Kefir Smoothie Easy Recipe

Smoothies can turn a pile of fruits or vegetables into a healthy, tasty drink. They are nutritious, taste great, and can be fixed in 10 minutes flat! They are the perfect substitute for breakfast if you don't really feel hungry in the mornings, but don't want to leave your house on an empty stomach either. Eating 4 different fruits for breakfast is a task, but put them in a blender and a thick, tangy breakfast smoothie is just so much easier to handle. In here, you will learn how to make a kefir smoothie.

What is Kefir?

Kefir means "well being" in Turkish! It is made by fermenting friendly and beneficial bacteria in milk. Kefir is really easy to make at home too, and you have the option of experimenting with the method a little, to suit your taste. Just buy cultured Kefir grains (you can usually find these in the supermarket), and ferment them in milk for a day or two, while keeping it in a cool place. Once fermented, strain the mixture and your home-made Kefir is ready. You can try different types of milk to make slight variations in the taste. Kefir also has some medicinal value. It has been in use in Russia for a long time for treating ailments.

Kefir is an easy to digest, enzyme rich, cultured dairy food. Its a little like yoghurt - thicker than milk, but not as much as yoghurt. It has great nutritional value since it is rich in proteins, essential minerals, calcium and the B vitamins, and really easy to digest. It provides excellent nourishment and restores the body balance after a treatment of antibiotics. Even people who are intolerant to lactose find it easy to digest kefir if taken on an empty stomach in the morning. It has a slightly tangy or sour taste and is available in a few flavors if you don't like the plain type. Typically, non fat kefir packs in 88 kcal, 8-10 grams of carbohydrates, 3-5 grams of fat, and 10-11 grams of proteins among other things.

How to Make a Kefir Smoothie?
Things you will need

• 1 Cup Kefir (Plain or Flavored - whichever way you prefer it.)
• Stevia, raw honey, or some other sweetener (optional)
• 1 or 2 frozen bananas
• Frozen fruits of your choice (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, papaya, passion fruit, kiwis, pineapples, etc)
• 1/2 cup coconut cream (optional)

Preparation time: 10 mins.

How to prepare
This is the easiest part - a simple two step process which won't take more than 5 to 10 mins.

• Skin/peel the fruits you are using and put all the ingredients in the blender.
• Turn on the blender and go from low to high gradually till the pulp is without lumps.

You can add a little water while blending, to get the right consistency. Your delicious smoothie is ready! Sit it in the freezer for 15 mins if you want it really cold.

Optional Ingredients that You can Try

• 1 Scoop Protein Powder (flavored or unflavored)
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 or 2 egg yolk, no whites if you like the taste of eggs
• Lecithin to help digestion
• Maple syrup
• Vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon and other flavoring

Other Recipes with Kefir

• Kefir Lattes
• Kefir filled Pancakes
• Kefir Nog
• Kefir Cakes, Cookies and Pies
• Kefir Bread

Why Kefir?

Kefir contains lots of friendly bacteria which help in maintaining the inner balance of your body. It has vitamins B, and K, essential minerals, amino acids, etc., and so it helps to keep your body replenished with many necessary nutrients. It also has plenty of phosphorous, which helps in maintaining the growth and energy levels in our cells by using the carbohydrates, proteins and fats in our body.

Kefir also has the distinct quality of soothing your nervous system which makes it a perfect part of your diet if you are suffering from fatigue, depression or sleep disorders. Kefir reduces flatulence, helps in relieving intestinal disorders and helps in improving the body's immunity to diseases. It is known to help people with cancer and AIDS as well.

Beef Stroganoff Quick and Easy Recipe

Beef Stroganoff or Beef Stroganov is a classic Russian dish, now very popular all around the world, which comes in with considerable variation to its original recipe. Traditionally, this dish was prepared by adding onions, mustard sauce and tomato paste. However, over a period of time, the recipe was such a hit, that most of the countries brought in several variations to the original dish by adding mushroom, garlic cloves, sour cream sauce and what not. The authentic dish is simple to make however, to get that real taste you have to wait longer until it cooks properly. If you're impatient and can't wait until you taste this yummy thing, then you have to look for some quick and easy ways to make beef stroganoff. Well... to make your work easy I have some simple ways for this mouth watering beef recipe. Scroll down...

Quick and Easy Ways to Make Beef Stroganoff Explained

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff (4 Hours)
Ingredients

• Beef stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
• Fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion chopped
• Cream of mushroom
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup of milk
• Cheese cream sauce
• Egg noodles, pasta or rice (your choice)

Procedure
This is not only a quick way of making beef stroganoff but also the most hassle free and easiest way to cook this amazing dish. All you have to do is empty the ingredients in a crockpot and forget about it till dinner time. To get started, in the crockpot combine the stew meat, sliced mushrooms, chopped onions, cream of mushroom, cup of milk, salt and pepper (to taste). Cover the crockpot with its lid and let it cook until the meat is tender and soft, which will take about 4 hours. In the mean while, bring a pot of water to boil, cook the egg noodles or pasta for about 10 minutes in it. Drain and serve in with beef stroganoff. Pour some cheese cream sauce over the hot dish, to add to the awesome taste!

Sauce Pot Beef Stroganoff (25 Minutes)

Ingredients

• Beef stew meat
• 2 onions chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic crushed
• Tomato sauce
• Sliced mushrooms
• ½ cup of sour cream sauce
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Oregano
• Salt to taste
• Egg noodles, pasta or rice (your choice)

Procedure
Heat olive oil in a sauté pan, add beef stew pieces, chopped onions, crushed garlic, cook until soft and tender. Now, to the mixture add a pinch of salt and oregano. When the meat is almost done, add tomato sauce, sour cream sauce and sliced mushrooms to the mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Now, on the other flame cook pasta or noodles until done and drain. Serve with hot beef stroganoff. You can garnish it with cheese cream or a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Microwave Beef Stroganoff (20 Minutes)

Ingredients

• Beef stew meat
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon butter
• Fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Egg noodles, pasta or rice (your choice)

Procedure
In a large microwave safe casserole add bite sized cut beef stew meat, sliced onions and garlic. Microwave on high for about 5 minutes until the beef is cooked properly. In a large mixing bowl add a little butter, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and sour cream, stir well. Now, add this mixture of sauces to the beef mixture and stir. Make sure you have mixed everything well. Cover the microwave safe bowl and microwave for another 5-6 minutes, until it is thoroughly heated. Once you are done, let it stand for a few minutes and then serve hot along with egg noodles, pasta or rice. Making beef stroganoff in the microwave is the easiest and quickest way of getting this yummy dish ready!

You can also prepare this dish with wine, sweet corn or heavy whipping cream. Other than serving beef stroganoff with pasta or egg noodles, there are creative ways you can serve this fantastic dish. You can use it as a topping on pizzas, toasts or baked potatoes. Bon Appetite!

Potato Wedges

Ingredients :
• potatoes 2 pieces, washed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt to taste
• 500 ml oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Directions :
1. Boil potatoes with salt until done. Cut into 6 parts.
2. Fry the potatoes until browned. Remove and drain.
3. Heat the butter, saute garlic until fragrant. Add potatoes and stir well. Remove and serve with a sprinkling of parsley and parmesan cheese.

For 12 pieces

Sauteed Spinach with Crab Recipe

Ingredients :
• 200 grams of spinach leaves
• 100 grams of crab meat
• Water 100 ml
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• red onion 3 pieces, thinly sliced
• Finger root 3 cm, crushed
• 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
• Soy sauce 1 tsp
• Sugar ½ tsp
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons oil

Directions :
1. Heat oil and saute garlic, onion and finger root until fragrant.
2. Add crab meat and stir until cooked.
3. Add sweet soysauce and soy sauce, stir gently until blended.
4. Pour the water, add the spinach, sugar and salt stir until shrink and done.
5. Serve.

Serves 2

Black Bean Burrito

Ingredients (use vegan versions) :
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• ½ red pepper, chopped
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 can black beans with liquid
• ¼ cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon each turmeric and coriander
• couple of dashes liquid smoke

Directions :
1. Saute the onions and pepper in olive
oil, with the first ½ teaspoon cumin,
until slightly soft.
2. Add the rest
of the ingredients, and cook for 10-20
minutes until all the liquid is gone.
3. Serve on warm tortillas with vegan sour
cream if you choose. Yummy.

Serves 2-3

Preparation time: 20 min or less