January is Detox month over at G-Free Mom. Every day this month a different blogger is sharing a recipe with you to help you eat fresh fruits and vegetables. All the recipes will be gluten free juices, smoothies or soups. I’m happy to be contributing to this event. January is a great month to get ourselves back onto this path and using a detox is a great way to to jump start that.
You know there have been two words that have put fear into me, detox and green smoothie. Detox sounded hard to do, restrictive and painful and green smoothies well those are just two words that didn’t go with each other in my mind. Well that is until I’ve started on both.
I started making green smoothies after Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen shared one that didn’t seem too far out there so I gave it a try. I actually liked it because it tasted more like the fruit than the vegetables. I didn’t have a very good blender so I had to let it run a long time to get a smooth drink. Now that I have my VitaMix I can make amazing smoothies in no time at all. A fast and easy way to get really good nutrients into my body.
I’ve realized you can just about put any fruit or vegetable combination and come up with something that tastes good. If you have an over powering taste, adding some cinnamon is a great trick to tame that taste and move it to something you’ll enjoy. Oh and cinnamon is really good for you too! I have gotten my husband hooked on these smoothies and now I’m working on my youngest son.
This kid does not like vegetables. I have to get very creative to make something he’ll eat with vegetables and I have lots of secrets on that topic (promise to share soon). We have over the past year increased his list of vegetables he’ll eat, but it’s not going to include a green smoothie in a glass right now. So this smoothie has more fruit than vegetables but it’s a start. I have gradually added in more darker green vegetables to this recipe and it has still maintained the good taste he’ll eat. I add kale and spinach and serve it in a tall thermal cup from Starbucks and a dark colored straw. He knows not to open the lid. My hope is that he never reads this post or the gig is up on how many vegetables he’s really eating.
When you make a smoothie I think it’s more of an art than a science. What I mean by that is you don’t have to put in exactly what you read in a recipe. You add what you like or what you have on hand. Just make sure you give it a taste before serving, especially if you are trying to hide something.
So this smoothie I’m sharing was first created by Melissa on Gluten Free For Good as Cherry Cabbage Chia Recovery Smoothie. I’ve made it so much it felt like mine but it’s really her creation. She adds yogurt and uses napa cabbage in hers. I changed those items up according to our needs. If you are looking for more smoothie ideas, food that’s not only good but good for your body and want to know why, go to her blog. Everything she creates has been great. Our family particularly loves her Healthy Power Bars. Melissa is amazing and creates recipes that are packed with ingredients that are good for you on so many levels.
Gluten-Free & Dairy Free Cherry Smoothie Recipe with a Secret
Ingredients:
1 Apple seeded and chopped
1 Banana peeled
1/2 cup Frozen Cherries
1 cup Cabbage chopped
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Coconut water
1 tsp Chia Seeds
Directions:
Into your blender add the liquids first. Then add in the rest of the ingredients.
Start the blender on low and slowly turn it up to high. If you have a VitaMix you can use the tamper to push the fruit down without worrying about hitting the blades. It also does a great job of blending this so it’s really smooth. If you have a good blender you shouldn’t have any problems.
If this is too thick you need to add a little more liquid.
Servings: 2-4
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Shared this on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.
Sounds just like what is in my VitaMix on a regular basis! Good and healthy stuff for sure.
I coud definitely live at your house. Sneaking in beet greens tomorrow. shhhh…..
I have this same (pretty close) recipe on my blog with all the geeky research details about why I used those ingredients. It's one I use for clients. It's definitely a good one. Very healing and a great recovery drink.
Melissa I'm so glad you told me that. I was racking my brain to try and remember where I had read about cherries and how they can help. That was the whole inspiration for that smoothie. I need to go find it on your blog and add that to the post. I should have known if it was something good for me it was on your blog!
Sounds like a delicious combination Diane! I'm just waiting for my Blendtec to arrive – can't wait to have a GREAT blender.
Maggie there is nothing that beats a good blender for sure. Let me know what you put into your smoothies. Send us a picture of your first one in your new blender.
Oh this is pretty, Diane. I guess it's time to graduate to adding cabbage. I've only tried lettuce, kale and spinach.
Wendy go wild with your greens. Step out on the three you're used to. They won't mind. Beet greens, swiss chard, and parsley have all worked great for me too. I'll try anything once. If it's too strong I just add more cinnamon and don't do it again.
That's one pretty smoothie, Diane! I don't think your son will panic if he finds out the ingredients. The overall taste is what "sells" a good smoothie. 🙂 And, like I said, this one wins on looks, too! Great job for D-Tox January!
I just finished my green smoothie and feel energized!
Shirley
Thank you Shirley. He is getting better with the whole idea. I think it makes him feel good so he goes with it.
Well, I must admit that while I enjoy green smoothies all the time, I've never put cabbage in one! Somehow in my mind, cabbage has a stronger flavor than spinach, say, or kale. . .will have to give this one a try. 🙂
Ricki, I was looking for something light that I could easily hide. It really works. Now if you put in tons of it then you might have a different taste. Let me know if you give it a try.
Huh, I never would have thought of cabbage but that makes total sense. Great tip, thanks! Now I just have to figure out how to use my Vitamix properly. (It hates me)
AndreaAnna, Hi, thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. OK so what is your Vitamix doing to you? I can't believe it hates you. Have you given it a nice hot bath? Mine really likes that.
Nice smoothie. I love pretty-colored smoothies with hidden wonders 🙂
Thank you Lexie. You know I've enjoyed the challenge of hiding things. It has made me more creative for sure.
I would love cherries in this! I do find that if you put enough cocoa powder in a smoothie with spinach, it looks chocolate and not green. (try avocado, agave, spinach, and cocoa powder!)
Alta every time I've tried that I end up with mud looking drink. Guess I'm no good at adding chocolate to smoothies.
Mmmmm I LOVE green smoothies. I'm off to make one now. 🙂
Kristen, thank you for stopping by. What do you like to add to your smoothies?
What a great looking recipe! I love cabbage. Looks like we had the same idea this week for our blogs – smoothies to ring in the new year!
Megan thank you for taking the time to comment. I'm not sure what I like better, the way smoothies taste or the way the make me feel. I'll have to check out your smoothies too.
I love the hidden cabbage. This looks so great. Made a successful green smoothie today, but think I might be able to get my boys to guzzle more if it's red. ;-). Thanks for sharing Diane!
Nicola it's amazing what you can hide in a smoothie! Oh and use a dark straw too.
I love adding cinnamon to my smoothies too! And yours looks so refreshing. Makes me want one right now!
Iris, I love smoothies any time of the day. We should get blending now.
Thanks for the correction, Diane. This was a special creation of mine and I appreciate the credit!
That sounds really good!! I wish I had a Vita Mix – I would be so much more inspired to make smoothies if I had one! 😉
Kim you really should get a Vitamix. Best thing I ever bought. Wish I would have gotten it sooner. If you follow the link from the bottom of my blog they will give you free shipping.
Love this smoothie!
Thank you Marly!
This looks and sounds amazing!
Thank you Carol. It tastes wonderful.
Do you have trouble with raw cabbage giving you gas? I made some raw spring rolls (the rice paper wet with water kind) filled with shredded cabbage, carrot, parsnip, chopped cilantro, tamari, lemon, and ginger juice, and my husband had the WORST gas the next day (I had some too, but it was milder)…that was the only thing we could think of and we're afraid of raw cabbage now, unless it's fermented as in sauerkraut! Should we give it another try?
Paula it's been so long ago I'm not sure but I don't recall that. If I did it went away after my body got used to eating raw vegetables. Your smoothie sounds interesting. It also might have been the tamari. Let me know what happens the next time you try it.