October 21, 2011By: fruitmonster Category: Juice Recipes
So its no secret I’ve been on an carrot orange juice kick lately, drinking plenty of the stuff since I bought my new Oscar Vital Max 900 juicer! And since this combination is so tasty tasty, I have been introducing some variations, earlier this week it was carrot orange beet juice. Now, today, we’ve got carrot orange sweet potato juice. Why sweet potato? Because it makes an awesome juice ingredient and it is super-healthy - check out this post for more.
October 18, 2011By: fruitmonster Category: Juice Recipes
What can make the ever-stupendous carrot-orange juice recipe even better? Beets!!! Beets have high level of anti-carcinogenic compounds, so they make incredibly healthy juices! They are pumped full of antioxidants that protect the body against heart disease and certain cancers (mainly colon cancer). Beets get their red-color from the pigment betacyanin which increases the oxygen-carrying ability of the blood by up to 400 per cent! Wowzers! That’s great news for athletes!
Have you ever wondered where that innate human tendency to eat until you’re stuffed comes from? That deep desire to gorge yourself full of food? Not wanting to stop until we’re packed to the brim? Most of us identify pretty strongly with the need to ‘feel full’ after a meal, so we keep on eating until we’re content. But then afterwards, we often finding ourselves feeling a bit guilty or gross when’re finished. Groaning, we realize we ate too many calories, swearing off our gluttony, only to do it again next time! All before slipping into a sleepy food coma. From every direction comes advice on how to avoid this – eating very slowly, pausing for 10-15 minutes in the middle, taking special supplements, drinking caffeine or even smoking cigarettes to reduce our appetites! Yuck! Some people out there even have drastic surgies to bypass parts of their digestive system! Does all this seem fairly unnatural or strange to you? Why can’t we all just eat our way into stupid satisfied grins? Well believe it or not, there is a lot of evidence that supports this tendency to eat a large meal is an instinctual mechanism within you. That munching until your gut is fat n’ happy is something we are ‘programmed’ to do, a task our super expansive stomach is meant to handle, and not something we should regret or discourage! In fact, we should eat this way! But wait Fruity-freak, what about all the weight gain, health problems and malaise that accompany such behaviors? How can you endorse pounding massive ‘mounts o’ munchies?
Well, here at Fruitmonster.com, it’s all about eating in a way that’s harmonious with your body. And that means embracing this inner desire of glorified-gut-gluttony! But that of course means it must be done while feasting upon the foods we were meant to feast on - Fruits! And with that ladies and gentlemen, I would now like to introduce to you…
the art of fruitmonstering
1.25 kilos of lychees... MONSTERED!
The term ‘fruitmonstering‘ refers to the act of feasting upon an obscene amount of fruit, after which only fruit skins, pits, seeds, a juicy-faced, satisfied grin and protruding belly remain. In preparation for the fruitmonstering process, fruitmonsters(who are also known to make mad green smoothies and wicked raw juices), will likely be giddy with antioxidant-rich anticipation as they perform the minimal amount of chopping, peeling and/or pitting needed to monster. Remember that simplicity is a key element of fruitmonstering! Fruitmonstering is best accomplished in a carnal manner, using only one’s hands, mandibles and fruit-slicing incisors, but may be accompanied by utensils to protect the livelihood of delicate or easily stained items in the fruitmonstering splash zone. An absorbent, fruit-baptized kitchen towel has been deemed essential.
Ready, Set...MONSTER!
During the act of fruitmonstering, it is perfectly normal for said fruitmonster to be overwhelmingly excited about his/her meal to a level that may concern dull-eyed, french-fried-fingered spectators. Fruitmonstering should continue until the fruitmonster is absolutely stuffed, his/her belly plump with pleasure. A proper fruitmonstering session will leave a wake of devastation in the form of banana peels, mango pits, grapevines, orange seeds, along with untold other undigestible items of fruit origin. Post-monster, a fruitmonster will be noticeably fruit-bellied, but never fear, due to the high water content and rapid digestibility of these low-fat-enzyme-rich tree ovaries, the fruitmonster will not suffer from the coma-like, low energy state that overcomes his fat-laden, salt-bloated, sugar-crashing peers. Instead a fruitmonster will continue to exhibit the high-levels of positive energy, emotional tranquility and mental focus characteristic of fruitmonsters.
In effort to spread the word of his/her joy-filled, life-giving fruitmonstering habit, the fruitmonster will often exclaim “Dude, I just monstered [INSERT OBSENE AMOUNT OF FRUIT HERE]” on their Facebook page, #fruitmonster the twitter-sphere and upload fruit carcass photos to Instagram, flickr, yfrog or in the case of embarrassingly voracious appetites, PostSecret.
If you can’t tell, I’m on a bit of a coconut kick of late. First a coconuts-mango combo, then a coconut-strawberry creation showed up! Well, to continue the tend, I now bring to you, my fellow fruitmonsters, the….
Orange Coconut Green Smoothie Recipe:
1 c orange juice
1 c water (if no OJ, use 2 c water and add a few more dates)
2 oranges, peeled, seedless
1 banana
.5 c of coconut guts! These are obtained by scraping out the inside of one drinking coconut. (you could use dried coc0nut, but that may not impress, try about 1/3 cup)
3-4 c of greens (I used a whole head of cos/romaine lettuce in mine!)
Okay, I’ve been holding off on posting to this section of the blog, not knowing what to do with it. So I’m going to keep it rather simple… if I fruitmonster up a meal based around fruits and leafy greens, it heads directly to this section of the site! Who knows, maybe people will love these recipes, maybe they won’t. There is only one way to find out!
So here’s the debut ‘Fruit Meal’!
Orange-Capsicum Salad Recipe:
Okay for starters, let us clear up that a ‘capsicum’ is the same thing as a ‘bell pepper’ for you northern hemisphere folk!
What you’ll need:
4 Cups Romaine/Cos Lettuce
2 Oranges
1 Capsicum/Bell Pepper – Any color will do, mine’s red!
12 dates
.5 cup Orange Juice
Directions:
First, chop up the Romaine/Cos lettuce until it is in conveniently bite-sized pieces and put it in your salad bowl. Then, peel the orange, gut the pepper and then and chop them up into small chunks as well, adding them to the mix. Remember a fruitmonster makes things easy on themself and doesn’t worry about the silly differences between chopping/cubing/slicing/dicing… who needs the lingo! Just make it easy to stab with your fork and fit in your mouth (or in true monster fashion – eat with your hands!!). Next, break up the dates (pitting them of course) into halves and sprinkle them overtop of the salad. Finish it off with a dousing of orange juice as a dressing and WOO HOO! Orange Capsicum Salad!
February 14, 2011By: fruitmonster Category: Puree Recipes
*For the purposes of this site, I will be qualifying any juice + blender combo as a ‘Puree’*
Listen up monsters, this is the best tasting thing I have ever made/posted to this site. You need to snag some dates (preferably Medjool dates) on your next trip to the grocery store, grab up some oranges (or OJ if you don’t have a juicer yet!) and make this recipe. I promise you that you will not be disappointed with the amazingness of this creamy drink!
This drink is titled “daterade” which is pronounced “date-er-rade” and the general idea of it came from a drink that Teddi found through an Australian gal named Freelee (check out her site too!)
Orange-Daterade Recipe:
Juice of 2 large oranges (skins removed!) ~ 12-14oz juice
3-4 large *pits removed* medjool dates (or 1/2 cup deglet noor dates)
Directions: After juicing the oranges, throw the dates and the juice in the blender and puree for about 1 minute!
The Definition of Delicious. (Seriously Make This Now!)
February 08, 2011By: fruitmonster Category: Puree Recipes
Pre-Puree Gimme Some Pre-tty Please!
I just invented (within my own little world of course) this juice in my kitchen and it was one of the most delicious things I have made yet! It’s a juice-smoothie hybrid, we’ll call it a ‘puree’! Without further delay:
The Orange Mango Puree Recipe:
Preferably the juice of 3-4 fresh squeezed oranges
OR for those of you who don’t have a juicer, you can use about 12-16 oz of orange juice
Directions: Juice the oranges, add the orange juice to a blender with the mango and blend for about 30 seconds. Pound straight to the face in voraciously and generously consumed quantities!
Have you ever wondered where that innate human tendency to eat until you’re stuffed comes from? That deep desire to gorge yourself full of food? Not wanting to stop until we’re packed to the brim? Most of us identify pretty strongly with the need to ‘feel full’ after a meal, so we keep on eating until we’re content. But then afterwards, we often finding ourselves feeling a bit guilty or gross when’re finished. Groaning, we realize we ate too many calories, swearing off our gluttony, only to do it again next time! All before slipping into a sleepy food coma. From every direction comes advice on how to avoid this – eating very slowly, pausing for 10-15 minutes in the middle, taking special supplements, drinking caffeine or even smoking cigarettes to reduce our appetites! Yuck! Some people out there even have drastic surgies to bypass parts of their digestive system! Does all this seem fairly unnatural or strange to you? Why can’t we all just eat our way into stupid satisfied grins? Well believe it or not, there is a lot of evidence that supports this tendency to eat a large meal is an instinctual mechanism within you. That munching until your gut is fat n’ happy is something we are ‘programmed’ to do, a task our super expansive stomach is meant to handle, and not something we should regret or discourage! In fact, we should eat this way! But wait Fruity-freak, what about all the weight gain, health problems and malaise that accompany such behaviors? How can you endorse pounding massive ‘mounts o’ munchies?
Well, here at Fruitmonster.com, it’s all about eating in a way that’s harmonious with your body. And that means embracing this inner desire of glorified-gut-gluttony! But that of course means it must be done while feasting upon the foods we were meant to feast on – Fruits! And with that ladies and gentlemen, I would now like to introduce to you…
the art of fruitmonstering
1.25 Kilos of Lychees...Monstered!
The term ‘fruitmonstering‘ refers to the act of feasting upon an obscene amount of fruit, after which only fruit skins, pits, seeds, a juicy-faced, satisfied grin and protruding belly remain. In preparation for the fruitmonstering process, fruitmonsters(who are also known to make mad green smoothies and wicked raw juices), will likely be giddy with antioxidant-rich anticipation as they perform the minimal amount of chopping, peeling and/or pitting needed to monster. Remembering that simplicity is a key element of fruitmonstering. Fruitmonstering is best accomplished in a carnal manner, using only one’s hands, mandibles and fruit-slicing incisors, but may be accompanied by utensils to protect the livelihood of delicate or easily stained items in the fruitmonstering splash zone. An absorbent, fruit-baptized kitchen towel has been deemed essential.
Ready...Set...MONSTER
During the act of fruitmonstering, it is perfectly normal for said fruitmonster to be overwhelmingly excited about his/her meal to a level that may concern dull-eyed, french-fried-fingered spectators. Fruitmonstering should continue until the fruitmonster is absolutely stuffed, his/her belly plump with pleasure. A proper fruitmonstering session will leave a wake of devastation in the form of banana peels, mango pits, grapevines, orange seeds, along with untold other undigestible items of fruit origin. Post-monster, a fruitmonster will be noticeably fruit-bellied, but never fear, due to the high water content and rapid digestibility of these low-fat-enzyme-rich tree ovaries, the fruitmonster will not suffer from the coma-like, low energy state that overcomes his fat-laden, salt-bloated, sugar-crashing peers. Instead a fruitmonster will continue to exhibit the high-levels of positive energy, emotional tranquility and mental focus characteristic of fruitmonsters.
In effort to spread the word of his/her joy-filled, life-giving fruitmonstering habit, the fruitmonster will often exclaim “Dude, I just monstered [INSERT OBSENE AMOUNT OF FRUIT HERE]” on their Facebook page, #fruitmonster the twitter-sphere and upload fruit carcass photos to Instagram, flickr, yfrog or in the case of embarrassingly voracious appetites, PostSecret.
Through shifting my diet to mostly juice for an extended period of time (a few months) in Fall 2010, I was able to let my body do some serious repair work, as well as create some great juicing recipes! Through juicing, smoothies and fruitmonstering, I fixed my long-lasting problems with acid reflux and ulcers! So, needless to say, I’m fully convinced that “Juice is a Healer”, and I say that for two reasons:
First, it gives your body access to a whole bunch of nutrients through the tastily-easy inclusion of fruits and veggies into your diet. From carrots to apples, leafy greens to wheatgrass, grapefruit to oranges and all the combinations in between, juicing allows you to ingest all sorts of disease fighting, cancer destroying antioxidants and phytonutrients, which benefit your body in ways that science hasn’t even discovered yet! So even if you don’t have any particular health problem, making some juice will still leave you feeling juice-tastic!
The second reason is that juice is calorie rich and very easy for your body to absorb. This allows your body to get the nutrition it needs, with only a fraction of the work that a ‘normal’ diet entails. By doing that, your body can detoxify and heal… two things that it cannot do when you are subjecting it to the standard american calorie load! These processes are vital for getting your body-machine back into optimal condition and for protecting you against cancer and disease!
So how do you even get started juicing?
Well the simple answer is that you first need a juicer! There are two main types of juicing machines.
Breville Makes Some of Best Centrifugal Juicers
The first is a centrifugal juicer
Centrifugal juicers are the more common type, and the one that you are probably familiar with. These juicers are generally less expensive and likely the only juicers you will see in your local stores. They operate by using rapidly spinning blades at the bottom of a wire mesh basket.
First, you drop a fruit or veggie into the top of the juicer, where it falls into the spinning basket where the blades obliterate them. They are then centrifuged to the outside of the basket, which is wire mesh, and the juice flies through the mesh while the pulp is flung out of a waste chute. This process is extremely noisy and typically quite messy.
Since these operate at high speeds, the juicers are also (in general) prone to breaking and less efficient at juicing. PLUS they are harder to use and clean. The most important of these three factors is the last one – if juicing isn’t easy and fun, then you aren’t going to do it are you? Plus, if you see wasted juice/wet pulp/small-amounts-of-juice coming out of your juicer, you are going to feel like you are wasting money! Finally, your neighbors, roommates/family will grow sick of a jet engine running in your kitchen. We don’t want any of that, so that is why I am a fan of the second type of juicer.
The Omega J8005, A Great Single Gear Masticating Juicer
The second type of juicer is a masticating juicer
Yes, you can say that word at church on Sunday. Masticating juicers use a low speed, high torque approach to juicing that is quiet and doesn’t generate a lot of heat or mess. A masticating juicer uses an internal auger bit to slowly and powerfully press fruits and veggies (dropped through a chute at the top) up against blades running laterally along the bit inside of a sealed chamber.
As the chamber narrows, pulp reaches a wire mesh where all the juice is squeezed out. Just past that wire mesh, a tight seal exists at the end of the auger bit, which only allows the pulp to squeeze through.
You can watch the videos above and below to see this in action! In general the biggest drawback to these juicers is that they take slightly longer to process the same number of fruits/veggies because the chutes are smaller, which means more food preparation is necessary. BUT you will save a lot of time and hassle when cleaning the machine – which is important for motivation! PLUS there is an added bonus – masticating juicers also operate as excellent food processors, making nut butters, noodles and grinding flour, for example. This makes your juicer two machines in one!
So I recommend that you save up and purchase a mid-range, single gear, masticating juicer… particularly an Omega series one if you live in the US or an Oscar series for those in Oz! If you feel that you cannot afford one of these, remember that an inefficient juicer will end up costing you a lot of money in the long run, due to wasted food! It may take you a few months to save enough cash, but the rewards of juicing will far outweigh the ‘agony’ of waiting!
So that you can see an Omega juicer in action AND see how easy it is to clean up afterwards, check out the following videos! Feel free to email me with any questions (unleashthemonster@live.com) or comment below!
