I love my NutriBullet. I got it a couple of years ago and I have become a big fan of smoothies. I have them in the morning for breakfast as I am not that hungry at this time of day (unless I’ve been fasting the day before!) I don’t make them everyday, I generally have about 4-5 smoothies per week. I have tried lots of variations, but I tend to now stick to the following combination which doesn’t overload on fruit (the main criticism of the smoothie trend):
Spinach / cucumber / celery / ½ banana /+1 other fruit (usually either blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, pear or mango) / coconut water / nuts & seeds
Aside from smoothies, I make soups in the Bullet and tomato sauce, but at this time of year I regularly use the Bullet for making hummus, pesto and beetroot dip as they are ideal accompaniments for BBQs and Picnics.
I have made the below combinations by trial and error according to my taste preference, so you may need to adjust the quantities and seasonings according to your own taste buds! With each of the recipes below, just throw all the ingredients into the Bullet jar (the smaller one) and whizz until combined. You’ll need to wait a little longer for the Bullet to get going as there isn’t much liquid to kick-start the blending. (BTW you can make these recipes with any kind of food blender!)
Hummus
This is a guilt-free dip, wrap-filler or salad accompaniment, and in my opinion, much tastier than shop-bought versions.
Ingredients:
1 tin chick peas
1 tbsp Tahini paste
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp garlic paste
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp paprika
salt & pepper
(you might like to add a tbsp of crème fraîche for a creamier texture)
Cashew Pesto
Once you make your own pesto, there’s no going back to the supermarket jar versions – I promise you! I use cashews instead of pine nuts as they are cheaper for one, but they also provide a creamier texture which goes down well with the kids.
Ingredients:
3 handfuls Basil leaves (stalks too)
1 handful grated parmesan cheese
1 handful of cashew nuts
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp garlic paste
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
(you may need to add a tbsp of water to help the blending)
Beetroot Dip
This is a tasty, low-calorie dip which can also be added to wraps or as a salad accompaniment – it goes great with beef! I love the horseradish addition, but you can omit that if you like…
Ingredients:
2 cooked beetroots (peel and boil for about 20mins)
1 small bunch of parsley
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 generous tsp horseradish sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
3 comments
I made the beetroot dip, it was amazing and looked so pretty! Thanks for the recipe.
Just tried your pesto recipe Claire, it was fab, so easy and tasty!
Loved both the beetroot & hummus dips,got the girls over Friday night so I am going to serve up all 3 – thanks for the new ideas 🙂