Week 10 - Kale, Cantaloupe, Cucumber

Green smoothies are everywhere.  They are becoming as common as a cup of coffee.  Even people who wouldn't dream of eating kale or spinach can be seen drinking a green smoothie.  Of the varied ways you could prepare kale (and I've given a couple on this blog - Kale with Tamari-Sesame Dressing, Colorful Lemony Kale Sandwiches ), perhaps the easiest is to put it into a smoothie.

I purchased a Vitamix blender more than a year ago and truly, it has been the best appliance I've ever placed on my kitchen counter.  I use it nearly every single day because it makes the whole foods plant based lifestyle so much easier.  But as much as I use it to make fruit smoothies, juice, hummus, salsa, soup, and even sorbet, I had yet to make a green smoothie with it.  So with a half a bunch of kale from week 10 still in my vegetable bin, I decided it was time to tackle the green smoothie and the Vitamix made that a cinch.

The thing with smoothies is that anything goes.  You really can't go wrong with whatever you drop into the blender, but in general, I like to include some fruit as a natural sweetener.  Therefore, this was the perfect time to make my green smoothie since we had received cantaloupe along with the kale.  It is not absolutely necessary to freeze the cantaloupe and banana first (which will take a few hours), but it does make the smoothie thicker and colder.  

So why not jump on the "green smoothie bandwagon" if you haven't already and try this low-fat healthy breakfast or snack.  

Kale and Cantaloupe Smoothie

1 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup Clarion River Organics Cantalope, cubed and frozen 

1 ripe banana peeled and frozen 

2 cups coarsely chopped Clarion River Organics Kale (tough stems removed before chopping) (about 3 large leaves)

1 cup peeled and sliced Clarion River Organics cucumber

Place all ingredients in a blender in the order listed and blend until smooth (about 1 to 2 minutes with a Vitamix).  Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!  Serves 1 generously.