Green Smoothies & Juices

[cedarblue]

i had my fave recipe (above) as a pre-lunch chaser today. you need to stuff in a good handful of spinach emmy. did you use green apples? if red skins, this may be the reason for the murky colour - natural apple juice is cloudy not clear don't forget.

maybe you need to add more juicy items like carrots/celery. it may be really muddy after that though.

my 2 sticks of celery, 1/2 cuke, 2 green apples, good handful spinach, 1 inch root ginger produced just over 1/2pt of juice.

[ellaminnowpea]

II 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

I find that green leafies dont produce as much juice as I thought either! I put a pretty big amount in there! I think the darker your green, the more brown the juice will look. I think celery is good to add, though. Not sure about cucumber, never tried it!

[emmy]

I used braeburns so I guess that accounts for the colour of the apple juice. I don't mind the colour, because it tastes delicious!
I was just surprised I didn't get more juice out of the spinach. Maybe it isn't fresh enough. I've also had it in the fridge...would that dry it out any?
The quantity was OK. I also got about 1/2 pint. Much better than my juicing yesterday when I ended up with lots of juicy pulp...but I realised I was pressing the plunger thing too quickly. I strained the pulp and got another full glass out of it, so I know to go gentle now!
Thanks for your help by the way

[cedarblue]

[YOUTUBE]V0ninUTercs[/YOUTUBE]

[ellaminnowpea]

Do you think I could put some chard in there? Or would that ruin the sweet taste?

[cedarblue]

try it and see? you can always blend an apple or two in after if its too strong - i use chard too though, i would have thought it would work fine!

[emmy]

I had my first green juice today! It was delicious!
I juiced 2 green apples and a stick of celery. Then blended a handful of kale with water, and drained through sieve....and mixed it all together.

That video was really helpful, thank you cedarblue!

Will I still be getting plenty of nutrients from the kale, even though I'm blending and sieving? It's a really great green colour juice, but there's a lot of fibre left? My juicer just will not take the leaves!

[cedarblue]

i would say you would get nutrients certainly - but just more with the fibre roughage if you ate all the pulp too>
glad you enjoyed it - sometimes a silly first step can be daunting can't it emmy?

[emmy]

yeh, it's stupid really! i suppose it's because i've never drunk anything green before!
had it been orange or pink i'd have been gulping it down without even thinking
i had some more this morning, and it seems to be putting my body into detox a bit.

[ellaminnowpea]

That's great! I'm still not completely used to drinking green drinks either! But I just have to remind myself how good it is for me!

My chard juice went okay... I had a huge bunch I needed to use before I moved out of my apartment so I put it in the juicer. I added the apples I had left over (four), too. I would have loved to put in some celery or something.. but didn't have anything else in the apartment. The juice was so sweet, and I'm not an apple fan so I'm not sure I"ll make it again. Maybe I'll get some more greens to make something with grapefruit. Or oranges.

[cedarblue]

i was feeling a bit puritanical today so it's just;

bananas
spinach
water

[Zero]

A friend just told me that pineapple, banana and romaine made an excellent smoothie but I haven't tried it yet.

[Zero]

I would have loved to put in some celery or something.. but didn't have anything else in the apartment. The juice was so sweet, and I'm not an apple fan so I'm not sure I"ll make it again. Maybe I'll get some more greens to make something with grapefruit. Or oranges.

I find that celery works great, romaine lettuce too, for me apples don't go so well in a smoothie either, you could try pears they blend much better.

[ellaminnowpea]

I find that celery works great, romaine lettuce too, for me apples don't go so well in a smoothie either, you could try pears they blend much better.

It was a juice not a smoothie, so i think the apple flavor was just too concentrated. I'll be making a kale, apple, celery, and whatever else i have around juice when i get home this afternoon. I will definitely put in less apples. Although I dont' care for them, they seem to be the best sweetener for juices.

So what kinds of fruits could I use to sweeten besides apples?

[cedarblue]

A friend just told me that pineapple, banana and romaine made an excellent smoothie but I haven't tried it yet.

they do indeed i've tried the combination.

apples blend down well if you chop them up a bit first, although they are still a bit grainy and lumpy unless you have a faberoony blender that is

p.s. i had a non-green smoothie today of banana, orange, nectarine, sunflower seeds and dates - lovely!

[Zero]

It was a juice not a smoothie, so i think the apple flavor was just too concentrated. I'll be making a kale, apple, celery, and whatever else i have around juice when i get home this afternoon. I will definitely put in less apples. Although I dont' care for them, they seem to be the best sweetener for juices.

So what kinds of fruits could I use to sweeten besides apples?

My apologies, I must have misread your post. I don't ever make juice anymore so I will leave it for some else to help

[cedarblue]

to be honest i only do veg or green juices i tend to eat the fruit fresh or as smoothies. i also tend to sweeten green juice with apples although i guess you could stick pineapple in. what about carrots to sweeten too or pears? i would tend to put 'hard' fruits into a juicer and softer ones in the blender.

[cedarblue]

someone loves their smoothies!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_M5w...eature=related

[cedarblue]

fri; romaine, bananas, oranges
sat; romaine, banana, orange
sun; spinach, banana, orange, kiwi
today; banana, orange, spinach, green grapes

[Zero]

fri; romaine, bananas, oranges
sat; romaine, banana, orange
sun; spinach, banana, orange, kiwi
today; banana, orange, spinach, green grapes

I think someone likes their oranges!

[vava]

if you use kiwis do you peel them?

not many peep seem to use grapes - is it just a taste thing?

i was thinking of mixed leaves lettuce, tomato, cucumber and some hendersons relish - I will let you know!

[Zero]

if you use kiwis do you peel them?

not many peep seem to use grapes - is it just a taste thing?

i was thinking of mixed leaves lettuce, tomato, cucumber and some hendersons relish - I will let you know!

If you leave the skin on the kiwis you end up with a Brown Smoothie
It will likely be somewhat bitter, I do eat the skin sometimes when I eat kiwis but I don't put it in my smoothies.

Hmmm grapes, I think I prefer to just eat them as they are. Grapes are one of my favorites.

[vava]

2 inches of cucumber, 2 large tomatoes, loads of mixed lettuce leaves and salt pepper and hendersons relish. This is the first time I have had a savoury tasting smoothie.
I think it will take some getting used to!
Tasted mainly of tomatoes. Still have some to go and I am not thinking I can't wait to rush back to it. But it is healthy food and it is raw so I get to feel a little virtuous. I wonder how long it will be before I start feeling peckish? Oops "Burp" - pardon!

Edit - makes note to self - must change avatar!

[vava]

oh oh - here we go - questions questions anyone use raw soya beans (I have seen frozen packets in Holland and Barrett) or any other sort of beans in smoothies or garden peas? Oops *burp* sorry - its the cucumber.......

[ellaminnowpea]

Hmmm never thought of using soy beans in smoothies, I usually just go with soymilk since its so much sweeter and thickens up with a banana to taste/ texture of a milkshake. I suppose you could just go and see how the beans work out!

[cedarblue]

i have heard of people adding a few canned beans to their smoothies to thicken them.

[cedarblue]

I think someone likes their oranges!

..yes, and someone's husband took the last orange in his lunch today!

so..

banana
water
romaine
mango

[Kitteh]

I've been having banana, mango, baby spin. everyday, occasionally replacing the mango w/ a papaya.

Had a nice juice the other day when I was a cafe. It was green apple, celery, lemon and mint. I would never have made that combo at home, but it was really nice.

[Roxy]

Had a nice juice the other day when I was a cafe. It was green apple, celery, lemon and mint.

That sounds really summery and refreshing! I bet it was nice

[emmy]

Yes, it does sound nice! Might have to try that!

I made a banana and spinach smoothie the other day, it was OK, probably something I'd need to get used to. I like things sweet, so the green smoothie thing is taking some getting used to!

[cedarblue]

fresh pineapple is really good for adding fruity flavour to a green smoothie

i bought one myself today for that very purpose!

[emmy]

oh, i might have to try that!
is tinned fruit raw, do you know?

[cedarblue]

no it's not but you could try it if you have some just to get the idea?

[Neptunus]

My first try at this:

Two bananas
An apple
Celery
Water
and a little bit of ginger

It turned out a yellowish brown color, and a little too thick. Otherwise, the taste was pretty good, but I'll definitely have to test some other combinations. I'll blend the next one better, too (I did this in a 600W food processor, I have no idea if that resembles what others use to make these crazy concoctions .

Included photo is of drink(more like baby food, actually):

[cedarblue]

wow, that's a combination neptunus! even i wouldn't have tried that one!!

lots of people i see add water to their smoothies so i guess that makes them more fluid, i usually don't bother so mine normally turn out as 'thickies' like yours neptunus.

[cedarblue]

juice for breakfast;

celery
green apples
carrots
spinach
root ginger


now i'm peckish again and will have a fruit smoothie - just bananas & oranges i think

[vava]

juice from ani phyo book for breakfast - seriously good.

blueberries
dates
cashews
water
vanilla scrumdiddlyumptious!

what a nit wit! forgot myself this smoothie isn't green!

[Kitteh]

My first try at this:

Two bananas
An apple
Celery
Water
and a little bit of ginger

It turned out a yellowish brown color, and a little too thick. Otherwise, the taste was pretty good, but I'll definitely have to test some other combinations. I'll blend the next one better, too (I did this in a 600W food processor, I have no idea if that resembles what others use to make these crazy concoctions .

Included photo is of drink(more like baby food, actually):

Hmm, I wouldn't think that celery, apple and ginger blend well. I would have blended the narnas w/ water and then juiced the cel, app & ging. and added that to the blended narna water. Wouldn't have been too thick that way.

Juice the other morning after gym sesh: ginger, carrot, celery, green apple, cucumber - yum.

Watermelon juice yesterday morning, usual green smoothie today.

I've been so clumsy, in the past two days I have spilt one 500mL cup of smoothie right after making it and then the day after as I held one getting in the car, I dropped it outside and it went everywhere, oopsa.

[ellaminnowpea]

oh no! all that hard work!

sorry, what are narnas?

[Enchantress]

It's an abbreviation/slang term for bananas.

[cedarblue]

juice today;
spinach
apples
carrots
root ginger

[cedarblue]

smoothie today;

banana
pineapple
spinach
water

[Zero]

This morning

Banana
Pear
Spinach

[cedarblue]

banana
mango
orange
spinach
water

[Noogle]

Juice from about a minute ago:

1 cucumber
3 celery stalks
handful spinach
small wedge of cabbage

Tasted HORRIBLE! I almost threw up, cabbage doesn't sit well with me!

[ellaminnowpea]

yeah prob needed something sweet in there!

[cedarblue]

yes def something to sweeten, apples or pineapple and a little root ginger?

[vava]

brekie - pineapple, kale, narna, almonds, blueberries maple syrup aitch2oh!

tasted good but really odd colour sort of taupe!

[ellaminnowpea]

tomorrow morning (if I get up early enough):

-- mango (can I leave the skin on? I have a Breville juicer)
-- apple (or two if it tastes weird)
-- 25 baby carrots
-- a cup of of kale
-- two stalks celery

[Tigerlily]

I think I might make a raw smoothie for breakfast. I have tons of frozen strawberries and I have romaine lettuce too.