EAT RIGHT: Why your blender is your best friend
Ever since I got a blender last month, I’ve been using it pretty much every day! This versatile kitchen appliance has opened up a whole new world of quick and easy recipes that I fondly dub “whatever” recipes because I can throw together whatever is left over in the fridge, in whatever amounts, and the end result is always pretty dang tasty. My blender has become my best friend: I use up leftover produce that I wouldn’t know what to do with otherwise, I save a ton of time, and, best of all, I can easily adapt my meal based on what’s lying around the kitchen! Here are three suggestions to get you started on your own “whatever” recipes, but it really comes down to experimenting until you figure out what works for your taste buds.
Smoothies
These nutrient-packed blends are one of the easiest ways to get your daily fruit and vegetable dose in one delicious go. I struggle to eat my greens, so throwing some kale or spinach into my morning smoothie is the perfect solution because I don’t even taste it! My go-to smoothie consists of yogurt + banana + kale + almond butter + honey, but I recommend playing around with different variations of these ingredients — try soy or almond milk, frozen berries, pineapples, peanut butter, and so on. You can also add in flaxseed or acai berries for an extra boost, or sneak in some celery or beetroot if you’re feeling brave.
Pesto
Mix it into your pasta with cherry tomatoes, slather it onto some chicken before grilling, or just eat it straight up with some pita bread. Pesto is magic, and can elevate a simple dish with flavor. And the best part? You can make it yourself with a few simple ingredients! All you need to do is blend together olive oil, basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and garlic. Although I do recommend more or less sticking to these base ingredients, you can adjust this recipe based on personal taste — I for one always end up adding an extra garlic clove (or three) and proudly smell like garlic for the rest of the day. If you need to trick yourself into eating more vegetables (this is a common trend in my life) or want to undercut the basil taste, toss in some spinach as well.
Vegetable soup
This is the absolute best way to get rid of any leftover vegetables because you can throw pretty much anything into this soup and make it work. After chopping your chosen veggies into manageable chunks, all you need to do is boil everything in a large pot and let it simmer until it softens before transferring the mixture to a blender for that final smooth consistency. For flavor’s sake, you’ll generally want to include an onion or shallot and some aromatics like garlic, ginger, or thyme, but the rest of your vegetable medley is up to you! Try mix and matching carrots, cauliflower, butternut squash, sweet potato, celery, tomatoes, peas, etc. For a thicker consistency, add a boiled potato or a dollop of sour cream. It’s all up to you — this soup can be whatever you want it to be!
Got any other quick and easy blender recipes? Help a girl out and leave a comment below, so I can add it to my “whatever” recipe collection!
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