Green Kitchen Smoothies: Healthy and colourful smoothies for everyday

Smoothies aren't just bananas, strawberries and yogurt anymore – add nuts, milk, juices and granola in smoothie bowls, parfaits and popsicles for added texture and sustenance

Anti inflammatory morning glory (recipe below)

Food bloggers and partners, David and Luise open up the world of smoothies in their book Green Kitchen Smoothies where they share tried and tested recipes. Seperated into two sections, simple smoothies and showstoppers, the former includes flavours such as mango and lime and superberry and fennel smoothies, while the latter offers up more filling options such as the chunky smoothie and salted caramel semifreddo and hearty breakfast bowls full of goodness.

For gym lovers, there's a section on pre- and post-workout smoothies and some naughty but healthy recipes replicating chocolate bars for when you need a pick-me-up. The duo also suggest equipment, tips and tricks and a page on how to make the perfect smoothie in seven easy steps – which all sets you up to be the smoothie pros David and Luise are. Here are some recipes from the book specifically created with health in mind.

Tumeric Tonic

Makes 1 litre

Turmeric and ginger have been used within Ayurvedic medicine and cooking for thousands of years and warm turmeric milk, ‘haldi ka doodh’, is still a popular home remedy in India. Apart from its health benefits, it makes a very soothing drink with a touch of sweetness from honey and a kick from turmeric and ginger. We have been making varieties of this for years and it’s good served both warm and cold. Be advised, though, turmeric is an acquired taste so start with a little less if you are not used to its flavour. Be sure to add the black pepper – it increases the bioavailability of curcumin, the active component of turmeric.

150 g (5 oz/1 cup) mixed raw almonds and cashews  (plus filtered water for soaking)
4 teaspoons fresh turmeric, grated (or 2 teaspoons ground  turmeric)
2–4 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated (or 1–2 teaspoons ground  ginger)
1–2 tablespoons quality raw honey (manuka if possible)
2 teaspoons rosehip powder (optional)
¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 litre (1¾ pints/4 cups)  filtered water
¼ teaspoon sea salt
pinch black pepper

Place the nuts in a bowl, cover with filtered water and soak for 8–12 hours in the morning or overnight. Drain and rinse the nuts, discarding the soaking water. Add them to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend on a high speed until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the spiciness and sweetness to your liking by adding more ginger and/or honey, if necessary.

Strain the turmeric milk through a nut milk bag, a piece of cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve and store in the fridge in a large glass carafe with a lid/stopper. The tonic can keep for a few days in the fridge, if sealed. When ready to serve, pour into medium-sized glasses. Alternatively, pour the milk into a saucepan, bring to a gentle simmer, remove from the heat and store in a thermos to take on a picnic.

Anti inflammatory morning glory

Serves 1, nut-free

We often make this juice in the morning when we are starting to feel a little under the weather. It’s super-refreshing, almost fiercely so, with a real punch from grapefruit and ginger. Think of it as a superman version of your morning OJ. If you don’t wake up after a glass of this, you were probably not meant to get out of bed at all this morning.

2 raw carrots, tops removed and peeled (approx 200 g/7 oz)
1 grapefruit, peeled and pips removed (approx 150 g/5 oz)
1 orange,  peeled (approx 150 g/5 oz)
¼ yellow or red (bell) pepper (45 g/1½ oz) (organic if possible)
1 knob fresh ginger, peeled (approx15 g /½ oz)
1 knob fresh turmeric, peeled (approx 7 g /¼ oz) or ¼ teaspoon ground  turmeric (to add after juicing)
pinch black pepper

Wash all of the ingredients and chop them to fit your juicer. Feed them through the mouth of the juicer one by one, alternating between the fibrous (ginger, turmeric) and juicy (grapefruit, orange, pepper) ingredients, while using the hard ingredient (carrots) to push everything else through. Stir in the black pepper. Taste and adjust the flavours to your liking. Stir well, pour into a medium-sized glass and serve cold, or store in a medium-sized airtight glass bottle to take on the go.

Goodnight smoothie

Serves 1 or 2 small servings

Warm chamomile tea with honey is a good sleep aid and has been used for decades, but this creamy smoothie with a touch of warming spices is just as effective. Bananas and almonds are rich in magnesium, which is an antidote to stress and a powerful relaxation mineral, while nutmeg is a sedative. Therefore, by maximizing your intake of natural magnesium just before bedtime, you’re more likely to sleep better.

You can also add a quality magnesium powder supplement (which you can find at all good health food stores) if you suffer from insomnia or your child has trouble sleeping or suffers from growing pains. Sleep tight!

1 ripe banana, peeled
2 tablespoons raw almonds (pre-soaked if possible)
1 tablespoon linseeds  pinch ground nutmeg
125–250 ml (4–8½ fl oz/½–1 cup) filtered water
1 teaspoon cold-pressed coconut oil
½ teaspoon ground  vanilla or vanilla extract

Tip: Brown rice protein powder is also rich in magnesium and is a great addition to increase the overall nutritional value and keep you from waking up hungry during the night. Roughly chop the banana and add it to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend on a high speed until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the consistency to your liking by adding more water if necessary. Pour into a medium-sized glass or two small ones and serve at room temperature to avoid shocking your body right before bedtime.

Goji, mango and tumeric smoothie

Serves 2, nut free

There is a deli around the corner from where we live in Stockholm that used to serve a goji berry smoothie that was so addictive that we just had to make our own version of it. Goji berries have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years and are an excellent source of antioxidants. Combined with the orange and carrot juice, they make a smoothie that is packed with vitamin C and betacarotene to help protect against immune system deficiencies.

The flavour of this smoothie is quite sweet with a wide variety of fruity tones – very unique! To balance the sweetness we also make it quite spicy with a big chunk of ginger, a touch of turmeric and pinch of black pepper. These ingredients also add some great anti-inflammatory properties to the drink.

1 orange,  peeled and roughly chopped
1 ripe mango, stone removed (or frozen, thawed) (approx 150 g/5 oz/ 1 cup mango flesh)
40 g (1½ oz/1⁄3 cup) dried goji berries  (organic  if possible)
½–1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (or ¼–½ teaspoon ground  ginger)
1 teaspoon fresh turmeric, grated (or ½ teaspoon ground  turmeric)
250 ml (8½  fl oz/1 cup) freshly squeezed carrot juice (4–5 carrots) (or brown rice milk)
pinch black pepper
2 tablespoons black chia seeds

Place all of the ingredients except the chia seeds in a blender. Blend on a high speed until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the spiciness to your liking by adding more ginger if necessary. Pour into two medium-sized glasses. Stir in the chia seeds and serve chilled.