Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Cool Mint Smoothie (dairy and non-dairy)


We’re coming up on July 4th and everyone is looking for some new recipe to show off to friends and family. Of course, if the recipe doesn’t require cooking, that’s a big bonus because it is just too hot to deal with hot ovens and so forth, right? Goodness knows, I’m a big fan of cold dishes this time of year. After all, today’s forecast high for my neck of the woods is 113 degrees F. Yikes!

Fortunately, I’ve come up with a very cooling, satisfying mint smoothie for a day just like this. It’s simple, goes together in minutes and feels WONDERFUL on a hot day. Want to try it? Here’s what you’ll need:


Just a quick note - I used soy products here but if dairy is okay for you, simply use regular vanilla yogurt and lowfat milk.

· 1 cup plain soy milk
· 1 6 oz. container of vanilla soy yogurt
· 4 T honey
· 1 tsp vanilla
· 1 tsp peppermint or spearmint extract
· 6 (or more if you desire) fresh mint leaves – optional
· 1 – 1 ½ cups ice cubes

Wash the mint leaves and pat them dry. Mince fine. Add all ingredients to your blender, beginning with liquid ingredients first and adding the ice last. Puree until ice is entirely crushed. Serve with a mint sprig for garnish.

This makes two rather large smoothies or four small ones. The mint is particularly refreshing on a hot day and the sugar is kept to a minimum. However, if you’re needing to avoid the sugar, use sugar-free yogurt and a sugar substitute in place of the honey. Yes, the flavor will be slightly different but that’s not really a bad thing, just different. No big deal.

"Hey, I Can Eat That" will be on a brief break for the long weekend but I'll see you all back here on Monday, July 7th. Until then, have fun, eat well, keep cool and let’s go eat that!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This looks really, really good. I'm a big fan of mint, and I've never thought to make something like this with it. Can't wait for a taste!

Sandra Gordon said...

Hope you enjoy it! My son even liked this and really enjoyed helping to make it. However, if kids are involved, don't forget to supervise the blender carefully.

Deborah Dowd said...

This sounds like a great way to include soy in a refreshing way that will fit within South Beach, which I am currently following!

Sandra Gordon said...

Deborah, I'm glad it will work out! While not every recipe can be altered for every potential diet need, I do believe the ability to change out ingredients and quantities is an important aspect of any cooking. This is especially true when you are following any sort of specialized diet.

Maggie said...

This sounds great. I really love mint. I bet my son would like it a lot if I added some cocoa powder as well.

Sandra Gordon said...

Maggie, that's a great idea! My son liked the mint alone, but cocoa powder added would be a huge hit.