] Freezing Kale

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Good tips. (my story) -> I started my vegan journey with smoothies. I

soon learned that the perfect " base " for me in a smoothie is banana,

apple, carrot, one each. After that I added berries and other fruits.

But just like you, Janet, I grew tired of fruit smoothies. More and

more vegetables crept into them until now they more closely resemble

veggy smoothies than fruit ones, and I love it. You almost can't put

in too much parsley or cilantro, yum! Here's one thing I do that

makes all the difference for me. I add 6 or 8 ice cubes to the

blender before I fill with water. The ice really helps to grind up

everything quickly and I'm left with a nice cool smoothie. Thank you

for the tip about adding peppers! I've been contemplating that move

for months but didn't have the guts to try it. Now I will! Peppers

have crept into almost all my other vegan recipes. They are so

deliscious and help me to sleep. And I think they are good for

digestion. Don't forget... banana, apple, carrot, makes the

perfect " base " . With that base going in your smoothie you can add

virtually anything and be happy with the result.

 

>

> Hey, thanks Janie!!!

>

> -

> JWMann

>

> Saturday, December 15, 2007 9:54 AM

> ] Re: Freezing Kale

>

>

> Janet,

> I hope this helps you with green smoothies.I live off

them.I start my day off with a large one.

> I can not take credit fro this info.It came off the web.I

stumbled upon it one day.Sounded good so I saved it.Play around until

you find what you enjoy.

> Have a nice day,

> Janie

> Green Smoothie Recipe

> I decided since I make this so often, that I would

share the recipe and simply refer to this by name instead of

repeating the ingredients every day that I have it.

>

> Please note that I use various ingredients, so it is

not a fixed recipe, but is instead built from a formula as directed

below. According to Victoria Boutenko in her book Green for Life you

should rotate your greens daily. If you use the same greens each day

you will lose interest in the green smoothies. This is because of the

unique alkaloids present in each green which if built up over a

period work as a mild toxin. Since your body will not want any excess

of these alkaloids it will let you know by not wanting a green

smoothie with the same ingredients. I have noticed this personally.

After a week or two of using the same huge variety of greens in the

same smoothie, I found myself uninterested in making it one day.

However, by using only 2 or 3 other ingredients I was excited to try

it and loved the smoothie. So I think the body does at least want

variety from day to day, if not absolutely need it due to alkaloids

in the greens.

>

> Green Smoothie Formula

> 3 handfuls of greens (see below for sample list of

ones I enjoy)

> 1 handful of your choice of more greens or root,

stalk of flower vegetables (see below for sample list of ones I enjoy)

> 1 or 2 tsp Ground Flax Seed

> A few nuts if desired (any raw nut will do)

> Water up to half the level of greens in the blender

> 2 to 4 fruit depending on personal taste or capacity

of blender (see below for sample list of ones I enjoy)

>

> Remember that variety here can be best. You do not

have to use one green or one vegetable.

>

> My blender is just large enough to handle 4 handfuls

of greens and 3 fruit, yielding 5 to 6 cups of green smoothie.

>

> If you use any root, stalk or flower vegetables, chop

them into small pieces so that they are easier to blend. Remove stems

if desired from items such as broccoli for example, as this can

reduce the amount of pulp. If you find your smoothie is difficult to

drink because of a thick layer of pulp on top and juice below, then

it was either not blended enough, or had too much fibrous matter.

Removing these excess stems can really make a huge difference.

>

> If you use fruit like apples, pears, or other

somewhat firm fruits, chop them into pieces that your blender can

handle easily. I usually cut an apple into 8 slices for example.

>

> Place greens and any optional veggies in the blender

and fill halfway up the mixture with water. Blend until all is mixed

together. At this point the mixture will have reduced in size giving

you room to add the fruit. Add each fruit one at a time until all is

mixed together. Keep blending until all has blended as smooth as your

blender will allow. Serve and enjoy!

>

> Here's a shopping tip. Look for ethinic markets in

your area, especially oriental ones. Many of them have a fresh

produce section, and you can get a wide variety of greens there that

you will not find at any other store. Try them, I like experimenting

with them. One of my favorites goes by the name Shanghai Hai Mieu.

Also, baby bok choy is good too. It is much, much smaller than the

gigantic bok choy you will find at the regular supermarket.

>

> Sample Greens

> Lettuce (any variety)

> Cabbage (any variety)

> Spinach (baby or mature)

> Parsley

> Bok Choy

> Kale

> Mustard Greens

> Collard Greens

> Turnip Greens

> Premix Bags like ColeSlaw Mix, Baby Spring Mix. Just

make sure they are raw and organic

> Any others you would like to try that I have not

listed

>

> Sample Root, Stalk and Flower Vegetables

> Carrot

> Celery

> Green Onion

> Broccoli

> Cucumber (technically a fruit, but put it here)

> Peppers (technically a fruit, but put it here)

> Avocado (technically a fruit, but put it here)

> Any others you would like to try. Savoriness or

nutritional value is the key here.

>

> Sample Fruits

> Banana

> Apple

> Pear

> Strawberry (3 or 4)

> Orange (peeled and seeds removed)

> Blueberry (1/2 to 1 cup)

> Raspberry (1/2 to 1 cup)

> Blackberry (1/2 to 1 cup)

> Watermelon (not a whole one, but a cup or so worth)

> Any other fruit you would like to try. Sweetness is

the key here.

>

>

----

>

> Janet Coe Hammond

> 12/15/2007 11:42:01 AM

>

> Re: Re: Freezing Kale

>

>

> Pray tell me more about kale smoothies. I have enjoyed

fruit smoothies since the 70s, but gave them up about 5 years ago to

eat lower on the glycemic index. What do you put in these drinks

that makes them so popular on this list??

> Smiles,

> janet

>

> -

> Colleen Davis

>

> Saturday, December 15, 2007 8:44 AM

> Re: Freezing Kale

>

>

> >> Yeah, i need to know about it [freezing kale] for

smoothies

> since thats the only way i've been consuming it lately:) <<

>

> I almost always freeze my kale for smoothies. I actually

prefer the finished result this way. I wash all my kale at once and

strip away the edible parts, placing them in roughly torn pieces onto

kitchen towels. I cram as much as possible into a zippered sandwich

bag (this comes out to about 3c " chopped " raw kale), and each one of

those is enough for one smoothie for me (I make big ones in a

Vitamix).

>

> I do let the bulk of the water drip onto the towels, but I

don't bother to dry the leaves or anything. I add some water and/or

soymilk to my smoothies anyway, and a few extra ice crystals aren't

going to hurt anything.

>

> My plan is to grow as much kale (and other greens) as

possible in my garden this year and freeze them (with extra freezer

protection) in my deep/chest freezer for use all year.

>

> Hope this helps,

> Colleen

>

>

>

>

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