If you want to kick start a healthier lifestyle – maybe you’ve already swapped your nights in on the sofa playing at FoxyBingo with a TV dinner, for attending your local running club and enjoying a healthy dinner – then you’re already on the road to health and happiness. Below are just a few ways you can enjoy a healthy smoothie.

Breakfast smoothie

Kick-start your day – and your metabolism – with an energizing smoothie. The ingredients in the recipe below provide long-lasting energy which will keep those pesky hunger pangs away until lunchtime.

Method: Simply blend one ripe banana with a tablespoon of peanut butter, a couple of ice cubes, half a cup of milk and a teaspoon of honey. Add more milk for a runnier smoothie, or lessen the amount for a thicker drink. Why not try adding a tablespoon of cocoa powder for a chocolatey flavor?

Detox Smoothie

If you wake up after a great night out with a bit of a headache, what better way to recharge your body than enjoying a light, refreshing detox smoothie? The fruits and vegetables used in the recipe below are packed with antioxidants and vitamins, plus the folate-rich beetroot helps the body develop red blood cells, which remove toxins and waste from your system.

Method: Blend together a cup of frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, 1 raw beetroot, 1/2 cup almond milk, a teaspoon of honey and a handful of ice. For a creamier smoothie, add a dash of natural low fat yoghurt.

Perfect skin smoothie

You can boast a beautiful complexion by keeping your skin hydrated and healthy. Dairy can sometimes cause skin irritations, so substituting it for hemp milk might just do the trick.

Blend 1/2 cup of hemp milk, 1/2 cup of light coconut milk (or coconut water) 1 peeled pear, a handful of ice and a splash of coconut extract for added coconut flavor.

My favourite one that I often make is what I like to call the A.W.S – After Workout Smoothie!

To make this great smoothie you will need:

• A cup of Papaya
• A peeled Kiwi
• 3 Ice cubes
• A cup of vanilla flavoured milk
• 1 Blender

To make this delicious smoothie, place all ingredients in the blender. Start blending slowly and speed it up until you are satisfied with the smoothness of the smoothie. Some people like it lumpy, however, I think it’s served best smooth.

This smoothie is great as these fruits help with weight loss and detox. I’ve been buying my fruit from a great website called Fruit4London. They specialise in Fruit delivery in London and delivery great exotic fruit baskets too. Check them out, they also do a fruit and veg box delivery too!

Ingredients

• Large handful of Kale
• 2 long sticks of Celery
• 1 Pear
• 1/3 of a Cucumber
• 25g chunk of Ginger

Instructions

1. Rinse the ingredients, especially watch out for dirt in the celery and kale
2. Slice the Pear and Cucumber and add to smoothie maker
3. Begin to blend, add some juice or water if it’s being stubborn
4. Add the Ginger, and feed the Celery sticks into the blender
5. Throw in the Kale
6. Turn the power to full and SMOOTH!!!
7. Pour into a glass and drink!

This smoothie doesn’t taste as sweet as most of our recipes so you’ll probably want to drink it fast. Just think of all the fresh vegetables you’re getting and it’ll go down a treat!

Need more flavour?

Try adding some Honey if you need to make it sweeter. If you can’t find Kale, Spinach is a good alternative

This smoothie takes it’s inspiration from a friend’s recipe which he uses to keep him fueled full of energy for his long days at work and time in the gym!

What you will need

• 3 tablespoons of Fairtrade peanut butter (smooth not chunky!)
• 1 Fairtrade banana
• 2 scoops of frozen yoghurt
• 200ml skimmed milk

Instructions

All in the smoothie maker and hit go!

Optional Extras

If you want you can add some banana flavour whey protein or even some oats to this just like Barmy Varney does to keep your body in shape and keep you fuller for longer!

Wow, now here is a confusing fruit – or rather bracket term for some very closely related fruits which are always being mixed up and even sold as each other in your local supermarket… identity theft?

The mandarin, as we all know, is a type of orange – of which there are many varieties but we feel that you really out to know about the main types of Mandarin because odds are, they are in your shopping basket!

The Mandarin family are less robust than your average supermarket ‘orange’ but we like to think that also makes them more cute! They are not spherical like their big brother and they are a darn site easier to peel!

So here are the main varieties which you will need to know…

• Tangerine – Packed full of flavour! Get ones that feel heavier than they look with pebbled skin! Tangerine is one of the parents of the commercial orange! Weird Huh!
• Satsuma – Japanese by Birth.  A very sweet and very cute fruit – so go easy on the handling as it can’t take much rough and tumble, but is easy to peel.
• Clementine – Generally seedless so it’s good for smoothies (of course you can always pick the seeds from the other types)
• Tangor – technically only half mandarin – a cross breed with the seet orange – Guess what – it’s sweet!

We would happily put any of these fruits into a smoothie – for a fuller bodied flavour go for fresh tangerine. We tend to freeze segments of satsuma and use them as ‘nice-cubes’.

Nutrition

The mandarin brothers are all quite similar in terms of what nutritional goodies you get from them. Of course they are high in Vit C and beta-carotene as well as folate! They also contain potassium, magnesium and some helpful B vits!

Random Facts

Traditionally at Chinese new year celebrations single women would write their contact details on Mandarins and throw them into crowds in the hope of finding an eligible bachelor! Have a go at this down  on the local high street – NO – DON’T!!! That is what securely monitored dating sites are for!

1. Ice Cream – Ben and Jerry’s already have 4 different Fairtrade flavours and are currently working on sourcing fairtrade ingredients for their whole range of ice creams and frozen yoghurts. Available in supermarkets, cinemas and even vending machines!
2. Beauty Products – Boots stock a full range of Fairtrade products including moisturisers, exfoliating scrubs and bath wash. It’s one of the first complete ranges of beauty care products to be certified as containing Fairtrade ingredients sourced from around the world to refresh, revitalise and moisturise. Available in all Boots high street stores.
3. Beer – Mongozo beer comes in 4 unique Fairtrade flavours. The word Mongozo means ‘to your health!’ in the language of the Chokwe people of Africa. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the exotic variety of Banana, Mango, Coconut and Quinoa.  You can get Monogozo beer at exotic restaurants, festivals, beach bars and supermarkets. Gift packs are available and make the perfect present for any beer-lover willing to experiment.
4. Flowers – Gift-givers can now choose from the growing range of beautiful bouquets of Fairtrade certified flowers now available in shops and online including Interflora, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. There are Fairtrade certified flower farms in countries like Kenya, Sri Lanka, Columbia and Ecuador. Over 10,000 flower growers benefit from Fairtrade flowers grown in this country.
5. Clothes – … Or more specifically the cotton used to make the clothes. The Fairtrade Foundation works in 59 countries, touching the lives of approximately 7.5 million cotton farmers and their families. Countless clothing manufactures are using Fairtrade certified cotton in their clothing lines. See some of our favourites in our Top 5 Fairtrade Fashion Labels article or a full list on the Fairtrade.org.uk
6. Footballs – Along with Basketballs, Volleyballs, Netballs and Rugby Balls, Ethletic produce high quality, hand stitched, Fairtrade balls made using rubber from responsibly managed rubber plantations. They can even produce custom designed balls for sports teams, schools and charities.
7. Vodka – FAIR Vodka is not only the first Quinoa-based Vodka but also the first Fairtrade vodka in the world. Their Quinoa is cultivated by over 1,200 small producers in the Bolivian Altiplano. FAIR also make fairtrade coffee and goji liqueurs and have a variety of Fairtrade Cocktail Recipes on their website.
8. Cake – Everyone loves cake. The Co-Op have the biggest range of Faitrade cakes, including Banana Loaf, Chocolate Sponge, Jaffa Mini Rolls and even Christmas Pudding. And if you prefer baking your own cakes why not use Fairtrade sugar, syrups, jams and spreads! All available at Co-Op supermarkets.
9. Cola - Ubuntu Cola was the first cola in the UK to get the Fairtrade Mark and it fizzes with Fairtrade sugar from Malawi and Zambia. It is available in cans and bottles and you can find places to buy it near you on the Ubuntu Cola Website
10. Sweets – Burnt Sugar create delicious crumbly fudge made with Fairtrade Sugar. Trust us, this stuff tastes amazing! They make a great treat and can be bought at Waitrose, Tesco and Oxfam.

If you’ve enjoyed any of these products already let us know in the comments. Can’t find these products in your local shop? Then speak to the manager and ask for it to be stocked.

Jake and Ian show you how to make a Strawberry, Dragonfruit and Kiwi Smoothie, and answer a viewer question.

Ingredients

• 1/2 can Creamed Coconut
• 1/2 can Coconut Water
• 1 Fairtrade Lime
• 1 Fairtrade Banana
• Cinnamon powder to taste
• Chilli powder to taste

Instructions

1. Add coconut products to smoothie maker along with the banana.
2. Squeeze the lime juice into the smoothie maker (watch out for the pips).
3. SMOOTH!!!
4. Add chilli and cinnamon to taste (take it easy at first)
5. SMOOTH!!!
6. Pour into a short glass
7. Add decorative chilli or cinnamon – or why not shave some lemongrass onto the top?

This smoothie is a good compliment to a desert after a Thai meal or to go with anything spicy as it will cool your taste buds despite the chilli!

Over 18?

Try adding some Fairtrade Spiced Rum

You will need

• Half a small pineapple
• 1 Large orange or 200ml orange juice
• 2 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger (or paste or powder – fresh is best!)
• 12 or so ice cubes

What do I do with said ingredients?

Place ice in the smoothie maker followed by the ginger and then the pineapple and orange (take a moment to reflect on how sluggish you feel). Hit smooth, wait 20 seconds, press stop, pour, garnish with mint, drink (take a moment to reflect on how awake, fresh and full of life you feel!).

This really is fantastic news for use here at Smoothiecast. One, because we love Ben & Jerry’s – It clearly is the best ice cream in the world. Two – this sets the standard now for other food companies. If B&J’s can do it with the complex and varied ingredients they use then it should be a stroll for others to follow suit! Let’s add the pressure – let your favorite manufacturers know what the Ice Cream Connoisseurs have done and tell them that they need to follow suit!

You know what this also means? Watch out for more and more Ben & Jerry’s in our Smoothies – Naughty… … … but oh so nice!

Not only are Ben & Jerry’s making their Ice Cream Fairtrade certified but their website is packed full of Fairtrade fun, competitions and a funky Fairtrade initiative which you can get involved with!

Find out more about Ben & Jerry’s Giant Leap for Humankind Here!

Would you believe me if I told you that these fury little critters are in the same family as almonds?

Well… they are – of course they look nothing like each other apart from the stone which has a different texture – but who cares, you aren’t going to eat the stone anyway and peaches are much nicer in smoothies!

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No – it’s a nectarine!

Which is actually a peach! Really? Yeah! Peaches and nectarines are the pretty much the same; both having a delicate taste and texture along with a tart and yet sweet taste which will differ between fruit. Both types become sweeter as they ripen. The difference between the two is that the peach is like a nice suede jacket in texture and the nectarine is smooth like a baby’s bottom due to its funky recessive gene.

Use and Storage

Eat them as soon as you buy them or a week after – they will be ripe and ready either way and won’t change muc

h. They may soften a little but that is due mainly to decomposition of the proteins and carbohydrates within, nevertheless it would seem – based on experience – that sweetness may be enhanced due to this!

Don’t feel the need to chill your peaches and nectarines they taste best at or just above room temper

ature, hence why they are lovely when cooked or used to make hot smoothies!

Nutrition

Low in calories, high in fibre, vitamin C and A as well as potassium and niacin – great healthy snack for those watching the waistline – perfect in calorie conscious smoothies!

Immortality

Yep, peaches lead to immortality – or at least the old Chinese legends go. Let us know if you discover anything on this one!

What you will need

• 1 Fairtrade Banana
• 1 Punnet of Strawberries
• 350ml milk

Instructions

Really? You need instructions? Chop banana, top strawberries – all in the smoothie maker hit go and smooth away!

Nutrition

Full of fibre, quality carbs, vitamin A, C and B6 as well as well rounded on the mineral front with notable appearances made by potassium and calcium both playing… themselves!

Want so see our attempt at making this smoothie in under 30 seconds? CheckThe 49.8 Second Smoothie Video Episode

Ingredients

2 Peaches

4 handfuls of raspberries

2 scoops Fairtrade Frozen Yoghurt (or natural Greek Yoghurt and 2 handfuls of ice)

Recipe

This one isn’t rocket science – all ingredients into the smoothie maker and hit go!

Possibilities

You may want to use a flavored yoghurt instead of straight forward unflavored Greek!

Want to be even more fair? Use Fairtrade Apple and Raspberry Juice instead of (or as well as!) the fruit.

As you know by now it is not actually a nut! Grown throughout the tropical regions for many uses, on of which is for it’s edible fruit, yay! The fruit, by the time it reaches our shops, has had it’s husk removed and appears to be a wood-like shell (good for horse imitation). Once that is cracked you’re into a white wonderland of endosperm (the meat) and water! Of course you can eat the meat fresh or dried and drink the water.

Nutrition and Liquid Form

Coconut water is actually an un-branded isotonic drink – full of sugar, protein, fiber, and minerals in the same concentration as the body’s cells – so no more expensive sports drinks needed then! Coconuts also pack in some added vitamins and antioxidants for you; how good of them!

You will also no doubt be familiar with coconut milk. Made by merging the coconut meat with hot water. It has a high fat content as the raw flesh does and a luscious aromatic full bodied creamy flavour and texture!

The fat in coconut is not to be feared, oh no! The fats are mainly Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT’s) which do not get stored as fat readily but rather undergo a process called beta-oxidation and are then used much like glucose. Recently athletes have been using MCT’s in preparation for endurance events such as Iron Man Triathlons. However if you sit around in front of the TV eating coconut you will get fat!

Where to Buy

Fairtrade Coconuts can be found in Asda, Morrisons, The Co-Op and Sainsbury’s – be sure to lobby your supermarket to get their act together. Also be sure to be asking for Fairtrade coconut water and milk products!

Description

A stock ingredient in your smoothie fridge (or your normal fridge if your don’t have a dedicated smoothie one… I’m not sure who does). You can add yoghurt to most smoothies to add smooth velvety creaminess.

Made by the fermentation of milk using bacteria – yum! Lactic acid + Milk Protein = thick tangy smoothie ingredient! It has been made for well over 5,000 years and gets its Turkish name from it’s thickness. It has historical traces in most world cultures and forms a quasi-staple food for most people.

Yoghurt comes in a massive variety of flavours – both from the differences in cultivation and the addition of other flavours. you will also find a variety of thicknesses and amount of macro-nutrients in each brand of yogurt so make sure you check the label so you know what you’re getting your self into! Of course there is also frozen yogurt which we highly recommend for smoothage!

Healthy Stuff

Loads of calcium and protein here, making yoghurt a good option for those wishing to loose body fat and add muscle. Yoghurt is also rich in riboflavin (vit B2), and vits B6 and B12 – so is fantastic for releasing energy from other foods as well as maintaining normal bodily functioning. Lactose intolerant? Non necessarily a problem with yoghurt apparently as the lactose is largely converted to lactic  in the fermentation process!

Buying and Storing

Buy your favorite type and flavour then ensure you make the supermarket know that you’d like to see fairtrade equivalents SOON! (if yoghurt has been imported). Once done whack it in the fridge, otherwise it will start cultivating all sorts of things its self rather than enabling you to cultivate a yummy smoothie!

Click here to find out where you can buy fairtrade yoghurt and  frozen yoghurt - yuuuum, frozeeeen!

Fun Facts

• Oft been used as food offerings to pagan god’s
• Some research suggests yoghurt can help prevent cancer (this research is  rather sparse!)
• Used as a ‘fighting food’ by Genghis Khan and King David which they gave to their armies!

Jake and Ian show you how to make a Strawberry and Banana Smoothie, but not everything goes to plan…

1. Nomads Clothing – Let out your inner hippy! Nomads boast an impressive range of expressive clothing which is both Fairtrade and organic! The use of colour is sensational and inspiring and there are some right bargains! Don’t worry if you are not a hippy, the tasteful design transcends dress sense and affinity for hugging trees! The men’s section needs some work but this site is well worth a visit to get your self equipped for a bright summer!
2. Bibico – Sorry guys, no clothes for you here. But women, you are in for a treat. A Fair Trade fashion label that is a must for this summer. A simple fusion of retro chic and modern contour make the entire range a ravishingly refined fashion extravaganza without any hefty price tags.
3. Wombat – Clothing for Life’s Adventures is their tag line… and it’s true! A full range of Fairtrade and Organic clothing for all your pursuits (not including pursuits where you need suits). Look snazzy whether you are training on the track, ferreting through the forest or frolicking with friends and a Frisbee! Good show Wombat, Good Show indeed!
4. Machja – Looking for something a bit more classy, then this Fair Trade and Organic label is for you. A well stocked range for men and women to ensure that you can dress suave and fair-savvy. The price tags are also a little classy but reduced lines are to be grabbed immediately! Got a date? Get Machja!
5. People Tree – again the old favorite still hold a good range of Fairtrade organic clothing with some new additions, notably the addition of the Emma Watson line. Despite this there is a lack of excitement and edge about the current range which we feel can be found at some of the websites higher in the top 5.

Clegg to the left of me, Cameron to the right, here I am – stuck in the middle with brown!

A smoothie to get you through the anguish, uncertainty and excitement of this period as we enter a hung parliament which will probably lead to a coalition government!

For this smoothie you will need:

• 306� Blueberries (with right wing views)
• 258 Strawberries (with mid-line views)
• 57 Fairtrade honey mangos (with liberal views)

You may want to add some other random fruits, in small numbers just for effect – maybe as glass decor?! (Ingredient numbers are approximate… as are their political views).

Smoothiecast in no way advocates the use of fruits�for political ends… unless it is to fight for fairtrade!

Pears have been around for well over 3000 years as a cultivated fruit perhaps originally found in China (who are still the worlds largest producer) having evolved from several pear-like species. Of course pears are now found all around the world coming in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and flavours; good news for smoothie lovers!

Varieties

The most common varieties you will find in your local shops are the conference pear, comice pear, anjou pear, sekel pear and increasingly the asian pear. So which ones should I use in my smoothie?

Use

It really is down to personal preference of which pears you use in your smoothies, give them all a try and decide for yourself. We here at smoothiecast are massive fans of the asian pear, for its juiciness and its subtle high notes. With a pear you will need to use a lot of ice in the smoothie or some avocado to offset the grainy pear texture. You can use a very ripe sekel pear if you wish to avoid graininess. Another alternative is to use juice or canned pears, Jake often freezes his first or stews them which also does the trick!

Nutrition

Pears are full of dietary fibre… yum! They are also a good source of vitamins C and K and give you about 10% of your RDA for copper!

Fairtrade

Most good supermarkets now stock Fairtrade pears – See List – You will notice some missing though; get lobbying your supermarket to get their ideas together! Fairtrade pear juice would also be good no?

]]> http://smoothiecast.co.uk/fruit-files/pear/feed/ 0 http://smoothiecast.co.uk/fairtrade/where-do-your-fairtrade-bananas-come-from/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=where-do-your-fairtrade-bananas-come-from http://smoothiecast.co.uk/fairtrade/where-do-your-fairtrade-bananas-come-from/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:58:03 +0000 ian http://testing.smoothiecast.co.uk/?p=145 The Banana is the most popular fruit in the world. We spend more than £10 billion a year on them! Bananas have long been a popular fairtrade product, and several supermarkets now only sell bananas certified with the fairtrade mark. In 2008 one in every four bananas sold in the UK was fairtrade, but where do they all come from?

Winward Islands

Located in the Eastern Carribrean, The Winward Islands Farmers Association (WINFA) have been promoting Fairtrade since the early 90s and the first consignment of Fairtrade bananas from the Windward Islands arrived in the UK in July 2000.

Conrad James is one of over 500 farmers on the islands benefitting from selling the bananas he produces at a fair price. Fairtrade is helping to change peoples’ way of life and is encouraging them to stay in farming rather than get jobs in other industries or leave the island altogether. The fairtrade premium is being used for a variety of community projects ranging from computer equipment in schools to new trucks to deliver fertiliser.

Dominican Republic

ASOBANU was founded in 1998 and is based near the town of Batey Amina in the northwest of the Dominican Republic. It brings together small-scale farmers who don’t have the capacity to export on their own and who wouldn’t otherwise be able to participate in Fairtrade. Membership has grown from eight farmers at the beginning to 191 today, including 34 women. The group was Fairtrade certified in 2004 and 102 farms also have organic certification.

The organisation is in a depressed area of the country where the people endure much hardship and work almost entirely in agriculture. The main product is bananas, which has a long tradition here. The ability to own their own land and their own production is very important to farmers as it provides an income and reduces the need to migrate to the capital or abroad.

Colombia

Fairtrade is benefitting the community and the environment in Asoproban farms in Colombia. Members have access to courses in dental health care, preventive health care and hygiene as well as accountancy and audit techniques. The Agricultural Committee has cut back aerial crop spraying by three cycles to protect workers and the environment. Asoproban now sprays less than many large Colombian plantations but achieves the same levels of quality and productivity.

“A consumer who buys a Fairtrade banana knows that they are contributing to the life of a small producer here in Colombia, and what’s more, they are contributing to a whole lot of different causes and are supporting the health and wellbeing not just of the banana producers but their whole community” – Deris Ariza, Asoproban

Rest of the World

Fairtrade bananas are also supplied by certified producer groups in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, Peru and are sold in all major supermarkets throughout the UK, along with other independent outlets

Ingredients

• 4 small or 2 large Sharon (AKA Kaki) Fruit
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 large Fairtrade mango
• 25 grams oats
• 40 grams protein powder (preferably whey or soy)
• 8 pinches cinnamon
• 4 pinches cayenne pepper

The Recipe

1. Skin and Juice the sweet potato
2. Peel and slice the mango
3. Place chopped Sharon fruits and oats in a pan, cover with water and cook until the oats are nice and plump but not stodgy! (Like King Henry VIII… ok so he was just plump and probably stodgy)
4. Shake protein powder with 200ml water (don’t worry about it being thick).
5. Add all these goodies into your smoothie maker, add the spices and smooth away.
6. Watch your body turn into a muscle machine (ok, it may take a little longer but you get the point!).

The oats and fruit replenish your glycogen stores with medium GI carbohydrates, the Sharon fruits, mango and sweet potato provide a powerful punch of antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress and eliminate free radicals; this is aided by the cayenne which opens up blood vessels to allow more blood to your recovering muscles and faster removal of waste products! The protein powder will provide the protein needed to rebuild your muscles and prevent their breakdown. The cinnamon reduces post meal insulin spikes and cayenne stokes your metabolism, these little additions along with the fibre content make this smoothie a winner for fat loss as well as building muscle; what more could you want?

Michael Van Straten’s new book Super Food, Super Juice, Super Health combines healthy super foods with culinary expertise to bring you the very best book on enjoying eating whilst doing yourself a huge favour and treating your body like a temple!

Super Food, Super Juice, Super Health contains over 250 recipes which aid health generally and can even help with specific ailments ranging from acne and back pain to varicose veins and herpes!

Not only does Super Food, Super Juice, Super Health have some of the best recipes I’ve ever used (see below), it is a mini encyclopaedia of nutritional science with easily read scientifically rigorous sections on the role of food and drink on energy production and other bodily functions from immunity and circulation, right through to positive thinking and sensuality. After each introductory section specific recipes are given for each health concern.

Each individual recipe has a comprehensive overview of health benefits as well as a handy ‘vital stats’ quick glance paragraph. Every single one of the recipes uses readily available ingredients and is easy to prepare (otherwise I would be lost!).

Michael Van Straten has included an A-Z on the benefits of key raw ingredients and the specific beneficial nutrients found in each, an A-Z of vitamins and minerals, in what food/drink they can be found and why they are needed. There is also a ‘health booster’ section on common ailments and what natural food/drink sources can be used to treat them. If you are like me and are very ‘hit n miss’ when it comes to making stocks, the book even has a section on all the stocks you will need for the recipes.

As you would expect, the book is well indexed and organised to make for easy reading and finding information quickly, the design its self is a work of art, the accompanying pictures sublime!

Super Food, Super Juice, Super Health is a must for every kitchen! The holistic approach to the role of nutrition in human health is gravely lacking; Michael Van Straten fills this gap in culinary knowledge with great recipes backed up by good science which has been tried and tested by human experience over the centuries! If you buy one cooking book in your life, buy this easy going and aesthetically pleasing but rich rich guide to boosting your health from all angles!

A teaser for your taste buds! (My review of two individual recipes)

Avocado Smokie

Will I ever eat anything else again? Well… balanced diet and all that. This recipe is killer, if you want to impress the mother in law this is a sure winner (but you may need to go easy on the Tabasco). Far too few people use avocado effectively in cooking or smoothing, Michael Van Straten shows you how to use it properly, easily and as an accompaniment to possibly the best fish in the world. He also clears up some horrible misconceptions about two of the best sources of fatty acids available in your diet! This recipe would be great for those with poor circulation or high LDL (Bad) cholesterol due to the HDL (Good) cholesterol in the salmon and avocado.

Passionate Pumpkin

Where I come from pumpkins are scary not passionate! Ah well! This smoothie is a great flavour combo of pumpkin, mango, apricot and saffron with the added goodness of sesame seeds and wheat germ. The flavour is tangy yet rich causing an avalanche in your mouth (metaphorically… ok, you got that). Not only will this tantalise your taste buds but it’ll also ramp up your erm… *cough* life, aid in production of male gametes and soothe menstrual cramps (for women that is, if you’re male and experience these see a doctor very soon!).

As for the methodology, rather than juice your fruit I’d be lazy and just whack all the ingredients into the smoothie maker together, but then I guess I’m rather biased.

Michael Van Straten’s Super Food, Super Juice, Super Health is on sale at Amazon for the ridiculous bargain price of only £12.30. Get it now, you wont be disappointed!

• 1 Fairtrade Mango
• 1 Fairtrade Banana
• 40g Cooked Oats
• 1 Scoop Unflavored Protein Powder

Chop fruit and throw into smoothie maker (you can place them if your aim is a little shabby!) followed by your cooked oats and then the protein powder!

This will keep you full up for a good 3 hours when your next meal is due! A winner every time!

Protein powder-oats ratio can be changed according to your macro-nutrient needs!

Melons grow in nasty weedy looking places which are well watered and have plenty of fresh air.

The Watermelon

Guess what? The water melon is made of…. Count it…. 92% water, the wateriest of all fruit. Although some would argue that it’s not actually a melon, for our purposes it’s a melon (if you don’t like the incorrectness then you may call it what you want, Ian likes to call his ‘Dorris’)

Watermelon can be cooked, both flesh and rind in many ways which I think is cool! The seeds can be preserved for a long time and eaten very much like pumpkin seeds. The seeds are also pressed to obtain oil. And watermelon can be used in drinks and smoothies, woooooooo!

Watermelons are packed full Vits C, A, B1 and B6 and also contain a good amount of potassium and magnesium. Pink watermelons also have a powerful antioxidant. But best of all they are packed of…. Again…. Water!

The watermelon can range from flavourless to very sweet to tangy! So always check your melon before smoothing to make sure it’s the flavour you want!

The Cantaloupe

Bees are key to these sweeties, the bees help to pollinate the fruit and the more bees the sweeter, I wonder if the bees are happy that we steal their produce, maybe they’ll plot against us humans and sting us all! Or then again maybe not! Who knows? Do you? If so please tell us what the sly stingers are planning on doing!

Due to their wonderful aroma and sweetness the cantaloupe is normally served straight up or with ice cream, custard, cream and the usual compliments to sweets and deserts.

Cantaloupes are a good source of Vit C and beta-carotene, they also work wonders for your circulatory and immune systems, that’s always good!

These melons are always very sweet; they are brilliant for lifting out other flavours in a smoothie and add irreplaceable aromas!

The Honeydew

Nice and sweet like the cantaloupe, in fact some can’t tell the difference. They generally have a more subtle flavour with fewer aromas but a longer lasting taste.

The Honeydew and Cantaloupe can be cross-bred to create the popular Galia/Gala melon.

Honeydews contain a good amount of Sodium and Vit C.

Preparation

Wash all melons thoroughly, especially cantaloupes! Cut into segments and remove seeds as best you can, this is hard with watermelons (although you can buy seedless ones!) but don’t sweat it too much. Remove rind and skin, cut into chunks. You’re ready to smooth away.

Jakes tips: Use watermelon as a sweet base for stronger flavours, other melons can be used to add sweetness, lift other dominant flavours to their potential and add aromas, melons work very well together! Try out our some of our melon smoothies!

• Half a honeydew or gala melon
• Half a small watermelon, without seeds (can be bought seedless, or you can spend hours getting rid of the seeds- not as boring as it sounds, you can play games with them at the same time! (Just smile and nod!)
• 250ml guava juice
• Juice of half a Fairtrade lemon
• 2 tablespoons of Fairtrade honey
• 10ml mint extract (fresh mint or mint extract can be used, fairtrade mint available in some health-food stores)
• 2 handfuls of ice cubes

Dice melons and squeeze the lemon (half), add guava juice, honey and mint and get ready for some “Tally Ho, What What! Oh Jeeves!”

• 2 Handfuls of Fairtrade green grapes
• 2 Handfuls of Fairtrade red grapes
• 250ml Grape juice
• Juice of half a small Fairtrade lemon
• 3 Handfulls of ice cubes

Add all ingredients to your smoothie maker and you’ve got one ready to drink sugar rush!!!

• 1 Fairtrade Banana
• 1 Fairtrade Coconut
• 1 Fairtrade Vanilla Pod
• Half a pot of Fairtrade Greek Style Yoghurt (available in Co-Op stores)
• 2 Handfuls of ice

You may want to use frozen yoghurt and scrap the ice cubes???

Peel the banana, carve the flesh of the coconut out (keep the milk). Slit vanilla pod length-ways and scrape out the seeds. Put all ingredients into smoothie maker (including flesh and milk of coconut), put ice in last- and guess what, your on a lovely tropical beach- nice!

Ingredients

• A whole jar of Co-Op’s Cranberry Sauce with Port
• 4 peeled, cored, stewed and then frozen Fairtrade Pears
• 250ml Fairtrade Apple Juice

Looting Strategy

Add all ingredients to smoothie maker, hit go and your halfway to being a Fair-Pirate (if such a thing can exist). If you are of legal age and want to become a fully fledged pirate you can add a shot of Fairtrade Papagayo Spiced Rum!!!

Remember to lobby your suppliers and grocers for more fairly traded products, then hopefully we will be able to add a shot of Fairtrade port in the not to distant future!

Drink up me hearties yo ho !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• 1 Jar of M&S Fairtrade Rhubarb and Ginger Conserve
• 250ml Fairtrade Apple Juice

You can add ice to make this into a true smoothie, but I like to use it as a dip for Fairtrade Organic Brazil Nut Cookies, give it a go, you may discover your taste buds leaping for joy!!!

• A whole jar of M&S Fairtrade Hedgerow Conserve
• 500ml of Fairtrade Apple Juice
• 2 handfuls of ice

All ingredients in head first (unless they are scared, go easy) Ice last! Hit smooth and sit back with a lovely calming and de-hedging smoothie!