More Smoothie questions

[Debrah]

Is it ok to add dried fruit to green smoothies, or is that considered less than ideal in terms of food combining?

Are there any recipes that might work with a hand-held blender, until I get a nice powerful blender?

[lil fairy z girl]

hello and welcome. i am not a green smoothie person so i dont really know how to answer your question. As regards recipes have you Alissa's book? Some of her recipes work well even without a blender. I don't have one myself, i just chop things up :)
there is a few nice tasty recipes I have tried lately. The website is:
http://greenchefs.tv/
The recipes I have liked are Alissa's Angel-Hair-Pasta with Marinara Sauce,
Christophers organic stuffed red bell peppers and Vanessas Carrot and Parsnip fettuccini
Alissa has a sample of recipes on there from her book. The Date and Nut torte is really lovely.

best wishes
sal
~*~*~*

[prana]

Before we got the Vita Mix, I used a handheld blender to make green smoothies. It worked just fine, but now that I have the Vita Mix I wouldn't go back. I have a green smoothie every day.

I try to make my green smoothies as alive as possible so I don't add dried fruits. Victoria Boutenko was asked if it was ok to use green foods (dried greens) in the green smoothies and her reply was that you should stick with the living food and use the green foods while traveling.

What kind of dried fruits are you using? Are you using them for flavor or to sweeten the drink?

[Debrah]

Sal,
Thanks for your response. I don't have any recipe books or equipment yet. I can't wait to see Alissa's book. The recipes you mention sound fabulous.

Prana,
I haven't actually tried any green smoothies yet. :) I was thinking of using some dates or something for a little sweetening.

I know many smoothie recipes have been posted but I'd especially appreciate any easy-to-blend "starter" recipes.

In any case, thanks again!

[Revvell]

Well, there really aren't any "starter", intermediate and pro smoothies... they are just ~ smoothies. It would depend on what you have on hand.

Now, dried fruit. Depending on how fresh your dates are, you might wish to soak them first since you don't have one of the more powerful blenders. As far as any other dried fruits you may be using, please check for sulfites firstand soak for ease of blending.

My preferance in smoothies is fresh first (use o.j. as a base), then frozen (which may not work too well w/ your blender). Personally, I've not used dates in any of my smoothies for sweetness although I'm sure many here have.

Again, with what you are using, I think I'd do some chopping first before adding to the bowl. What will you be using for a container? Do you have something deep, yet narrow? Maybe prana might give you some tips on how she did it.

Revvell

[Debrah]

Thanks for the tips!

When I say "starter" recipes, I mean perhaps something sweeter, before you've acquired a taste for green smoothies. I don't really know if that's an issue; just a guess. :)

[Revvell]

Ahhhh, well, it can be for some. Sometimes it depends on the fruit to greens ratio. Depends also on if you are big on greens or not as well. Being a salad eater, it wasn't much of a question for me. For those who aren't it is an aquired taste.

Revvell

[JinxieKat]

A good 'starter' green smoothie as while it looks very green it doesn't taste it :D that I've done is a lemon, an apple, and then a handful of spinach and some water. You can had a dolup or two of raw honey, or a date, as the lemon by itself can be a bit sour. Depends on how sweet your apple is!

Jinx