Hot Green Smoothie Recipe
Several clients and friends have asked about the contents of my breakfast drinks — my “hot green smoothies”. For a health bonus, I’m going to share my approximate recipe. I say approximate because it shifts with season and what organic stuff is available.
I specifically look for leafy greens, ginger, and hot peppers. So, the thing changes from day to day accordingly. And, be warned that any spiciness will increase in parts you keep overnight.
The recipe below often produces more juice than the blender will hold, so I do the juicing first, and then put in a large pitcher, then use as much of that juice as necessary to process the blender. After processing, then mix everything in the pitcher.
This produces 4+ sixteen-ounce glasses of healthy breakfast yumminess. Trish and I each drink one, and refrigerate the remainder in these wide-mouth Nalgene water bottles for fast easy on-the-go the second day. The investment is something close to an hour of prep every other day, and between $5-$16 worth of produce to get four nutritious breakfast meals.
This meal is nutritious and filling enough to keep me active — even climbing the mountain and paragliding — until the lunch meal, without any hunger pangs. It will, however, really keep your digestive system active (colon-healthy). So, make sure you’re used to it — and have your schedule worked-out — before you set out on long drives or hikes…
I use this model juicer. I’ve had it for close to 3 years, processing these sorts of meals almost daily, and certainly several times per week. It’s never broken-down, and I’d buy another one in a heartbeat.
This is my typical juicer ingredients list:
- Several handfuls of baby spinach
- Couple of handfuls of spring mix, or power greens, or wheat grass, or turnip greens, or kale, etc.
- 2 celery stalks
- 4 medium carrots
- 1 apple
- half-dozen small sweet peppers, or maybe an Anaheim
- 1 hot pepper (Serrano OR jalapeno — to taste)
- handful of ginger chunks to taste
- Sometimes add beets, or peas — whatever else seems good
Juice all that stuff and pour into pitcher and then get the blender ready.
I use this model blender. I’ve had it for over a year, processing these sorts of things almost daily, as well as guacamole, blender ice-cream — all sorts of stuff. It’s expensive, but a really great kitchen device.
The typical blender ingredients list will be something like this:
- Whole orange, organic, HALF-peeled (keep half the peel for nutrients — the whole peel will make it a bit bitter)
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 small or medium tomato
- 1 handful of raw cashew nuts
- 2–3 large spoonfuls of Greek yogurt
- 1–2 cups of seasonal berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries — whatever I can get)
Add enough juice from the pitcher to allow blender processing. When done, mix it all in the pitcher by hand. Pour and enjoy. The extra will last 24 hours or more in a refrigerator before beginning to taste bad.
HOT TIP: If you get a juice that’s too hot for your taste, and you don’t mind dairy, you can cut the heat considerably by adding some cream or half/half or milk and stirring. I recommend doing this right before drinking rather than storing that way.
I chase my juice drink with 16 ounces of water, and a special non-dairy mocha drink — the recipe for which I’ll share sometime soon.