Joy of Blending - Page 9 of 18 - Vitamix and Blendtec blender recipes and tips

Layered Christmas Smoothie

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Adam

Here’s a festive two-layered Christmas smoothie recipe. Keeping the two layers separate is easy if you use a simple trick. I tried to make a layered Christmas smoothie last year, but I didn’t use any tricks, and the layers mixed.

You can use your choice of red and green smoothies, but I’ll share the recipes for the ones in the picture: the top is strawberry-pomegranate, and the bottom is mango-kiwi-spinach. It tastes good too!

I recommend baby spinach because it is the mildest tasting green I know of, and I don’t think bitter greens are in the Christmas spirit. (You can’t taste the spinach in this recipe.) Continue Reading →

Latkes and Applesauce with a Vitamix Blender

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Adam

I’ve been wanting to try the Vitamix to prepare potatoes and onions for latkes for a long time. An old joke is that the secret to good latkes is a little blood, shed while slaving over a potato grater. Many people use food processors to skip the bloody knuckles, but I was wondering if a Vitamix blender would be up to the task. Short answer: yes! I used the wet-chop technique, which uses water to circulate ingredients past the blades. Continue Reading →

Vitamix S30, S50, and S55 Review: In-depth Testing & Comparisons

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Adam

I’ve been testing out a Vitamix S30 for the past few months. Now that I’ve had a chance to put it through its paces, here is my Vitamix S30 review and performance comparison to the other Vitamix models. Vitamix provided the S30 tested here, but this is a fully independent review. If you make a purchase after following a link from this site, JoyofBlending.com may be compensated, and I thank you for your support.

Updates since original post: Vitamix added two new offerings to the S-Series: the Vitamix S50, the Vitamix S55. The S50 and S55 add preset programs, but are otherwise identical to the S30, so all of the tests in this review apply equally to all of these machines. I have added a section describing the preset modes to the end of this review.

Vitamix also released a Certified Reconditioned S30 and Certified Reconditioned S55, which offer great opportunities to save money without sacrificing quality. (Read more about the value of Vitamix Certified Reconditioned.)

Continue Reading →

Simple Vitamix Beet Soup

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Adam

I don’t know why, but the color of red beets continues to excite me. And their flavor is good too, so here’s a quick Vitamix beet soup recipe. One of the great things about making soup with a Vitamix is that you can get it silky smooth without straining. Continue Reading →

Fennel Smoothie

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Adam

Here’s a new smoothie idea—fennel! Fennel is similar in flavor to anise and licorice. I found the flavor to be distinct without being overpowering. (Note that many people who dislike black licorice end up enjoying fennel.) If you’re looking for variety in your smoothies, give it a try.

I kept this recipe simple so that the fennel doesn’t get tangled up with too many other flavors.
Continue Reading →

New Feature: Recipes by Season

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Adam

JoyOfBlending.com recently turned two years old, and previous years’ recipes have become a bit buried. (This is the 100th blog post!) I often post seasonal recipes, so I decided to add a feature to browse recipes by season. Just look for “Recipes By Season” over in the right sidebar, or you can head straight to fall recipes. Note that you can view recipes by ingredient or category as well.

If you’re on a phone or tablet and you don’t see the sidebar, try turning your device to a horizontal landscape orientation and see if it pops up. If your device is still not wide enough to display the sidebar, you can go to the Vitamix recipes page, which now includes links to recipes by season. (The recipes page is also always linked from the top menu bar.) Happy blending!

Vitamix Carrot Juice: 100% Undiluted

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Adam

If you’ve ever had carrot juice, you know what a treat it can be—bright orange, sweet, and bursting with carrot flavor. But can you make carrot juice with a Vitamix? Traditional juicers remove most of the fiber, whereas blenders leave it in. If you blend a super-juicy fruit like grapes or watermelon, you will get a liquid; but if you just blend carrots, you will get a thick purée—similar in consistency to applesauce—not a juice.

You can make a purée drinkable by adding liquid and/or various juicy fruits, which is what I do with my usual smoothies. Vitamix and Blendtec both have recipes for a “whole-food” or “total” carrot juice that add water, ice, and lemon juice to carrots (Blendtec also adds a bit of ginger). I’ve tried those recipes and they’re perfectly enjoyable, but they’re just not the same as a pure traditional carrot juice. They end up a bit watery (which is what the addition of lemon tries to compensate for). Continue Reading →

Ginger Sesame Dressing

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Adam

Here’s another version of the zesty dressing from Real Food Daily that I described previously. This recipe comes from Ann Gentry’s second cookbook, Vegan Family Meals. It’s a similar idea, but different flavor, because the watercress and garlic are replaced with ginger and white pepper. (If you don’t have white pepper, black pepper will suffice.) Continue Reading →

Watermelon Mint Agua Fresca with a Vitamix

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Adam

I’ve been meaning to make watermelon agua fresca all summer, and now that I’ve made it, I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner. I usually make something at least a few times before posting about it, but this was just too good, and summer is running out, so I’m posting right away. If you haven’t already been making aguas frescas this summer, go get a watermelon and try making one now!

This drink is cool, light, and refreshing. It’s not thick like the usual smoothies. Continue Reading →

Savory and Tangy Vitamix Cashew Sauce

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Adam

This is a versatile and tasty sauce. It can go on a variety of grains and vegetables, and it also works as a dip. The sauce is based on what Vitamix calls their “Not-So Cheese Sauce.” The flavor is savory and satisfying. Continue Reading →