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?