried juicing strawberries, I'm not sure my Breville would do them either, they might be too small, I'd probably need one of those huge, pro juicers.

[Roxy]

I tried it at the markets in Brisbane. The guy did have a pretty big juicer. Well, you could always try it and see I suppose. If it works, it works, and if it doesn't....oooops....don't try that again

[Kitteh]

Good idea

[Roxy]

If it doesn't work and you end up with strawberry mash, you can always put it on icecream and eat it

[cedarblue]

banana
orange
kiwi
spinach

[emmy]

I got a juicer today!
Reduced in the sale! Yay!
I'm wondering what the best way to introduce myself to green juice is?
I was think of a bit of spinach with apple and orange?

[Noogle]

Yeah go for it! If you have ginger put some of that in too. I just put a load of everything in and if it tastes bad I'll add a bit of fruit for taste. :P

Nice work on the bargain!

[ellaminnowpea]

Ohh congrats on getting the new juicer (on sale, too!)

One of the best green juices I do always includes apples. No matter what green I use (kale, spinach, chard, etc) I always put a couple apples in there for sweetness. I've heard of putting lemon in, too but haven't tried it yet. I don't really like the orange and apple together...but juicing is all about experimenting! I've had some real nasty ones, as well as some really good ones.

Tell us how it turns out!

[Noogle]

Lemon juice is meant to be good if you want to preserve the juice for a while before drinking - I don't think I'd put it in for taste though, I would imagine it'd be really bitter!

I've either been lucky in that I haven't yet tasted a bad juice [although it's ver early days] or I have some weird love for juiced spinach.

I haven't got the chance to try kale or chard yet though, I can't find it in Belfast!

[ellaminnowpea]

Ah ok the lemon thing DID sound weird to me. Glad you knew... I really didn't understand how that would taste good.

Haha juiced spinach? (Thats my EEEhhhewwww face!)

Belfast... wow! I haven't been. Is your access to health food shops, vegan products, and such limited there? How big is the city?

[Noogle]

Juiced spinach - yum! Okay, it's not great, but it's not vomit inducing as I first thought!

Belfast - very slow to catch onto the vegan bandwagon, or the health wagon come to think of it. Not one vegetarian restaurant/café/anything. But we'll get there. The numbers of vegans are slowly growing, just gotta wait for the tipping point now! The city's small in comparison to a lot of better known ones but it's big enough for Ireland.

[emmy]

HMPH
My juicer doesn't work
It kinda made a funny noise for a couple of seconds, and now nothing else. I've tried everything - it is all assembled correctly, it's plugged in, switched on at the plug, the switch is on....have even checked the plug to check it isn't fused...and the plug seems fine.
Any ideas what's going on? I have some oranges cut up and I want them!!
It's a Breville JE10 whole fruit juicer. If that makes any difference
I really don't want to have to clean it up to lug it back to the store

[cedarblue]

thats great emmy!

i always use apples too to sweeten.
my fave recipe is;
apples
celery &/or cuke
spinach
ginger

[emmy]

Panic over! My beautiful magic heroic fiance found a reset button and got it going again Yippee!

[emmy]

I made a juice this morning with 2 apples, half a cucumber and a big handful of baby spinach. It's delicious, but I didn't get much juice out of the cucumber which surprised me, and only a couple of drips of spinach juice ???
Are there any tricks to this?! It made a lovely juice, but not very green...more like a murky brown colour