after school drinks
May 25th, 2011 § 12 Comments
Cucumber Cooler
This is more my favorite than Jade’s, and it’s the perfect answer to hot summer day. It is so refreshing – literally a ‘cooler.’ If you’re not serving this to kids, I’ve heard it’s not bad with some booze thrown in. Just a thought…
Ingredients
1 cucumber, partially peeled
½ cup cold water
3 cups ice cubes
1/3 cup honey
juice of ½ lime (add more if you like)
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions
Combine in a blender and process until smooth and frothy. Taste and adjust the amount of honey or lime as desired. Serve.
PS. This drink tends to ‘separate’, with the frothiness floating to the top and the liquid sinking to the bottom, so you might want to serve with straws so people can stir as needed.
Yield: 1 pitcher.
Also in this post: All Fruit Smoothie and Peanut Butter Banana Cream
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Recipe adapted from:
Swanson, Heidi. “Cucumber Cooler.” Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen. Berkeley: Ten Speed, 2011. 166. Print.
The peanut butter smoothie looks soooo good. Especially with some soy milk and frozen bananas.
Ooh, never tried pineapple in a smoothie. I have found though that a handful of spinach can be thrown in for an extra healthy kick (and when you’re feeling sluggish and need a fiber boost) and the orange juice easily masks the taste. I’ll also add a chunk of firm tofu to get added thickness if ice makes it too watery. Cinnamon and a few drops of vanilla can give added sweetness too, without adding unnecessary sugar. :)
I just tried the cucumber cooler, sooo good :) I did make one small tweak – I added a couple tablespoons of plain greek yogurt to it. Came out thick and creamy. Only try it if you love masto khiar. Not for everyone’s palette.
MA
Nat – you should try it. Or I’ll make it for you. You’ll love it.
Lauren – I would have never thought of the spinach; I’ll give it a try next time I have some, thanks! And yum to the cinnamon…
Michael Amir – that sounds good, thanks for the idea :)
Micheal Amir?! You’re not fooling anyone!
I know all about MA… ;)
Thank you so much, Janae! I have been enjoying your blog since I discovered it a month ago. I tried this banana smoothie as a late breakfast today and it hit the spot. I added a couple heaping spoonfuls of ground flaxseed meal for some omega-3′s, and 1/2 tsp. cardamom (just for a hint of spice).
HI Kamila – What a good idea! I tried it this morning because I had a bag of ground flax in the fridge (which I had totally forgotten about), and I didn’t have cardamom so I used cinnamon, and yum! Delicious and even healthier, thanks!!! I am going to make a note in the recipe…
I am so happy it came out yummy for you, too! I was considering cinnamon or cardamom, but I’ve been on a cardamom kick lately (for some reason) and have been putting it in everything, from blackberry bread to oatmeal. :)
the cucumber one sounds so refreshing. i wonder if it would taste good with some mint or basil??
[...] happy to give it a new lease on life. Lately, that has largely been in the service of a delicious banana drink. Less chunky than a smoothie, it is silky smooth, frothy, and [...]
I love this cuke cooler idea – love the lime addition and will use sparkling water~ thanks !