Sunday, October 6, 2013

Better-Than-Candy Beet Juice

A few months ago, Jay and I watched a documentary called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" on Netflix. In the film, the narrator, Joe Cross, is able to entirely regain his heath and cure himself of a rare autoimmune disease by drinking nothing but fresh fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days! While that situation is a bit extreme, the transformation that he goes through is nothing short of amazing. It is definitely a must-watch!

Of course, Jay and I were psyched about juicing after watching the film. While experts agree that you should not rely on juicing as your only source of fruits and vegetables, it is definitely a healthy way to add tons of vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals (phytonutrients) to your diet. We got on Amazon right away to look at juicers, and we found a slightly smaller version of the Breville juicer that was used in the film for only $99. It got great reviews and was one of the most reasonably priced by a long shot. We figured that, even if we didn't use it all the time, it would still pay for itself in no time. After all, buying fresh juices from a health store or juice bar is expensive!
We have really enjoyed the juicer so far and have used it quite a bit.  It is super powerful and instantly liquefies big chunks of fruits and veggies with ease.  My only complaint is that, like any juicer, there are quite a few pieces to drag out of the cabinet and, while it is not difficult, it does take a few minutes to clean.  Most of the parts can be quickly rinsed off, but I still find juicing to be too much of an ordeal to do on a rushed weekday morning.  But then again, I am really lazy when it comes to cleaning appliances and avoid using blenders, food processors, and just about anything with a motor for that reason.

So, we have been aiming to juice about once a week or so, and right now I am happy with that frequency.  I prep the fruits and veggies and Jay does the cleaning, so it works out well.  We have found that it is really hard to make a bad juice.  As long as you include a bit of something sweet, like an apple, you can throw in all the spinach, kale, cerlery, etc. you want and it will still be delicious.

Last week, we put a creative spin on our usual recipe and accidentally created a masterpiece!  At the beginning of summer, my cousin and his wife gave us a stevia plant as a gift.  We planted it in our garden, and it has since taken off like a weed.
The leaves are really sweet and delicious, but I haven't used it a whole lot because I never knew exactly how to get the sweet out of the leaves and into whatever I was making.  We decided to see what would happen if we put a handful in the juicer, and I am so glad we did - the juice came out tasting like a delicious candy dessert!  Here is what we used:
(Serves 2)
  • 1 large red beet, peeled (beets make lots of juice and last forever in the fridge, so we try to always keep one on hand)
  • 1 small handful stevia 
  • 1/2 large cucumber
  • 2-3 stalks celery
  • 1 apple, core removed
  • 3 large carrots, or a big handful of baby carrots
  • 1 large handful of spinach

I was craving this juice so much after writing this post, we made it again today...I may even be willing to break out the juicer on a weekday - it is that good!

4 comments:

  1. I have the same juicer and I love it! Beets, Kale... it all tastes delicious when added with apples. Pineapple is also really good, and sometimes I squeeze oranges and limes too. Strawberries too! I've also made pear and parsnip which was quite delicious. My friend recommended this book and it has tons of wonderful recipes (although making them up yourself is just as fun): http://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Book-Juices-Vitality/dp/1844839737 She has an index that tells you which veggies/fruits are good for which ailments or provide the most of a particular kind of nutrient, which is helpful. Happy juicing!

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  2. Wow! I am just catching up on reading your blog, and I couldn't believe the photo of the Stevia plant!!! I am so happy you guys are using it! Juicing is awesome! I cured some pains with juicing detoxes on multiple occasions! Happy juicing!

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