I’ve been browsing various random Vitamix smoothie recipes online, and I’ve repeatedly seen people using almond milk and flax oil. I suspect that this is a result of people working from smoothie recipes that were written to be able to be made in any old blender. Powerful blenders can process whole almonds and flax seeds at the same time that they are processing the rest of your smoothie. Using whole ingredients is more nutritious, cheaper, and easier. Continue Reading →
I recently discovered that cinnamon can be a great smoothie ingredient, though a little googling shows I’m not the first to have this idea. It can really take the flavor up a notch, and it’s nice for variety. So far I’ve been putting it in berry smoothies similar to this one, but I bet it would go well in a range of other smoothies as well. Continue Reading →
Update: Amazon has very dynamic pricing, so the Amazon pricing info in this post might not be current. If you’re looking for the best deal you should check their current prices. Update 2: AZ Chia has raised their prices by ~$1/lb (table updated below). They still might be the best deal.
Update 3: There’s a killer deal on Amazon right now…. If you buy 6 pounds of chia it comes to $4/lb. (apologies if this deal is no longer available by the time you click it.)
In my previous post on chia seeds I mentioned that the cheap source I bought from on Amazon is no longer available. I’ve been searching periodically and haven’t turned up anything that’s nearly as good of a deal. The best prices on Amazon I’m finding now are ~$12/lb, or $11/lb if you buy 3 lbs. I decided to branch out my search and turned up a direct seller that has some deals if you buy in bulk. The seller is AZ Chia, and it was started by a retired professor who is a chia seed evangelist. Continue Reading →
I made coleslaw for the first time, and it was pretty easy with the Vitamix. Most things I make in the Vitamix I process until they are maximally smooth, so it’s a bit of a change of pace to make something intentionally chunky. I was concerned about over processing, but it turned out to be a non-issue. I’m not a big fan of mayonnaise, so I made a vinaigrette dressing. Continue Reading →
In terms of greens, so far I’ve only described baby spinach in detail. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with baby spinach (which shouldn’t take long since it’s so mild), it’s worth branching out to other greens for the sake of variety (nutritional and taste), and also because they can be significantly cheaper. The other greens I use are kale, collard greens, swiss chard, and sometimes lettuce. Continue Reading →
If you enjoy hummus, making it yourself is completely worth it. It’s so much cheaper and fresher than anything you can buy at the store, and like anything you make yourself, you have ultimate control over what goes in it. If you read the label of most commercial hummus you’ll find that they use a vegetable oil other than olive oil, which does not taste as good, and many sources would say is less healthy. I also like the bright lemon flavor you get when you use fresh lemon juice, which generally isn’t possible with packaged varieties. Continue Reading →
Cold weather is upon us, so it’s a good time to make some hot soup in the Vitamix. I decided to make a simple butternut squash soup, which is something that I’ve always meant to do. I’ve seen online raw recipes that I was curious about, but when it came down to it, the smell of the raw squash when I cut it open was not particularly appealing. I’ve always liked roasted vegetables, so I decided to go that route. I just roasted the squash and some other vegetables, and then blended them with coconut milk and some spices. It worked quite nicely. Continue Reading →
When making total juices with a Vitamix you can get away with tossing in so many different things that the color of the end product is sometimes less than appealing. It’s not a significant problem, but occasionally it’s nice to make something that’s a bright attractive color. The main trick is to avoid mixing greens and different bright colors like reddish ones that can result in a brownish smoothie. There are of course exceptions: in my experience the color of beets easily overwhelms the color of most greens.
In this case I used seasonal persimmons and apples that we have a ton of right now, along with a bunch of carrots, ginger, and yogurt. I skipped the ice cubes Continue Reading →
This is relatively self explanatory, but I have a few tips to share. When blending thicker mixtures, sometimes enough sticks to the inside of the blender after pouring it out that it seems like a waste to just wash it down the drain. For things like smoothies I like to put in just enough water to reach the blades, briefly spin it up to full speed, and then pour into my glass (after I’ve finished my smoothie). At first this watered-down smoothie may seem weird, but it’s really grown on me, and I think it’s worth it as a fast way to Continue Reading →
Another new ingredient to try is avocado. I’ve found that they go great with the V8-inspired vegetable blend that I mentioned previously. The avocado bulks it up a bit, and you get a sort of cold vegetable soup that is nice to eat with a spoon (rather than drink from a glass). If you’re serving the soup, you can spruce it up with a little garnish, such as some lightly toasted nuts. Continue Reading →