Allergen-Free Recipe - Orange Ginger Smoothie

This orange ginger smoothie is a great way to get a large dose of ginger for the day.  It has the bite of fresh ginger but also a mild sweetness and surprising creaminess.

1 Orange
1 Nub of Ginger, Approx. 1/2" Long
1 Date
1 c. Spinach
1 c. Coconut Water
1/4 c. Ice

(1) Put all ingredients into a high power blender.  Blend until thoroughly mixed.

Allergen-Free Recipe - Lime and Persimmon Smoothie

Just before Adelaide turned 2, we flew to Denver for a mini vacation with a good friend, Brent.  The entire trip, I craved green smoothie but had a tough time finding a juice or smoothie bar.  Finally, while cruising around Boulder one day, Ingrid and Brent were looking for a snack and found a little shop (I think it was a yogurt shop) that also sold smoothies.  They got me one - a green-focused smoothie featuring lime, spinach, granny smith apple, and avocado.  Since then, I've been working on a recipe to recreate that smoothie and finally found the right blend of ingredients.

1 Lime
1 Persimmon
2 Dates, pitted
2 c. Coconut Water (or more for desired consistency)
1/2 c. Ice
1 c. Spinach
1/2 Granny Smith Apple, stem and seeds removed
1 Avocado, seed and skin removed





(1) Cut lime in half.  Add 1/2 lime, including the rind, to the blender.  Add the juice of the remaining lime half and the remaining ingredients.  Blend in high power blender until thoroughly incorporated.

Note that this smoothie has some bitter notes from the lime rind.  If think the bitter notes add some character to the smoothie, but if you prefer no bitterness, try using the zest and juice of the lime.  Also, a banana will work in lieu of the persimmon (we get persimmons as part of our CSA and use them frequently in place of bananas).

The Original Lime Smoothie in Boulder, CO

Allergen-Free Recipe - Strawberry Apricot Smoothie

A completely original and very tasty smoothie...

1 Banana

½. C. frozen strawberries

2 c. water (or coconut water)

2 c. kale (or spinach)

2 tbls. Flax seed

6 dried apricots

3 dried plums (or dates)


(1) Combine all ingredients in a high-power blender.  Blend until incorporated and smooth.

The Goods (Recipe) - Pina Colada Smoothie

Always looking for a way to get more coconut oil, here's a recipe tested and approved this morning that blew my socks off for a first iteration.

2 Large Oranges

1/8 c. Coconut Oil
1 c. Frozen Pineapple
1 c. Water
4 Dates

(1) Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender.  Blend until thoroughly incorporated.

The Goods (Recipe) - Tropical Chai Smoothie

I found a great little juice bar/take-a-way food place in Solana Beach, CA, called Juice Nation, while looking for lunch options close to my office.  Among the smoothies on their menu was a Tropical Chai Chia Smoothie, which had a much different flavor than any other smoothie I tried.  The recipe below is my version of a this smoothie.   

½ c. frozen mango

½. c. pineapple

2 c. coconut water (or water)

2 c. spinach (or kale)

½-inch slice of fresh ginger root

2 tbls. Flax seed

6 dates

¼ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. fennel seed

1/8 tsp cardamom

1/8 tsp ground clove

(1) Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender until thoroughly incorporated.

Note that you can use all fresh fruit.  In that case, replace 1/2 c. of the coconut water (or water) with ice. 

Smoothies - Food and Drink of the Gods

In Greek mythology, the Gods are often said to partake of ambrosia and nectar, the food and drink of immortality.  If there were such a food and drink, I am inclined to believe that smoothies would be one of the top candidates.  Several trains of thought that I have run across link high nutrition and low caloric intake with increased life spans (For Example, Eat, Fast, and Live Longer, a documentary by Dr. Michael Mosley, discusses these trains of thought and proposes a 5:2 fasting diet).  After looking at and wading full Monty into the food and drink landscape, I am convinced that smoothies provide the best platform for increasing nutrition while decreasing caloric intake.  Let me clarify that I am not talking about most commercially produced smoothies, which are often laden with sugar and cream - I'm talking about smoothies exclusively made with whole fruits and vegetables and a few acceptable adder ingredients.  These types of smoothies can be found in independently owned juice bars, but it is quite a bit cheaper to make them at home (if you own a high-power blender - which I recommend).

Smoothies, especially green smoothies, have become routine in our household for breakfast.  And after years of experimentation, Ingrid and I have found several rules that we recommended for making impromptu smoothies (from the fruit and veg sitting in your kitchen right now) in addition to a few specific recipes for which we deliberately buy ingredients.  I will start posting these guidelines and recipes shortly...

Our Current Fresh Fruit and Veg Stores.  A little sparse (mostly oranges and passion fruit) , but add some organic frozen fruit and it's still enough to make a mean smoothie...