Papaya the Sailor Man

It's been far too long between smoothies, I'm afraid. But this morning's sure does feel great! It's pretty basic since my fridge is pretty bare, but sometimes simplicity is just what the body needs. I'd like to try this recipe again and beef it up with some avocado, or perhaps some coriander, or even some nuts. Any suggestions?

2 teeny weeny bananas
1 cup Balkan style yoghurt
1 cup papaya (ripe)
1 cup raspberries
1 cup milk

So in this smoothie I did something that I almost never do - used milk. Why don't I use milk? Dunno. But after this smoothie, I think maybe I'll try it more often, since it really adds a nice smoothness and creaminess to a smoothie. Of course vitamin D and calcium are all good things, too, and protein... The papaya and the raspberries balance really nicely. Papaya contains an enzyme called "papain" which helps digestion, though it's more concentrated when the papaya is unripe (papaya salad anyone??). It's also an excellent source of vitamin C (more than 50% of RDV), and decent source of folate (30% RDV). It's also available pretty much year- round, which is nice. How about use half of the papaya for a nice salad, and the other half a few days later for a smoothie? Genius! Smoothie on!

Avocado-Strawberry Awesomeness

Yesterday I decided that it was time to kick it up a notch, so when friends came over for dinner it was the perfect opportunity to make an extra special smoothie that I could also share with all of you. I have to give credit on this smoothie to my sister, since she's the one who first introduced it to me. She had a similar concoction at a Hawaiian smoothie joint, and decided to give it a go herself. This is my take on it, and it just so happens to be one of the most fabulous smoothies I have ever made. I actually served it for dessert last night, and it was perfect. I usually use orange juice for the strawberry part, but I was out, so you'll see how I improvised... So this smoothie has 3 parts for dramatic effect: (Serves 4)

Avocado (Green) Part:
3 ripe avocados
1/2 cup milk, or enough to make it pourable
Blend, then pour into glasses, rinse blender

Strawberry (Pink) Part:
1 banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
3/4 cup Sangria (yeah baby), or enough to make it pourable
Blend, and then take a spoon, turn it upside down over the avocado, so that the scoopy part of the spoon is facing down, and slowly pour the strawberry mixture onto the spoon, so that it slowly pours and sits on top of the avocado mixture.

Now add a spoonful of ricotta to each glass, topped with chopped/bashed pistachio nuts, and then drizzle some good quality honey over it, et voila.

I'm sure you're going to be amazed at how awesome this smoothie is, and if you're anything like me, you're just going to want to make it every day... Let me know if I need to start a rehab group for this one! Smoothie on!

Avocado Amore

Who loves avocados? I do, I do!! When I first heard of avocados in smoothies, I wasn't exactly sold in the whole concept. Now I know that they are absolutely sensational in a smoothie, adding a really yummy nuttiness and incredible smoothness. Try this one on for size:

2 avocados
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
3/4 cup Balkan style yoghurt
1 cup orange juice



One thing you have to remember is that the addition of avocados, while adding to the flavor and texture of your concoction, will also make it a lot thicker. You can see from the peaks, this was a thickee. I enjoyed it almost like a dessert, but to loosen it up a little either omit one avocado, or add some more liquid: oj, milk and water would all work a treat. Smoothie on!!

How was your first avocado smoothie? Let me know in the comments area below!


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