A Green Cocktail

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Do you need more veggies in your day?

(I know, sigh....you thought this was literally gonna be a "cocktail.")

Anyway, Likely the answer is yes, and the recommendation to consume > 6 servings/day sounds inconceivable (big word alert). Or veggies make you gag (the horror!).

Fear not! I'm going to claim that this drink is not "gag-worthy"  and you do not taste the spinach. (quote me on that one).

Oh, and p.s. My Whopper of a Salad (super easy) likely has 3 servings of veggies oozing out of it, if not more.

So, 1 green cocktail + 1 Whopper salad= 6 serv. (see how painless that was?)

I've been making the green monsters forever and the convenience of them is really the reason why, not to mention the "hulk-like" feeling you have after sippin on one.

INGREDIENT HIGHLIGHTS:

Spinach is quite the handsome green. It serves well as a garnish or liner for other things to topple on (i.e. my farro with roasted butternut squash salad).

  • Other fun facts:
  • It's part of the Goosefoot Family? ( I kid you not, it's a family of plants coming from the greek work goose (khen) and foot (podium) because the triangular shape of the leaf looks like the webbed foot of a goose.
  • Medicinal benefits: it moistens, quenches the thirst, and supports vision. (Source:The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia). 
  • Buying: If it's soggy, wilted, not very green, or yellowish-don't buy it. BUY ORGANIC is the way to go folks, spinach has been coined one of the most pesticide residue containing veggies. Check out the BEST source for Organics. 

RECIPE
Green Cocktail (no booze)
Serves: 1
Equipment:
  • Blender (If you're fancy and have a Vitamix, which is by far the BEST blender out there for pulverizing veggies, lucky you).
Ingredients:
  • 2 huge handfuls of spinach (get greedy with it-as you should with all veggies)
  • 4-8 oz of water (or other beverage, I use half soy or almond milk sometimes)
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 package of protein powder (My fav lately is the Tera's Whey-bourbon vanilla, also loving the RAW rice based protein powder which is vegan, gluten free, etc.)
  • 1-2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
  • 4 ice cubes
  • (Okay, do I dare say add 1/4 cup pumpkin puree and some pumpkin pie spice?)
Methods:
  • I suggest you blend the spinach and water (or liquid) first, cause frankly, the spinach is stubborn and takes sticking a fork in the blender (not while it's running of course) and moving it around a bit. This might take 3 or 4 fork pokes.

  • Once it turns to liquid green-ness, add all other ingredients and whirl it up until all ingredients liquify.

  • Pour over a couple of ice cubes and serve!

SMARTY PANT TIPS:
(NOTE: this recipe is more of a beverage then a smoothie.)
If you want it to be on the thicker side: 
  1. you might try adding more ice cubes.
  2.  Adding more frozen fruit (berries are always a nice addition).
If you want it to be creamier:
  1. Add more yogurt
If you don't want to add the protein powder:
  1. Don't? (Kidding). But seriously, you'll have to add less water, and a little more yogurt and ice cubes so you can thicken it at all.
You might also Salivate Over:
Eggs Florentine (more spinach)
Whopper of a Salad (in case you missed that)

Now, what will you do with this information?

Do you have tricks up your sleeve for adding more vegetables through the day?

And, Have you a favorite GREEN recipe?