Wednesday, January 4, 2012

It's Easy Being Green Smoothie (With an Athena Twist)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I LOVE my VitaMix.  I'm not paid to endorse the VitaMix, I just simply L-O-V-E it.  If you've been keeping up with my blog, you will know that I've decided to make my own weight-loss wagon; I consider my VitaMix a vital tool in this endeavor.  Tonight, I was hankering for dessert somthin' fierce!  So, I decided that I should make a healthy dessert via smoothie.  So, I opened my VitaMix recipe book and started looking for inspiration. 

I came across a recipe titled "It's Easy Being Green Smoothie."  Checked the ingredients: yep, I had them all.  Let the smoothie-making commence!  What I look for in a smoothie recipe are simple ingredients that I have on hand, fresh ingredients, and vegetables that my handsome hubby and kids can't taste.  This smoothie did not disappoint.  I tweaked the ingredients a bit and added strawberries because I could (I know, I'm such a rebel).  It turned out beautifully smooth and perfectly sweet.  Other than the color, you wouldn't know it's full of spinach and a carrot.  Ha Ha! The Stealth Vegetable Fairy strikes again!  So if you want a great-tasting, sweet smoothie that incorporates your veggies, try this one.

Keep in mind, I used my VitaMix, so I really didn't do much cutting; but if you are using a standard blender, you may want to add some juice or water and be sure to cut everything into smaller pieces or make it in batches. 

It Ain't Easy Being Green Smoothie - Athena-Style
(Adapted from VitaMix Whole Foods Recipe Book)
Serves 2 - 4

3/4 C. Red &/or Green Grapes
1 Med. Orange (I used a Tangelo)
1/2 C. Fresh Pineapple
1 Med. Banana
1 Carrot
3 Strawberries
2 C. Fresh Spinach
1 Med. Apple (I used Granny Smith)
3C. Ice Cubes

Place all ingredients into VitaMix or Blender in the general order listed.  Blend as you would a smoothie until desired consistency is reached.  Enjoy!

Have you ever tried a Green Smoothie  or other ways to hide vegetables from picky eaters?

2 comments:

  1. We love green smoothies here! The other day I was blending kale to freeze in cubes for future smoothies, and when my toddler saw the green sludge in the blender he started jumping around the kitchen shouting, "Yum! Yum!"
    I like that this recipe uses grapes - now i have a better idea how to use them in smoothies in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Steph - That's awesome that you have a toddler that gets excited about kale! I think that as parents we have a HUGE influence in their tastes and if they liek healthy food at an early age, it will continue. YAY! I liked that it used grapes too. I have a huge bag of grapes in my freezer from when they were on sale and we couldn't eat all of them.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.