Herbal-Infused Smoothies

Recipes That Get Right to the Scoop

This is my all-time favorite smoothie. I use grapefruit as my citrus of choice, but oranges work well too if grapefruit isn’t your thing. It does have a bit of a bite from the ginger, so feel free to alter ingredients to appease your personal taste. The great thing about tea-infused green smoothies is that there are limitless options to try until you find one you love. This recipe is merely a guide to inspire you to experiment.

Ingredients

To make approximately Four 16 oz smoothies you will need:

• 1 Tbsp. Sestina (Poetic Tea’s organic herbal lemon-ginger blend)

• 3 c. boiling water

• 1 Tbsp. Stevia or sweetener of choice (adjust amount for preference)

• 1 inch chunk of fresh ginger root

• 1 English cucumber chopped into three or four segments (English cucumbers are preferable because they have tiny seeds and the skin is paper-thin, but a regular cucumber works too)

• 5 oz bag of fresh, washed spinach (or loosely fill the blender all the way to the top before adding other ingredients)

• 1 large grapefruit

• 1/8 c. fresh lemon juice

• A handful of ice cubes if drinking immediately.

Don’t like grapefruit? Use two oranges as an alternative and reduce or omit sweetener to account for the natural sweetness of the oranges.

The Process

Here’s the scoop:

Brew Your Tea

• Pour three cups of boiling water over a tablespoon of Sestina (Poetic Tea’s organic lemon ginger blend);

• Let the herbal tea steep for at least five minutes and either refrigerate to use in your smoothie later or cool with a few ice cubes once it has brewed.

Make Your Smoothie

• Fill blender loosely to the brim with spinach and add your cooled, strained tea;

• Wash and chop cucumber and add it to the blender;

• Peel grapefruit and add segments to blender;

• Add ginger;

• Pulse until ingredients start coming together;

• Add desired amount of sweetener, fresh lemon juice, and ice (if drinking immediately) and blend until pureed;

• Pour into four 16 oz. glasses and serve, or pour into jars and refrigerate to enjoy later.

Pro Tips:

• Prepare a pot of “Sestina” in the evening, enjoy half a pot warm, and then refrigerate the other half to use in your smoothie in the morning. You can keep all the herbs infusing overnight to give it maximum flavor.

• Make a smoothie for now and refrigerate the rest in individual, lidded jars to drink later in the week. They taste best fresh, but will definitely last for several days in the fridge. Make sure you shake the jar well before enjoying a smoothie after it has settled.