Kale Smoothie

Do not run away because you see the word kale! I've always been skeptical of 'green' smoothies; I associate smoothies with fruit, not lettuce (or any veggies, really). Yesterday on The Chew the hosts tried Dylan Ratigan's Kale Hero Smoothie, and commented that it's really the banana that you taste. Well, I decided to give it a try. Thank the Lord I did! The lime, ginger, papaya and banana are what you taste; it has a very light flavor, and definitely on the fruity side. I didn't even notice kale!

This could be because the recipe calls for "Dino Kale" which has a lighter flavor than other kale varieties. Dino kale is what you see in the picture to the right - it likely won't be called Dino Kale at your store, but it has the smooth edges, and is long and skinny (as opposed to wide and leafy). I made a half recipe, and it filled my blender about two-thirds full. They say one full recipe serves 8-10, but that's pretty small servings if you're using it as a meal replacement.

Dylan Radigan is part of a sustainable farm that is training and helping integrate our military hero's back into civilian life while teaching them sustainable farming. Check out a little of their conversation from the March 21 episode of The Chew here. The original posting of the recipe on thechew.com can be found here.

If you've never had a green smoothie, I dare you to try it - and let me know what you think!

Dylan Radigan's Kale Hero Smoothie
10 leaves of Dino Kale
2 limes, juiced
1 papaya, seeded and pealed (I used a small papaya, not the giant football-sized ones)
3 c apple juice
1 small piece raw ginger
1 banana

1. Rough chop the kale down to where the stem gets really skinny and the rib is large.

2. Dice the ginger - a microplane is best, but a small grater or small dice will work, too.

3. Chop the papaya and banana into large chunks

4. For the apple juice, I used an organic 100% apple juice that was not made from concentrate; it's kinda like a fresh cider!

5. Blend all ingredients together in a blender. Let the blender run for a little bit to make sure the kale and all ingredients are blended smooth and in as small of pieces as possible.

Drink up!