Ask A Chicago Chef: Best Healthy Smoothie Recipe
As a part of the Chicago hospitality group Element Collective, Chef Jared Van Camp has opened a plethora of restaurants throughout the city. While all have different menus, Van Camp and his team have excelled time and time again at creating seasonal gourmet dishes. The same can be said of his new venture Owen + Alchemy which opened in October 2014 in partnership with Anne M. Owen. This Logan Square place is more than just a juice bar. It is a dedication to wellness. Ever since Van Camp's Type 1 diabetes diagnosis two decades ago, he's had a personal passion for wellness. This is evident in every menu item here. Local nutritionists are also available on site for consultations.
For other traditional smoothie and juice bars in Chicago, see them here.
Chef Jared Van Camp
Owen + Alchemy
2355 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 227-3444
www.owenandalchemy.com
Owen + Alchemy offers organic, healthy, and nutritious offerings, including cold-pressed juices, nut milk on tap, concentrated shots of wheat grass and smoothies. They're very careful about the ingredients they use and they work only with farmers that are dedicated to the highest standard. Quality ingredients matter at Owen + Alchemy. Here are some more tips on how to make a great smoothie at home too.
Tip 1: Give Your Smoothies Some Crunch
No matter the flavors of your smoothie, you can add even more nutritious ingredients by adding some crunch to your drink. To do this, add cacao nibs, or chopped nuts like pistachios to the top of your smoothie.
Tip 2: Sweeten Your Smoothie
Even if your smoothie is packed with vegetables, you can make it more delicious and in some cases more palatable by adding some sweetness. Include a sweet ingredient like apple which can work with a whole variety of flavors.
Tip 3: Make It As Nutritious As Possible
Vegetables and fruits provide the most nutrition, and the most health benefits, when they're in season. As such, pack your smoothie with what you can find at your local farmer's market, and you can't go wrong!
Tip 4: Keep Your Smoothie Cold
While you can always add ice to your smoothie to make it colder, you can also add another dimension of flavor with nut milk such as almond milk. Freeze the nut milk into ice cubes and blend that with your smoothie rather than ice. Not only will it keep the smoothie cold but it won't water it down. It will be quite creamy.
Tip 5: Experiment
Last but not least, experiment with the flavors. You never know what interesting combinations might make a tasty snack. For one, rhubarb surprisingly goes well with banana.
Related: Sunshine Smoothie Recipe for Summer
Green Morning Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ tsp grated ginger
- Juice of half a lemon
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- ½ avocado, peeled and pit discarded
- 3 sprigs parsley, roughly chopped
- 3 kale leaves, thickest part of the rib removed, leaves roughly chopped
- 1 Swiss chard leaf, thickest part of the rib removed, roughly chopped
- 1 cup crushed ice (or 1½ cups cubed)
Directions
1. In a blender, puree the cucumber until it's turned into a liquid.
2. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a cheesecloth and place the strainer over a medium bowl. Strain the cucumber juice and discard the solids.
3. Transfer the strained cucumber juice back to the blender and add the ginger, lemon juice, sea salt and celery and blend until smooth, or about 15 seconds.
4. Add the avocado, parsley, kale, Swiss chard and ice and blend until smooth, adding water by the teaspoon if the smoothie needs thinning, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.
Related: Healthy Summer Smoothies
Elizabeth SanFilippo is a freelance writer, who enjoys trying new foods from all over the world. But her favorite city for culinary treats will always be Chicago. When not writing about food, she's working part-time at a culinary vacation company, The International Kitchen, based in the Windy City. Some of her work can be found at Examiner.com.
