A fruit smoothie is a great way to start and finish – the day. Be inspired by theses recipes. It’s time to get blending, says Joanna Lamiri
Nutritious and versatile, smoothies are an excellent way of grabbing a quick meal, especially at this time of year when luscious summer fruits are about to come into their own. Smoothies, long popular in health-conscious California, make the ideal breakfast, lunch or snack, especially for those on a diet, as they are generally low in fat and calories. And many summer fruits are packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, to protect against free radicals, as well as providing fibre and upping your daily fruit intake to the recommended five portions.
The best approach is to use whatever fruit is in season and make up your own combinations: try to balance tart and sweet fruit, plus fibre-rich bananas, mangoes and pineapple with watery fruit like strawberries, kiwi fruit and oranges. Add yoghurt for creaminess and calcium, and ice cubes for extra chill, but only if your blender has strong enough blades (a gentler and quieter alternative is to use crushed ice).
If you have a glut of fruit in the garden, or if you have been extra-greedy at a pick-your-own farm, smoothies are the ideal way of using up lots of fresh fruit. If you are feeling adventurous, add a little grated fresh root ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla extract to the blender. The only equipment you will need is a blender and you will have a glassful of goodness in just a few seconds.
Recipes
Strawberry, Orange Juice and Kiwi
Orange juice and kiwi fruit are quite sharp, but are also packed with vitamin C, which makes this smoothie ideal for breakfast – and for banishing hangovers. If it tastes too sharp, add a teaspoonful of honey.
Makes 2-3 glasses
250g fresh strawberries, hulled
300ml orange juice
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and core removed
1 tsp honey (optional)
1 halved strawberry and 2 slices peeled kiwi fruit, to decorate - Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
- Decorate each glass with half a strawberry and a slice of kiwi fruit, then serve.
Creamy Raspberry, Mint and Yoghurt
Raspberries and mint are a classic combination that work well in a glass,too! Yoghurt adds a smooth creaminess and gives the finished smoothie agorgeous pink colour. If you are watching your weight, use low-fat naturalyoghurt; otherwise increase the creaminess with full-fat or even Greekyoghurt.
Makes 2-3 glasses
250g fresh raspberries
3-4 mint leaves, plus 2 extra for decoration
300ml low-fat natural or Greek yoghurt - Blend the raspberries and mint in a blender until almost smooth.
- Add the yoghurt and blend again until smooth.
- Decorate with mint leaves, then serve.
Blackcurrant and Blueberry
Almost black in colour, this duo gives a good hit of vitamin C, plus valuable antioxidants. If you want to liven things up, a little Cassis will bring out the flavour of the blackcurrants and provide an alcoholic kick. Add some crushed ice to the blender and you will have the perfect drink for a hot afternoon. A touch of honey or sugar will offset any tartness in the fruit.
Makes 2 glasses
250g fresh blackcurrants
125g fresh blueberries
15ml crème de cassis
crushed ice, or 5-6 ice cubes
1 tsp honey or sugar (optional) - Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Gooseberry, Elderflower Cordial and Yoghurt
Gooseberries and elderflowers partner each other extremely well and, as gooseberries can be rather sour, the elderflower cordial adds sweetness.Once you have blended in the yoghurt, the whole is rather like gooseberryfool in a glass – very moreish!
Makes 2-3 glasses
300g fresh, ripe gooseberries
15ml elderflower cordial
300ml low-fat natural yoghurt or Greek yoghurt - Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Strawberry, Blueberry and Raspberry – Very Berry
Blending these fruits results in a fantastic deep red drink that is very lowin calories and full of energising flavours. It is best when strawberriesand raspberries are home-grown, as they have so much more taste and juice than their imported cousins. It’s also a great way of using up pick-your-ownfruit or a glut from the garden.
Makes 2-3 glasses
125g fresh, ripe strawberries
125g blueberries
125g fresh raspberries
125ml yoghurt (optional) - Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Peach, Nectarine and Apricot
Both the peaches and nectarines must be really ripe or the fruit won’tgenerate enough juice. You can, of course, peel the fruit before blending,but I prefer to leave it in – it adds fibre and pretty flecks of colour tothe smoothie. If you want to, add a few drops of almond extract to this one,as almonds and peaches have a great affinity with each other. You can also add yoghurt to this one, if you wish.
Makes 2 glasses
2 medium, ripe peaches, stone removed and sliced
2 ripe nectarines, stone removed and sliced
4 ripe apricots, stone removed and quartered
125ml yoghurt (optional) - Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Mango, Banana and Orange Juice – The Fibre Provider
This smoothie is filling and fibre-rich, which makes it a good choice for those who are on a diet and need sustenance without calories. The only downside is that you have to drink it more or less straight away, as the bananas and mangoes will give the drink a sludgy grey colour in quite a short time.
Makes 2-3 glasses
1 large mango, peeled, stone removed and sliced
2 bananas, peeled
300ml orange juice - Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Three-melon Smoothie
Use any three melons, such as cantaloupe, Ogen and honeydew, but make surethey are ripe.
Makes 2 glasses
125g ripe cantaloupe melon, peeled, seeds removed and cut into chunks
125g ripe Ogen melon, peeled, seeds removed and cut into chunks
125g ripe honeydew melon, peeled, seeds removed and cut into chunks - Blend all the ingredients until smooth
- Serve immediately.
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