The Artsy, Smartsy Smoothie

You know how to make a great smoothie, right? Well I didn't for a long time. I would end up with weird colors, poor mixing, and unusual flavors that didn't sit well. Here are my tips (and recipe) for a great smoothie.

Tips:

1. Use (some) ice: a lot of folks looking for nutrient density skip this step, which is a big mistake. Ice keeps the smoothie cool when blender blades get hot.

2. Freeze your fruit: tempting as it may be to throw in a few things from the counter top, smoothies are really best when the fruit is frozen. I freeze quite a bit myself, whenever a bunch of berries are starting to look sad, or a mango will not be used in time I freeze small 4 oz. containers packed full of stone fruits, kiwi or berries.

3. Avoid seedy berries: blackberries and raspberries are delicious... but they have seeds that create an unsavory texture inside of a smoothie. These frozen berries are great additions to oatmeal, so no need to waste them.

4. Use banana: I always add 1/2 frozen banana per serving to each smoothie. The creamy mixture literally cannot be achieved by anything else. When you have a bunch on the counter, peel, break in half and throw into a container in the freezer.

5. Add some veggies: if you're using a simple blender, stick with raw greens (don't freeze them). If you're using a higher powered contraption, like a Vitamix, you can use other veggies like carrots.

6. Include a mix-in or two: You can simply add some ground flax seed, or flax seed oil. Hemp seed, chia and others are great additions, too. My favorite is a premixed, pre-pulverized product by NuDe Food, which also has probiotics. The secret to seeds and oils is to include them last. Just stir them in, otherwise the smoothie can take on an odd gummy texture. This is not true with the NuDe Food mix in; you just add it right along with everything else.

7. What's your liquid?: I use non-dairy milks most of the time, because they are most nutritious. I usually use 3/4 fortified unsweetened organic soy milk and 1/4 fortified vanilla almond milk. You could certainly use juice or other milks, just make sure the flavor profile fits well. Also be sure to use enough liquid. Your liquid should almost cover the solid ingredients (except fresh greens).

8. Add some cinnamon! Lots of health benefits, including some evidence that it helps with blood sugar. And tasty.

Mango Smoothie (with secret veggies)

5 ice cubes

1/2 frozen organic banana

1/2 c frozen organic mango chunks

1 handful washed, fresh organic spinach

1/2 washed organic carrot (chopped, if using a blender)

1 T NuDe Food probiotic blend

3/4 c organic, fortified, plain soy milk

1/4 c organic, vanilla almond milk

1/2 t ground cinnamon

Layer the ingredients into your blending device or vitamix in the order recommended above. If you are using a blender, you may need to stop after about 30 seconds, remove the container from the base and stir the ingredients with a long spoon. If using a Vitamix, just use the tamper. Sometimes the greens like to float on top!

Pour out and serve. Any excess can be frozen into small 1/2 cup containers and make ideal ice packs for meals on the go. They are not edible straight from the freezer, but after being out in a lunch sack until lunch time, they're back to the perfect temperature.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Too much zucchini? A problem no more! You will love this cake, either with or without gluten. Kids love it, too, even though it has quite a lot of fruit/veggie in it. Adapted from an old family favorite. Makes great muffins, too (although you should call them cupcakes)

Yield: 12 solid servings, 24 cupcakes. Ingredients: 2 T soft Earth Balance (or butter substitute of your choice) 1/4 c vegetable oil of your choice 1 mashed banana 1 1/4 c sugar 2 egg substitutes (or eggs, beaten) 1 t vanilla 1/2 c milk of choice 1 t lemon juice 1 t baking soda 2 1/4 c whole wheat flour (or rice flour for GF version) 4 T cocoa powder 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t cinnamon 1/2 t ground cloves 2 c zucchini, shredded 1/2 c chocolate chips 1/2 c walnuts, toasted (optional) 1. Preheat the oven to 325 and grease an 11x13 pan. 2. Add lemon juice to milk to sour it (it will get chunky and is supposed to!). 3. Combine Earth Balance, oil, banana, and sugar and beat to combine. Mix in egg/substitute and vanilla. 4. Dissolve baking soda in milk mixture, stir, and add to the other liquid ingredients. Stir to combine. 5. Sift together dry ingredients and mix into wet ingredients until just combined. 6. Mix in shredded zucchini and pour into prepared pan. 7. Top with chocolate chips and nuts. 8. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes. YUM! Have you been to my website lately? More than just good eats, I've got workshops and new classes coming soon. Check them out! www.karikwinn.com

Tempeh Fajitas

I love this recipe for fajitas because it is so quick and easy. You can skip marinating the tempeh to save time. If you're vegan, be sure to buy vegan worchestershire sauce. This recipe is also gluten free! Time: 20 minutes (if you skip the steaming and marinating)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 package tempeh
2-3 bell peppers, sliced
1 bundle green onions
8 corn tortillas
3 Tbsp vegan worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dry garlic
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
salt to taste
fajita fixin's of your choice

Optional tempeh preparation:
Steam the tempeh for 15 minutes. This can remove some bitterness, but I don't find it necessary.

1. Slice cooled tempeh into strips. Soak in 2 Tbsp worchestershire sauce for 15-30 minutes.
2. Combine remaining worchestershire sauce with oil, spices and salt. Slice peppers. 3. Add tempeh and soaking sauce and toss to coat.
4. Heat a cast iron skillet to 8 of 10.
5. Add tempeh to skillet, turning once until slightly charred. Reserve soaking liquid.
6. Toss pepper slices and green onions with soaking liquid.
7. Remove tempeh and add peppers, onions, and all soaking liquid to the pan. Stir once or twice and cook for a few minutes.
8. Remove the pan from heat, add tempeh and serve immediately.