Super Summer Smoothies

Smoothies are a great way to use fruit and veg, and to get your daily requirement in a quick tasty meal. There are no hard and fast rules, use whatever you’ve have growing in your garden or sitting in your fridge, experimentation is the name of the game.

Refreshing rhubarb smoothie

1 cup rhubarb stalks
1 whole medium pineapple
1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
1 litre water

Clean the rhubarb stalks (and throw the leaves on the compost heap!)

Peel and dice the pineapple. You can include the core or discard it, depending on the power of your blender. Pop all the ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth.

Alternatives:

Another great combination that makes use of your rhubarb is rhubarb, watermelon, celery, cucumber, lime, pear, kiwi and frozen strawberries. This is just the ticket for hot summer days!

For a tropical flavour combine rhubarb, strawberries, coconut water, mangoes and fresh ginger. Add a touch of raw honey to taste, if necessary.

IMPORTANT: Don’t be tempted to add the rhubarb leaves into your smoothie – they’re toxic! It’s the stalks that are good for you, containing all sorts of vitamins and minerals.

Power peanut butter and banana smoothie

Peanut butter is a powerhouse of energy and nutrients, and its natural flavour ally is the equally nutritious banana.

1 banana, chopped
1 tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon raw honey
¼ cup plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon chia seeds
¼ cup raw rolled oats
1 dash of cinnamon

Milk or almond milk, to make your smoothie as runny as you like it

Combine all the ingredients in your blender. Start with only a little milk.
Adjust the consistency by adding milk, if necessary. Similarly, add more honey if your smoothie is not sweet enough for you.

Going Green

The more adventurous, health conscious of you might want to try a ‘green smoothie’, which is based on leafy greens.

2 cups chopped spinach (or kale, beetroot leaves, Asian greens, or whatever else you’ve got growing)
1 large granny smith apple (or any apple variety)
2 kiwi fruits
1 lemon
2 cups water
A few stalks of celery
Raw honey, to taste

Peel the kiwi fruits, peel and seed the lemon, and remove the seeds from the apple (or cut the flesh away from the core).
Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.

~ Life is a Garden

♦♦♦◊♦♦♦

Cherry Breakfast Smoothie

2 cup cherries, pitted
1 cup vanilla yoghurt
1 litre orange juice
8 ice cubes

Place half the cherries, yoghurt and juice into a blender with 4 ice cubes and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses or serving jug and repeat with remaining ingredients.

Apricot soy smoothie

1 cup no-added-sugar pie fruit apricot halves
2 x 175g tubs apricot and mango 99% fat-free soy yoghurt
1/2 cup calcium-enriched reduced-fat soy milk
8 ice cubes

Blend apricot, yoghurt, milk and ice until smooth.
Pour into chilled glasses. Serve.

Strawberry & banana smoothie

1 x 250g punnet strawberries, hulled, washed
2 overripe bananas, coarsely chopped
750ml (3 cups) milk
260g (1 cup) vanilla-flavoured yoghurt

Place half the strawberries, banana, milk and yoghurt in the jug of a blender and blend until smooth. Pour evenly among 3 serving glasses. Repeat with the remaining strawberries, banana, milk and yoghurt. Serve immediately.

Chamomile, peach and ginger smoothie

1 chamomile tea bag
1/2 cup (125ml) low-fat or soy milk
1 peach, skinned, stone removed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1-2 teaspoons wheatgerm (optional)

Place teabag in a cup, cover with 1/3 cup (80ml) boiling water. Cool, remove bag and place tea in blender with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Fruit Smoothie

1 banana, frozen, peeled
1/2 cup strawberries
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 strawberry and a small wedge of pineapple, to serve

Place banana, strawberries and pineapple juice in the jug of a blender.
Blend until smooth. Pour into a serving glass.
Cut a small slit in the pointy end of strawberry and a slit in a small wedge of pineapple. Arrange the fruit on the rim of the glass.