Blackberry Nectarine Smoothie

My husband and I are still pretty stoked about our new Ninja blender. All of our friends seem to be on kind of a health kick while we, on the other hand, seem to be eating more and more desserts. (It doesn't help that people keep bringing us treats. How can we possibly say no to such delicious gifts?) We do want to start to be a little bit more healthy, though, so we made this smoothie as kind of a healthy dessert a few nights ago.

When I make smoothies, I like to use some fresh fruit and some frozen fruit, rather than using a lot of ice. It seems to make a thicker smoothie, which I like.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

2 cups frozen blackberries
2 fresh nectarines
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/8 cup sugar (or to taste)
1/2 cup orange juice (more or less for desired thickness)

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Enjoy!

Mango Lassi

A few weeks ago, I was taking with a friend of mine about how much I love Indian food. She told me that she orders a Mango Lassi every time that she goes to an Indian restaurant. After she said that, I was dying to try one. I went to Bombay House and loved the one that they had there, so I decided to figure out how to make one at home. Of course it was even better because I got to use my Ninja blender! This recipe isn't quite as sweet as the one I had at the restaurant because that is the way I like it. You could add more sugar if you prefer.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2 people

2 mangos

1 3/4 cup plain (or greek) yogurt

1/2 cup (a little less) sugar

1 cup ice

Combine everything in the blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato and Olive Bruschetta

This is the first recipe that I used with my Ninja Blender. It was one that I found in the owner's guide that came in the box, but made a few of my own alterations (mostly because I didn't have fresh tomatoes). This was a quick and easy appetizer and we liked it a lot. I will definitely use this recipe when I have guests over. This recipe was the first time that I got really excited about my new blender. It was great! Afterwards, I searched "ninja blender recipes" online and realized that there are hundreds of recipes that I can try. What a great cooking tool!

Prep time: 1 hour (including baking time)

Serves: 6 (depends on desired serving)

1 can of stewed tomatoes, drained and rinsed

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup black olives

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 loaf Baguette, sliced and toasted

In a medium bowl, toss tomatoes with olive oil and desired amount of salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Add tomatoes, garlic, olives, and basil to the blender. Pulse for a few seconds, or until vegetables are roughly chopped. Serve warm or cold over baguette slices.

Ninja Blender

For my birthday, I asked for a really nice blender. I hadn't ever done any research on blenders before, but the cheap one that we got for our wedding had a crack in the base and I was sick of the smell of the burning motor every time I tried to use it. 

So my husband did a lot of research and found the Ninja Kitchen System 1100 Blender And Food Processor (Google Affiliate Ad). It is a great blender that is much more affordable than other professional quality blenders. One thing I really like about it is that the bottom is flat and the blade is easily removable so that it is easy to clean and the blended food doesn't get stuck in the bottom, like it did with my old blender. 

This blender comes with two pitchers. I have only used the small pitcher so far because there are only two of us and I don't need the entire capacity of the large blender. I have already used it for lots of different recipes, some of which I will be posting this coming week. I have used it to crush ice, chop vegetables, make cookie dough, and make smoothies and I haven't been disappointed yet!

Click on the label in the side bar of this blog for some of the recipes that I have tried with my Ninja blender.