Black & Blueberry Smoothie

My new blender arrived today and in all the excitement I almost forgot to post this smoothie recipe. This is another smoothie that is in my normal morning rotation. Today I made this version slightly thicker than normal and added some coconut and berries for toppings, ala The Colorful Kitchen blog.

Black & Blueberry Smoothie

Blend the following:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup frozen blackberries
• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp maca powder (optional)

Serves 1.

A smoothie and book pairing

Here's another smoothie inspired by my current read, Calling Dr. Laura: A Graphic Memoir by Nicole Georges. Drink as you remember childhood longings.

Cherry Vanilla Smoothie

Blend the following:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup frozen cherries
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 tsp matcha 
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp maca powder (optional)
• 1 tsp hibiscus powder (optional)

Serves 1.

Raspberry mint smoothie

I made this raspberry and mint smoothie over the weekend. I liked the combo and found it most refreshing. But my boyfriend thought it tasted like cough syrup. Maybe adding chocolate would have helped? Sadly, I didn't have any form of chocolate in the house. How did this happen? So I have placed an order with my favorite smoothie powder source, Mountain Rose Herbs. Raw cacao is on its way. It's organic and fair trade too.

Raspberry Mint Smoothie

Blend the following:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup frozen red raspberries 
• 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds (optional)
• 2 tsp maca powder (optional)
• 1 handful of fresh mint leaves

Serves 2.

A smoothie and book pairing

Here's a delightful summer smoothie inspired by my current read. I'm finally making time for Frank Herbert's classic science fiction novel Dune. Drink as you "observe the plans within plans within plans."

Spice Smoothie

Blend the following:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup frozen cantaloupe
• 1/2 frozen banana 
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp maca powder (optional)
• 1 tsp spice (for example, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger)

Serves 1.

Dandelion smoothie = sunshine in a glass

We have dandelions blooming outside our window, so spring is officially nigh. Inspired by the arrival of flowers, weeds, and rainy weather, I decided to invent a dandelion smoothie. I've been meaning to play around with herbal teas in my smoothies. Traditional Medicinals' organic Roasted Dandelion Root tea makes a subtle cold brew.

Whole Foods receipt detail

I also went to Whole Foods for some dandelion greens. Behold this crazy receipt (above), as the cashier mistakenly rang me up for 11 bunches! My sad confession is, it being Whole Paycheck, I didn't puzzle out the overcharge until I got home with my single bunch. (I figured the total was due to other high ticket grocery items in my basket, like vegan dental floss and ginger root.) When I went back to the store, the customer service staff graciously refunded my purchase and gifted me a second gratis bunch of greens. Dandy!

The tea-infused smoothie came out sweet and only mildy "earthy." You could also substitute spinach for dandelion greens. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Dandelion Smoothie
Blend the following:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup cold brew dandelion tea
• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• 1/2 frozen banana
• a good handful of dandelion greens
• 1 tsp matcha
• 1 tsp maca powder (optional)
• 1 tsp amla powder (optional)

Serves 1.

Mango Lassi Smoothie

Dental woes have been keeping me on my steady diet of morning smoothies. Also my cousin Willa gave me a nifty nutmeg grater for Christmas and my friend Liz recently hooked me up with two bottles of rose water. Hence this new smoothie is born. It's a "No-Yo" Mango Lassi, aka no yogurt. The rose water is a little intense at first. Maybe start small and work up to a full measure. (Or you could pretend it's the vermouth in your martini and just use it to coat your glass.)

Mango Lassi Smoothie
Blend the following:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/8 tsp rose water
• freshly grated nutmeg to taste
• 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp amla powder (optional)

Serves 1.

Top o' the Morning juice recipe

For my visit home last week, I packed my smoothie arsenal, which was recently restocked by Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Kitchen. My Dad matched my mixology efforts with his own inventive juice recipes. He's really the "Juiceman," as my parent's first juicer was called. (They've since moved on to a different brand.)

Here is my Dad's current favorite recipe. It's a gingery, sweet and sour blend that gets your blood flowing. He didn't have a name for it, but I'm giving it one here, based on his usual bright morning greeting.

Top o' the Morning Juice
Wash, prep, and juice the following ingredients:

• 5 carrots, peeled
• 2 inch-piece ginger root
• 2 oranges, peeled and quartered
• 2 apples, quartered
• 1/2 lime, peeled and quartered

Serves 2.

Flaxen Goddess Dressing

Nutritious in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, flax seeds are a staple in my kitchen. When I moved house, the flax seed bag was the first thing that I packed. I don't think I'll find flax seeds in DC at Baltimore prices ($3.29/lb!). Typically, I grind flax seeds and add the resulting powder to my morning smoothies. Or I use it to "fake an egg" in baking recipes.

Today I decided to experiment with ground flax seeds in a goddess salad dressing. Sadly, I had no flax oil in the kitchen. I also had no tamari or soy sauce, which most goddess dressing recipes require. (Clearly, I need to stock up on essentials.)

I'm calling the resulting, items-on-hand version, Flaxen Goddess Dressing. I used this popular and handy goddess dressing recipe as a guide.  If I make this recipe in the future, I will use flax oil instead of sesame oil.  

Here's a rough recipe:
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c tahini
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp stone ground mustard
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 c sesame oil
1/4 c olive oil

Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth.  For best emulsification results, slowly drizzle the oils in last, while the machine is running.  Makes about 2 cups.