What is your favourite quick breakfast?

I always say I’m going to bake a whole bunch of muffins to grab and go, but eitherย the muffins don’t get baked, or they don’t make it to breakfast.ย ย ๐Ÿ˜‰ ย I like granola and muesli but Iย can’t eat commercial brands due to my allergies…and for some reason,ย I never get around to whipping up a nut-free batch.ย  This is whereย fruit smoothies come in…and in particular, smoothies with addedย shoots and leaves.

My currentย favourites areย smoothies containing corn shoots.ย  I’ve been growing batches of corn shoots on the windowsill, in full sunlight, as well as in the darkness of the closet (not sure if my hubby enjoys having corn growing on the floor below his freshly washed and hung shirts, but hey! he ought to be used to my weird experimentsย by now).ย  The blanchedย corn shoots are definitely sweeter in taste,ย but I must admit I almost prefer the “grassier” notes of the shoots grown in sunlight.ย  Either way, they are absolutely stellar in smoothies!

IMG_5284

Green

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Blanched

Here’s the recipe if you want to give them a try:

Corn Shoot Smoothie

1 frozen banana, roughly chopped

1 handful corn shoots, thoroughly washed

2 oranges (I like Cara Caras), peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

1 cup plain yogourt

Throw everything into a food processor and pulse until thoroughly blended.

This recipe can have a ton of add-ins and substitutions – the sky’s the limit!ย  If you don’t like (or grow)ย corn shoots, try sunflower shoots…or kale…or spinach.ย  If you wish to go dairy-free, use almond or cashew milk.ย  If you want a thicker smoothie, use Greek yogourt instead of regular.ย  If you’re substituting a less sweet green such as kale or spinach, you canย add a bit of honey, agave syrup, or maple syrup.ย  I’m going toย put inย some coconut next time I make this – I haven’t seen fresh coconutย in the grocery storesย here just yet, but I think some finely shredded unsweetened baking coconut would give the whole thing a pina colada type of vibe.

Mmmm…pina coladas….

ย Do you like breakfastย smoothies?ย  What greens – if any –ย do you put in your smoothies?


11 responses to “Recipe: Corn Shoot Smoothie.”

  1. Bella Remy Photography Avatar

    The whole idea of something green for breakfast makes me yearn for bacon. ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      I laughed so hard when I read this; I’m glad I wasn’t drinking anything at the time! I agree, bacon (and biscuits and gravy) will always trump green smoothies, no doubt about it. But, unfortunately, I don’t always have enough time to cook bacon…. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      1. Bella Remy Photography Avatar

        Awesome ! Cook a huge batch of bacon and keep it in the fridge ready to trump the green mushy thing…

        1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

          Ha ha, then I can have corn shoot smoothies AND bacon for breakfast every day!

          I was going through some recipes the other day and came across one for bacon jam…now doesn’t that sound lovely? That would keep well in the fridge, I’m thinking. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  2. gardeninacity Avatar

    I’m with Bella. I like smoothies OK, but I’ve never tried it for breakfast. I’m a toast, cereal and fruit person, usually. Pancakes or eggs for special occasions. Oh, and biscuits and gravy if I am in the right place and no one is watching.

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      Biscuits and gravy wins, hands down, for breakfast! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Time With Thea Avatar
    Time With Thea

    I had never heard of these before. What is their nutritional value and how does one start growing them in the closet or on the windowsill? They would make a pretty houseplant! ~Thea

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      I did a search online and couldn’t find any specific nutritional information, but I imagine the ones grown in sunlight would be almost as nutritious as wheatgrass or something similar. They’re just popcorn seed grown as microgreens – I grow mine in potting soil, but many people grow them in soilless media instead. I buy popcorn (not regular sweet corn) seed from an organic seed company and soak it for a few hours before sowing it fairly densely in the soil. I cover the seeds until they’ve germinated, and then I let them grow until they are about four inches tall, whereupon I cut them off at the base and wash and eat them. It takes about a week or two from germination to harvest. The soil and roots of the plants are composted and then I start all over again if I want to. I couldn’t recommend them as houseplants, as the energy in the seed is expended quickly and within a month or so, the plants would start looking sickly. (They would need to be thinned, transplanted and fertilized at that point so that they could grow to mature full sized plants). If grown this way, they need to be harvested quickly, at a young stage. They are definitely delicious, though – and sunflower and pea shoots are even tastier! ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Time With Thea Avatar
        Time With Thea

        Thank you for sharing your expertise! I am thinking it will something fun to grow some time now that I know what it is and where to get it. Popcorn… who would have guessed. ~Thea

        1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

          It really is a great, easy project – and as I mentioned, you can harvest in less than two weeks, which is the best part! You can grow microgreens outside in pots (or even in beds) as well but then you have to worry more about pests getting to them. I’m sure the hares would LOVE the corn shoots!

          I hope you get a chance to try them out!

  4. […] Recipe: Corn Shoot Smoothie. (floweryprose.com) […]

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