Smooth Moves

With the weather getting warm so quickly, it's a great time for smoothies. Light and refreshing, smoothies are one of the easiest foods you can make. The only essentials are fruit, liquid and a blender.

The fun is in the endless ways you can vary the basic elements and the extras you can add so that you have just the smoothie you want. Below is my "recipe" for a breakfast smoothie – and some comments on ways to vary it.

1/2 banana, fresh or frozen, sliced. (The banana helps make the smoothie thick and creamy, but it can be omitted if you prefer.)

1/2 cup frozen fruit – a mix of strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. (You can substitute other fruits, fresh, frozen or even canned. However, very crisp fruits, such as fresh apples or pears, tend not to blend smoothly. Softer fruits, such as peaches and cantaloupes work better.)

1 cup soy milk, or more as needed for blending. (You can substitute other liquids, such as fruit juice or soy yogurt thinned with water. Or if you’re out of soy milk, you can put in a chunk of silken tofu and some water to blend.)

1/2 tsp cinnamon (Omit if you’d like; or try other spices such as ginger, cardamom or nutmeg.)

1 tsp flax oil (This is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, but it can easily be omitted.)

1 Tbsp vegan protein powder (Another item that can easily be omitted.)

1 Tbsp frozen orange-juice concentrate (This adds a bit of sweetness. You can omit, or add something else, such as a spoonful of fruit preserves.)

Add ingredients to blender in the order listed. Begin blending on low; gradually increase speed until everything is smoothly blended. (Stop blender and stir if necessary.) Enjoy!

Have you discovered any extra-delicious smoothie combinations that you could share?