Carrot, Cayenne, and Spinach Smoothie (Serves 1-2)
I usually eat five meals per day – two breakfasts, one lunch, and two suppers. I have begun eating a smoothie between my first and second suppers to delay my last meal nearer to bedtime. I have found that I can sleep all night if I eat a full meal near bedtime, but that I wake up hungry if I eat light near bedtime.
Spinach based smoothies may not look attractive, but they taste really good. Yesterday I blended spinach and carrots with a banana, an orange, some blueberries, and a stroke of genius – a pinch of cayenne pepper. The heat of the cayenne pepper adds exciting depth that I recommend enthusiastically.
Prep Time: 5 minutes or less
Ingredients:
1 banana (peeled)
2 big handfuls of fresh spinach
1 navel orange (peeled)
4 ounces of blueberries
1 big handful of baby-cut carrots
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
Directions:
Dump ingredients into blender in the order listed. Secure top on blender. Start blending at low speed and move up to high speed quickly, using a tamping tool to facilitate blending as needed. Continue about one minute or as needed to achieve a smooth consistency. Pour in a glass and drink.
Notes: A smoothie needs something creamy in the blend like a banana or an avocado. I prefer the sweetness of banana, but avocado-based smoothies are good too.
I buy one bag of pre-washed fresh spinach at a time and find that it will keep in the refrigerator for a week. However, since I started making smoothies, one bag rarely lasts a whole week.
Vitamix blenders:
I signed up as a Vitamix affiliate because it looks like a win-win deal. Vitamix sells buyers a blender at the same rate they always sell them, buyers get free standard shipping, and I get a sales commission. The only requirement is that buyers use my affiliate code (06-005864) when they make a purchase. Click this link if you want to go shopping: https://secure.vitamix.com/redirect.aspx?index.aspx?COUPON=06-005864
Printer friendly version: Carrot, Cayenne, and Spinach Smoothie
