GREEN SMOOTHIE WITH A TWIST

Welcome to Cashew Kitchen!! So incredibly excited to launch this blog, which will be a space for (mostly) foodie photography, vegetarian recipes, thoughts on nutrition and the environment, some personal notes and an occasional travel post.I've been working on the layout and content of this blog for all summer, together with my good friend and web programmer Natalie to which I am forever grateful for all the help with the site! < 3 It has not been easy to find the time in between work and vacation, but I decided not to rush. The Swedish summer is after all very short and precious, and you wouldn't wanna miss it by spending it in front of a computer. However, with autumn comes the wind of change and creativity, and my ambition is to make this blog an inspiring place full of energy, beauty and love, however cliché that might sound. But the truth is I'm feeling more inspired and excited than ever before, despite the fact that I've been very stressed, overwhealmed and worried this late summer and beginning of autumn. Those difficult moments is perhaps when I find cooking the most soothing, after all. The love of plant based food and the healing power of creating something with your own hands is something I want to share with you, bringing each one of us one step closer to a healthy and peaceful body, mind and planet.I have lots of recipes prepared for you! Just to name a few of them, there will be Dark Chocolate Loaf, Hazelnut Butter and an amaazing warming drink to heat up cold winter bodies. Stay tuned for the details ; )As some of you already know, I have an older blog which isn't active anymore (Food and Green Forests). If you want to access my old recipes, you can find them here.I hope you will find this blog inspiring, and if you have any questions or thoughts, don't hesitate to share them with me on agnes@cashew-kitchen.com or by leaving a comment below : )Since we're talking plant based food and health, the first Cashew Kitchen recipe I want to share with you is a life giving green smoothie. Closer to pure, liquid energy you cannot get! Packed with chlorophyll, the encapsulated sunlight which give plants their green color and that is the fundamental pre-requisite for life itself. Filled to the brim with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Green smoothies are great if you're feeling a little under the weather and need to strengthen your immune defense with an extra vitamin boost or cleanse the body from toxins.This one is fresh and a little spicy, and not too sweet. The cilantro, melon and wheatgrass works surprisingly well together! I usually find the taste of wheatgrass quite unsavoury to be honest, but in combination with the rest of the ingredients for this smoothie it actually tastes very good! If you're not used to green smoothies, you could of course skip it and go with a milder, "beginners" smoothie ; )Green Smoothie with a twistserves one

1 small organic banana, frozena large handful of fresh spinach1 honey dew melon boat, ca 2 cm wide and kernels removed1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped1/2 lemon, peeled and kernels removedcouple of leaves fresh cilantro1 tsp wheatgrass powder1,5 dl water

Directions1. Throw all ingredients into a high speed blender and mix until smooth. Add more water if too thick. Serve instantly, or fill a glass bottle to the brim and store in fridge for up to a day (but remember juices and smoothies instantly start to oxidate and loose nutrients, so the best is to drink it as soon as possible).Note: you could also juice the lemon and ginger (then use a little more). If you're using an immersion blender or food processor, the smoothie might be a little stringy. Then juicing lemon & ginger is good. All photographs, recipes and content are Cashew Kitchen originals, unless otherwise indicated. Please link back to me when sharing.