Drinks – Eating Clean Recipes

Berry Kefir Smoothie Recipe

Jen — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 02:58:16 +0000

Have you tried kefir? It’s a thick and creamy cultured dairy product with a pourable consistency. This article all about milk kefir describes kefir as having a sour taste and effervescent texture. That doesn’t sound great, but go with it. It’s tart. It’s tangy. It’ll transform your morning smoothie. Brace yourself.

Berry Kefir Smoothie Recipe
1 cup plain dairy kefir (I prefer full-fat or low-fat, not fat-free.)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
Natural sweetener, if desired

Add kefir, blueberries and strawberries to a blender container. Cover and blend until smooth. Taste and sweeten as desired or resist the urge to sweeten and enjoy the tart and tangy flavor of the kefir.

Makes 1 big smoothie

Recipes you may also like:
Strawberry-Ginger Kefir Shake from Turntable Kitchen
Strawberry Kefir Pops from The Nourishing Gourmet

Product Link:
Get a Vitamix Blender with Free Shipping Code (I use a Vitamix.)

The post Berry Kefir Smoothie Recipe appeared first on Eating Clean Recipes.

Strawberry Chia Smoothie Recipe

Jen — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 18:15:27 +0000

Chia seed is great in smoothies…as long as you know the best way to add chia to drinks. The first time I added chia seed to a smoothie I blended it with the other smoothie ingredients. Big mistake. My smoothie had a perfect consistency right after blending. But, in just a few minutes the blended chia seeds absorbed and gelled so much liquid that my smoothie turned into glop. After my smoothie fail, I decided to try adding chia to smoothies the same way I add it to other drinks.The best way to add chia to smoothies (and other drinks) is to gel it first. Chia seed gel is simply chia seeds soaked in water until the seeds absorb the liquid and form a gel. The gel can then be added to drinks like sparkling juice, kombucha or smoothies. I love adding the chewy, tiny seeds to smoothies because it makes them more filling.

Strawberry Chia Smoothie Recipe
1/2 cup cold water
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (homemade or purchased, refrigerated almond milk)
1/4 cup canned, full-fat coconut milk
1 cup frozen strawberries
Natural sweetener, if desired

To make chia gel, combine cold water and chia seeds in a small bowl. Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chia seeds soak up the water and form a gel.

For smoothie, add almond milk, coconut milk and strawberries to blender container. Cover and blend until smooth. Taste and sweeten as desired.

Divide chia seed gel between 2 glasses. Pour smoothie over chia seed gel. Serve with a straw to stir the smoothie and suck up the chewy chia seeds.

Makes 2 servings

Tip: If you don’t like the texture of chewy gelled chia seeds in your smoothie, then add the chia gel with the other smoothie ingredients and blend until smooth. Just be sure to use chia gel instead of unsoaked seeds to avoid the glop!Here are a few of my favorite smoothie recipes. Go on and add some chia to them.
Strawberry Mango Coconut Milk Smoothies from Kingfield Kitchen
Blueberry Coconut Milk Smoothies
Strawberry Mango Lemonade Smoothies
Spinach and Avocado Green Smoothies

Product Link:
Get a Vitamix Blender with Free Shipping Code (I use a Vitamix.)

The post Strawberry Chia Smoothie Recipe appeared first on Eating Clean Recipes.

Frozen Strawberry Hibiscus Tea Recipe

Jen — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 02:52:33 +0000

Hello heat wave. Just before summer says goodbye, it overwhelms us with a few too many veggies and an unhealthy dose of heat and humidity.

Luckily(?), we’ve only had 1 power outage, so I’ve been able to whirl together all kinds of frozen drinks. My favorite so far has been a simple, 2-ingredient strawberry hibiscus tea.

To make Frozen Strawberry Hibiscus Tea, start by brewing a big batch of hibiscus flower tea. (You can use tea bags or dried hibiscus flowers. I use 1 tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers for every 2 cups of water and steep about 10 minutes.) Once it cools, pour some of the tea into standard ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Pop the remaining tea in the fridge.

When you’re ready to be refreshed, combine 1/2 cup of cold hibiscus tea with 1 cup of fresh sliced strawberries in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add 1 cup of the hibiscus tea ice cubes and blend again until smooth and icy. If you want the drink to be more slushy, blend in a few extra cubes. Simple as that.

Adding sweetener is up to you and the sweetness of your fruit. Give it a taste and adjust as you like. Adding a squeeze of fresh lemon, lime or even grapefruit juice would be worth the effort. Play around! I’ve also made this drink with fresh raspberries- extra tart and refreshing. Peaches, you’re next on my list. Or, maybe blueberry hibiscus tea blended with extra blueberries? I’m loving the possibilities.

Stay cool everyone!

Recipe Link:
Hibiscus Flower Tea (Agua de Jamaica) from A Cozy Kitchen

Product Link:
Get a Vitamix Blender with Free Shipping Code (I use a Vitamix.)

The post Frozen Strawberry Hibiscus Tea Recipe appeared first on Eating Clean Recipes.

Blueberry Hibiscus Tea Recipe

Jen — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 20:35:44 +0000

Juicy blueberries meet tart and vibrant hibiscus flowers in this refreshing iced tea. This recipe makes a small batch of tea, but doubles or triples easily.

Dried hibiscus flowers can be found in Latin markets or good tea shops. I get mine from TeaSource.

Blueberry Hibiscus Iced Tea Recipe
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers
2 cups water, heated just to boiling
Ice
Lemon or lime slices
Natural sweetener, if desired

Add blueberries to a heatproof container. Use a muddler or spoon to gently break up blueberries. Add hibiscus flowers and heated water to container; steep, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Drain mixture; discard solids. Chill tea mixture for at least 1 hour. Serve over ice with lemon or lime slices and a few extra blueberries. Sweeten as desired.

Makes 2 cups

Tip: The best part of making your own tea is that you control the sweetness. If you enjoy drinking unsweetened iced tea, don’t add any sweetener.

Recipe Link:
Hibiscus Green Tea Soda

The post Blueberry Hibiscus Tea Recipe appeared first on Eating Clean Recipes.

Berry Green Smoothie Recipe with Baby Kale

Jen — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 02:33:07 +0000

Baby kale adds a fresh, green boost to mixed berry smoothies. Made with coconut milk, strawberries, blueberries, banana and fresh greens. (vegan, dairy-free recipe)

Berry Green Smoothie Recipe
3/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 medium banana, sliced
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
handful of fresh baby kale (1/2 to 1 cup, lightly packed)

Add water, coconut milk, banana, strawberries, blueberries and kale to blender container. Cover and blend until smooth.

Makes 2 servings (about 2 1/4 cups total)

Recipe Links:
Good and Green Smoothies
Spinach and Avocado Green Smoothies

Product Link:
Get a Vitamix Blender with Free Shipping Code

The post Berry Green Smoothie Recipe with Baby Kale appeared first on Eating Clean Recipes.