Tag: Banana

Passion fruit embodies positive energy. It encourages passions of the flesh and of the spirit. The passion vine enjoys a thriving symbiosis with ants, feeding them nectar in exchange for their protection from pests with herbivores. That makes it a great support for healthy relationships. Its extravagant flowers bloom in shades of purple, pink, and red, making them a dramatic symbol of amorous interest. In addition to the previous associations, passion fruit also relates to friendship, harmony, magic, and sleep.

Prep time:  10-15 minutes
Servings:  3

• 1 cup passionfruit juice
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 passion fruit
• 1/2 banana
• 1 mandarin orange
• 2 Tbsp fresh pineapple or canned crushe pineapple
• 2 Tbsp fresh or frozen mango chunks
• 2 Tbsp fresh or frozen papaya chunks
• 2 Tbsp fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 tsp freeze-dried goji berry powder or 1 Tbsp dried goji berries
• 1 Tbsp hemp seed hearts
• 1 Tbsp coconut milk
• 1/2 cup ice
• (For a dairy-free version, susbstitute nondairy yogurt or plant milk)

Put the liquid ingredients into the blender first: 1 cup passion fruit juice and 1 cup vanilla yogurt.

Rinse and dry the passion fruit. Using a serrated knife to get through the rind, carefully cut it in half. Scoop the juice and seeds out of hte rind into the blender. Don’t scrape hard because the rind is bitter and you don’t want any of it to get into your smoothie.

Peel the banana. Cut it in half. (Save one half for the next recipe.) Cut one half into the chunks and put them in the blender.

Peel the mandarin orange. Pull apart the segments to check for seeds, removing any that you find. Add the segments to the blender.

To clean a pineapple: Twist off the spiky top. Slice off the top and bottom so the fruit stands on end securely. Slice down the sides to remove the outer rind, leaving a cylinder of fruit. Cut the cylinder in half, then in quarters, then in eighths. Lay each eighth on its side and cut away from the pointed edge to remove the tough core. Cut the remaining fruit into bite-sized chunks. If you don’t hae a fresh pineapple, you can use canned crushed pineapple, but include both the fruit pulp and its juice. Add 2 tablespoons pineapple to the blender.

To clean a mango: Slice the plump side “cheeks” away from the big seed. Use a knife to score vertical and horizontal lines through the fruit, forming cubes, without cutting through the peel. Push hte peel so the cubes stick out, then shave the fruit away from the peel with a knife. Alternatively, you can use frozen mango chunks. Add 2 tablspoons mango to the blender.

To clean a papaya: Cut the fruit in half. Scoop out the seeds. Rinse the fruit. Then scoop out the soft pulp with the spoon or melon baller. You could also use frozen papaya chunks. Add 2 tablespoons papaya to the blender.

Fresn strawberries should be rinsed and patted dry. Use a paring knife or strawberry huller to remove the stem and the core around it. Drop the strawberries into the blender whole. You can also use frzone strawberries. Add 2 tablespoons strawberries to the blender.

Add 1 teasponn freeze-dried goji berry powder or 1 tablespoon dried goji berries to the blender. Add 1 tablespoon hemp seed hearts if you want them in. (If you prefer thm as a crunch topping, put 2 teaspoons into the blender now, and reserve 1 teaspoon to put on top of the smoothie when served.) Add 1 tablespoon coconut milk and 1/2 cup ice.

Put the top on the blender and lock it down. If your blender has a “smoothie” setting, use that. Otherwise, blend until smooth.