Saturday Smoothies: Watermelon-Peach Green Grin

Watermelon-Peach-Green-Smoothie

Quick! Before summer is officially over and watermelons and peaches are just sweet memories, make at least one batch of this awesome smoothie!

I used some leftover frozen aqua fresca that I made last week, plus spinach, coconut milk and almonds. If you don’t have frozen aqua fresca cubes, just substitute the ingredients that go into the aqua fresca (watermelon, peaches, ice)  and you will have an amazingly delicious and easy smoothie. The recipe for watermelon-peach agua fresca is at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!

Watermelon-Peach-Green-Smoothie
Ingredients for Watermelon-Peach-Green-Smoothies

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 cubes frozen Watermelon-Peach Agua Fresca 
  • 2 cups or more fresh spinach
  • 1 cup (or more) unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds
  • 1/4 to 1/2 lime or lemon (peel and all)
  • sweetener (optional — use agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, sugar or stevia)

PREPARATION

  1. Put everything into a blender and pulse until it is smooth. You can add more liquid, more agua fresca cubes and more or less spinach, according to your taste.
  2. Adjust the taste by adding sweetener if you want, and a little more lemon or lime.
  3. If the smoothie is too thin, add more fresh fruit — like a peach.

NOTES

  • Scroll down for a recipe for agua fresca and more information on this delicious Mexican drink.
  • Whenever I make more smoothie that we can drink, I freeze the leftovers in ice trays. Pop the cubes out when they are frozen and store them in labeled freezer baggies. I love having these miscellaneous deliciousness-cubes available when I’m in the mood to invent a new smoothie. This is also a convenient way to preserve fruit when you buy more fresh fruit than you can eat before it goes bad. Using your blender or food processor, puree fruits like mangoes, peaches, berries and melons. Add lemon juice to prevent discoloration, then freeze in ice trays.
  • Add as much or as little spinach as you want. I really cram the spinach (or kale) into my green smoothies because it’s a great way to get your dark leafy greens. These are essential to a healthy diet, especially a weight-loss or anti-inflammation diet.
  • NO bananas in this smoothie. For a refreshing, lighter-tasting change.
  • Sweetener is a personal preference, and for us, usually not something we add. Sometimes, though, we’re just in the mood for a slightly sweeter smoothie. I use either stevia or maple syrup. Go easy on the sweetener and your tastes may change — you’ll enjoy smoothies that have no added sweetness, and you will develop a liking for the natural flavors of the fruits and veggies. If you do want to add sweetener, add just a little at a time, tasting as you go.

 Watermelon on a Plate

Watermelon-Peach Agua Fresca

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 or 4 cups very cold watermelon, seeded and cubed
  • 1 large peach, white or orange fleshed
  • 1 or 2 T sugar or sweetener of your choice (optional — you can skip sweetener)
  • 1/2 lemon, peel and all (or 1 lime) this is optional
  • 6 cubes ice (more or less)
  • 1 cup chilled water

PREPARATION

Some people like to strain the pulp out before adding their ice and sugar. I like my pulp. I would reccomend trying it with the pulp first, since you get your fiber that way. If you really hate the pulp, then go ahead and strain it. Then add your ice and sugar.

Agua Fresca MUST be cold. Very cold. Chill the watermelon and water before making it. Also, watermelon juice does not last, so either drink up your agua frescas right away — or freeze your leftovers in ice trays.

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