Four years ago, my parents gave me a Vitamix 5200 immersion blender for Christmas. Only problem was, I lived in a studio apartment by myself. I tried using it, but grew frustrated by an inability to scale down for one person. I cried inside every time I dumped excess down the drain, because my stomach could not handle ingesting every thing in the blender.
So, the Vitamix ended up in a storage unit when I left the studio for a group house, and then to another studio.
Fast-forward to this year, when I combined forces with my partner and her two kids, aged 15 and 11. The Vitamix emerged from storage to fulfill its destiny.
The issues we needed to solve: I needed to eat healthier after years of bachelor living; my partner needed to eat healthier after years of working in a hospital, which anyone who works in a hospital knows, is sadly lacking in employee wellness. And finally, the somewhat picky kids needed more fruits and vegetables in their lives.
After a few weeks of experimenting with the thing, we came up with this green smoothie that is a hit with three of the four of us. The youngest one is still hung up on texture, but we’re working on it. The rest of us can’t get enough of this.
The fun thing about this one is you can mix up the ingredients based on what you have on hand. The only constant is the ice and either spinach or kale. It always comes out delicious!
Our favorite version is the base recipe below, with variations and substitutions listed. In the case of the grapes, pineapple and greens, we don’t bother measuring…we definitely grab handfuls and eyeball it! But 1 cup is a good reference point.
Green Smoothie Recipe
| Ingredients 1 cup seedless grapes (green grapes give it a cool bright green color, red grapes an olive green color…flavor is the same) 1 orange, peeled and halved (or two tangerines, peeled and halved) 1 banana, peeled 1 carrot, peeled, cut in half 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple (can also use any frozen fruit medley you have in the freezer, such as pineapple/mango/strawberry, etc.) 2 cups chopped fresh kale or spinach 1 apple, cored, cut in quarters Handful of ice cubes Directions 1. Place the ingredients in the Vitamix in order listed. 2. Cover, set to Variable, Speed 1. 3. Turn on, and slowly move speed up to 10, before switching to high to finish the blend. Once blended, serve immediately or refrigerate. |
Like kale? Check out our braised kale and breakfast kale recipes!
How to Braise Kale
Kale is a bountiful, nutritious and cheap leafy green, which, with the right preparation, is also delicious.
Kale is versatile, and can be consumed as a salad, in smoothies, soups and braised into tender, savory goodness.
We eat this year-round, but braised kale is especially hearty on a cool evening in the fall or winter. It pairs well with chicken and pork chops, and a glass of dry white wine. Personally, we’ve found it pairs especially well with this Moroccan Chicken dish, finding ourselves taking bites of the chicken, quinoa and kale at the same time for an indescribable explosion of flavor.
Braised Kale: Cooking Notes
The key to a good mess of braised kale for a family of four is starting with the a large, wide and deep sauté pan that has a lid. This is because kale, like most greens, wilts and shrinks as it cooks, so you want to make sure you have room to start with a full pan.
The recipe calls for 12 cups of chopped kale, but this is an estimation. We generally start by packing and filling the sauté pan to the brim. We usually end up using about 2/3 to 3/4 of a package of pre-chopped kale.
If you like your greens with a bit of vinegar flavor, feel free to toss a couple of quick splashes of red wine vinegar in at the end.
Braised Kale Recipe
| Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil At least 12 cups fresh chopped kale 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp smoked paprika 1 cup chicken or beef broth OR 1 bouillon cube in 1 cup water Splash of red wine vinegar (optional) Directions 1. Place olive oil in pan and heat over medium high heat 2. Once oil is heated, add kale and stir for about 2-3 minutes until lightly coated with olive oil 3. Add garlic powder, smoked paprika and broth, stirring to combine and coat the kale, about 2-3 minutes 4. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Braise for 10-12 minutes or until broth is mostly evaporated and absorbed, stirring occasionally. 5. If desired, splash a few drops of red wine vinegar over the cooked kale and stir. Serve immediately. |
While this is a great side vegetable for dinner, it can also make a nice hearty breakfast or brunch dish.
Speaking of breakfast, if you like kale, you’ll love this breakfast kale dish!