Smoothie Maker
A smoothie (sometimes spelt smoothy) is a blended drink made primarily from fresh fruit, but occasionally with the addition of extra ingredients such as ice, honey, syrup, milk, yoghurt or ice cream. The inclusion of peanut butter will add protein to make a more rounded meal.
Health food stores have been selling pureed fruit drinks since the 1930s but it only in more recent times, in the health-conscious environment of the 1990s and 2000s that their popularity has soared. In addition to the existing juice and smoothie bars, people realized that they had the ability to make their own at home.
A vitamin-packed smoothie is a great way to start the day or to help rehydrate you after a trip to the gym. It also provides a great pick-me-up in the afternoons to give you the energy that you need to get through the day. They provide a nutritious and tasty way of getting your five a day.
As with everything, there is an art to making smoothies. Make sure that you add your milk to the blender before you add your fruit. This way the blades of the blender do not get damaged if the fruit is hard. Next choose something as a creamy base. Banana works really well because of the texture but you could also choose any variety of soft fruit, such as mangoes, melon, plums or peaches.
Now comes the fun part! Have a play around with some different tastes and textures until you hit something that you love. Add a little more fruit or a little more liquid as necessary. Maybe add a squeeze of honey or maple syrup to add a hint of sweetness. Finally add a couple of ice cubes to the blender and give it one last whizz – this will help thicken the mixture.
Once you've mastered the technique and you feel a little more adventurous, you could try adding some different flavours to your smoothies. You could add a teaspoon of cocoa powder if you're a chocolate fan or perhaps some vanilla essence. Some ground coffee helps make a great morning smoothie! Spices that work well in smoothies include nutmeg and cinnamon, giving your mixture a little bit of a kick.
For the little less adventurous amongst us, most supermarkets now sell frozen smoothie packs of whole or cut fruits that can be used together in your blender, taking the hard work out of making smoothies! These are great value and give you a great mixture of fruits.