A Juice, a Smoothy and a Soup!

Friday is a fantastic day for Girl's Night Out, Saturday is great for  'guys night in', Sunday is football and beer and wings and chips and salt and salt, where's the gol'darn salt? By Sunday night you're bloated, full, tired, constipated ... and left hungry to boot~  Here are three recipes to help get you through your weekend without assaulting your body.  

Juice.  I don't mean 'apple' and 'orange', I mean gather a colorful blend of fruits and veggies and juice them.  If you don't have a juicer, don't worry;  plop the blender on the counter, add the ingredients, blend with clean water (non-chlorinated, chemical-ized) and strain the concoction through a cheese cloth or fine strainer.  Try an Apple Crisp for breakfast:

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

Apples - 5 medium (3" dia) 910g
Celery - 2 stalk, large (11"-12" long) 128g
Oranges (peeled) - 2 fruit (2-5/8" dia) 262g

Directions:

Process all ingredients in a juicer, shake or stir and serve.  

From  http://juicerecipes.com/recipes/apple-crisp-84

Smoothies are instant sources of nutrients, energy and nourishment.  Saturday morning is a great time to reboot your system, add some hydration, replace lost nutrients and balance your electrolytes.  Try this recipe on for size:

Green Smoothie Monster 

Victoria Boutenko 

4 leaves kale, stems removed 

4 leaves chard, stems removed 

½ bunch fresh parsley 

1 leaf aloe vera 

½ bunch dandelion greens 

3 pears 

1 banana 

3 cups water 

Yields 2 quarts - 

See more at: 

http://www.rawfamily.com/recipes#sthash.WgxvytkH.dpuf

By Sunday night your body has had enough; enough salt, enough meat, enough fat, enough sugar, enough calories.  To satisfy leftover hunger, enjoy a nice, quiet bowl of nourishing soup.  It's hydrating, healing, balancing and delicious.

Spicy Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1-3 teaspoons hot paprika, or to taste
2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
4 medium plum tomatoes, diced
1 medium yellow summer squash, diced
2 cups diced cooked potatoes, (see Ingredient note)
1 1/2 cups green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups frozen spinach, (5 ounces)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, or red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, or prepared pesto

Preparation:

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add paprika and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes, squash, potatoes and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in spinach and vinegar; continue cooking until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes more. Ladle soup into bowls and top with fresh basil or a dollop of pesto.

All of these are made with real, naturally occurring foods.  Wash them in with water, give your vitamins their vitamins, and remember to wash your hands.  Monday morning will not feel so thick after a juice, a smoothy and a nice, spicy bowl of soup~  Have a Great Weekend!

Anna~

Your favorite weekend recipes are welcome!