Make-Ahead Smoothies ♥
A great tip for smoothie makers, how to make them ahead of time: Just make 'em, that's it.
So am I the last smoothie lover to figure out that smoothies can be made ahead of time?! If so, sorry, move on with your day, I'll try to do better next week. :-) Otherwise, join me in this life-changing smoothie revelation:



Now this won't work for smoothies that use ice, unless you want to do the fruit/milk/etc part ahead of time and then blend again with ice later.
But other than that, call me surprised that even an avocado smoothie like the pictured here (recipe below) stayed bright and pretty for three days. The top that was exposed to air turned slightly less green but it wasn't un-appetizing in the least. I also noticed no change in flavor or richness or general smoothie-goodness.
I would advise being careful about keeping the smoothies cold, especially if you're taking them to work, say.
But hey, since I predict it's going to be a Smoothie Summer around here, maybe you'll share your own favorite concoctions? Tips, of course, are welcome too!
RECIPE for MAKE-AHEAD GREEN VELVET SMOOTHIE with KALE, AVOCADO & BANANA
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Makes 3 cups
Time to table: 10 minutes
Makes 3 cups
1 avocado
1 banana
3 raw kale leaves, just the leaves, no stem
2 cups milk - skim, buttermilk, non-dairy milks for vegan smoothies
Juice of half a lemon (important, don't skip)
In a blender, mix all the ingredients. If making ahead, pour into one-cup containers and refrigerate for two or three days.
ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES



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A Veggie Venture is home of 'veggie evangelist' Alanna Kellogg and the
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.
© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2012
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.
© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2012
I make homemade raw milk kefir once a week and it is so amazing in smoothies. I made yogurt, spinach and cantaloupe smoothies for my husband and I for lunch today, delish!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea! Though, I don't think I've ever made a smoothie without something frozen, like fruit. And I've never done one with avocado. Sounds so yummy!
ReplyDeleteI never thought about using buttermilk in a smoothie. I always have some for soaked oat muffins or waffles, so why not? Usually I just pour a generous splash of the kids' lemonade into the pile of 3 + 3 (veg and fruit servings). I can tell you that without 'real' lemon (though there is citric acid in the pink powder stuff) the spinach smoothies don't turn brown per se, just a bit less vibrant. What I've found is that letting the rest of my smoothie sit in the fridge means that the foamy part seems to settle down and I get more liquid to drink. If I use cooked veg (beets or sweet potato) in my smoothies they don't foam at all, but greens make mine foamy. Maybe due to the stems? I just throw the whole thing into the Vitamix.
ReplyDeleteI just read your smoothie using kale and milk together. The nutrition diva says that greens and dairy together cancels out the calcium.
ReplyDeletewhat great tips! i'll have to try this out! how helpful! thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteanyone know what the glasses are in the picture with the tops on them? Love the idea!
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous ~ I wondered if someone would ask about those "French jars"! I do sooo love them, picked up a half dozen or so many years ago from The Container Store, back when it was only in Dallas. I use them for everything from portion control for smoothies (a perfect one cup) to little bits of salad dressing to bacon grease to ... you get the picture.
ReplyDeleteI learned from David Lebovitz that Americans now call these French "working" jars. This led me to Crate & Barrel (white lids, I have a few of these too, they are larger) and Goodmans (also larger, red lids), Sur la Table (also larger, no apparent lids) and Amazon (various sizes, configurations).
Happy shopping!
I also read an article last year in the Southern Living Magazine on uses for pineapple juice. Try it to stop the browning of fruits that do, due to oxygen. So I slice up apples and pour straight pineapple juice over them and put them in those glass storage containers with snap lids. Two weeks and apples did not brown. Wonder if I could do this with this smoothie. Worth a try.
ReplyDeletedoes lemon juice curdle the milk?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous ~ I don’t remember that happening, as recently as yesterday. I did use an orange instead of a lemon though, worked beautifully!
ReplyDelete