Beets in my smoothie? Well, why not since I’ve been blending up spinach, kale, and swiss chard for over a year with my fruits. Only now I’d be moving into another realm of the color spectrum: a rich, jewel-toned magenta. A friend shared a link to this smoothie from the New York Times (thanks Beckie!), and the color of the drink wowed me.
With the weekend farmer’s market only a handful of days away, I decided to attempt this. Come weekend, I scored me a beet–a good-sized one–for only 50 cents. I hope that’s a good deal since I’ve never bought a beet before, never cooked with any before, and never eaten beet in any form before.
My goodness, the jewel-toned magenta color dazzled me as I cut the skin away. Never mind that the root veggie stained my fingers and stained the cutting board. It sure blended into a prettier drink than the dark, dull green of some of my smoothies loaded with leafy greens.
And the addition of orange juice and raspberries? Well, the tartness upped the pucker factor to a tangy level that pleased my taste buds yet had balance from the spoonful of honey. The original recipe calls for yogurt, but I left that out since I had none in the fridge (I subbed one cup of crushed ice instead). Still yummy, but I bet the yogurt would have added a smoothness whereas my smoothie was a bit grainy. Nonetheless, it provided the perfect drink to cool me down on the unusually hot, summer-like day in early March that we experienced over the weekend here in Southern California. Very refreshing (the drink and the sunshine). And healthy, too! Can’t beat that.
Since I only used half the beet, I made another smoothie for breakfast the following day. This time, I added half a lime that I had leftover from dinner the night before plus a banana that was getting a bit too mushy. Love the addition of banana–adds a depth of sweetness that peeks through the tartness of the citrus and berries. Yummilicous!
Beet Berry Smoothie
NY Times Version
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup mixed frozen berries
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tbsp. granola
- 1/3 cup diced beet
- 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt or low-fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp. honey or agave syrup
- 2 or 3 ice cubes
DIRECTIONS
- Place all ingredients in blender; blend for one full minute. Serve immediately.
My twist on the recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup mixed frozen berries
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 (or whole) freshly squeezed lime
- 1/3 cup diced beet
- 1 tsp. honey
- a large handful of greens: swiss chard, kale, or spinach
- enough water to thin the smoothie to your liking
DIRECTIONS
- Place all ingredients in blender; blend for one full minute. Serve immediately.
SOURCE: New York Times
Scrumptious and Sumptuous 