Jenn’s Cook Book

Here is my inaugural recipe for Veganomics and my departing beverage for Smoothie-licious. Did you ever smear a banana with peanut butter and roll it in graham cracker crumbs when you were young? Well, this recipe is like that, but instead of graham cracker crumbs, imagine the banana covered in chocolate.

2 tbsp peanut butter
1 banana
1 cup chocolate soy milk 
6-7 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth. Reminisce about your childhood as you sip and enjoy.

Economically Friendly: Bananas are inexpensive and peanut butter is a pantry staple.
Ecologically Responsible: Soy milk is environmentally-friendly and the makers of Silk are donating major money to clean energy.
Excellently Healthy: Protein from peanut butter, potassium from bananas, and yummy calcium from soy milk. Just be careful: at approximately 400 calories, this is a meal-replacement smoothie, not just a light snack!

From Health magazine, this smoothie combines tropical mango with exotic mango and sweet strawberries. The original recipe calls for crystallized ginger, but I used fresh ginger for an earthier taste. Fresh ginger lends a slight heat and spicy note to the smoothie, very subtle but pairs well with fresh mango. Strawberries, the basic building block of most smoothies, round out the flavor with natural sweetness. If you like your smoothies sweeter, add a bit of honey.

Like most of my smoothies, this is garnished with mint. It isn’t required, but gives color and a touch of sophistication to a simple drink. Also, when you take a sip, you can inhale the mint’s sweet scent and it adds to the overall flavor of the smoothie.

Fresh Mango-Ginger Smoothie
adapted from Health magazine

1 cup fresh mango, peeled
1 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed and quartered
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1-2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
ice cubes

Combine mango, strawberries, water, and yogurt in a blender. Puree until smooth. Add ginger to taste and 2-3 ice cubes. Blend well. Add additional ice cubes to achieve desired consistency. Makes about 3 cups.

Shown below, generously garnished with mint:

This smoothie recipe is based on the traditional Mexican beverage Agua Fresca, which is water served with fruit or juice. Normally, this mixture is combined with more water, but I left it as is to enjoy the flavor of the papaya.

1 small papaya, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup sugar
juice of 2 small limes

Combine all ingredients in a blender until very smooth (blend longer than you think is necessary). Serve over ice. Umbrella optional.

From Cooking Light magazine, this smoothie is based on a traditional Cuban beverage (batido is a smoothie made with milk and tropical fruits). Look for a mango with bright coloring and no blemishes on the skin. A ripe mango will yield gently when pressed and have a fragrant scent. You can also find peeled, refrigerated slices, which would be a fine substitution (use about 1 1/2 cups). Use brown sugar instead of honey if you would like your smoothie a bit sweeter.

1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups skim milk
juice of 2 small limes, about 1/4 cup
1 tablespoon honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth. Pour over ice and serve. Makes about 3 cups.

Shown left, garnished with mint.

You knew it was coming, admit it. Would I really devote an entire project to smoothies without throwing in a little sangria? Of course not!

Back before smoothies were particularly cool or hip, I would make my own (albeit unsophisticated) by throwing strawberries, ice, and a splash of milk in a blender. Since this was before ice-crushing blades, I destroyed many a good blender that way. I dare you to go out and find a blender now that does not have ice-crushing power and other fancy options that turns smoothies into a hassle-free process.

I decided to resurrect my old smoothie “recipe” and take it up a notch by adding sangria. I used a pre-made variety instead of making my own sangria because homemade sangria is really meant to be consumed immediately and doesn’t do well after the first day. Bottled sangria, when properly stored, can be good for 3 days or so (translation: multiple days of sangria smoothie goodness).

1 pint strawberries, stems removed and halved (quarter if large)
1 cup sangria
1 lemon
1 lime
1 cup ice (6-7 cubes)

Combine chopped strawberries and sangria in a blender. Cut lemon and lime in half. Juice one half of each fruit and save second half for garnish (or another batch of smoothies). Puree until smooth.

Add ice, a couple cubes at a time, until mixture has desired consistency. Pour into two glass and garnish with lemon and lime slices (optional). Serve immediately.

James and I did debate whether this constituted a smoothie or if it was a daiquiri. Apparently, an official daiquiri is a cocktail whose main ingredients are rum and lime juice, so technically this is not a daiquiri. Common usage of the term frozen daiquiri, however, has come to include beverages that are mixture of crushed or blended ice, fruit, and alcohol. So, Jenn’s official ruling is that frozen daiquiris fit under the umbrella of smoothies, therefore this drink can be considered both!

Another adventure in Smoothie-licious, this time combining two of my favorite summer cooking staples: lemon and basil. Really, can these two do any wrong? I think not. The perfect compliment of bright and fresh flavors, along with some sweetness from fat-free sorbet. This recipe makes one just-right size serving.

1/2 cup lemon sorbet
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
6 medium to large basil leaves, torn
2-3 ice cubes

Combine sorbet, milk, lemon zest, juice and basil in a blender. Puree until smooth and add ice cubes for desired thickness. Pour into a chilled glass and top with addition lemon zest, a sprig of basil, and lemon wedge if desired.

Sit back, relax, and sip.

This Smoothie-licious recipe is a great get-up-and-go treat for breakfast or any time of the day you might need a kick to get moving. Wheat germ, which is something that has just recently made an appearance here at Jenn’s Cook Book, is part of the wheat kernel and is apparently one of the most nutritious foods you can find. It adds a nutty flavor and a bit of texture to this smoothie, a perfect pairing with peaches (think peach cobbler, with vanilla ice cream…yum!).

1 cup frozen unsweetened sliced peaches
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup wheat germ
2-3 ice cubes, if desired

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whirl away! Add ice cubes to achieve desired consistency. Garnish with additional wheat germ and peach slices (optional, but pretty darn fancy).

Makes 1 generous serving.

Variation: swap 1/2 cup frozen dark sweet cherries for half of the peach slices.

Another dual project recipe for Smoothie-licious and Midnight Snacks, again from chapter 1:00 AM: Spa Night, this smoothie gives green tea a fruity new twist. Spa Night features “light, enlightening foods to bask in…If you don’t indulge yourself, who will? You deserve it.” I do not normally care for bananas in smoothies, but combined with kiwi the flavor is very refreshing. With a small kick of caffeine from green tea, this is a great early-morning revitalizer. Kiwi skins are actually edible, according to the authors the peel adds an earthy flavor to the smoothie and (of coarse) will change the color slightly. Recipe makes enough for two servings, but can be halved for one.

1 1/2 cups soy milk
4 green tea bags
4 kiwis, peeled or unpeeled, quartered
1 banana, peeled and broken into pieces
1 tbsp honey
3-4 ice cubes

In a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, bring soy milk just to the point of simmering (do not boil).

Steep the tea bags in the milk for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and pour liquid into a blender.

Add fruit pieces, honey, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth.

Shown below, served in a chilled glass with mint:

The first recipe for Smoothie-licious is also part of my Midnight Snacks series as well. In chapter 1:00 AM: Spa Night, the authors wrote a section called “Lots of Lassis” that features a tradition lassi as well as several variations. Lassi is a tradition Middle Eastern and East Asian beverage with yogurt often mixed with fruit or spices. Some versions are savory, but most are sweet. Below is the general recipe followed by several mix-in variations. I tried the Honeydew and Ginger Lassi, shown above with a sprig of mint.

Lassi Recipe:
1 cup plain non-fat or low-fat yogurt
1 cup skim milk
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a blender and, in the author’s words, ”let ‘er rip.” Pour the lassi in a glass filled with ice.

Variations:

Lemon Lassi: add grated zest of 1 lemon (do not add lemon juice, it will curdle the yogurt)
Indian Spice Lassi: add a pinch of ground cardamom, ginger, cumin, and black pepper
Pistachio and Honey Lassi: blend in 1/2 cup of pistachio and an additional tbsp of honey
Honeydew and Ginger Lassi: Add 1 cup of honeydew cubes and a nickel-size piece of fresh ginger (make sure to peel ginger first) 
Mint of Persian Lassi: add 10 fresh mint leaves
Berry Lassi: add 1/2 cup strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, or blackberries
Mango Lassi: add 1/2 cup sliced, peeled mango (an Indian favorite)

These recipes all make 2 generous servings.

Just as flavored iced teas dominated the kitchen last summer, this year has a hot new trend: smoothies. Okay, so maybe it’s a not-so-new idea, but this summer will see the humble smoothie elevate to the trend-setting beverage of choice. To kick-off this summer celebration, I am launching my latest special project: Smoothie-licious. This project will feature all beverages cast under the umbrella of smoothies: slushies, frappes, freezes, shakes, lassis, sippers, and any other beverage concoction that can be classified as “frou-frou.” I may even through in some tea-based blends as well, since iced tea is still a summer staple.

The Internet is a goldmine of smoothie recipes, with websites like Mr. Breakfast that have a plethora of combinations for breakfast, dessert, or just a snack. Other websites, like caroleflower.com and Smoothie Web are completely devoted to all things smoothie. MyRecipes.com (one of my all-time favorite websites) recently wrapped up an entire month devoted to Get-Fit Smoothies and Shakes. I would recommend searching online rather than purchasing a book on smoothies, most of the books I flipped through featured recipes with ingredients I normally do not buy or even some that I have never heard of (oat milk? red currants? blue algae? I’m sure these things exist, but not at my grocery store).

The newest smoothie recipes feature unique combinations, such as coffee and Chinese five-spice powder, lemon and basil, or apricots and cardamom. Part of the current trend is to turn a smoothie into a complete, balanced meal with the addition of protein powder, wheat germ, and healthy omega-3 fats such as flax-seed oil. Like traditional smoothie recipes, most of the current recipes still rely on fruit, yogurt, milk or juice for taste and substance, herbs or spices for additional flavor, and ice to thicken the mixture.

I expect this special project to run for most of the summer, when herbs and fruits are in peak season. I will also use frozen fruits as I’ve been doing while waiting for summer fruits to become available. Also look for coffee and chocolate creations that might pass for dessert. I will try to incorporate some of the newer ingredients, like wheat germ and protein powder, though I tend to stick to a conventional fruit-and-yogurt combination.

So be on the look-out for something new, something different, and lots of things delicious in the world of smoothie-licious.