Beet smoothies

Posted on by
22

Whole beet rootSometimes when making smoothies we can fall into a rut where we keep making the same combinations and eventually get tired of them. To keep things interesting I like to bring in a variety of new ingredients, and recently I’ve started making beet smoothies. Their deep red color is pretty exciting.

I was somewhat surprised to find that beets can be added to smoothies raw and unpeeled (assuming you’re using a powerful blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec). I’ve been adding them to a version of the ginger smoothie that I previously wrote about, as well as the vegetable V8-like smoothie. Continue Reading →

Vitamix Bread

Posted on by
34

This past weekend I decided to try making bread using the Vitamix. I’ve been thinking about making bread for a long time, but I’ve always been a bit intimidated. I have zero experience with breadmaking. I decided to start with the simplest recipe in the Vitamix Whole Grains Cookbook. The basic premise is that you can grind the wheat berries to make whole grain flour, and then also use the Vitamix to do the mixing and kneading for you. I was very happy with how it came out, and it was very easy/straightforward. Continue Reading →

Power blender ear protection

Posted on by
1

Blenders are loud, and powerful ones like the Vitamix and Blendtec can be even louder. Commercial establishments often use sound enclosures, but I haven’t come across a reasonable enclosure for home use (they’re bulky and expensive).

Instead, I’ve been happy with a set of earmuffs that I bought a few years ago. They may look like overkill at first, but they make blending much more pleasant, and they just might save your hearing. If there are often other people nearby, you might even want to get a second pair Continue Reading →

Seasonal ingredients: persimmons and cranberries

Posted on by
1

It’s fall, which means cranberries and persimmons are coming into season. They are a nice way to change up your smoothies, and you can use them together to make a great combination. The sweetness of persimmons balances the tartness of cranberries. You can put them in a smoothie with the other standbys that I’ve previously mentioned, or they can stand on their own. Continue Reading →

Smoothie ingredient: apples

Posted on by
2

I use a lot of apples in smoothies, particularly this time of year when they are so abundant. We have a small apple tree that has yielded a surprising number of apples this year.1 Apples can lend a nice bit of mild sweetness, as well as adding a little body. I generally like to combine them with a stronger flavor, which lately has been berries or ginger. Continue Reading →

Smoothie ingredient: carrots

Posted on by
Reply

Similar to spinach, carrots can have a surprisingly mild taste in smoothies. You can put one or two into a fruit smoothie and not even taste them once it’s blended. They are also on the cheaper end of the spectrum, and are packed with vitamin A.

When picking out carrots, look for ones with an intense color, and try to avoid ones that are cracked or have a lot of little hair-like roots coming off of them. They keep in the fridge for about two weeks. Continue Reading →

Don’t make this Vitamix mistake!

Posted on by
42

Blended Vitamix tamperIt can be tempting to not use the lid if you’re just doing a quick touch-up or a minor blend job. If you do, realize that you are entering the danger zone. First, if the switch and knob are not on the variable/lowest setting you could send the contents of the pitcher all over the kitchen. Second, if you happen to be tempted to use the tamper when the lid is off, it’s game over. The length of the tamper and the hole in the lid are designed to allow the tamper to reach very near the blades without hitting them. If the lid is off, there’s nothing to stop the tamper.

NEVER USE THE TAMPER WITHOUT THE LID!!! NEVER!!! Continue Reading →

Instant (unfiltered) Vitamix almond milk

Posted on by
23

This may be the easiest recipe that I routinely make in my Vitamix blender. Most almond milk recipes involve straining out the pulp, but I’ve found that not to be necessary. When drinking it you can notice the fiber (it’s a bit chalky), but it doesn’t bother us. We usually use this almond milk to pour on cereal, which makes the fiber less noticeable. It’s so fast to prepare that I often make it when I realize that we’re out of milk, but really want a bowl of cereal.

Among people who have never made it, I’ve noticed a perception that making nut milks must be a major undertaking. But it can be really easy–just blend nuts and water, and you get nut milk! With a powerful blender you don’t even need to pre-soak the nuts, though some people think that you should be soaking all your nuts anyway. So if you have been overwhelmed with the idea of making nut milk, try making an unfiltered batch and see if you like it. Continue Reading →

“Creamy” raspberry smoothie

Posted on by
Reply

This is an example of a variation on last week’s “tri-berry smoothie.” In this case I substituted soaked walnuts for the almonds, and added extra raspberries instead of the blueberries. I also happened to use a carrot and an apple instead of the previously mentioned spinach. Adding extra raspberries makes their flavor stand out. Raspberries have a stronger, slightly more tart taste than blueberries. Continue Reading →

Soaking nuts

Posted on by
11

Earlier this year while looking for new smoothie ideas online I came across the notion of soaking nuts. Raw foodists who eat a lot of nuts are particularly big proponents. The claim is that by soaking nuts and discarding the soak water you can increase the digestibility and nutritional value of nuts. I decided to try it and see what soaked nuts are like. The standard practice is to first soak them and then dehydrate them. When I tried this with walnuts I found that the taste was dramatically altered. They retain a distinct walnut flavor, but they lose the mouth-puckering astringency of raw walnuts. I’ve found that the loss of astringency makes them a better smoothie ingredient. See the end of the post for details of the soaking process. Continue Reading →