I tried making smoothies before, and it didn’t seem cost-effective and never turned out good. But then this morning I put some frozen fruit and soymilk in the food processor. It was a little bland, but it was a revelation none the less. I’ve been looking for good ways to get vegetarian protein for breakfast, and I could always use more fruits. I learned you can use silken tofu in smoothies…this seems like it could be a good thing.
How well do cheap immersion blenders work? I can’t invest in a lot right now, but the food processor isn’t the best tool for the job.
I just throw frozen strawberries, a banana, whatever fruity flavor of yogurt, a dollop of 1% or soy milk, into the blender and let 'er rip. Not terribly sophisticated but it’s tasty and my little girls like it.
Tofu works great in smoothies. I do’t use too much so as not to lose flavor, maybe 2-3 cubes. Frozen strawberries, as mentioned, are wonderful and pack a lot of taste, and you can always freeze chunks of banana–that gives a great texture to any smoothie. Add yogurt and fresh fruit in any combination. If I’m in a hurry, canned fruit added to frozen fruit and a bit of yogurt also works very well, like mandarin oranges or pineapples or peaches.
If I’m having a smoothie as a meal, I’ll use a couple of handfuls of frozen berries, a sliced up banana, a container of yogurt, and then one yogurt container full each of oj and milk. I just throw it in the blender and press start. It makes one big ol’ smoothie that fills me up for quite a while.
I’ll have to try adding vanilla to my recipe, romansperson. It sounds yummy!
I combine equal parts frozen fruit (usually a mix of blueberries and strawberries) with plain yogurt. Then I add a sprinkle of wheat germ, a little soy milk, and a little honey. I mix it all right in the cup with a hand blender. I’ve tried other types of fruit in them, but I like s’berries best.
Another good addition would be ceylon cinnamon. It goes well with fruit and adds sweetness.
Try adding some protein powder (I use the strawberry flavor) to get the added protein you’re looking for and also to get rid of the blandness without adding unwanted sugars.
And I love my cheap immersion blender – particularly the chopping cup. Of course it doesn’t have the flexibility of a larger blender, but for single batches of smoothies and yogurts, as well as chopping onions, nuts or whatever else, it’s terrific. We’ve got this Philips one, but I think that model has been discontinued.
My morning smoothie lasted me for about 3 months before I got sick of it. It’s dirt simple and is packed with protein:
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2 large bananas, peeled
1 raw egg*
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1/4 cup (really three or four) frozen strawberries
1/4 cup açai berries or frozen açai pulp
a large-ish splash of cranberry juice or any of the “green machine” / “super green” / “looks like Liquid Hulk” juices
Put the bananas in first, layer in frozen fruits, crack the egg over the top and pour in the juice. Run in the blender on liquefy for as long as you care to. If you prefer it a little creamier you can add yogurt, but I don’t like it so I leave it out.
*Important: your eggs for this should be cage-free, no antibiotics – this drastically reduces your odds of getting salmonella or other nasties. In several months of making this smoothie I didn’t once get sick.
I throw in a banana or two for easy mass, some yogurt and a tad of juice (or sorbet if evil) and whatever fruit-- frozen berries or somesuch. Secret ingredient: a bit of cayenne. Trust me.
Thanks, though nothing is anywhere near certain yet- I’m still waiting for some key phone calls.
I’m betting the liquid is apple juice, which is dirt cheap and very sweet- it’s practically sugar and is used as such in a variety of places. Same deal with white grape juice.
I made one today with a container of black cherry yogurt (all I had around), a cup full of soy milk, a splash of grapefruit soda and a load of frozen cherries and strawberries.