Citrus Blast Smoothie

Is it time for a new smoothie recipe? Something bright, light, energizing and zingy (not a word? Oh well!) This Citrus Blast is just that. I love how it looks like a creamsicle in my glass. I love the cool, crisp zing of this refreshing smoothie. Kudos to my friend Julie for the original idea. So, here it is...

ORANGE BLAST

Juice of 2 Red or Pink Grapefruit

4 Carrots

Small Chunk Ginger

2 Lg Scoops Ice

Juice the grapefruit with a hand juicer, then pour into your blender.

I like to peel the carrots when I am blending them. (I don't peel them when juicing; click here to learn about blending vs juicing)

Break the carrots in half and add to blender.

Peel the small chunk of ginger and add to blender.

At this point I like to blend it til the carrots are well broken down.

Then add 2 big scoops of ice and continue to blend til smooth.

This works best in a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix. If you are using a standard kitchen blender it may take a little longer to blend.

If you aren't used to ginger in fresh juice or smoothies, I recommend starting with a small chunk, maybe 1/4 inch piece. It can be overwhelming if it is a new flavor to you. With that small of a piece you won't even know it's in this smoothie. This Carrot/Apple/Ginger Juice is a great place to start using ginger. Everyone likes this juice. Again, I recommend starting with a small piece of ginger and increase the size each time to find the exact amount that tastes good to you.

This smoothie is easy to adjust to your taste. If the grapefruit are small or you like a little more zing, use 3 or 4. If they are HUGE (like this one from my backyard) 2 might be okay.

If you like extra ginger, add it. If you like it a little thinner, add more ice. Don't ever feel like you have to use a recipe exactly as is. change it up to meet your taste preference.

Question of the day: Do you have a fruit or vegetable that you would like to work into juicing or smoothies but don't yet have a recipe?

Homemade Gatorade

One of the things I love best about living in Arizona is the abundance of fresh citrus in the winter. It's everywhere...oranges, tangerines, tangelos, grapefruit, lemons...fresh citrus juice and segments every day...love, love, LOVE it!

This year we had a freeze that lasted for a solid week. That's a long time in Phoenix; typically it's a couple of days here and there, not consistent for any length of time. It was cold enough that our fountain was frozen. There was concern about losing the citrus. Thankfully, everything around us survived. 

Here comes one of the easiest and best copycat recipes I've seen. This recipe came to me from my fabulous brother Eric. Eric is an incredible cook and shares some amazing recipes with me. He has worked at one of the best (unnamed) restaurants in Vegas for well over 20 years. Maybe one day I will share (with his permission, of course) some of his favorite recipes. He makes amazing sauces (peanut, hoisen, etc) and candy.

Anyway, Eric shared this super easy Homemade Gatorade recipe with me and I love it!

Ingredients:                                                                               
6 Oranges
1/2 Lemon
1 Cup Coconut Water

Juice the oranges and lemon
Add in the coconut water
Shake
Drink

Super simple. Super good.

Haven't heard of coconut WATER? It is the juice in the interior of a young coconut. (not to be confused with coconut MILK, which is made by squeezing grated coconut meat). Coconut water  is sweet and sterile and contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, enzymes and amino acids....all the things people drink Gatorade for. Coconut water is high in calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and zinc and is also a good source of B-complex vitamins, vitamin C and potassium. I actually could write an entire article about the benefits of coconut water talking about how it aids digestion, helps reduce high blood pressure and increases metabolism...but I won't. Let's just say that coconut water tastes great and is very good for your health!


And here it is...looks like a glass of juice; tastes like Gatorade.
Enjoy!!

Do you have a favorite copycat recipe to share with me?