Love Green!

Growing up in southern California, I have a romantic relationship with fruit smoothies. I grew up with them: they were often breakfast, and even sometimes lunch and they fortified many a long distance swim. One of the few things I can say that I've possessed all of my adult life is a blender for this very reason. This tradition continued in the UK, where much to Alastair's dismay I purchased a blender, which he could only attribute to margaritas. Tsk, tsk.

Now, can you imagine what happens when a SoCal girl and a Scottish boy share breakfast? Yes, it's very interesting. I live in a land where the quintessential breakfast consists of savoury (salted) porridge and on Sundays, a Fry-Up which consists of fried eggs, bacon, sausage, blood pudding, fried bread and for those of you wondering where the heck the vegetables are... fried mushrooms and a tomato. If you've traveled in the UK, then you understand.

Fortunately, Alastair only inhales a fry-up when we're staying in B&Bs, and even then we try to avoid it. Instead, I married a man who's default breakfast is porridge with orange marmalade as the closest thing to fruit which might accompany it.

So, what has happened? A meeting of the minds: porridge with smoothie accompaniment, usually it's blueberries, banana and apple juice.

This time, I indulged an attraction to green smoothies and followed those fruits that are most available around here, thanks to imports from Israel and Spain: pineapple and avocado. And, the smoothie was great: smooth and just sweet enough.

Here's the recipe:

1/3 pineapple, cut in chunks
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1 banana
2-3 ounces apple juice

Adjust to taste. Serves 2.