Cranberry and Spinach Smoothie (Serves 1-2)
The harvest of fresh cranberries does not begin until September, but I am already planning to freeze bags of them in the fall because now I know what incredible smoothies they make. Smoothies are my favorite snack. All my smoothies include one or two bananas and two handfuls of fresh spinach. My latest favorite adds 6 ounces of frozen cranberries and one Granny Smith apple to the mix.
Prep Time: 5 minutes or less
Ingredients:
1 banana
2 big handfuls of fresh spinach
6 ounces of frozen fresh cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple (cored and quartered)
1 handful of baby-cut carrots (optional)
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: I froze several bags of fresh cranberries last season, but frozen cranberries may be available in some grocery stores. You could make this with fresh (unfrozen) cranberries when they become available, but frozen cranberries add a welcome touch of frostiness to the smoothie.
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.
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