Cool comfort

It’s easy, it’s cool, and it’s healthy — the summer smoothie is only a blender away, and you are the boss.

Smoothies make excellent breakfast drinks, poolside refreshers and snacks for energetic children. The ingredient combinations are endless, so you can easily make your own customized recipe.

Fruit is a standard when making a smoothie, but have you ever considered using fresh spinach? In the great green smoothie, the addition of spinach raises the health-food ante several notches. Because fruit is added, the taste of the spinach isn’t noticeable, but the vitamin benefit remains.

James P. DeWan, a cooking instructor at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute in Chicago, said in his article, “Anatomy of a Smoothie,” that all smoothies are basically the same, but you need to be aware of what the ingredients accomplish.

Fruit is used for texture and fiber. The fruit content takes up about two-thirds of the smoothie volume, he said.

Dairy products create the smoothness. Yogurt is used most often, especially for the health-concious. But,you can use low-fat milk, ice cream, sherbet, or rice and soy milk. About one-fourth of the smoothie will be dairy; when more is added the calorie content goes up.

Ice chills and thins the smoothie and, like fruit, adds some texture. It’s best and easiest to use crushed ice.

Fruit juice is used for flavor and to thin out a smoothie. He said when using fruit juice use less ice.

DeWan also suggested adding some crunch to your smoothie by throwing in some breakfast cereal or granola.


Summer breakfast smoothie
Servings: Four
4 ripe kiwis, peeled and halved
4 ripe apricots, peeled, halved and pitted
2 ripe bananas, peeled and halved
1/2 ripe golden pineapple, cored and cut into chunks
1 pint fresh raspberries
3 cups very cold low-fat milk
1 cup ice cubes
1 tablespoon grated ginger
Juice of one lime
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree thoroughly. Pour into four tall glasses and serve cold.
Nutrition per serving: 271 calories; 3g fat (1g saturated fat); 52g carbohydrates; 9g protein.
Recipe source: http://www.self.com/health/recipes/2004/09/230287

Great green smoothie
1 cup of favorite fruit, well washed:
apple, banana, mango, kiwi, apricot, etc.
6 to 8 ounces plain or vanilla yogurt (try for organic)
Water or 100 percent juice for desired consistency
1 cup fresh spinach leaves, well washed
Place all ingredients together in a blender. Blend together thoroughly. Pour into glasses.
Recipe source: Carla Lucchesi fitness instructor Sedalia Athletic Club.

Apricot-Pineapple Smoothie
1/4 cup crushed pineapple
1 fresh apricot, diced
6 strawberries
1/2 banana
1 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp. skim milk powder
1 heaping tbsp. high-quality protein powder (optional)
1 tsp. flax seed oil (optional)
In a blender, process fruit with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until thoroughly mixed and serve.
Recipe source: http://www.healthrecipes.com/fruit — smoothies.htm

Sunrise smoothie
1 cup crushed ice
3 cups pineapple sherbet
1 cup crushed pineapple
2 cups ginger ale
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
Whipped topping, cherries and mint leaves for garnish
Combine the items in the following order in a blender: Ice, pineapple sherbet and ginger ale. Blend until smooth. (If too thin add more ice.) Pour pomegranate juice into four frosted glasses, then add the smoothie mixture.
Top each with whipped topping and a cherry. Garnish with mint leaves. Serves four.
Notes from the cook: As the frost melts from the glasses and the pomegranate juice rises to the top, it looks like a sunrise.
Recipe source: http://drink.betterrecipes.com/sunrisesmoothie.html

Ruby red smoothie
1 cup low-fat strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 cup hulled and quartered fresh strawberries frozen
1 cup fresh raspberries, frozen
Combine the yogurt and cranberry juice in a blender. Add the strawberries and raspberries. Blend until smooth.
Recipe source: http://www.foodclassics.com/re2531/recipes.php