This smoothie can serve as a refreshing mid-morning snack or as a healthy breakfast when in a hurry. The best thing about it is how easy it is to prepare. The tropical flavors make you feel as if you are walking on the beach.
BABY KALE
You want to use baby kale for this smoothie because of its superior flavor. First, you need to wash it, remove the stems, and then blend the kale using milk or your favorite juice until the texture becomes homogeneous. The blending process is a lot easier when you work with baby kale because it is so tender.
Tip: If you buy a large bag of kale so you can make this smoothie every day, start by washing all the kale and draining it in a colander. You can then store 2oz servings in zip lock bags.
JUICE, MILK, OR YOGHURT?
This is a recipe you can easily alter to meet your personal taste. Papaya, baby kale and banana are the three staples for the smoothie. You can then add your favorite milk, Greek yoghurt or juice. Pineapple and orange work just fine. When I am making a big batch for the entire family, I use a bigger blender. I serve the kids first, then I then take what is left of the smoothie, add protein to it and re-blend it. The second batch is for my husband and me. When I’m making one serving, I use the Nutribullet.
PAPAYA
Papayas grow all over Central America, the Caribbean, and the southern states of California and Florida. We are in Miami, and we can get papayas in the local market throughout the year. Papayas are more abundant in some months than others. Papayas come in a wide range of sizes. They taste like melons and have black seeds and orange flesh. I slice my papaya in half and use one half to make the smoothie. I cut the other half into cubed pieces and give it to the kids for a snack. Since I always need to use half of the fruit, I tend to make about two or three servings instead of one.
INGREDIENTS
1x2x3x
3-4oz baby kale
0.5 papaya
1 banana
4 ice cubes
2 cups pineapple juice or orange juice
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash the kale, let it drain, and remove the stems. Peel the papaya, remove all its seeds and chop it into cubed shapes. Peel the banana as well.
First, blend the baby kale using pineapple juice until the mixture is smooth (If your blender has a pulse setting, use it). Add the papaya and the banana and blend again until smooth. Lastly, add ice cubes. Turn on the ice crushing setting and blend again.
Serve immediately!!
NOTES
I don’t find it necessary to weigh or measure the ingredients because I try to prepare it as quickly as possible. When making 2 servings of the smoothie I use half a banana and 1 papaya. Remember that the sizes of papayas and bananas vary widely. Feel free to add more or less depending on the size of your fruits.
If you enjoy creamy smoothies, consider adding a bit of Greek yoghurt when blending. Adding protein makes you fuller. If you want a smoothie with less carbs, skip the pineapple juice and use almond instead.
