Summer Smoothies

You’ll find more smoothie recipes in The Vegetarian Family Cookbook

Smoothies are at once soothing and invigorating, luscious yet low in fat. They also offer a concentrated source of nourishment any time of day, and make an especially vibrant way to start a warm day or to enjoy as a refreshing snack. With fresh summer fruit at its peak, smoothies provide a delicious vehicle for vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Cantaloupe-Carrot Creamsicle Smoothie
Nutty Banana-Blueberry Smoothie
Peaches and "Cream" Smoothie
Frozen Mixed Berry Fizz

To create your own smoothies, an easy formula to follow is to use 2 cups chopped fresh fruit, one cup yogurt, soy yogurt, or silken tofu, and one cup liquid. If you like thicker smoothies, use a little more fruit and less liquid; if you like a more juicy smoothie, do just the opposite. Here are some possibilities for mixing and matching:

FRUITS: Make sure the fruits you use are ripe and lush; smoothies are truly only as good as the fruits used in them. Organic fruit is always preferable. Berries of all sorts, nectarines, peaches, cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew are excellent for summer smoothies. Extend your smoothie pleasure into the fall and winter with soft pears and apples, pineapple, mangoes, papayas, and kiwi. Bananas are welcome in smoothies any time of year; they add a smooth, thick texture and heightened sweetness to most any smoothie.

LIQUIDS: Again, organic fruit juices are preferable. Choose from orange, carrot, mango, apricot nectar, tropical juice blend, carrot, pineapple, or apple juice. You can also use rice milk or soy milk instead of juice.

YOGURT, SOY YOGURT, OR SILKEN TOFU: Most of the time, vanilla-flavored yogurt is fine, but you can experiment with lemon, orange, or berry-flavored yogurts. Make sure to use all-natural, organic yogurts, whether dairy or soy. Both are good sources of calcium and beneficial cultures. Silken tofu, pureed with the fruits used, results in full-bodied, high-protein smoothies. Frozen yogurt or nondairy frozen desserts result in smoothies that can satisfy as desserts.

SWEETENERS: Chances are, you won’t need additional sweetening using ripe, sweet summer fruits, but for a little boost, choose from maple syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, fruit juice concentrate, or stevia.

NUTRITIONAL ENHANCERS: If a smoothie is going to comprise the main part of a meal, such as breakfast, you can consider adding the following: Liquid calcium, brewers yeast or nutritional yeast (for an array of vitamins and minerals), nut butter (for added protein and beneficial fats), or ground flaxseeds (for omega-6 fatty acids).

CANTALOUPE-CARROT CREAMSICLE SMOOTHIE
Serves: 2 to 3

Get a healthy dose of vitamin C and beta-carotene in a concoction that tastes like an intensely delicious creamsicle, and is good enough to serve as a dessert.

2 cups diced lush, ripe cantaloupe
1 to 1 1/2 cups carrot or carrot-orange juice
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt or nondairy frozen dessert

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smoothly pureed. Or, place in a container and process with an immersion blender. Adjust consistency with more liquid if desired. Serve at once in tall glasses.

NUTTY BANANA-BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE
Serves: 2 to 3

Blueberries are one of the most antioxidant-rich fruits available, making this a supercharged way to start a summer day, or to enjoy as a midday refreshment.

1 medium banana, broken into several pieces
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons natural peanut, cashew, or almond butter
1 cup low-fat organic vanilla or berry yogurt or soy yogurt
1 cup vanilla rice milk or soy milk
1/2 cup crushed ice, optional

PEACHES AND “CREAM” SMOOTHIE
Serves: 2 to 3

Here’s a filling smoothie with a mellow flavor.

2 cups coarsely chopped, lush ripe peaches or nectarines
1 cup crumbled silken tofu
1 cup organic apricot nectar or tropical juice blend
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup, or to taste, optional
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, optional
1/2 cup crushed ice, optional

FROZEN MIXED BERRY FIZZ
3 servings

Starting with frozen berries makes for an extra-cool, slush-like beverage.

2 cups lush, sweet berries (any combination of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries)
1 cup low-fat berry yogurt or soy yogurt
3/4 cup organic red grape or cranberry juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or honey, or to taste
3/4 cup seltzer

Wash the berries and remove all stems and hulls. Place in a container, cover, and freeze for several hours or overnight.

Combine the berries in a food processor or blender and process until smoothly pureed. If desired, strain through a fine sieve to filter out the seeds, then return to the food processor and add the remaining ingredients. Process until smoothly pureed. Adjust consistency with more liquid if desired. Serve at once in tall glasses.

Join Nava on Facebook
Follow Nava on Twitter
See Nava's images on Flickr

Nava's Books
Click on the cover to learn more

Expect the Unexpected When You're Expecting