Green Kombucha Smoothie made with spinach, avocado, apple, and mango is surprisingly good and super healthy.

I feel good bringing you smoothie recipes because I have smoothie testers. Picky eaters who don’t eat many vegetables, but love their green smoothies. Today I put them through a test. I made five different kinds of green smoothies, wishing to add more to my repertoire. This green smoothie with spinach and kale gets a lot of love as my third most popular post, but I wanted to branch out, and I wanted to experiment with ingredients like avocados and kombucha.

Kombucha, a fermented tea that is bottled cold and is naturally carbonated is tangy, sour, and a touch sweet. Because it’s so healthy,  I wanted to see how it fared in a smoothie. To my surprise, the kombucha green smoothie passed the taste test, even with kids.

I fell upon the supposed miracle tonic, kombucha, quite by accident. A crowd was gathered around an end cap at Whole Foods, and curious me had to know what the buzz was. Kombucha was half price for one day only,  and suddenly I found myself in a shopping frenzy.  Hearing that the Synergy gingerberry was selling out. I heard myself say, “I’ll take that last case.” I didn’t even know what gingerberry kombucha tasted like, and I had a case in my cart. I’m not an impulse shopper, but I went with it, looking for some instant healthy feelings after too much Christmas celebrating.

What’s so great about kombucha?  It’s probiotic, made with a scoby, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, sugar and tea. The many benefits of kombucha have to do with the fermented tea bringing the body back into balance, boosting the immune system and allowing the body to heal itself.  Some of the benefits of  kombucha include:

• Aid in Digestion and Constipation
• Joint Health and Relief from Arthritic pain
• Detoxes the liver, reduces stress on kidneys and pancreas
• Fights off cancer cells
• Sense of overall well-being

These are a just a few of the claims made, but all are anecdotal, and although people have been drinking fermented tea for 2000 years, it’s only been around the United States for about 20 years and still known to only a few. It’s only  starting recently to gain popularity. as its popping up in more places besides health food stores. (Whole Foods).

My personal benefit in drinking kombucha was as a transitional drink after the holidays. While my friends were still drinking wine, I was putting Synergy’s Gingerberry Kombucha in a wine glass on ice, not missing wine at all. Let’s just say December was too much of a good thing and the last glass of wine I had was on Christmas night. I haven’t quit drinking, just taking a break for now, from wine, sugar and grains. Kombucha is made with sugar but the brand I am drinking has only 35 calories per serving and I never exceed two servings per day.

I am hesitant to recommend any product that we still don’t know much about, and each person has to decide for themselves if kombucha makes them feel better. I see a lot of people giving recipes on line to make your own at home because kombucha is expensive. After everything I read, I can’t recommend that unless you really know what you are doing, but I feel quite comfortable with the brands sold in reputable grocery stores.

It never matters how healthy a drink is if no one will drink it. By the way, notice these adorable bottles. These were another Christmas gift from the same great friend who gave me the Spinach Tiger cutting board. We had intended them for milk, but discovered that they made the smoothies a lot more attractive for kids. Marshall drank two of green kombucha smoothies!

Other Smoothies from Spinach Tiger

Green Smoothie Using Kale and Spinach Made Two Ways

Red Beet Smoothie and the Benefits of Red Beets

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Green Kombucha Smoothie

Green Smoothie made with spinach, kombucha,

Course Beverage

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 big handfuls of spinach
• 1 small apple cut in large chunks, skin included
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup gingerberry kombucha more if you want
• 2 tablespoons frozen mango honeydo or grapes (for sweetness)
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
• 1 cup ice more if needed
• 1 serving protein powder optional

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients in Vitamix on the smoothie button.
• If you don't have smoothie button, start slow for 20 seconds, take to high for 30 seconds or turn off, once it is completely smooth.
• Use the tamper to make sure the ingredients are well mixed.

Notes

Notes: If too thin, add in more fruit.
If you find your smoothie too thick add in small amount of water or add in more kombucha.

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My inspiration for healthy spelt and flax pancakes with cinnamon and orange zest comes from my favorite french dessert, Crepes Suzette, only this is a little healthier.

Orange zest is powerful and pleasurable and a little goes a long way in waking up a recipe, especially when paired with vanilla or cinnamon. Sometimes just to have a nice smell in the kitchen, I’ll boil water and add in orange slices, vanilla and a cinnamon stick and then let it simmer on the stove.

Spelt and Flax Pancakes are so healthy and fluffy.

This is a little different than the banana honey spelt pancake  and or the strawberry spelt pancake.  Those pancakes used apple sauce instead of fat and cook differently. These spelt and flax pancakes  makes a fluffier pancake, but not dense or heavy.

I used milled flax seeds (which are ground up flax seeds) which is a fiber and nutrition booster. Everyone knows by now flax seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, but there are many benefits.  I use them in smoothies, and yogurt.

The batter is thick and may seem odd for pancakes, and it almost seems like they aren’t going to cook. Cooking pancakes is always tricky for most people.  I used a cast iron griddle with hardly any fat. I used a paper towel to glisten oil in the seasoned pan and that’s it. I was patient. These pancakes don’t bubble up the way thinner battered pancakes do, but take a look at the edges to see when they are ready to turn. I started with a medium high heat, but quickly turned to a low heat because cast iron retains heat so well.

The flavors are amazing, as you smell  and taste the orange and cinnamon gathered in a fluffy textured pancake. We used plain maple syrup and an added dash of orange zest. I made two batches right in a row and every single pancake disappeared before lunch.  I have a feeling that these are going to be my most requested pancake in the future.

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Healthy Spelt and Flax Pancakes with Cinnamon, Vanilla and Orange Zest

Spelt and Flax come together with awesome orange cinnamon flavor for a healthy pancake. Adapted from the recipe from brand, Flax USA.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup organic milled flax seed
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons sugar I used sucanat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup coconut oil or avocado oil

Instructions

• Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl. Mix in orange zest.
• Mix egg, buttermilk, oil, vanilla in another bowl.
• Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients. Mix. Batter will be thick.
• Heat a griddle or seasoned cast iron pan on medium heat. Use a paper towel to wipe on some oil. There should be no oil puddling.
• Cook pancakes, turning the heat down. Turn when edges appear cooked. You might have to do a practice pancake to see how your stove and pan work with this batter.
• Serve with additional orange zest and maple syrup.

The post Spelt Flax Pancakes with Cinnamon, Vanilla Orange Zest appeared first on Spinach Tiger.