How To Make Smoothies

A few years ago I was up late watching absolutely nothing of importance when an infomercial for the Magic Bullet came on. I was literary glued to the screen for thirty minutes but did not succumb to making a purchase. This seemed to happen more than a few times until I was convinced I needed one.

I have always loved frozen fruit drinks but having to use the large blender for one drink was always a turn off. So I decided I would do some research. My research eventually led me to Canadian Tire where I purchased a Magic Bullet Platinum Pro. It does not look the same as the one on TV but it does the same job.

Unfortunately the recipe book that came with it had very little information about the smoothies I intended to make with it. What follows are the recipes that came out of many trials and errors. And the best ways to make them.

I hope you will find one or more that appeal to your taste buds.

Citation: images copyright M. E. Wood.

Makes 1 Serving

My husband is really picky about his watermelon. Even if we are eating the seedless, with the white seeds, he will pick out every one. With this smoothie I do not have to worry about the seeds.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of frozen watermelon
• 1/2 cup chilled water
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 banana

Freeze chopped watermelon in portions the night before. I say in portions because if you do not it will freeze together and be impossible to separate to put into blender. I have divided them into Bullet mugs and frozen like that which is super convenient. You could also put them on a cookie sheet. About one quarter of a small seedless watermelon is enough for two drinks.

Add banana, water, juice from 1/2 a lemon, and watermelon. Blend. I have also doubled this recipe and put it in a blender and it works out fine.

If you do not have time to freeze watermelon you can still make this drink by adding 4 to 6 ice cubes but it is definitely better if the watermelon is frozen.

Party variation: add 1/2 an ounce of Bacardi.

There are a number of places to get a Magic Bullet. You can watch for the infomercial on television and call in or you can visit:

• Magic Bullet Platinum Pro website
• Magic Bullet website
• Canadian Tire
• Ebay
• and of course Amazon (see below)

Makes 1 Serving

This is my new favorite fruit smoothie. Super creamy and sweet. And shockingly I did not use a banana.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped papaya (about 1/4)
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup of orange juice
• juice from 1/2 a small lime
• 8 ice cubes

This smoothie was made in my Bullet mug so worked out perfect. You may have to adjust the ingredients slightly depending on which unit you use. If you are using a blender then it does not matter.

When I made this smoothie the papaya was ripe but not mushy. Add the ingredients according to list above and blend. Enjoy the sweet smoothness.

Makes about 2 Servings

This recipe makes approximately two 16oz glasses, share with a friend or cover and put in fridge for next day.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup cold water
• 2 kale leaves
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery
• 1 tomato
• 1 small beet
• 1 green apple
• 1 banana
• 1/2 a lime
• handful of fresh parsley
• 8 ice cubes

This drink needs to be done in a blender and not a Bullet. Start off blending cold water and kale on low and add each veggie one at a time. Cut up carrot, celery, tomato, beet, and apple into manageable chunks and add through open slot in blender lid. Add banana, parsley and lime last.

The beet can be very strong but there is a nice apple/banana aftertaste. If you really dislike beet you can leave it out and add more greens. Beets are an acquired taste but I recommend drinking a few times before you decide you hate them altogether. If there is room in blender try adding another half of banana for sweetness (you can always reduce this later when you get accustomed to the taste.

Makes About 4 Servings

This smoothie is not for the faint of heart or anyone just starting out. This is a full fledged green smoothie that can be used for an occasional meal replacement (I have it for breakfast but it would be perfectly fine for lunch or supper). The ingredients for this recipe was initially inspired by Kimberly Snyder's "Glowing Green Smoothie".

This recipe makes about four servings. It is made with a blender and not with the Bullet. I divide it into four servings and cover each one and put in fridge so it is ready to go. I drink them over two days.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 2.5 oz of baby spinach (1/2 a small container)
• 1 small head of romaine lettuce (might not use all)
• 3 stalks of celery
• 1 organic green apple, cored and quartered
• 1 organic green pear, cored and quartered
• 1 banana
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon OR 1/2 a lime
• 1/2 a bunch of cilantro (stems too)
• 1/3 a bunch of parsley (stems too)

Add water, spinach and ripped romaine to blender. I use the chop setting to break it up initially. If necessary I use a stalk of celery, through the hole in the lid, to push down the greens along the sides of the container until it is all blended (DO NOT USE A UTENSIL!!). I increase the speed to break down the greens a little more.

With the blender still going I break each stalk of celery into three pieces and quickly add one at a time through the open hole in lid. This is followed by the pear and apple pieces, the herbs, lemon or lime juice and finally the banana. If there is room I will add a few ice cubes and continue to blend until it is really smooth before dividing.

Initially I stored them in glasses with Saran Wrap over the top but lately I have been dividing the batch into my Bullet mugs and storing in fridge. Before I use i add a few more ice cubes and blend with the bullet to break up ice -- I prefer my veggie smoothies to be cooler -- I have also just poked in two ice cubes and let them melt while I am drinking.

Variation: Lately I have been dividing the end result into three Bullet mugs. Two get covered and go and the fridge and then the third I add 1/2 a banana and 4 to 6 ice cubes. If there is room I add a tablespoon or two of water then blend on the Bullet. The other two I do the same over the next few days.

Makes 1 Serving

There is so much sweetness in this one that even the most anti-green person could drink this.

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas
• 2 to 3 leaves of Kale (more if using baby kale)
• 1 cup of cold water
• 1/2 cup skim milk, almond milk, or water
• 1 tbsp bran (optional)
• 6 to 8 ice cubes

This is a nice sweet drink that is cool and refreshing. I made this in the large bullet container. Do not use green or half ripened bananas.

For some reason when I make this one in a blender it gets really frothy so I prefer to make it in the large Bullet container.

Make one large or two small servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup red wine (I used Cabernet)
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 banana
• 1 yogurt cup (fruit bottom, up to you if you want to use fruit or not, I don't)
• 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries
• 6 ice cubes
• 1/2 cup cranberry cocktail

Add ingredients to blender or Bullet mug and blend until smooth.

A Sweet Treat

Ingredients:

• 1 cup guava, passionfruit, orange juice blend (Bolthouse has a great one that can be found in veggie isle.)
• 1 banana
• 2 large green chard leaves, stems removed
• 6 to 8 ice cubes

I absolutely love the combination of this Bolthouse juice (the passionfruit makes it). It is a really sweet combination so I doubt if you will need sweetener. Feel free to change it up by substituting chard with kale or spinach or a combination of all three.

Lighter Than an Iced Capp

This was one of the first smoothies I ever made. When Tim Horton's came out with the Iced Cappuccino I was in love but at over 20g of gat I needed to develop a lighter version. It definitely is not as sweet or as rich as an Iced Cap but it is just as cooling and soothing on a hot day.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 4 heaping teaspoons of Carnation Hot Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon skim milk powder
• 3 tsp splenda (or 2 tsp granulated sugar or 2 extra scoops of hot chocolate mix or option if you have a nice sweet banana)
• 1 tablespoon of boiling water
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1 banana (optional)
• 8 to 10 icecubes

Add coffee, hot chocolate, optional sweetener to mug. Pour in about 1 to 2 tablespoons of boiling water to dissolve coffee and hot chocolate -- stir with spoon until mixed. Add a splash of milk to cool things off. Add remaining ingredients and blend.

Variation: Reduce milk and add 3 to 5 tablespoons of Bailey's Irish Cream.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 pear (can, 2 halves)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon skim milk powder
• 1 teaspoons sugar substitute (optional)
• 2 green kale leaves, center vein removed
• 6 to 8 ice cubes

Add all ingredients and blend. If the banana is ripe you really do not need the sugar substitute.

1 Serving

Only use ripe pineapple otherwise it will be very acidic.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 1/2 slices of fresh pineapple, cut in large chunks
• 3/4 cup milk
• splash of orange juice
• 8 to 10 ice cubes

This smoothie seems to work best in a Bullet than a blender. In a blender it seems to add a lot of air and get frothy.

3/4 cup strawberries, frozen

1 banana

1 cup of orange juice

splash of milk

One Big Serving or Two Small

Instructions:

• 2 kiwi, peeled
• 3/4 cup strawberries, frozen
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/3 cup yogurt
• splash of milk
• splash of orange juice
• 4 to 6 ice cubes

Add ingredients to mug and blend. The ripe banana helps balance the tartness of the frozen berries (unless you have frozen your own).

When I first started drinking smoothies three+ years ago I required sweeteners, hence the sugar/sweetener option in the recipes. Some people will not need the added sweetness while others will.

Over time I have noticed I have used less and less to virtually none at all additional sweetener.

Another determinant of how much or little sweetener you use will be the ripeness of the fruit. Greener bananas may require sweetener while riper ones will not. Old frozen fruit tends to be less sweet too.

Experiement with the taste to find the route that is right for you. Also try each recipe at least two times before you make up your mind and to give your tastebuds a chance to adjust to the new flavors.

1 to 2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain low fat yogurt
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup raspberries, frozen
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 tsp of honey if raspberries are bitter)
• 4 to 6 ice cubes

I have also divided this one between two dessert bowls and put in freezer to share as a frozen fruit yogurt type of dessert.

The first few years that I drank this recipe I always peeled the apple and discarded the skins. Now that I am in to blending pretty much everything I leave the skin on (organic) and it has not affected the texture of this smoothie at all.

Ingredients:

• 1 apple, cored and chopped into chunks
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 small banana
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 to 6 ice cubes

This is one of my favorite treat smoothies. I have also thrown in a handful of baby spinach on occasion.

1 banana

1 cup strawberries

1 teaspoon skim milk powder

2 teaspoons sugar substitute

1 cup of milk

• ice cubes
• bananas
• sweetener
• skim milk powder
• frozen strawberries (and other fruit)

This is one of my favorites. Sometimes I split it into two and serve the second to my husband along with a supper instead of giving him a fruit serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 teaspoon skim milk powder
• 2 teaspoon bran
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoon of sugar substitute (optional if using ripe banana)
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup of orange juice
• 3 to 4 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy!

I have had my Magic Bullet for three years and have used it faithfully every day. Unfortunately wear and tear is starting to take its toll. I lost one of the beaters (cracked right through the base) and used the flat blade for all my blending for a few months. I looked for replacement parts and found out my unit has been discontinued. To top it off the motor sounded like it could give out on me at any time. I started using my Cuisinart blender for heavy duty smoothies (green mixtures) while I shopped for a new smoothie maker. I considered buying a new Bullet set but I really think I have outgrown it and what it has to offer in terms of smoothie making.

Nothing like a cool treat on a hot day (to tell the truth, I like them in winter too). Let me know if you try one and how it went for you!