Green Smoothie with Dandelion Leaves

Spring is almost here and soon there will be fresh young greens sprouting everywhere. But until we can go out and pick our own fresh dandelion leaves we have to rely on store-bought bunches. The best would be organic but if you cannot find these, regular are better than nothing.

Here is a recipe that includes this great and nutritious plant. Dandelion is one of the cleansing herbs that we should include in our diet especially during spring and for cleanses.

You need: 

1 bunch of fresh dandelion leaves, 

2 bananas, 2 pears, 1-2 apples, water.

Wash all leaves and fruit very well, put the leaves and water in the blender and blend until you cannot see any large pieces of leaves. Then add chunks of apples and pears one by one through the opening in the lid while the blender is still running. Add bananas as the last.   
Drink immediately. Offer to children, family members, any neighbours and visitors who are there with you :) 
If they make yucky faces and refuse, be a role model and enjoy it yourself. Don't push them into trying. If they see you drink and enjoy a really GREEN smoothie, next time they will be curious and taste it.

Cheers to your health!

Post a comment below, if you like this one :)

Green smoothie with wild greens

Here is a simple smoothie made with a handful of wild greens that I pictured in the previous post (dandilion, lambs`quarters, purslane and plantain).

Greens with bananas and apples and ...

...some blueberries

Great Greens You Don't Have To Buy

Here is a list of edible and nutritious wild greens that I don't buy but get from my own lawn, flower beds and small vegetable patch behind our house. 

In the near future I plan to write more  about each of these plants, but right now I just add the pictures.

Plantain (Plantago major) (Skorocel)

Lambs' quarters (Chenopodium album) (Merlík biely)

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)  (Púpava)

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) (Portulaka zeleninová)

        

Green Smoothie with Parsley

Today we had a simple blend of leftover romaine lettuce and parsley leaves and banana. With too much water it came out quite runny. It was easier to feed it to my 10 month-old baby in the bottle than with a spoon. Even though he is breasfed and never had a bottle before, he had no problems with drinking from a bottle. 
{I was experimenting with the camera and the pictures are not the best. Some are too dark, some too bright :( But the smoothie tasted delicious.}

When the smoothie comes out froothy and starts to separate, more bananas or a mango will make it creamier.

Green Smoothie with Purslane

Sometimes during summer I have learn about Purslane (Portulaca oleracea).  I haven't noticed this small groundcover weed before. But as I read and searched more on the internet I was happy it's growing in my small vegetable garden patch. 
Purslane is super-nutritious. It has the highest content of omega-3 fatty acids of all green leafy vegetables and is rich in various minerals, vitamins and fiber. 

I used the fresh succulent leaves and stems in a smoothie. It tasted a bit sour but an extra banana will make it more palatable for children. My kids both love green smoothies and they don't mind the extra "green" taste.

Purslane from my flower patch (Portulaka zeleninová)

Purslane from my neighbour Eva

I was lucky to have a chat with my neighbour Eva about plants when she mentioned this weed sprouting all over her front flower bed. We discovered it was purslane. She let me help myself and pick some of it for my smoothies. When my own garden supply got low, I went over and my toddler (He knows several edible wild plants/weeds now and every time we go for a walk, he picks the fresh leaves and says "It's for the smoothie, mom.") gathered a handfull for next days breakfast.

And in go some soaked chia seeds, bunch of purslane, some blueberries, one apple and two bananas

Yummy breakfast is ready.

I hope this tasty-looking smoothie has inspired you to try it, too. But before you go out and pick your lawn, do some research of your own and make sure you know very well which plant to pick. There are some similar weeds that can grow near purslane that are not edible and might be harmful. (Purslane is succulent with meaty leaves and has round stems with clear juice.)

Here is the nutrition chart:

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), raw, fresh, Nutritive value per 100 g. (Source: USDA National Nutrient data base) Principle Nutrient Value Percentage of RDA Energy 16 Kcal 1.5% Carbohydrates 3.4 g 3% Protein 1.30 g 2% Total Fat 0.1 g 0.5% Cholesterol 0 mg 0% Vitamins Folates 12 µg 3% Niacin 0.480 mg 3% Pantothenic acid 0.036 mg 1% Pyridoxine 0.073 mg 5.5% Riboflavin 0.112 mg 8.5% Thiamin 0.047 mg 4% Vitamin A 1320 IU 44% Vitamin C 21 mg 35% Electrolytes Sodium 45 mg 3% Potassium 494 mg 10.5% Minerals Calcium 65 mg 6.5% Copper 0.113 mg 12.5% Iron 1.99 mg 25% Magnesium 68 mg 17% Manganese 0.303 mg 13% Phosphorus 44 mg 6% Selenium 0.9 µg 2% Zinc 0.17 mg 1.5% Dry chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) are tiny but packed with nutrients. To get the most out of them they need to be soaked in water and blended. They form clear gel in contact with liquids.