When it comes to smoothies, I have always tried to keep the ingredient list as short as possible. Not just because it makes it more simple to prepare, but the flavour also turns out fresh and flavourful.

My man still refers to my green smoothies as “drinking a forest” or “chewing on a lawn” but the truth is - he has never even tasted them.

Surely, flavours with a tone of bitterness have to be "acquired" by most people. For example, when you start drinking coffee and green tea it makes it so much easier if you mix it up with something sweet. That is, coffee and milk or green tea and honey. 

This smoothie, looks super green (!), but trust me it tastes of pineapple and cinnamon. It is the perfect weekend smoothie since it requires a bit more prepping time. Or if you fancy it during the week - you can always slice the pineapple and wash the kale the night before. That would probably half the preparation time. And also, I have always been super suspicious about celery; it has such a pungent taste! In this recipe however, I doubt you will even feel it. 

Cinnamon green smoothie
Serves 1-2 people

1/4 pineapple
2-3 leaves (75 g) green curly kale
1 red apple
1 stalk celery
1/4 avocado
1/2 lemon
1 orange
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon

Wash the apple and celery and cut into small chunks, pop into the blender. Slice off a quarter of the pineapple, remove the tough skin, chop into chunks and add to the blender. Peel and add each orange segment to the blender.

Wash the kale and remove the tough stems. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Open an avocado and spoon out a fourth, then add to the blender together with the  kale and lemon juice.

Add the spices and fill up with cold water up to one third of the blender's height. Blend for at least 2 minutes. Taste, and feel free to add more cinnamon if desired. 

Serve directly!

Last year I shared some of my favourite breakfast ideas, you can find them here. I also promised to write a follow-up post with more ideas but then I got sort of hung-up on this green smoothie which is my total favourite morning boost,

Finally, I have collected some more breakfast ideas that are both a delicious and healthy start to the day.  

Mango orange lemon smoothie with ginger
Serves 1-2

1 mango
2 oranges
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
a pinch of cayenne

Mix all ingredients in a blender with some ice and enjoy! 

Raspberry chia pudding
Serves 2

1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup (50 g) fresh or defrosted raspberries
a handful of pumpkin seeds

Add chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla and almond milk to a glass jar or small bowl. Give it a good stir and leave to stand for at least 10 minutes in room temperature or let set in the fridge overnight. If using a glass jar, cover the jar with its lid and shake vigorously for a few seconds until the contents are well mixed. The benefit with using the jar is that you can easily remove it from the fridge and shake it a few times so that the ingredients blend well together. This prevents the chia seeds from clumping upon expansion.

The pudding is best enjoyed after an hour of soaking or when left in the fridge overnight. This way, the chia seeds have time to absorb all the liquid. At serving, top with raspberries and pumpkin seeds and enjoy!

Black coffee and fresh fruit another hot morning in Madrid last summer. Le Pain Quotidien never dissappoints. 

Granola and homemade almond milk in bed.

Layered greek yoghurt and sliced strawberries topped granola and coconut.

Warm porridge on a cold morning topped with sliced nectarine and rice milk.

Black organic coffee with a tablespoon of coconut cream. Yum!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Let's fill the new year with love, nourishing food and yoga.

This year we spent Christmas in France and went to Stockholm for New Years Eve. We have been spoiled with amazing food and I was excited to finally teach yoga to my French and Swedish family. In France, we rolled out a large bedspread and practiced a hip opening routine. It was the day before Christmas and a magic hour . 

In Sweden I first practiced with my mum and sister, then with my enthusiastic grandmother, followed by my mum again and at last I practised a core strengthening routine with my dad. I am still amazed by how each of these moments were so special and I feel so lucky to be able to share this knowledge with them.

After being spoiled with delicious food - I even got to try oysters in France, I was happy to share some of my latest  favourite recipes with my family in Sweden. When I travel, the main thing I miss is having a green smoothie for breakfast. It increases my energy and it makes my skin glow and my belly happy. To my pleasant surprise, my family loved it. So let me share it with you, too. 

When it comes to smoothies I really like it simple. In my experience, a few simple ingredients makes the most refreshing flavour.

Creamy kale smoothie with ginger and lemon
Serves 2

2 cups (100 g) curly green kale, stems removed
2 small or 1 large sweet red apple(s)
1 orange, segmented
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 avocado
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 1/2 cup cold water

Wash the kale and remove the stems. See how I do it here. Chop the apples and put them at the bottom of the blender. Top with the segments of an orange, the juice of a lemon, avocado, chopped ginger and the kale. Lastly pour the cold water into the blender. Start on a low speed and then blend on high speed for two minutes. 

Serve cold in a nice glass. Drink as it is or why not top it with some granola and eat it with a spoon. 

This is a "let's feel great" - kind of smoothie!