Blending the Rules

Blending has been big news for several years now and since the birth of the Nutribullet  it has never been easier to create sexy smoothies that are satisfying and contain multitudes of natural goodness. When living a plant based lifestyle or if you are just trying to exceed your 5-a-day, there is nothing easier than throwing your fave fruits and veggies into the blender and hitting the button, and with summer well and truly on the horizon, here are my top tips for getting the best from your blender this smoothie season...

The Curly Vegan's Top Ten Blending Tips:

1. WET, WET, WET. Every smoothie has to start somewhere, and I always start with my chosen liquid. Adding the liquid first protects the blades of my trusty blender. Any liquid works really (as long as it's edible obvs!). The main thing is that it works well with your chosen flavours. I find that plant based milks such as oat, almond, rice, hemp, soy, work well when creating a creamy smoothie. Plain old water, or coconut water work really well with green smoothies, and for fruity concoctions I sometimes use fresh fruit juices such as orange, pomegranate, grape, apple, pineapple. I always used freshly squeezed or pressed (not from concentrate) juice and I mix a small amount with water so that the sugar content isn't too high. 

BONUS TIP: Citrus juice can curdle with plant-based milk, so avoid this rookie smoothie mistake by steering clear of the two together.

2. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BASE, BOUT THE BASE. Once you have the wet stuff sorted then it's time to think about substance. Banana and avocado are perfect starting points for the pro smoothie maker. As a base they add depth, creaminess and a gob full of nutrients. These ingredients are all rounders and work well with most other fruits and veggies.

3. PLEASE FORM AN ORDERLY QUEUE: The order in which you add your ingredients really does mean the difference between a smoothie that is tip top or a flop. The best procedure is to add liquid, base, frozen ingredients, power-food add ins, ice (optional - see number 4), and fresh fruit/veg last.

4. ICE ICE BABY. Some people choose to add ice to their smoothies. I don't always think this is necessary, especially if using frozen fruit (see number 5). However if you do make your smoothie nice using ice, always add it towards the end (see number 3). Any other time can lead to over blending of the ice, giving way to a watery mess! I would recommend lots of crushed ice added for a few seconds at the end. This gives a great frozen-cocktail-like result and I have never turned my nose up to a cocktail, even without the alcohol!

BONUS TIP: Make coconut water ice cubes instead of tap water ice cubes. This will give a gorgeous fresh taste without affecting your flavour -combo too much. Coconut water is also full of nutrients such as potassium, magnesium and other electrolytes. These are particularly good for hangovers, so instead of reaching for a greasy breakfast after a night on the tiles, reach for a healthy smoothie instead. You will thank me for it, I promise!

5: LIFE'S A FREEZE: Frozen fruit makes a wonderful addition to any smoothie. Smoothies don't taste great warm, so by adding frozen fruit it lowers the temperature, meaning you don't have to add ice. Frozen fruit also adds thickness and can make smoothies deliciously creamy. It is also really handy to freeze your own fruit before it turns bad, which avoids waste and also means that you have lots of good stuff on hand whenever you get a craving for a blend. Freeze peeled/chopped bananas, berries and mango before they get overripe and freeze them in zip-lock freezer bags ready to go!

BONUS TIP: Green smoothies are a staple in my household, as a great start to the day, or a pick me up in the afternoon. Most big supermarkets sell frozen spinach which comes in handy portion size cubes. This is great to have on standby in the freezer to chuck into the blender whenever I have ran out of the fresh stuff. Most supermarkets also sell a great variety of frozen fruits that are great to have on standby.

7. FOOD MATTERS: They type of produce you choose to add really does make or break your smoothie. Using a combination of fruit and veggies is a sure fire way to create a nutritionally balanced drink that tastes great as the sweetness of the fruit is complemented by the nutrient rich vegetables. Most fruits are great in smoothies. After your base fruits, all berries, apple, pear, mango, plums, pineapple, and peach/nectarine, work amazingly well. If you are looking for something to mix it up a bit, try melon, passion fruit, kiwi, guava, young coconut flesh, in fact, any fruit that has a fleshy or creamy texture.  Green leafy veg is the easiest way to add vegetables including spinach, chard, kale, spring greens, or rocket. Other veggies that work great include cucumber, celery, tomatoes, grated carrot and beetroot. 

7. BIG UP THE BULK: If you are having your smoothie for breakfast or lunch then fruit and veg alone is just not going to fill you up and you will be reaching for unhealthy snacks before you can say 'elevenses'! Adding protein is a great way to keep you fuller for longer and is also a great way of increasing your daily intake. Hemp protein powder is perfect for bulking up smoothies, but I also use organic soy yogurt, silken tofu, oats, nuts, seeds and nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter) for creamy texture and added yumminess.

8. SPICE GIRL: In order to beat smoothie boredom, I like to add lot's of different herbs and spices for variety and added goodness. My go-to's include fresh ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, basil, aloe vera, vanilla pod, cayenne, sea salt, black pepper, to name a few.

BONUS TIP: Flavour combo's that work well include: carrot and beetroot with ginger; banana and cacao with vanilla; strawberry with basil; apple with cinnamon. These are just a few suggestions, sometimes flavour choices work, and other times they don't. It is all about experimenting and having fun. You will soon learn what works well together and what doesn't.

9. POWER UP: You have probably heard of superfoods and if not then where have you been?! Superfoods are the powerhouses of nutrition - foods with dense vitamin, mineral or anti-oxident properties, and natural healing abilities. It is easy to add these to your smoothie to give yourself a great boost of plant power. My favourite add-ons include cacao, spirulina, chlorella, wheatgrass, maca powder, goji berries, flax, chia and hemp seeds. Simply add to the blender and blitz with the rest.

BONUS TIP: Not only do these ingredients give you wings, but they also can add a great flavour. For sin free chocolate cravings add cacao and for a caramelly indugence add maca powder.

10: GO CREATE: With my comprehensive list there is nothing stopping you from getting starting and becoming a smoothie making expert. It is all about getting creative and trying different combinations of liquid, fruit, veg, spices, and add-ons. If you are not feeling confident enough to try out your own recipes yet, then check out the recipes section of the blog for great smoothie recipes. Starting with my Cherry Bakewell Smoothie.