It has been way too long since I have posted on my website and I really apologize for such a long hiatus. I must admit I have missed sharing my most recent culinary adventures with you all. But Life got pretty hectic in the past couple of weeks so I had to take a little break to re-center and re-focus. But I should resort back to more posts now (hopefully ;)). Today, I bring you a Spicy Green Smoothie recipe. Yes, another smoothie recipe. What can I say? Im obsessed :p. Last weekend, while shopping at The Big Carrot (a local organic fresh produce market and supermarket), I finally stumbled upon a new leafy green that I had been meaning to try for the longest time: Mustard Greens! I had heard about them but could never see them in my regular grocery store. It was my first trip to The Big Carrot and I was so happy to see a new variety of fresh produce with which I could play :). And guess what was my first experiment with these leafy greens? A smoothie of course! :p.
Though mustard greens are pretty sturdy (maybe too sturdy for my blender), once you have gotten the hang of it, they are the perfect addition to your morning smoothies if you enjoy spicy foods, such as ginger. I know I do. So I was delighted by the extra spicy kick that it added to my morning smoothie.
This Spicy Green Smoothie recipe is really super easy to make in the morning and super delicious. Plus it is sweet…and spicy. The perfect combination, if you ask me ;).
Before I share the recipe, let me give you the scoop on this awesome leafy green:
Health Benefits of Mustard Greens:
Mustard greens are part of the cruciferous vegetables family. As such it is a great support to the liver detoxification pathways. It is also rich in powerful anti-oxidants given its high content of vitamin A, C, and E (which are all great for the health of your skin too by the way!). Antioxidants have an anti-inflammatory effect on the whole body and help prevent free radical damages, which often lead to internal and external inflammation, premature aging and illnesses. Finally, mustard greens are also great for cancer prevention given their high vitamin, mineral and digestive fibers content, which all contribute to healthy digestion, elimination of internal toxins and healthy body metabolism.
I hope this convinced you to at least give them a try.
And here is what you will need for this recipe:
Spicy Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 to 1.5 cups of filtered water
- 2 Tbsp of ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) or the juice of 1/2 lemon (freshly squeezed)
- 2 big leaves of Mustard Greens, thouroughly washed and de-stemmed
- 1 orange, peeled & chopped
- 1 golden beet, chopped in small chunks (so naturally sweet, delicious & great for liver detoxification)
- 1 apple, chopped (peel it too if not organic)
- 1 Tbsp of chia seeds (added protein, omega 3s and fibers)
- 1 frozen banana
Instructions:
If you have a powerful blender, simply place all the ingredients into it and blend away until you have achieved the desired consistency.
If you have a regular blender like I do, you just need an extra step. Start by blending your mustard greens with the water and ACV or lemon juice, then strain away the fibers (don’t worry there is stil going to be plenty of digestive fibers in the rest of the ingredients;)). Place the green juice you will have collected back into the blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend away for 3 to 5 minutes.
And voilà! You’ve got yourself a deliciously sweet and spicy green smoothie. I really hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. I must warn you though, it is really spicy. So if you cannot tolerate spicy foods too much (imagine ginger or hot chili flakes), just reduce the amount of mustard greens you use in the smoothie and mix it with spinach or kale or any other leafy green of your choice. I personally LOVE the spiciness so I am good to go ;).
Bon appétit!
– Sarah.
