Green Smoothie

Another long absence, woops! But the move to Nelson is complete, more or less, and I don't plan to move cities again for quite a while. All the basic needs have been met (apartment, job, etc)...now I just need friends and to find time for more fun and activities (like blogging!).

While I was traveling between provinces and homes, I drank a lot of smoothies. I was introduced to the combination of green apple and parsley, and became obsessed. Because A, it is delicious, and B, parsley is has a lot of nutritional good in it.

I make this smoothie daily lately, so I tried to keep it more green and less sweet. Not a dessert smoothie, although there is a lot of fruit in it. Since there's so much in season, I've been making a lot of fruit swaps  lately (blueberries for strawberries, peaches for mango...), but this is less about the exact smoothie recipe, and more about how I think parsley is great in sweet drinks.

Green Smoothie
(makes 1 large or 2 modest servings)

Ingredients

• 140 grams frozen mango (or peaches)
• 90 grams/1 small green apple (I've been wanting to try juiced green apple)
• 60 grams frozen strawberries or blueberries
• 30 grams spinach
• 30 grams parsley
• 250 grams water, or there abouts
• 1 tsp ground flax or chia seed (optional)
• 1/4 tsp chlorella or spirulina powder (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy!

Pineapple Fennel Juice

So much seems to happen between updates these days! 

-I'll start with the most exciting—I'm an aunt! We welcomed Briar (my name suggestion!) and Rayah into our family at the end of March, and I finally got to meet them this passed week.

-I ended my contract with the ski hill bakery once the season was complete. Running the bakery was a great experience, and one I'd unlikely have been given in any other circumstance, but the ski hill lifestyle was just not for me.

-I'm between jobs, so I'm back in Ontario for a few weeks to visit friend & family.

-The next step is Nelson, BC, and I'm super excited.

Now onto the sweet, sweet juice...

If this juice wasn't so delicious, I would never make it. Pineapple is the most annoying fruit to juice—it clogs up my juicer, and needs to be strained a second time to remove all the pulp. But the juice...is just so good. So I alternate between hard and soft fruit, pump the plunger, and it's always worth it.

This recipe makes a substantial amount of juice, because I like to juice the entire pineapple in one session. Also, this is my favourite juice, so I can drink a lot of it.

 


Pineapple Fennel Juice
(makes over 1L of juice; inspired by Live Food Bar)

Ingredients

• 1 pineapple, medium sized, peeled
• 1 green apple
• 4-5 stalks celery
• 2 small lemons 
• 1/4 bulb fennel 
• water (see note)

Instructions

1. Process ingredients through juicer, alternating hard and soft fruit. 

2. Strain and refrigerate in a sealed container.

Note: This juice is very sweet, so I sometimes water down my portions to suit my tastes.

Green Juice

How can you blog about juice without talking about green juice? Of all the juices, this is the one I feel best about drinking. This recipe is a rough guideline, as I tend to throw in whatever I have on hand.

I usually make my green juice in a quantity that will last me 2 or 3 days. I knoooooow juice is best consumer immediately, but my juicer claims I have 72 hours, and I'm really too lazy to juice this one every day...though happy to drink it every day.

.

Sometimes this juice is my lunch, and sometimes its just an accompaniment or snack. I guess I'm just saying it has the potential to be meal worthy. 

I usually water down my portions of juice, both to stretch is out a bit longer, and because it's a very concentrated concoction, so sneaking in some water to dilute it doesn't hurt.

Green Juice

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots
• 2 green apples
• 2 kiwis
• 1/2 a cucumber
• 2-3 handfuls of spinach
• a small bunch of kale or swiss chard, or any green really
• 2-3 leaves of romaine lettuce
• 1 lemon
• a nub of ginger, peeled (suit your tastes)
• water to dilute (optional)

Instructions:

1. Pass everything through your juicer, alternative between soft (kiwi) and hard (leafy greens) produce.

Good Morning, Grapefruit

I'm pretty tempted to just overlook my online absence...I'll at least be brief. 

As I previously mentioned, I drove from Ontario to British Columbia this Fall. I now live in a ski resort town where I run a bakery with another baker I met this summer. Needless to say, running a bakery is quite a step up from my previous role as a simple baker, and that's where all my time has gone. Thankfully, a bit of a routine is developing and some free time has finally presented itself.

Whether or not the bakery becomes a success remains to be seen, but it is what it is...a good and challenging experience.

Since every aspect of my working life revolves around baking, recipes, and trying new ideas, it might not surprise you that I pretty much never bake at home. I originally intended to post about vanilla hazelnut shortbread, but it seemed like a lie, and was just a re-hashing of my pecan shortbread from last Christmas anyways. Instead, I decided to be honest about what I've been eating (or drinking) lately...and I also ate most of the cookie dough raw.

Since purchasing my machine this Fall, I have become a regular juicer. I may be accused of falling victim to a trend, but who cares...I just love juice. I do more time consuming juices in larger batches, to last a few days, but I make this grapefruit concoction fresh every morning.

This juice, along with most of my juicing experiments so far, is inspired by one from my beloved Live Food Bar. Someone send me the Seoul Bowl...or tell me how to make pulled burdock.

Without the cayenne or chlorella powder, this is actually a sweet juice...but I heard somewhere that cayenne helps get your digestion going in the morning, and I need some vessel for my chlorella powder, so in they go.  It may not be the most beautiful or delicious juice, but I really like starting my day with it. 

Good Morning Grapefruit Juice

(inspired by Live Food Bar)

Ingredients:

• 1 grapefruit, peeled
• 1/2 lemon, with peel
• 1/4 cup water (give or take)
• dash of cayenne pepper (or as much as you can handle)
• dash of chlorella powder

Instructions:

1. Pass grapefruit, lemon and water through juicer.

2. Transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid. Add cayenne and chlorella and shake vigorously until combined.