going green: lettuce pear salad smoothie

lettuce pear salad smoothie: green, but not too green.

Green smoothies. The concept just doesn't sit completely comfortably with me. It conjures up the traumatic days of my childhood, the days when my parents were in the fervent throes of the wheatgrass fad. They grew their own wheatgrass with diligence, harvested them with enthusiasm and every so often I will have a cup of freshly blended wheatgrass juice cheerily slotted into my hands. Bless them, my parents want only the best for my health. But that thin swampy-looking liquid that smelt and tasted like freshly mowed lawn... well, it just had zero appeal for me.

But I had an idea the other day, where I thought perhaps - just perhaps - I could introduce a little bit of green in my smoothies. Not dark green. Not even medium green. But just a little pale green - we are, after all, talking baby steps here - in the form of lettuce. I thought that could be alright. And I'm glad to report that it was... better than alright, actually. So it's not super green, but I've added vegetables to my smoothie - and enjoyed it! A small but worthy achievement, that.

pear salad smoothie for one

1 very ripe and soft large pear, chopped
2 cos lettuce leaves, torn in pieces
1/4 cup unsweetened natural or greek yoghurt
4 almonds, dry toasted in a pan
4 mint leaves
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 tablespoon honey
4 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

So imagine a light and healthy salad with fresh pears and lettuce, strewn through with mint leaves and toasted almonds, then drizzled with an orange, yoghurt and honey dressing. Then slightly shift your paradigm, and imagine that again, but in smoothie form. Are you feelin' it? Oh yeah, I'm feelin' it.

light and refreshing, fruity and nutty and just a little bit lettucey.