Juicy Gossip: Gazpacho

Sometimes I want sweet juice and sometimes I want savory juice. This Gazpacho Juice is one of my favorites because it actually tastes like Gazpacho Soup. It is definitely savory. I leave the seed in the jalapeno when I juice it. If you know that you have a HOT jalapeno you may want to remove the seeds before juicing it.

So here it is, quick and easy today, a great recipe. (And I'm quite excited to have figured out how to provide a link for a printable version down below!)

This juice has a great variety of veggies...

Here's a tip for cutting the lime....

Love when the jalapeno's come from the garden...

And here is the finished product...

Gazpacho Juice

2 Lg Tomatoes (or 4 small)

1 Lg Cucumber

1 Lime or Lemon

1 Jalapeno

1 Red Bell Pepper

Chunk of Purple Onion (about 1/4 of a small onion)

1 Small Bunch Cilantro

2 Stalks Celery

Tip: Feed the soft and wet things through your juicer first. They will mush and leave a lot of juice in the chamber. The crunchy veggies will come in behind them and pull all the juice through.

Printable Recipe

Juicy Gossip: 2COP Juice

It's day five of our seven day juice diet. I feel great. I am sleeping better. My body feels lighter, more energetic. But you don't have to do a 100% juice diet to reap the benefit of juicing. Even juicing once a day will improve your health and how you feel. The intense concentration of vitamins you get from juicing is like pouring energy straight into your veins. For that reason, I like to juice for breakfast. It helps me start my day with a clear mind and high energy. However, if you prefer to juice for dinner you will be getting all the nutrition you need without filling your stomach full of food that may sit heavy all night long.

A friend  of ours received a juicer as a wedding gift. It had been sitting in the attic for over a year. He was interested in juicing, but didn't know where to start. I invited him over and we made four or five juices so he could taste the difference and ask any questions he had about the equipment or the fruits and veggies. He went home and decided that he would juice for breakfast each morning. Other than that, he has changed nothing about his daily activity or diet. (I've known him since 1983 and rarely a day goes by that he doesn't have his BBQ or steak; a true carnivore.) He has now been juicing a little over 3 months. He just told me that he has lost 15 pounds. And he wasn't even trying! He feels healthier and more energetic as well.

Some of you have asked for specific juice recipes to try. I have lots, and I'm trying new combinations all the time. I will share one or two every couple of days. If you want something specific and I haven't posted it yet, let me know.

There are sweet juices and savory juices. Sweet juice does not mean it only has fruit in it. Certain veggies when combined with fruit will give you the nutrition of the veggie and the sweetness of the fruit.

I typically like to start my day with a sweet juice. Fruits are natural carbohydrates. Your body uses carbs for energy. I want to start my day with energy. Drinking a juice with fruit is like pouring energy straight into my bloodstream.

Side note on carbs...carbs themselves are not bad for you. Our bodies require carbohydrates for energy. What is bad for us is processed carbs. If it has white flour in it is processed. If you look at the ingredients of most wheat breads on the shelf they will have enriched, processed white flour in them. If you want the "staff of life" carbohydrates, you should look for 100% whole grain. If it says "enriched", "refined", "bleached", "unbleached" it is processed. In fact, "enriched" means that they have added vitamins back into the flour that were stripped away in the refining process. Crazy, isn't it? If we stick with the whole grain before refining, we get all the natural nutrition and carbs that the body can process well. Unfortunately, even white rice has been processed.

The bottom line is, when you get your carbs from fruit and whole grains your body can process it into energy and it doesn't sit and turn into fat. So don't be afraid of carbs, be afraid of PROCESSED CARBS!!

Anyway, that's why I like to start my day with sweet juices and end it with savory juices. One of my favorites is Mickey Mouse Juice. Click to see why I call it Mickey Mouse. Perfect example of getting veggies in with my fruit, but the juice is sweet and perfect for morning.

Another favorite is this 2COP juice. The name reminds me what ingredients I need...2 C's an O and a P.

2COP Juice

3 Carrots

1 Cucumber

1 Orange

1 Pear

This juice is has a good variety of vitamins while the fruit is the dominant flavor, making it another great morning drink. 

How frequently do you juice? Is there a fruit that you haven't been able to work into a juice yet?

CHILLED AVOCADO CUCUMBER SOUP

Winter is a great time to try new soup recipes. I was going to share some of my favorite soup recipes right after Christmas, but since I am now on a strict diet of juice, soups and smoothies for a period of time, it's a perfect time to share some great soups. While I love all of those things, it is easy to get bored with the same thing all the time.

Surgery was to remove a tumor in my jaw; this is the second time around. Two years ago, when the tumor first made itself known, the surgeon told me that while it was quite a rare type, it has a very high rate of recurrence. He was right, two years later it's back. I'm a 'get in and get it done' kind of gal, so 4 days before Christmas...well, I'll still cook Christmas dinner for family and friends, but I will be eating the 'soft side' of dinner.

If you've read previous posts, you know that I love to juice (in my Omega 8006 juicer) and blend (in my Vita-mix). One of my favorite smoothies is a Sweet Green Smoothie. It's a great way to get the super nutrition of kale and spinach, but in a sweet smoothie. Trust me, when you add all the ingredients I've listed, it doesn't taste like spinach! Try it, you may be surprised.

Juicing fresh fruits and veggies is another way to get super intense nutrition. A couple of my favorites are Mickey Mouse Juice  (when you look at it, you'll see why I call it that), and Carrot/Apple/Ginger . Poke around previous posts for some additional ideas as well.

Today's soup is a cold soup. I don't usually think of soup as being cold, but I'm trying to stay away from a lot of heat for a few days to help the inflammation in my jaw and cheek go down. I found quite a variety of Avocado soups online; some hot, some cold. I took ideas from several of them and put them together to make this version. It turned out AWESOME the first time. Note to self: this will be a great cold soup to serve at a brunch in the future!

The creaminess of the avocado and the yogurt in the recipe make it unnecessary to add sour cream or heavy cream. This is a much healthier version than most others I've found, yet tastes so thick, rich and creamy. YUM!

What You Need:

1 Cucumber (English or regular doesn't matter), peeled and diced

1 Avocado, pitted and scooped out

1/2 tsp grated Lemon Zest

1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro

1 Scallion (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped

1 Jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 Cup Nonfat, Plain Yogurt

1 Cup Cold Water

1 1/2 tsp coarse Salt

1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper

1 Tblsp Fresh Lemon Juice

Directions:

Throw all ingredients into a blender and puree.

Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Serve as is or with garnish of cilantro and/or finely chopped Cucumber

So easy! So good!!

Do you have a favorite soup recipe? Please share and I will try it out!

Favorite Juicing & Blending Recipes

A lot of you have asked for juice recipes to start with if you are new to juicing and blending. Here are three of my favorites. I typically make at least two of the three each day. Doug carries two bottles with him to work every day. I like to start my day with the Sweet Green Smoothie because of the high protein content. It is super high in 'green' nutrition yet tastes sweet like a smoothie because of the pineapple. I make it in my Vita-mix blender. The other two are juices and work well in either a centrifugal or masticating juicer.

Vita-mix (commercial strength) Blender:

Example of Centrifugal Juicer:

Example of Masticating Juicer:

A few tips for easy prep and great taste:

Green Smoothie: I prepare 6-8 baggies of fruit for Green Smoothies ahead of time with 1/2 ripe banana, 3 strawberries (frozen or fresh) and one large spear of (cut into chunks) pineapple. I keep a stash of baggies of fruit in the freezer so it easy to grab one when I want a smoothie. May substitute 1/2 cup of blueberries or other berries for strawberries)

Green Smoothie: It's important to put the water in first, then the supplements, then the greens, then the fruit on top. If you don't have a Vita-mix or other commercial strength blender, add the supplements into the water and blend. Then add the kale and blend. Then add the spinach and blend. Finally add the fruit and blend.

Ginger in Carrot/Apple/Ginger juice: I recommend starting with a very small chunk (1/4 inch or less) of ginger and add more each time if you want stronger flavor.

Apples: I have found that in most juices that call for apples, the best flavor comes from Granny Smith Apples. Unless the recipe specifically calls for a certain type of apple I use Granny Smith; the green apple, for those who are unfamiliar.

Beets: I have never liked eating beets, but they are great in juice. Be sure to use the greens (leaves and stems) as well.

On with the recipes:

SWEET GREEN SMOOTHIE (in Vita-mix)
20 oz Water
1 Tbsp Flax Seeds
1/2 Tbsp Hemp Seed
4 Tbsp Protein Powder (should be 1 scoop or 1/2 scoop depending on your brand of protein)
1 Cup fresh Kale (1 large kale leaf)
2 Cups fresh Spinach (roughly 4 good handfuls)
3 large frozen Strawberries (see above tip)
1/2 frozen ripe Banana (see above tip)
1 Lg spear frozen Pineapple (roughly 1/2 cup, see above tip)

Add in order, blend and drink. Makes approximately 40 oz of smoothie. Definitely a full meal or enough to share.

CARROT/APPLE/GINGER JUICE
I always make 32 oz of juice at a time, so my recipes will all reflect that.
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 small chunk (1/4 inch) FRESH Ginger (see above tip)
Carrots (approximately 12-14 large)

Juice the apple and ginger, then add carrots until you reach 32 ounces. The number of carrots depends on the size. Could be 16 if they are small, could be 10-11 if they are very large. That's why I add the carrots third, so I can just add them til I reach 32 ounces.

CARROT/BEET/CUCUMBER JUICE
1/2 Large Cucumber (2/3 of a small)
1 Small Beet including the green tops (1/2 medium beet or 1/3 large beet)
Carrots (approximately 10-12 large)

Juice the Cucumber and Beet first, then add Carrots until you reach 32 ounces.

What is your favorite juice recipe. I love to try new combinations, so please share. Are you finding it fairly easy to add one juice a day to your diet? If so, have you noticed a change in your energy level or alertness?