The Traveling Epicurean

Mango-Kale Smoothie

Mango-Kale Smoothie

If you are wary of kale you won’t be after trying my scrumptious mango-kale smoothie! In fact, if you didn’t see that this mango-kale smoothie was green you would never know there was kale in it! It’s made from frozen mango chunks, fresh kale leaves, a pinch of banana and ginger, vanilla-bean Greek yogurt and light apple juice. The silky creaminess comes from using Cabot vanilla-bean Greek yogurt. And the “light” apple juice has the perfect amount of sweetness bringing it all together. The subtle flavors from the scant amounts of banana and ginger will have your guest’s trying to pinpoint exactly what they are. This most delicious concoction will have you licking your lips after the first sip!

My mango-kale smoothie is a real energy booster! I love that it’s super easy and convenient with store bought frozen mango chunks! My kitchen always has mangoes on the counter ripening for these mango-kale smoothie’s or my mango salsa but sometimes the timing isn’t right. That’s why I always have a bag of store bought frozen mango in my freezer. I can always depend on the the quality of the store bought frozen mango being deep orange in color offering a sweet mango flavor. Many times I cut up the ripened fresh mangoes using 1/2 cup fresh and 1 cup frozen in the mango-kale smoothie. Then I add any leftover fresh mango to the frozen mango bag and pop in back into the freezer for next time.

I make many different smoothies some of which you can find in my “Energy Smooties 101” but I think this is one of my fave’s because of the simpicity, delicious flavor and nutritional benefits. I add ginger in my mango-Kale smoothie for an immune system booster offering up anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. Kale is another antioxidant with more nutrients then spinach, if you can believe that one! It has calcium, potassium, vitamin C and B6 all helping to give you awesome looking skin & hair, and healthy bones & heart. Then there’s the mighty mango that’s known to help fight cancer with vitamin’s like A, C, E and B6!

This Mango-Kale Smoothie energy drink should be part of your weekly regimen. It’s a win-win for all us busy bees who just don’t have time for ailments! Enjoy 🙂 Now that I have you on a health craze you have to try my easy fresh salsa 101 that you can make 12 months of the year, or BEST guacamole ever. Don’t forget the Seared Sea Scallops, Salmon BLT Slider’s and how about ending it with some Ricotta Pie!

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Ingredients for Mango-Kale Smoothie makes 8 small glasses:

  • 1 1/2 cups frozen mango chunks (I love Stop & Shop brand -bag of frozen mango)
  • You can change up fruit and swap out 1/2 cup mango for pineapple
  • 1 cup PACKED, about 5 lg fresh kale leaves with ribbing removed
  • 3 1/2″ slices frozen banana,  (fresh banana’s sliced, placed into baggies and freeze)
  • 1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
  • 1 cup Cabot vanilla-bean Greek yogurt- “Cabot”
  • 1 1/2 cup light or unsweetened apple juice…the perfect amount of sweet
  • NOTE: Make sure the liquid is 1″ down from top of fruit and kale level
  • 1/2 cup water OR Muscle milk …..If you need more liquid you can just add water OR a protein powder like muscle milk -vanilla is my favorite
  • 1/4 cup crushed ice …helps to purée the kale to a fine, smooth consistency

Directions:

  1. Place the kale leaves into the blender first, followed by Greek yogurt, ice cube, frozen mango chunks and banana, zested fresh ginger and light apple juice
  2. Purée for 1 minute til frothy and smooth
  3. Pour into glasses and serve
  4. NOTE: you can freeze any left over mango-kale smoothie in plastic container for future frozen “Italian ice” like snacks!
  5. Add some vodka or rum to make delicious party cocktails!

Energy Smoothies 101 VIDEO

Energy Smoothies 101 Recipe and VIDEO

Making homemade smoothies is such an ideal way to get so many wonderful nutritients into one beverage and not compromise on taste! These gourmet energy smoothies are absolutely scrumptious! Who doesn’t love a smoothie and now with all the high tech appliances available out there just for puréeing vegetables into drinks you can’t go wrong. Those juicers can get a little pricey though and an average Waring blender can get the job done too! So don’t feel like you can’t join in if you’re a novice to all this and start making your own homemade gourmet energy smoothies if you haven’t spent the dough…no pun intended 🙂 Yes, you can make your own!

My energy smoothies 101 recipes and video start you off with some basics on how to create these delicious energy smoothies. I make it easy for you with a proven lists of ingredients that taste incredible and help your body to feel good too. Granted, there’s always that afternoon cup of joe that you can grab for a boost and let me tell you I do love my caffeinated beverages! Standing by my coffee pot in the morning in anticipation of pouring that first cup is how I begin my day. Then there’s mid-afternoon when we all seem to need that extra zing to keep us going and that’s when I usually go for my cup of tea which has sentimental reasons for me as well reminding me of my Grandmother and I having tea and crackers together when I was very little. BUT when I add an energy smoothie into my day I definitely feel the difference with more of a long lasting energy and good feeling surge!

Making these energy-power smoothies will give you that “feel good” energy surge and when we are feeling up it puts us in a good mood! There are studies that show an anti-inflammatory diet that is high in protein really does have an effect on our moods and increases our stamina… who doesn’t need that!

While doing some research on high protein and anti-inflammatory diets I was recently turned on to Muscle Milk. Muscle Milk is a product that a lot of athletes use because it’s great for after work out recovery. It’s also formulated for people who are lactose sensitive, it’s gluten free and they do carry a line of Muscle Milk Light too. Best of all, while offering up all that great protein it taste scrumptious in my first “tropical vanilla energy smoothie”! The vanilla Muscle Milk compliments the vanilla Greek yogurt making for a creamy tropical flavor. It’s truly a tropical vanilla flavor that’s luscious.

My second smoothie is called the “green zinger” because the spinach turns it green and the fresh grated ginger gives it that underlying needed zing. This may me one of the most unique and delicious smoothies I have come up with. Maybe it’s because I absolutely adore the taste of fresh ginger and honey together and if you haven’t had this combo yet please put it on your bucket list! Fresh grated ginger and honey with a little squeeze of lemon will send your tea through the roof in flavor…please try it 🙂

And last but not least is my third smoothie called “the berry-beta bomb” where the color alone is enough to make you smile. There is a small amount of beets in this smoothie which give you a unique source of that wonderful nutrient called betaine. Betaine is like a power nutrient that protects our cells from stress which help fight inflammation and at the same time caring more iron than even spinach…woo hoo I say who’s better that you! I have you baking the beets for a no fuss way to cook them. If you are not big on beets try the golden beets or chioggia striped beets which you can find at Whole Foods or our local Bishop Orchards because they are definitely milder in flavor and it’s important to have them in this smoothie.

When you make your homemade batch of smoothies don’t forget to freeze a small amount in containers. That’s take some of the work out of your next round and makes for refreshing little energy snacks in the afternoon. I take them right out of the freezer and eat them like an Italian ice. Make sure to watch my show on how to make these babies! Enjoy and stay healthy!

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INGREDIENTS FOR THE TROPICAL VANILLA SMOOTHIE W/ MUSCLE MILK:

  • 1 cup Muscle Milk
  • 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup unsweetened apple juice
  • 1 cup frozen cut-up mangoes
  • 1 cup frozen cut-up peaches
  • 2/3 cup frozen cut-up bananas
  • 3 tbsp honey

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GREEN ZINGER SMOOTHIE:

  • 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 cups unsweetened apple juice
  • 2 cups baby spinach leaves
  • 1 cup frozen cut-up mangoes
  • 1 cup frozen cup-up peaches
  • 2/3 cup frozen cut-up bananas
  • 1 heaping tbsp fresh zested ginger
  • 3 tbsp honey

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BERRY-BETA BOMB SMOOTHIE:

  • 1 1/2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple juice
  • 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
  • 1/4 cup roasted beet – diced up (If you are not a big beet lover use lighter colored beets like golden beets, or Chioggia beets – the striped beets because they are more mellow in flavor
  • TO COOK BEETS: Cut stems off of beets 1/2″ up on stem from actual base of  beet, wash and dry the beets, place them in a small shallow baking dish like a pie plate, cover with foil snugly and bake for 1 hr. When beets are done, let them cool and then peel off skin with your fingers.
  • 2 cups frozen strawberries
  • 1 cup frozen cut-up peaches
  • 3 tbsp honey

DIRECTIONS FOR ALL SMOOTHIES:

  1. Place ingredients into blender and puree til smooth.
  2. You use frozen fruits in these energy smoothie 101 recipes but feel free to add crushed ice as well to add in volume and help keep them frosty.
  3. Keep in the frig if you are drinking right away or put into several small containers and freeze to have at a later time.
  4. If you do freeze them in containers just take out from freezer when ready and let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes and stir to drink or eat them right out of the frigerator scrapping with a spoon like an Italian ice! Enjoy!

(Note: Muscle Milk is not a paid sponsor at this time I just happen to really like the product 🙂

 

Frozen Berry Smoothies

Frozen Berry Smoothies

Making homemade fruit smoothies takes less than 5 minutes!   They are healthy, satisfying, and scrumptious. What’s great about this smoothie is you use the frozen bags of fruit from the freezer section at your market.  The frozen fruit and the Greek yogurt make up the thickness in the smoothie.  You don’t have to worry about what season it is…..you can make them through out the winter.  AND my very picky kids love them…what’s better than that!  They say the smoothies remind them of my Fresh Berry Granita…..yeah!

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups frozen berries (I use medley-if seeds bother you buy 1 bag of stawberries and 1 bag of blueberries
  • 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup Ocean Spray “Cran/Pomegranate” juice or unsweetened apple juice
  • juice from 1/2 lime

Directions:

  1. Place all of the ingredients into the blender and purée!
  2. You will need to stop the blender and stir once to move frozen berries around, then finish with the puree.
  3. If you want it a little thinner just add a little water or juice.
  4. Pour the mixture into a glass and serve with a spoon.

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