Make: super smoothies

Breakfast is a passion of mine so I’m always keen to share good brekkie solutions. Particularly when so many of us struggle to find time in the morning.

Why is brekkie so important? The benefits to health, mood and weight are well established, and if you’re keen for detail, head on over to Enjoy Breakfast.

Brekkie is also a great time to get in a few super foods. I’m a firm advocate of super foods. Just not the ones that are hard to find, hard to pronounce and cost an arm and a leg. I’m more of an everyday superfood fan.

You’ll find everyday superfoods in your fridge or pantry. They’re the over achievers in a meal or recipe. They deliver plenty of the good stuff with not so much of the bad. I’m talking wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, eggs, nuts, seeds, oily fish. Foods that give you more bang for your buck so to speak

When you’re strapped for time, cereal for brekkie (preferably wholegrain) is the quickest and easiest way to get the job done. My breakfast muesli is a firm favourite, if I’ve had time to make it. But, when breakfast interest wanes, I’ve found there’s nothing like a smoothie to tempt the most reluctant breakfast eaters.

I had the pleasure of demonstrating these recipes on a P&O Food and Wine Cruise recently with the lovely Chef Daniel from Fork and Knife Catering. And provided you have ingredients on hand and at the very minimum a good quality stick blender you’ll be done and on to clean up in around than 5 minutes.

These recipes each make two serves, but if you only need one, simply pop half back in the freezer in a Ziploc bag or container. Five minutes on the bench the next time you need a smoothie should be enough to soften it so you can pour into a glass with nothing more to do other than consume.

And, as with all of my recipes, mix them up and make them your own. Play with herbs and spice, try seasonal fruit combos and if you have problems with dairy simply substitute with the myriad of alternatives available.

Are you a smoothie convert? What are your favourite ingredient combos? And do you save them for breakfast or love them as a nourishing snack anytime of the day.?

Berry breakfast smoothie

Makes 2 big glasses (approx 300ml each)

¾ cup cup (187ml) low fat milk
¼ cup (75g) low fat Greek yoghurt
¼ cup (20g) rolled oats
1 banana frozen
1 heaped cup (300g) frozen berries
honey to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth and creamy

Serve in glasses with a straw and spoon or enjoy one serve and freeze the other for later

Frozen raspberries make for a great breakfast smoothie

Tips

Make use of fruit available in the freezer section of your supermarket for times when seasonal fruit’s not suitable.

Stash bananas past their prime into the freezer. Peeling, dicing and storing in a container or ziploc bag makes them easiest to use.

Use any yoghurt on hand but if its flavoured you’re not likely to need additional sweetener.

Tropical greenie

If you’ve been slow to adopt the green smoothie then this one’s for you. Not too out there it tastes great but remains full of the goodness that leafy greens bring. See my tips to if you’re keen to health it up even further.

Makes 2 big glasses (approx 300ml each)