Kale Blueberry Kefir Smoothie

Our niece Emma and her family from Boston were visiting us on Monday and Tuesday.  As she looked at the abundance of kale growing in Tom's vegetable bins, she told me how she has been making kale and kefir smoothies for breakfast. It made me wonder why I haven't made one recently.  Last summer I posted my Mud Slide smoothie, using kale, blueberries, a frozen banana and soy milk and how much I loved it. So I decided to whip up a kale and blueberry kefir smoothie yesterday morning.  Pzazz for sure!  And so simple!  

If you aren't familiar with kefir, (properly pronounced keh-FEER)  it is a close cousin to yogurt, in that they are both cultured dairy products.  But kefir it is a fermented milk drink with curds that are much smaller than those found in yogurt,  therefore it is easier to digest for those whom are lactose intolerant. Like good quality yogurts, kefir contains probiotics. (I provided a link to the Mayo Clinic Health website for a discussion on the possible benefits of probiotics and prebiotics.) 

A difference between yogurt and kefir is that yogurt has bacteria that act as food for the beneficial bacteria already residing in a healthy digestive system.  But kefir, on the other hand, can actually repopulate the digestive system with the healthy bacteria required for good digestion.  

In this smoothie, I used blueberry flavored kefir, which also has some sugars in it, so that is probably not as healthy as my Mud Slide Smoothie.  However, it was quick and easy, and I barely have any blueberries from our garden this year, so this was a good substitute.

The combination of probiotics and kale was a divinely healthy way to start a gorgeous summer day in Duluth. When I went out to the garden early in the morning to harvest some kale, I was awed by the beauty of the morning dew still clinging to the leaves.

Sorry for my digression from food to beauty.  Back to the smoothie.  If you are new to "green smoothies",  you might want to increase the amount of blueberry kefir to 1 cup or something similar to gain the right amount of sweetness.  Also, I like Nancy's Organic Kefir, but Lifeway Kefir is also good and usually substantially cheaper.  I'll try it with a different flavor of kefir another day.  And maybe add half of a frozen banana, which always makes smoothies so creamy and velvety.  Yum!

Ingredients:
1 cup lightly packed finely chopped fresh kale, stems removed first
1/2 cup blueberry kefir

Preparation:
Put the kale and kefir into a Magic Bullet or similar device and process until all kale is finely pulverized.  I put a small amount into a covered Mason jar to see how well it would keep in the refrigerator and it was still very fresh looking and tasting at noon. Now I wish I had made more.

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: About 3/4 cup
Calories: 116
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 92 mg
Total Carbs: 20 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 8 g

Cheers Green Drink

Cheers indeed!  It is the first day that there is no snow on our vegetable garden, and the second day I enjoyed lunch on the deck this year.   And the first day I was in the mood for a cold greens drink made with the VitaMix.  So many reasons to declare Cheers!

The taste of a fresh green drink was astounding today!  This particular one is from Dr. Oz, or at least some version of it.  It is kind of a mix between a smoothie and a juice, so I labeled it as both on this blog.  What I love most about a green drink is how fresh and invigorating it is! And it consistently dissuades me from indulging in lousy food choices.  Processed food suddenly tastes incredibly artificial and unappealing in contrast.  So I took the VitaMix out of the closet and put it on my counter top, making it readily accessible for daily use.

This delightful glass is from the wedding of the daughter of my good friend, Julie.  Julie has developed an extraordinary site, Jules of Nature. Each day she pairs a quote with her exquisite photography. It is my morning ritual to look at that site for reflection and inspiration.  I encourage you to do the same.  Cheers!

Ingredients:
1 cup baby spinach
3 medium stalks celery, cut into chunks
1/2 cup diced, seeded cucumber                                      

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 small Braeburn apple, cored
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon lime zest 

Preparation:  
Put the celery, cucumber, apple, and lemon and lime juices first into a VitaMix. (Putting the ingredients that have the most water content in the bottom will get the mixing stated easier.)  Put the other ingredients on top.  Start on low speed, but then quickly move it up to high speed.  Pour into a fun glass and sip or gulp.  Whatever way you do it, savor it with Pzazz!


Nutrition per servings:                                           
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 3 cups
Calories: 110
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium: 138 mg
Total Carbs: 27 g
Dietary Fiber: 7 g
Protein: 3 g

Powerful Purple Pzazz Smoothie

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month!

And November 10 is World NET Cancer Day! 
(NET is the acronym for NeuroEndocrine Tumors)

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has chosen purple as the designated color to increase awareness of this deadly cancer.  Please see their website at www.pancan.org to learn more about pancreatic cancer and how you can become involved in raising awareness and participate in raising funds for research.  It is the only type of cancer that has not seen an improvement in the 5 year survival rate in 40 years.  

My type of cancer is a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, which is the same type that Steve Jobs died from, and comprises only 5% of all pancreatic cancers. 

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is the umbrella term for a group of unusual, often slow growing cancers, which develop from cells in the diffuse endocrine systems.  They are found most commonly in the lung or gastrointestinal system, but they can arise in other parts of the body, such as the pancreas. 

November 10 is World NET Cancer Day!

For more information about this exciting event, see 

http://netcancerday.org/

The World NET Community was established in March 2010, in Berlin, and works to provide worldwide awareness of NET cancer. 

The zebra is the logo for NET cancer. I will explain more about this another time.  
On November 10 I will be wearing my zebra scarf with a purple blouse!  
Pzazz for sure! 

NET cancers are frequently misdiagnosed and patients are treated on average for 3 - 7 years  for the wrong disease.  There are a number of different types of NETS and they all have a different way of expressing themselves in terms of symptoms as well as how they look under a microscope. 

The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation provides comprehensive and remarkably useful information about NET cancer for the newly diagnosed. 

The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation is another remarkable foundation that focuses on raising funds for research for NETs, as well as providing support for individuals with NETS.   

So, to kick off this important month, I made a Powerful Purple Pzazz Smoothie for my breakfast. A recent addition to my smoothies has been black raspberry seed nutri-powder. Black raspberry (which is different than red raspberry) has been shown in numerous scientific studies to be a potent anti-tumor agent. See below for citations..And while I firmly believe that no extract from any food will ever be as powerful as the synergistic effect derived from eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods, I am eager to add to my cancer "survivorship" in whatever ways possible.  Thus, this smoothie is a Pzazzed and Powerful way to continue to blaze my trail to longevity in November!

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Black Raspberry Seed Nutri-Powder (Botanic Innovations is the source I use to purchase my black raspberry seed powder. Other on-line resources are BerriHealth, and there are probably others, too) 
1/2 cup frozen triple berry mix (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)
1/4 cup frozen blueberries  (I still have some in the freezer from summer 2011!)
1/2 frozen banana, sliced 
1/2 cup Westsoy Organic unsweetened soy milk

2011 Garden Blueberries

Preparation:
Blend in a MagicBullet or blender to desired consistency. 

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 151                                                      
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 26 mg
Total Carbs: 30 g
Dietary Fiber: 9 g
Protein: 6 g

Citations of some studies supporting anti-angiogeneis and anti-oxident properties of black raspberry extract:
1.  Liu Z, Schwimer J, Liu D, Greenway FL, Anthony CT, Woltering EA. Black Raspberry Extract and Fractions Contain Angiogenesis Inhibitors. J Agric Food Chem 53; 2909-3915,

2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184418/

3. Fatty Acid Content and Antioxidant Properties of Cold Pressed Black Raspberry Seed Oil and Meal, J. Parry, Liangli Yu, PhD. et.al.
4.  Inhibitory Effect of Chardonnay and Black Raspberry Seed Extracts on Lipid Oxidation in Fish Oil and their Radical Scavenging,  J. Parry, Liangli Yu, PhD. et.al.

Peach Smoothie

Peach- Yogurt Smoothie

As much as I am committed to eat  "locally grown" fruits and vegetables as much as possible, the peaches in the market were too delectable for me to resist.  And when I pureed one with a small amount of goat yogurt, I knew I had found Pzazz!  You can use any type of yogurt for this smoothie.  The tart goat yogurt from my friend, Christal, complimented the peach remarkably well.  

Ingredients:
1 small peach, peeled
1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt

Preparation:
Puree with Pzazz in a Magic Bullet or other food processor.  I am now the proud owner of my very own Magic Bullet, thanks to my friend, Diane.  When I returned hers last week, she gave me a gift card to use toward the purchase of my own Magic Bullet.  What a generous friend!  Thank you Diane!!!!

Nutrition:  (using low-fat cow yogurt)
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 73
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 4 mg
Sodium: 43 mg
Total Carbs: 13 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 4 g

Mango Lime Cilantro Smoothie

Mango Lime Cilantro Puree

Yesterday I was making the Quinoa Avocado Mango Salad that I posted on this blog a couple of weeks ago to bring to a gathering of friends for dinner last night.  Some days my brain is tired of thinking about what I can bring to such events that I can actually eat, but I thought of this salad and decided others might like it, too.  As I was making it, I remembered that last time I made it I hadn't chopped the cilantro quite small enough for me and had to pick some of it out. So this time, I decided to puree the cilantro with the mango and lime juice.  Well  --- wow!  I loved the neon-green color and the Pzazzy taste and realized I could use this as a smoothie puree, so I indulged immediately. Then I went on to mix the puree that I hadn't gulped down with cooked quinoa and a small amount of chopped very soft avocado to make the salad to bring to share with others. The salad was a definite hit with most people.  More Pzazz for my day!

Another part of this story:   A friend, Diane,  shared her Magic Bullet with me and I have been incredibly impressed with the versatility, portability, efficiency, quietness and ease of cleaning this single portion processing tool.  (My kitchen is beginning to look like a test kitchen for gadgets that puree!)  What I really like about this Magic Bullet is that there is no waste of the puree in the bottom of the container.  And it is a snap to clean.  Also, it effiectively purees even kale and blueberries for my Mud Slide  (posted a couple of weeks ago), and it is so small that it doesn't require much counter space and easily travels with me.  Thanks for letting me try out this new gadget, Diane! I'm definitely purchasing my own when it goes on sale.  Now, everyone, please go make this delectable summer smoothie!


Ingredients:
1 cup fresh mango slices
juice from one lime
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (stems removed)

Preparation:
Place all ingredients into the container of a Magic Bullet or similar and puree until smooth, frothy, and delectably Pzazzed! Garnish as desired, but please keep it looking fresh and snappy!

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 2
Serving Size: About 1/2 cup
Calories: 58
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 2 mg
Total Carbs: 16 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 0 g

Mud Slide

Mud Slide

This recipe was born out of need to use the tasty tender kale greens abounding in Tom's vegetable garden, and to sweeten it up naturally for a breakfast smoothie.  The result was an incredibly tasty concoction, but as ugly as the mud slides created by the floods two weeks ago in Duluth!  But that idea created the name for this zany, tasty morning smooothie!   Blueberries, kale, soy milk, and 1/2 of a frozen banana.  You NEED to try this.  Honestly.  Surprise yourself with a delightfully healthy breakfast.  Remember, kale and blueberries both contain important nutrients for maximum health each day.  Ah....grow the food, puree the food, enjoy the day.  Pzazz!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup WestSoy Organic unsweetened soy milk 
   (remember to always use organic soy products since other types contain high levels of pesticides) 

1/2 frozen banana                                               
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup chopped tender kale, stems removed

Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a VitaMix and puree on high until smooth and creamy.

Chopped garden kale

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 1 1/4  cup
Calories: 175
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium:46   mg
Total Carbs: 33 g
Dietary Fiber: 8
Protein: 8

Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie

Smoothies are high on my list of summer breakfast treats. Refreshing, quick and delicious! And most enjoyable with a fresh peony from my garden. That was before the Duluth monsoons arrived on Tuesday night.  It has been a dramatic few days in Duluth which received 10 inches of rain in 24 hours. 


Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 cup plain low-fat kefir
4 -5 mint leaves, chopped
1 Tablespoon ground flax
1/2 Tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut

Preparation:
Process all ingredients
 in blender.  


Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 11/2 cup
Calories: 168
Total Fat: 5  g
Cholesterol: 5 mg                                              
Sodium: 68 mg
Total Carbs: 27 g
Dietary Fiber: 6
Protein: 32 g

Blueberry Basil Smoothie

I like to kick-start my mornings with a waft of the herbs on my deck. A few days ago, I realized the basil had exploded!  Acting purely on impulse and a sense of what sounded good, I put some chopped basil, thawed blueberries and kefir into the blender and made an awesome smoothie.  I discovered that blueberries and basil make a remarkably great combination of flavors. After I sipped my smoothie on the deck, I did an on-line search to see if there were other recipes using this combination of flavors and found that yes, blueberries and basil were paired for salsa, vinegars, and a variety of other options.  Oooooh, I love it when my culinary instincts are affirmed.  This refreshing smoothie was made even better with the knowledge of how healthy it was.  The glory of blueberries is that not only are they delicious, they contain more disease-fighting antioxidants than practically any other fruit or vegetable.  And adding ground flax offers a healthful boost of omega 3s, fiber, and protein.   The probiotics in kefir are helpful for the immune system and the digestive system. Truly a summer delight!  




Ingredients:   

Potted basil on the deck

1/2 cup plain low-fat kefir
1/3 cup thawed blueberries    
4 -5 fresh basil leaves
1 Tablespoon ground flax


Note: For additional protein, Fage yogurt could be used in place of or in addition to the kefir. Or protein powder could be added. The nutritional analysis used kefir.


Preparation:
Process all ingredients together in a blender or VitaMix to desired consistency.  

Ready to puree basil, blueberries and kefir

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 1 cup (approximately)
Calories:  113
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol:  5 mg                                                    
Sodium: 65 mg
Total Carbs: 15 g
Dietary Fiber: 3
Protein: 7

Cucumber Spinach Frothy

Salads say "summer is here", and indeed, the forecast is for 70 degrees again today, and I am desiring a salad. But salads pose a high risk of causing a digestive tract blockage for me, so I made the next best thing - a green frothy drink.  Previous summers, I have "juiced" raw green vegetables, which extracts the fiber from them, and the juices made peace with my digestive system quite easily. But making green smoothies with raw vegetables is a bit of a new experiment for me, and now available because I have a VitaMix.  While the smoothie includes highly pulverized/pureed fiber, and meets my gastroenterologist's guideline for my food (if it can squeeze through a tube of toothpaste, it is safe for me to eat),  it is not cooked, so I am curious to see if my system will tolerate it or not.  While I know it won't create a digestive tract blockage, it may just race through my system.  If you don't see anymore posts on this blog for smoothies with raw green vegetables, you'll know the answer to that question without my having to bore you with the gory details. 


Sitting on the sunny deck sipping this nutrient-rich frothy drink nourished my joy today and gave me a much needed taste of summer.   

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped cucumber (1/2 of a very large cuke)
1 cup loosely packed fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup water
lemon juice to taste

Preparation:   This is where the VitaMix really works wonders to sufficiently pulverize the vegetables so I don't need to worry about a possible digestive tract obstruction.    Put the cucumber, spinach, water, and lemon juice in the mighty VitaMix and process until it is frothy.  Sip in the sunshine, with clean, green gladness.


Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 1 3/4 cup            
Calories: 53
Total Fat: 0
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium:  32 mg
Total Carbs: 12 g
Dietary Fiber: 3
Protein: 3 g

Blueberry Mint Smoothie

Before Tom goes fishing each year, I make a ritual of cleaning out the freezer in anticipation of making room for a new batch of walleyes.  So this year when I was cleaning the freezer, I discovered two bags of organic blueberries and you would have thought I had won the lottery.  YeeHa!   I had struck it rich! At least rich in delectable, beautiful blueberries.  And today the temperature in Duluth was nearly 70 degrees, prompting me to make something refreshing.  Time to whip up something new. What did I have to compliment the taste of the blueberries?  Ah...the mint that is quickly growing in my herb garden would be perfect, along with some kefir. 


If you aren't familiar with kefir, it is a cultured milk drink, and a great source of probiotics.  Probiotics are helpful for digestion, as well as for the immune system.  My favorite brand of kefir is Nancy's Organic Low-fat Plain kefir.  This particular brand contains 13 live culture strains.  I don't tolerate normal milk products, but cultured milk products are entirely different. Like yogurt, the live cultures in kefir are helpful for digestion and I need all the help I can get.  


But as I sat on the deck in the warm sunshine sipping this delightful smoothie, I wasn't thinking about it's nutritional and digestive merits.  I was simply savoring the moment.  

Ingredients:
1 cup plain low-fat kefir  (or less if you like a thicker consistency)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
About 6 -8 fresh mint leaves


Preparation:
Process it all together in a blender, making sure the blueberry skins and mint leaves are completely pulverized.


Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup
Calories: 180
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 20 mg
Sodium: 151 mg
Total Carbs: 26 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 11

Hopeful Spring Smoothie

On Saturday, I had prepared a pureed asparagus soup and a delectable carrot-parsnip puree to be certain I would have what I needed to enjoy my Easter dinner with my family. So I was surprised when I stared at the fabulous fruit platter of fresh pineapple, strawberries, grapes, and mango with envy for my family's ability to eat it with abandon and without concern for an obstruction. Then, oh so slowly, the words from the poem I had read earlier in the day crept into my soul: "Coax joy to spring from my difficulties." "Warm the buds of my relationships so they bloom with healthy love." "Light-filled Being, my Joy and my Hope, let the greening in me begin." (just a few lines from Out of the Ordinary, an exquisite poem, by Joyce Rupp). So later in the day when there was a quiet moment after the guests departed, I made a fruit smoothie with pineapple, strawberries, yogurt, and some shredded unsweetened coconut.  Ah, hope bubbled up with gratefulness.  


Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple
3 medium strawberries, stem and core removed
1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt 


Preparation:
Put all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and puree your way to sweet hope!


Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: About 1 1/2  cup
Calories: 104
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 4 mg
Sodium: 45 mg
Total Carbs: 17 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 4 g

Creamy Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie

Blueberries are ripe in our garden!  Tom has tried to keep ahead of the chipmunks in harvesting them.  Fortunately, he picked about 2 quarts yesterday.  So I made this smoothie for breakfast today.  In addition to the regular plain yogurt, I like to use Fage Greek yogurt to give a creamy texture and it adds additional protein without many carbohydrates. 

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt

1/2 cup Fage Greek yogurt (0% fat)

Preparation:
Puree all ingredients in a blender.

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 2
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 105
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 1 mg
Sodium: 73 mg
Total Carbs: 17 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 9 g

Strawberry Basil Freezee

Ah, the generosity of friends is incredible.  Yesterday morning, a friend delivered a bucket of strawberries that she had just picked, knowing that it is now difficult for me to pick berries myself.  Tom had planted a few plants in our garden, and these resulted in the berries in this photo.  But to have a whole bucket full of berries was awesome.  Inspired by her goodness and the abundance of basil in my deck pots, I made this freezee.  Recently, I heard that basil and strawberries was a good combination, but I was skeptical...until I tried it!  Delicious!

Ingredients:                                             

1 cup sliced strawberries

4 - 5 fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup skim ricotta cheese

Preparation:

Put all ingredients in a blender to puree.  Divide the contents into two freezer-safe containers. Freeze for several hours. 

Nutrition:

Servings per recipe: 2

Serving Size:1/3 cup                                                           

Calories: 68

Total Fat: 3 g

Cholesterol:10 mg

Sodium: 39 mg

Total Carbs: 8 g

Dietary Fiber: 2

Protein: 4 g

Strawberry Mint Dazzler

This is a refreshing summer treat and incredibly easy to make.  Balsamic vinegar and strawberries may seem like an odd combination, but they complement one another superbly!

Ingredients:
1 cup halved fresh strawberries
2 - 4 fresh mint leaves
1/2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Preparation:
Put it all in the blender and blend to desired consistency, making sure that the mint leaves are fully pulverized.

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe:  1
Serving size:  About 1/2 cup
Calories: 67
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 4 mg
Total Carbs: 16 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 1 g

Strawberry-Mint Smoothie

I have an abundance of Lebanese mint growing in my herb garden. It was given to me by a friend whose husband is from the Mideast.  It can be invasive, so I wisely put it in pots dug into the the herb garden when I planted it several years ago and this has helped to contain it.  It has a lovely taste and I find as many ways to use it as possible.  I particularly like to pair it with strawberries.  I had organic strawberries in the freezer from last summer, so I paired them together today.  To add a healthy dose of Omega-3, I included ground flax seeds.  Delicious!

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries, halved
3 - 4 fresh mint leaves (or more)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed 

Preparation:
Put all ingredients into the blender and puree until thoroughly mixed.   

Nutrition:
Servings: 1
Serving Size: About 3/4 cup
Calories: 125
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium:  2 mg
Carbohydrates: 15g 
Dietary Fiber: 8 g
Protein: 4 g

Mango Kefir Delight

Ingredients:
1 Mango, peeled and diced
1/2 cup low-fat plain Kefir

Preparation:
Combine and puree in blender until smooth and frothy.  Enjoy slightly chilled.

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: Approximately  3/4 cup
Calories: 222
Total Fat: 2 g 
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 67  mg
Total Carbohydrate: 48 g 
Dietary Fiber:  5 g
Protein: 8 g