Smoothie with Grapefruit, Stinging Nettles and Sweet Green Grapes

This morning was spectacular in my Danish garden – the sun, the birds, the flowers, the butterflies and an intoxicating smell of spring filled the air. I was out, bare feet in the grass breathing in spring and enjoying the early morning.

Spring

Spring

However, with spring and an abundance of spring flowers, come weeds – dandelion, stinging nettles and ground elder – they invade us and keep us busy all summer, trying to keep them under control….

But actually – weeds, such as stinging nettles are packed with goodness.  They have lots of nutrients, protein, calcium and iron among many other things, and they are so good for us  – read more here.

So I thought –if you can’t beat them, why not eat them!!!? 🙂

I covered my hands with plastic bags and picked some stinging nettles – the aroma of them were somewhat spicy, in a gentle kind of way. Which made me think that they would be amazing combined with grapefruits, in a smoothie.

Stinging nettles

Stinging nettles

Green Smoothie with Grapefruit and Stinging Nettles

A good handful of fresh stinging nettles

A bunch of sweet green grapes

One big grapefruit

One orange

A chunk of pineapple

water

Wear gloves or plastic bags on your hands while picking and cleaning the nettles, they will sting you! Wash them carefully before use.

Add all the ingredients to the blender with some ice cold water and blend into a smooth delicious powerful green drink.

 

Grapefruit

Grapefruit

Sweet Green Grapes

Sweet Green Grapes

Green smoothie with stinging nettles

Green smoothie with stinging nettles

It’s quite easy to become addicted to this drink – the combination is really good. The stinging nettles have this very special beautiful flavour – I loved it and I hope you will too!

Enjoy!

“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them” –  A.A. Milne

Read more about weeds:

Edible wild weed salad – by Organic Authority

10 weeds worth growing – by Care 2 

8 weeds you can eat –  by Organic Gardening.

Awaiting Summer Smoothie

We are enjoying beautiful spring weather here on the West Coast of British Columbia.

This morning I decided I would make a true “Awaiting Summer Smoothie” – because to be honest with you, I crave summer like crazy!

Awaiting Summer Smoothie

Awaiting Summer Smoothie

 

I had some deliciously ripe mangos (juicy and sweet)

some fresh pineapple,

and a cute pear with red cheeks.

Pear with red cheeks

Pear with red cheeks

Some fresh mint, freshly squeezed juice of lime and some cool coconut water.

Mint & Lime

Mint & Lime

Sweet Mango

Sweet mango

For 4 people:

1/2 pineapple

1 pear

1 big mango

1-2 lime

2 sprigs of fresh mint

2 cups of coconut water

Put it all in the blender along with some ice to cool it down. Blend into a fabulous nutritious and delicious drink.

Enjoy!

In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer – Albert Camus

Plant-wild week-day 1

I am excited! This is the first day of our 7-day plant-wild adventure.  I am really looking forward to eating plant-based for a week! It will be awesome, and  I can actually feel how every cell in my body is shouting harray and  jumping with joy!!

I’m also hugely grateful to my family for being in on this too – what a great thing to do together.

I am excited to see how we feel after a week, tanking up on heaps of greens, fresh summer fruits, nuts, grains and delicious vegetables.

So lets get started  – Here’s the first day’s goodies. I can hardly wait!!

Breakfast

Green good-morning smoothie:

2 apples

big handful of fresh spinach

1/2 cucumber

big handful of green grapes

1/2 an avocado

2 cups of water

a handful of crushed ice

Blend it all into a smooth delicious morning drink

Mango “yoghurt”

A while ago I made a raw food yoghurt with banana and avocado it tasted so good! This morning I am making a mango version of that. It is so simple and it taste so fresh and good!

1 big mango

2 avocado

a fresh squeeze of lemon

Add all ingredients in to the blender and blend into a smooth and beautiful, creamy breakfast treat

Serve with chopped dates, chopped walnuts and some fresh berries

Lunch

What is better than soup, made from the ripest local tomatoes and with basil from the garden?

It is really easy to make too, which adds to the joy of making it.

Tomato soup:

6 very ripe big tomatoes

4 shallots

2 cloves of garlic

1 l of vegetable broth

1/2 cup of cashews soaked in water

Lots of fresh basil

2 sun dried tomatoes

one bay leaf

Chop the onions and garlic and saute them in a pot with some olive oil – saute til they are soft and clear. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the sauteed onions and garlic. Add the bay leaf and cook till the tomatoes are soft. Add the vegetable broth and cook for about 10 min at low heat.

Blend in the blender with 3/4 of the fresh basil, the sun dried tomatoes, and the soft cashews to make it creamy.

Savour with salt and pepper and serve with a chunk of great bread, with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip it in

Dinner

Wok fried vegetable served with cardamon rice:

I love everything Asian – Serve me Asian fusion and I am in heaven.

Marinade:

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup sweet chili sauce

2 tbs sesame oil

2 1/2 inch of fresh ginger

4 cloves of garlic

one bunch of spring onions

2 tbs of white wine

Finely chop the fresh ginger, the garlic and the spring onions – in a bowl mix the soy sauce, the sweet chili sauce, sesame oil and white wine – mix well and add the chopped garlic, spring onions and ginger.

For the stir fry – use any of your favorite vegetables

I used:

one bunch of green asparagus

1 red pepper

4 shallots

400 g of brown mushrooms

big head of broccoli

Fry everything separately in a wok, drizzle the marinade over the portion just before each sort of vegetable is almost ready. Put it aside and stir fry the next vegetable, making sure they all stay crisp and colorful. When all the different kinds of vegetables have been stir-fried to perfection and the marinade has been added – mix all vegetables together.

Serve with Jasmin rice cooked with some green cardamom pods and sea salt.

I got lots of great feedback from the family – no one turned their nose up, no one pushed the plate away – someone even said, while eating the tomato soup: “did you put cream in this”?

I feel nourished and full of energy & looking forward to tomorrow & another day of plant food!!

Go to Plant-wild day 2 here

Today’s Smoothie

This smoothie was SO sweet and tasty that the whole family came back for seconds!

Collard greens
green grapes
a piece of pineapple
a banana
some frozen mango blended in to make it cool
filtered water

For more info about smoothies please click this

If you want to know why I am so crazy about green smoothies please click here