Top o’ the morning to ya.
And, Happy St. Patrick’s Day (officially!).
Yesterday I posted a recipe for a Shamrock shake, so you have a green drink to celebrate today, but I thought I’d give you another green drink idea, one that really is green with greens (gonna get them at every meal this week, right? right.).
I don’t drink, so I’ve never had a “real” margarita, but I’ve had plenty of non-alcoholic ones, and my favorite thing about margaritas (other than it usually accompanies and complements an spicy Mexican dish quite well), is the mix of sweet, a bit sour, and smidgen of salty.
Who doesn’t love any excuse to drink out of one of these lovely glasses?
I know green smoothies are hot right now.
They’re kind of the latest foodie trend. It originated in the raw vegan world, but now everyone from Paleo’s and hard-core omni’s to raw foodists are drinking the stuff.
The thing I think is great about them, is that it gets people to eat greens they might not eat otherwise and/or it gets them to get more of them in the diet (I have more thoughts on green smoothies, which I’ll discuss in a future post).
The key ingredient to this smoothie, of course, are fresh limes.
You’ll want 3 or 4 of them, depending on their size. If you don’t have fresh limes, get some, because the bottled stuff just won’t cut it for this drink!
Some other ingredients: an apple, an avocado. The apple contributes a fruity, tart flavor.
Avocado, other than adding more color, makes the drink silky smooth.
Kale is another star ingredient. I love the bagged kind I get at Wal-mart ($2.97 for a large bag, but I could eat a whole bag in a day, I’m crazy about it). Makes my life soo much easier. The fact that everything is washed and cut up makes eating greens a breeze and well worth the extra dollar (because it means I’m more likely to eat it, rather than let it sit in my fridge and die).
Another ingredient: Stevia. I like this brand and it comes in a big bag (Truvia is another favorite brand of mine).
Stevia in the raw (not traditional powdered stevia) and Truvia are not as sweet as sugar, and are better alternatives to Splenda.
I use them in everything from my morning tea and oatmeal to smoothies and even dressings. It cuts out sugar and excess calories, while helping me achieve a greater depth of flavor and sweetness.
Here’s the recipe.Sweet Lime and Kale Green Smoothie Margarita
GF, SF, DF
Serves 2
You will need:
- 2 c. water
- 2 c. washed, chopped kale
- Juice from 3-4 limes
- 1 smallish avocado (or 1/2 of one large one, these vary greatly in size)
- 1 granny smith apple
- 2-3 TBS. agave nectar (more lessens the sourness of limes)
- 1/4 c. stevia in the raw (or 5 packets Truvia)
- 10-12 ice cubes
- Margarita salt
Put kale, water, and lime juice (I use a fork to juice my limes) in blender.
Blend until smooth (I ran through 3/4 a cycle on my Blendtec).
It should look like this, a nice shamrock green:
Then place all other ingredients in blender, and process (one cycle of smoothie on my Blendtec did it for me).
Then get your Margarita salt (I got mine for $2, and it will last you forever, a nice thing to have on hand, for special occasions). The margarita salt will add character to the smoothie, elevating it to just another green smoothie, to full-on margarita, so get some if you don’t have any.
Get your glass (preferably something fancy schmanzy like these).
If you don’t have any fancy stemware, look into getting at least 2 (one for you and one for your significant other/spouse) so you can celebrate special occasions. They don’t cost very much either–you can get a nice pair at Pier One for $5-15 (more on the types of stemware out there, here).
I really think these ones are fun (can you tell I’m a Pier One fan?). One of those necessary splurges of life, I say.
To get salt on your glass/flute, use a damp washcloth, wet the rim of your glass and dip flute in the salt.
Pour your smoothie into glass, and garnish with lime slices. Grab husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend. Sit back and enjoy!
Nutrition Info: Makes 2 servings. Nutrition info is based on 2 TBS. agave and does not include sodium from margarita salt. Per Serving: 271 calories, 4 g protein, 11 g fat, 8 g fiber, 37 mg sodium
Yesterday, I asked about your plans for St. Patty’s day.
Here are mine:
- Try to fit in an at home workout in. I think I’m going to do a Brooke Burke DVD today.
- Have a green breakfast with my kids.
- Go to a library used book sale and buy more books that I probably don’t need but can’t resist.
- Take Hyrum to his first soccer practice. Joseph is his coach.
- Clean house and get it ready for Sunday. I always want my house to be clean before Sunday so I can really relax and enjoy my family on this day, doesn’t always work out that way, but I try.
- Kick the soccer ball around with the boys, granted it’s not raining outside.
- Go for a walk with my girls.
- Go on a date tonight with Joseph (we’re going to go to dinner and then watch a friend play in this band).
Hope you have a terrific St. Patty’s day and weekend, I’ll be back here on Monday with more good things!
Question of the Post:
Do you have any special stemware?
How often do you use it and where’s your favorite place to buy fancy glasses and dinnerware? (Mine is Pier One, if you hadn’t figured that out yet 🙂 ).
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