Friday, July 1, 2011

Kale. It's What's For Breakfast

Me and the Magic Bullet are getting to be good friends. Today I decided to try a kale smoothie after my run. I know kale is really good for you, but I've only had it sauteed with olive oil and garlic or cooked in some way, where it is softened and less bitter. So I was a little scared, but I went for it.

Hungrigyrl's Krazy Kale Smoothie:

2 cups rinsed, chopped kale (discard the tough stems)
1 cup orange juice
1 banana
1/2 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon maple agave syrup from Trader Joe's
2 dashes of cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup ice (optional)

I used about half of this

I used orange, but I bet apple juice would be good too
I wish I could grow blueberries, we eat them like crazy!
I wanted to use the whole banana for sweetness to balance out the kale

Loving this stuff lately!
Cinnamon is a staple around here
Before....
...and AFTER!
Kale is definitely more bitter than spinach. When I made my spinach smoothie I didn't mind so much if there were little chunks of spinach. However, with the kale I really notice them so I definitely let the 'Bullet do its thing for a bit longer. It is definitely key to add sweetness to balance out the flavor. I have to say I really was surprised at how much I liked it, more than I expected. I've got lots of kale and nothing to do with it so will be experimenting a bit more this weekend, when I am not indulging in holiday bbq and alcohol. I handed my husband his kale smoothie this morning and I said, "I guarantee this is the healthiest thing you will put in your body all day." He agreed.

Have you tried a kale smoothie? Try my recipe and let me know what you think! Or share your own, I'm looking forward to having fun with this!

14 comments:

  1. I've never had a kale smoothie before! I've only ever had kale in a soup or baked with a spritz of olive oil (from a Misto) and a little salt to make kale chips.

    I use a good helping of spinach regularly in fruit smoothies and love it. I also really love smoothies with European cucumber, pear, and just a little spinach (I want to taste the first two ingredients). It's a beautiful soft green color too.

    I'll have to remember this and remember to buy kale to try it in the future.

    Oh yea...I {heart} my Magic Bullet!!! I was so unsure when I bought it, but I literally get giddy that I can line three 'mugs' up on the counter for smoothies for the kids & I and put individual ingredients in them, put the blade on my son's first (so it's casein free and then I don't have to wash it in between) and mix them all up so fast!

    Hope you have a fantastic 4th of July long weekend!! :>

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  2. Ooh, the pear cucumber one sounds soo good! Will definitely have to try that as well. And thanks for the reminder, I have been wanting to make kale chips. I may do that this weekend if its not too hot to fire up the oven. The Magic Bullet rules! Happy 4th to you too!

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  3. mmmmmmm makes me want another smoothie. I like the pear and cucumber idea!

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  4. These look good - I'll have to five them a try! Right now we are on a kale chip kick! Thanks for stopping by my site - let me know how your artwork turns out! : )

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  5. Sounds like a great way to get some kale. I haven't tried veggie smoothies for a while, as my kids didn't care for one I tried. Maybe they'd like this, though. I hadn't heard about the maple agave from TJ's. That sounds good!

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  6. Kale chips are great- my kids even eat them! I love smoothies like that- we'll definitely try it. I make a lot of berry smoothies and then sneak spinach or kale in so my kids get lots of leafy greens. I'm always flying by the seat of my pants, so thanks for the recipe, and Happy Fourth!

    And, I love your new look. :)

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  7. I don't think I"m brave enough to try this smoothie!

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  8. If you are trying to get your kids to eat more veggies and want to try a smoothie, I would definitely try the spinach based one first. My mom tried my kale smoothie and said it would definitely take some getting used to.

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  9. I read that the magic bullet is MUCH better than a juicer as it keeps the fiber in... keeps the calories down and fills you up more!!! I think I might need a bullet as my handheld mixer has enough trouble blending ice ;)

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  10. Never had a kale shake but its quite interesting. I love kale. I wanna try making kale chips. The shake..hmmmm gotta think about that one. hahaha

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  11. That is so incredibly healthy! Yes, I'm following you and thanks for your note on Bloggy Moms.

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  12. I am new to the world of kale. In fact, I had never heard of it until Alton Brown did a "Good Eats" episode on it. Then I tried it once in a restaurant, and it was dreadful. But I feel like as a grown-up, I should eat it anyway. At some point my kid will be old enough to notice I eat like crap. :) Thanks for the recipe. I will give it a try. Looking forward to seeing more!

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  13. Saw your blog on Bloggy Mom's. Stopped by and followed. :)

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  14. I've been making Kale smoothies for breakfast for a year now. I've lost 25 pounds and my joints feel great. My recipe is similar to yours: Kale, Cucumber, Blueberries, Banana, Nonfat greek yogurt, Flax and sunflower seeds.

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