Making Green Juice In The Vitamix

After weeks of touring and eating only in restaurants, it’s really good to be home for a few days.  I’ve been cooking very simply, and my refrigerator is full of all things green and leafy.  And I have been enjoying a daily large dose of fresh vegetable juices, thanks to my trusty Vitamix blender.  This Kale-Cucumber-Ginger-Mint Juice is the perfect way to energize your body, whether or not you need to detox after a month of late night eating and drinking on a tour bus!   

I really missed my Vitamix this last month.  This kick-ass blender immediately became the MVP in my kitchen upon its arrival this spring.  It is a wizard at pureeing soups, transforming them into a puree so silky smooth, you’d swear someone added a cup of cream while you weren’t looking.  But I bought this machine primarily for making vegetable juices, as a way to incorporate more fresh produce into my daily diet. 

For ages I’ve wanted a juicer but couldn’t justify the counter space for another appliance.  However, after doing some research online, I found that you could get similar results by blending fruits and vegetables with a little water and ice in the ultra-powerful Vitamix.  The motor in this machine is a force to be reckoned with, capable of pulverizing anything to a liquid, and that was enough to convince me to splurge. 

Summer Produce Daydreams

I’ve been on the road for 36 days and counting, and I still have more than a week to go before I am back in my apartment again. I am having a fantastic time, between the exciting concerts that keep me on my toes, traveling to great cities and enjoying some excellent hotels along the way.  But I miss my kitchen terribly.

 

Yes, you heard me.  I am homesick for my cramped little Manhattan kitchen, the same one that often makes me feel like I’m cooking in a straightjacket with its limited storage and counter space.  But I miss it nonetheless.  While I love certainly exploring great restaurants in new places, sometimes I just need a home-cooked meal. 

I’m daydreaming about my favorite recipes that take advantage of the summer produce bounty, as well as a few other perennial favorites.  Until I can get home again, perhaps I can entice you to make some of these dishes in your own kitchens.  Happy cooking!

 

This Quick Zucchini and Mint Saute comes together on the stove in less than a minute.

But if you don’t mind a little heat in the kitchen, you can make a whole meal out of these Arugula-Stuffed Baked Potatoes.  They're also the perfect accompaniment to your next grilled steak.