Winter Refresh – Mixed Greens and Fruit Smoothie

Brighten the winter days with a whole lot of green! Toss some gorgeous greens into a slightly sweet, nutty coconut milk then add an array of fresh fruit along with a pop of mint. No matter the weather outside this will brighten your day!

I love making juices and smoothies. They’re perfect for breakfast or a mid-afternoon break and there are no big rules. They can be made with all vegetables, all fruit or a beautiful blend of both. There are some basics. You need juice or milk – something to keep things moving in your blender. You can use water but I try to pull something into the mix that brings another element of flavor. To get things started you want the liquid to be the first item in your canister.

From there you can get quite creative. This smoothie is packed with greens – kale, spinach, mint, parsley, celery, and cucumber. Then a mélange of fruit is added.

Chunks of apple, pear, orange, and bananas bring a subtle, natural sweetness to the drink.

Making juices and smoothies requires only a minimal amount of prep. Look for kale and spinach in pre-washed packs to speed things along. And if you’re not a big kale fan, you can use all spinach. Remember, no big rules.

In no time you’ll be sipping on a thick and creamy glass of freshness!

Mixed Greens and Fruit Smoothie

1-⅔ cups coconut milk, 1 can, about 14-ounces

4 cups chopped kale

2 cups fresh spinach

¾ cup chopped celery, about 2 stalks

1 cup seeded and sliced cucumber, about ½ of a cucumber

1 apple, cored and cut into large pieces

1 ripe pear, cored and cut into large pieces

1 large orange, peeled and seeded

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

¼ cup fresh Italian parsley

2 bananas, broken into pieces

½ to ¾ cup orange juice

2 to 4 tablespoons honey

Pour the coconut milk into the canister of a blender. Add the kale and the spinach then process starting on low speed for about 20 seconds, raising the speed to medium, blending until fairly smooth.

Add the celery, cucumber, apple, pear, and orange along with the mint and parsley.

Blend starting on low speed for about 20 seconds then raise the speed to medium and process for an additional 30 seconds. Toss in the bananas and pour in ½ cup of the orange juice.

Process on medium speed for about 30 seconds, adding the remaining orange juice if you want a thinner smoothie. Check the flavor, adding enough honey to suit your taste.

Blend the smoothie on medium for another 30 seconds until very smooth. The smoothie will thicken as it chills – you can add additional orange juice to thin it if preferred.

Keep the smoothie refrigerated. Makes about 7 cups of juice.

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