Green and Lean Smoothie

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to spend time with family and friends and over indulge on delicious foods such as noodles, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. However, if you are anything like me, the next day my body is begging for normalcy and some fresh produce (I mean green bean casserole should count right!?) One of my favorite things after a night of indulgence is to start my morning off with a smoothie because it is a quick and easy way to get at least 2-3 servings of fruits and veggies; not to mention they are pretty refreshing. I typically add spinach or kale to all my smoothies with addition of fruits for sweetness. Like the other smoothie, this can be kept in the fridge for about a week (although I usually finish it in 3-4 days).

Green and Lean Smoothie

- 4 kiwi; skins removed and cut into chunks
- 3 green applies cut into chunks
- 2 Bartlett pears cut into chunks
- 2-3 cups spinach
- 4-5 cups water

1. Add spinach and 3 cups water in food processor or blender until evenly combined and without chunks
2. Add additional fruit and continue to blend until evenly combined and no chunks.
3. Pour into pitcher and add additional 1-2 cups water to desired consistency.

** you will need to whisk the mixture before serving as the water and ingredients tend to separate in the refrigerator.

Nutrient packed smoothie

Sometimes I can be a little stubborn in my ways; so when the craze surrounding juicing and smoothies began, I quickly turned a cold shoulder. I continued to happily take my daily handful of vitamins and quickly scrolled over the smoothie and juice recipes on Pinterest. My interest slowly started to peak after I received a facial before my wedding. My aesthetician informed me that she too had taken up juicing and had never felt better mentally and physically. After hearing more about the benefits and easy way to amp the amount of fruits and veggies in my diet, my curiosity was definitely peaked. It also occurred to me that I could cut back on (pricey) vitamins and receive a lot of my nutrients naturally through this process; win/win!

On an impulse I strolled through the grocery store grabbing stalks of celery, bunches of kale, and bags of fruit. Unfortunately once I got home I realized the juicer I already owned was not equipped to extract the juice from veggies; so I went another route by using my food processor. I must say, the process took me a while to perfect as I would find myself munching like a cow on the sustained stems of kale (not very pleasing if you ask me). I call the below recipe a smoothie while others may consider it more as a juice; either way it is one of my favorites with a combination of sweet and tart flavors. This recipe will make about 8 8 oz servings and keep in the fridge for 4-5 days (stirring before each use).

Recipe:

3 organic gala apples cut into small chunks

6 oz raw cranberries

1 1/2 container strawberries with stems removed and halved

3 cups spinach

3-4 cups water (depending on your thickness preference)

1. Combine water and spinach in food processor and mix until evenly combined and resembles mostly homogenous liquid consistency (I found it best to over mix or you could have chunks in your smoothie)

2. Add cut apples; repeat step 1

3. Add cranberries and strawberries; repeat step 1

4. Once the ingredients are evenly combined you can adjust water as desired. 

Easy Cheese Tortellini and Spinach Soup

So it is officially an issue that finding and making soups recipes has taken over my life. There is something about the cool weather and this time of year that makes soup sound so warm and comforting. While my husband will try anything I put in front of him, I have found he tends to be a picky soup eater and usually turns his nose up at the hint of sweetness in his soups (those I get to save for my daily lunches). And while he shies away from leafy spinach, he still gobbles up the following easy soup. I just used cheese tortellini and spinach in this recipe, but you could easily substitute meat ravioli or add other vegetables such as mushrooms to satisfy your taste buds; plus it takes no time so no need to pause Real Housewives for this one ;).

Cheese Tortellini and Spinach Soup

- 1 package frozen cheese tortellini
- 2 cups spinach; throughly washed and dried.
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth combined with 1 cup water (adjust to your preference of broth)
- salt and pepper to taste
- dash of cinnamon
- couple of shakes of garlic powder

1. Combine vegetable broth and water in a large pot; add the tortellini and bring to a boil.
2. Cook tortellini until done (3-5 minutes)
3. Add spinach and cook until wilted.
4. Done!