There’s something deeply satisfying about the vibrant sweetness of a summer garden berry smoothie, especially with fruit freshly gathered from your own raspberry and strawberry plants (if you are fortunate enough to grow your own that is). For years, my soft fruit crops never seemed to yield enough to allow me to bring any back to the kitchen, because I’d devour them straight off the plant! These days, I feel incredibly blessed to have fruit beds that have lovingly evolved and grown to incredible abundance. During berry season, I enjoy a tasty a smoothie on most mornings for breakfast. It also works wonders as a refreshing afternoon treat.
Berries are packed with all sorts of nutritional benefits like vitamin C, anti-oxidants and are generally brimming with health affirming goodness. Heaven only knows how they get to taste so incredibly delicious.
There are a few different ways to make a smoothie. Here is one of my favourite methods to make a perfect, thick, creamy, garden berry drink using raspberries, strawberries, frozen banana, rice milk and a simple blender. In this recipe the frozen banana is the secret je-ne-sais-quoi that delivers the thick creaminess.
Serves: 1
Preparation time: 5 minutes (plus extra time for freezing)
Ingredients:
- A large hand full of strawberries and raspberries
- One large banana
- 150ml to 200ml approx (about ¾ cup) rice/almond or coconut milk
How to prepare:
STEP ONE: Freeze the banana
The first step is to freeze the banana in advance. This is a great way to use up ripe bananas as they’ll store in the freezer for up to a few months. The best way to freeze them for smoothie making is to peel off the skin and then chop into chunks. Put the chunks into a container and then pop them into the freezer. Give your banana at least a few hours to freeze (you really do need to plan ahead with this part – although you’ll be glad that you did).
STEP TWO: Blend everything together
Take the chopped banana out of the freezer and place into a blending jug along with the berries and rice milk. Use less milk if you want a super thick smoothie; use a little more if you want it to be more like a milk shake.
You can use any type of blender for this. I usually use a hand (immersion) blender, although it works well with a regular blender too (doesn’t have to be a fancy, high-powered expensive one). Blend all ingredients together until you achieve a thick creamy consistency.
STEP THREE: Savour the delicious taste
Pour into a glass and take some time to really enjoy the vibrant energy of your smoothie. You’ve gone to the effort of making it, so be sure to sit back and savour the delicious taste. Some people enjoy this with a spoon or a straw. I generally just sip straight from the glass. It works well as a smoothie bowl too, sprinkled with fresh fruits or granola.
This recipe originally appeared on Trinity’s website here:
http://www.trinityskitchen.com/how-to-make-a-delicious-creamy-garden-berry-smoothie/
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