Fun With Fennel

Gee I love when I try something new and it turns out delicious! I'm particularly excited about this smoothie because I've been thinking about trying this for quite some time now. So here's what I did this time:

1 banana
1/2 cucumber
2 stems fennel, with leaves
about a cup of red grapes
1/2 cup balkan style yoghurt
cold water
3 kiwis, peeled

This was another smoothie that was a delight to taste, and to smell. Some of you may not be used to fennel, or anise (Foeniculum vulgare), but it's a veggie that's an absolute staple in our household, both cooked as a side dish and raw in salads. It has a fabulous licorice flavour, and though I don't like licorice, I loooooooove fennel. The seeds are used frequently as a seasoning spice (great pounded with a mortar and pestle and used as a rub for meat, fyi), and the leaves as a herb. It was also used in the making of absinthe... Lots of very interesting properties make it great for health - it's been said to improve digestive tract health (also reducing flatulence), be great for eyesight, reduction of hypertension, and even for increasing breast tissue improving breastfeeding. Pretty neat stuff for something that is so absolutely delicious.

Since it's a lot like celery in texture, I wasn't worried about using it in a smoothie at all. In fact, it's much more smoothie-friendly, I believe, since it has a nicer taste, even when used in higher quantities. Celery, on the other hand, can become very overpowering in a smoothie or a juice. This is just my first attempt, stay tuned for more experimentation with fennel. Oh, and it's just perfect with the tartness of the kiwis, by the way... Smoothie on!

Kiwi-Coriander-Kraze

Oh was this smoothie ever a success.... Fragrant, smooth, yummy, everything a super smoothie should be. Did I mention nutritious? No fancy business here, but one I'm sure all you coriander addicts will adore. I was craving yoghurt this morning, so I went a little heavy. If you'd prefer a less creamy version, just decrease the amount of yoghurt.

1/2 cucumber
1 banana
1 apple
2 kiwis (peeled)
3/4 balkan style yoghurt
1 small handful coriander leaves and stems
1 cup cranberry juice
splash cold water

The kiwis really added a nice tang to this smoothie, and I have some neat ideas about what to do with the rest of the punnet, so stay tuned. And not surprisingly, kiwi and coriander go great together! Smoothie on!

What did you think?

My Thai Smoothie

This has got to be one of the yummiest smoothies I have ever made. Inspired by flipping through Thai recipes, and by thinking of more fun ways to incorporate coriander into my smoothies (it seems like I can never use up a big bunch of coriander fast enough before the last few leaves start to brown, and it just breaks my heart to waste the beautiful stuff), this smoothie is definitely a success.

1 banana
1/2 large cucumber
1 lime, peeled
handful fresh coriander leaves and stems
1/2 avocado
1/2 cup frozen mango pieces
1 slice watermelon
1 can (400ml) coconut milk
1 1/2 cup pineapple juice

For this post I did my homework on coconut milk. It's a good source of manganese, iron, vitamin C, calcium, and Omega 3 (see Self Nutrition Data for more info), but it also has a heck of a lot of saturated fat in it, which isn't that great. In future smoothies, I might use the coconut milk in a lesser quantity for that reason. Although I have to say, this is a very filling smoothie, and foods with fat in them do help us get enough of that "satisfied" feeling so that we don't over eat...

As always, comments are welcome, Smoothie on!

Berry Bonanza

This lilac beauty is as yummy as it looks. I'm starting to feel a little better, so I've indulged my yoghurt craving today with this smoothie.

1 banana
1/2 large cucumber
1/2 cup strawberries
3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup yoghurt
1 cup pineapple juice

Cucumbers are fun in smoothies, because you really can't tell they're there unless you put a heck of a lot it, and they're nice and juicy. They're also a good source of Vitamin A, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Potassium, according to Self Nutrition Data, a great site for finding out what really is in your food.

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2439/2#ixzz0znw6szYf

Plum-Tastic

It's amazing what one plum did for this smoothie!! Sweet, purple, smooth, and yummy. Still trying to beat this cold, so I stayed away from the yoghurt today.

1 banana
1/2 large cucumber
1 green apple
1 small orange
1 lime
1/2 cup cold water
1 plum

Cold Buster

As you can probably tell from the name of today's smoothie, I have a fierce cold today. This smoothie is my attempt to banish it. I used lots of citrus here, and veggies, and honey. I stayed away from yoghurt since dairy products can increase mucous production, and avoided making it too sweet by using lots of fruits.

1 banana
1 lime
1/2 lemon
1 orange (that I mistook for a grapefruit...woops)
1/2 cucumber
2 sticks celery
4-5 leaves of sorrel
1 tbsp honey

Honey is great, in that it has lots of vitamins and minerals in it, as well as antioxidants. I found a cool site here that seems to be a pretty comprehensive guide to everything honey, check it out here. Smoothie on!