From Cooking Light magazine, this smoothie is based on a traditional Cuban beverage (batido is a smoothie made with milk and tropical fruits). Look for a mango with bright coloring and no blemishes on the skin. A ripe mango will yield gently when pressed and have a fragrant scent. You can also find peeled, refrigerated slices, which would be a fine substitution (use about 1 1/2 cups). Use brown sugar instead of honey if you would like your smoothie a bit sweeter.

1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups skim milk
juice of 2 small limes, about 1/4 cup
1 tablespoon honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth. Pour over ice and serve. Makes about 3 cups.

Shown left, garnished with mint.

You knew it was coming, admit it. Would I really devote an entire project to smoothies without throwing in a little sangria? Of course not!

Back before smoothies were particularly cool or hip, I would make my own (albeit unsophisticated) by throwing strawberries, ice, and a splash of milk in a blender. Since this was before ice-crushing blades, I destroyed many a good blender that way. I dare you to go out and find a blender now that does not have ice-crushing power and other fancy options that turns smoothies into a hassle-free process.

I decided to resurrect my old smoothie “recipe” and take it up a notch by adding sangria. I used a pre-made variety instead of making my own sangria because homemade sangria is really meant to be consumed immediately and doesn’t do well after the first day. Bottled sangria, when properly stored, can be good for 3 days or so (translation: multiple days of sangria smoothie goodness).

1 pint strawberries, stems removed and halved (quarter if large)
1 cup sangria
1 lemon
1 lime
1 cup ice (6-7 cubes)

Combine chopped strawberries and sangria in a blender. Cut lemon and lime in half. Juice one half of each fruit and save second half for garnish (or another batch of smoothies). Puree until smooth.

Add ice, a couple cubes at a time, until mixture has desired consistency. Pour into two glass and garnish with lemon and lime slices (optional). Serve immediately.

James and I did debate whether this constituted a smoothie or if it was a daiquiri. Apparently, an official daiquiri is a cocktail whose main ingredients are rum and lime juice, so technically this is not a daiquiri. Common usage of the term frozen daiquiri, however, has come to include beverages that are mixture of crushed or blended ice, fruit, and alcohol. So, Jenn’s official ruling is that frozen daiquiris fit under the umbrella of smoothies, therefore this drink can be considered both!

May is an interesting time of year in Michigan, one day it feels like summer and the next is a cold blast with rain, clouds, and thunder to match. The changes in temperature can make it difficult to plan a meal, especially anything involving picnics and outdoor grilling. This unpredictability is what makes zucchini and curry a perfect combination for spring. Zucchini is a summer staple while curry has that gentle heat to warm you from the inside out, and together they can combat any weather.

There are several recipes out there for zucchini hummus, most of them from vegan or raw food websites and blogs. After reading several of the recipes and not quite finding one that I liked, I pieced this together from a variety of sources, adding the curry as my own personal touch. Don’t like curry? Substitute paprika or 1/2 teaspoon cumin.

Please enjoy what might be one of the last Spring Fever posts of the season, as summer (and you can be sure a new project) is right around the corner.  

2 cups peeled, chopped zucchini (about 2 large)
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin recommended)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder

Combine in blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Allow to chill several hours (preferably overnight) before serving.

Serve with veggies such as baby carrots, cucumber slices, chopped celery, peppers, or with pitas or crackers.

By Camilla V. Saulsbury. As the title suggests, this book is full of great recipes that use a box of brownie mix and some extra ingredients to create an easy and tasty batch of brownies that is anything but boring. Much in the vein of Cake Mix Cookies, these recipes are fairly simple but with big results. Favorites from this book include adventurous Peppery Ginger Chocolate Cookies and Spicy Aztec Brownies with Cinnamon Glaze as well as more traditional recipes like Turtle Cheesecake Brownies.

Another adventure in Smoothie-licious, this time combining two of my favorite summer cooking staples: lemon and basil. Really, can these two do any wrong? I think not. The perfect compliment of bright and fresh flavors, along with some sweetness from fat-free sorbet. This recipe makes one just-right size serving.

1/2 cup lemon sorbet
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
6 medium to large basil leaves, torn
2-3 ice cubes

Combine sorbet, milk, lemon zest, juice and basil in a blender. Puree until smooth and add ice cubes for desired thickness. Pour into a chilled glass and top with addition lemon zest, a sprig of basil, and lemon wedge if desired.

Sit back, relax, and sip.