I was so excited to write a Plug-In Blog post on toaster meals this summer, and I’m equally thrilled to share some recipe ideas for single-serve blenders today. I spend so much of my time in the kitchen that it’s always a treat to share easy meal ideas, and single-serve blenders are one of my big kitchen “musts”!
I tend to eat a lot of carbs throughout the day, so it’s important to me to focus on three things: getting enough fruits, veggies, and protein. Luckily, there are three super-easy (and super-tasty)Â snacks that you can make in a single-serve blender to satisfy each of these needs.
The ultimate green smoothie
The first thing that made me fall in love with my single-serve blender was a green smoothie–a very particular green smoothie. It was a great way for me to quickly get a lot of vegetables with minimal effort during one particularly hot summer, and it’s stuck with me since then.
All you need for the ultimate green smoothie are the following ingredients, packed into a single-serve blender like the stainless steel Cuisinart 0.95L 350-Watt Compact Blender and pulsed for a minute. You can shake the smoothie up and drink it for a “smoothie” texture, or you can strain out the pulp and drink the juice. I always strain and chill my juice, but I eat the pulp, too–that’s where all the fibre is!
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- 1/2 of a stock of celery
- 1/2Â of a lemon, juiced
- 1/3 cup of water
- 1/4 tsp grated ginger, or more to taste
- 2 tsp honey, or more to taste
The ultimate coconut smoothie
For a little bit of afternoon indulgence, smoothies are great for making tasty treats, too. My go-to this summer has been really simple:
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 cup frozen fruit
That’s honestly all you need for the tastiest smoothie ever! No extra sugar, no finicky business; just pop it all into your Cuisinart 15-Piece Blending/Chopping System and blend. My favourite blend is frozen pineapple, but mixed berries (especially mixed strawberries) and coconut milk produce a frozen yogurt-like result. Frozen fruit smoothies are a breeze to make in a single-serve blender, and they’re a great ice cream or sherbet replacement with zero preservatives or colourants.
A simple hummus recipe for dinner or snacks!
The other thing that I make all the time in my Cuisinart Smart Stick 2-Speed Immersion Hand Blender is hummus. (I’m pretty sure that’s the exact Smart Stick model that my partner and I have in our kitchen!) I can’t get enough hummus, and I feel like the more of it I eat, the more things I realize I could be putting hummus into.
- 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1Â garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2-3 tbsp water
I started out just eating hummus on crackers, but I’ve since moved to eating hummus in lettuce wraps. Or, for a really healthy, filling dinner, I’ll do lettuce wraps with hummus, brown rice, and corn. With leftover rice, they’re the quickest meal in my arsenal to make, and the crunch of the lettuce pairs just perfectly with the creaminess of fresh hummus!
If you’re a fan of easy cleaning and quick meal prep, I would highly recommend adding a single-serve blender to your kitchen. And if you’re not a fan of easy cleaning and quick meal prep, well … I am highly suspicious of you and we probably can’t be friends.
