Super Smoothies

This recipe requires getting creative. The good news is it's hard to mess up. If you're just starting in the kitchen, this is a good place to start. A smoothie makes a great breakfast, snack, accompaniment to a meal, or even a healthy dessert (oxymoron? not after you try this!).

Super Smoothies

2 cups of fruit
6 oz (single serving cup) yogurt
1/2 to 1 cup milk

Mix in a blender and serve.

Now for the fun part--getting creative. For your fruit, pick two of these:

1 Banana
Frozen berries
Frozen Tropical fruit mix (mango, papaya, pineapple, etc)
Cubed fresh melon (cantaloupe, Watermelon, Honeydew, etc)
canned pineapple or mandarin oranges, drained well
even seedless cucumber

Note: if your fruit is frozen before you blend, your smoothie will be thicker and colder without adding a bunch of ice. If you have less ripe or slightly sour fruit, you may need to add a couple tablespoons of sugar or brown sugar. The recipe above is a general ratio. Please don't measure.

Pick any flavor of yogurt you want. It doesn't have to be plain! Try lime, lemon, strawberry, or vanilla. Also, during the summer months try adding a few leaves of fresh basil or mint. This is also a good place to sneak in fiber or protein substitutes.

Last tip: try substituting 1/2 can light coconut milk for the milk. Tasty!

Overall, if you use skim milk and lowfat yogurt, you'll have a low-fat, very refreshing and satisfying drink high in antioxidants and vitamins.

Cranberry Pineapple Slushie

I promised 2 healthy recipes, so here is the first. This slushie is a nice mix of sweet and tart, and has lots of flavor. It is not necessarily low in calories, but it is fat-free and has lots of vitamins and antioxidants, so in my book it passes as a very healthy dessert. It could also be served for an afternoon pick-me-up, or even a fun drink to go with any meal.

Cranberry Pineapple Slushie

1 12 oz frozen Cranberry juice concentrate (or just less than 2 quarts 100% prepared cranberry juice)
1 can pineapple rings or chunks
2 limes
3/4 cup sugar

Prepare the cranberry juice according to package directions. Mix in the JUICE from the can of pineapple. Reserve the fruit in the refrigerator for later. Add the juice from the 2 limes to the cranberry juice, and add the sugar. Mix well. Pour into a shallow dish or bowl and freeze for 4-6 hours. Every 2 hours, take a fork and scrape the ice crystals so that it keeps a nice, soft consistency. To serve: put a few pieces of the reserved pineapple in the bottom of your glass and pour the slushie over. If you like, serve with a little dollop of vanilla flavored yogurt, or sour cream, or whipped cream on top.

Little Variations: You could pour the mixture into ice cubes and freeze, then put those in your glass and pour lemon-lime soda over. This would be a fun idea for a party. A similar idea would be to pour the mixture into a jell-o mold and float the pineapple in it, then freeze, and when it is solid, pop the ring into a punch bowl and pour soda over. You can also turn the mixture in an ice cream maker, if you have one, to speed up the freezing process.