God help me – try as I may I can’t seem to master juice cleanses! I’ve tried a few of them and I have yet to make it through the full program. I suppose I just don’t have the mental stamina to forgo solid food, handle the lack of energy… or go a day without chocolate. I do love fresh fruit and vegetables juices – so much so in fact that I sometimes worry I may get diabetes from my apple and peach consumption – hey, it can happen! Fruit and even some vegetables like carrots, have a surprising amount of sugar.
While I’m lucky to have a Health Nut that presses fresh juices on my block, $7 juices add up quickly. So, I figured it was about time that I tested out concocting some of my own juices with an at-home juice extractor and some handy recipes from “The Comfort of Apples,” and “The 3-Day Cleanse.” The biggest concern for most of us when it comes to making our own juices is the mess of it all. Cuisinart’s new CJE-1000 Juice Extractor ($149 – a bargain considering most juice cleanses go for upwards of $60 a day), solves this problem because it comes apart allowing you to easily toss whatever gets dirty in the washing machine. It’s also quiet, has a 3-inch feed tube so you can push in a whole bundle of celery, carrots, beets – whatever! And, yes I did try celery juice and it’s not half bad…! It also comes with a 2-liter pulp container and 1-liter juice pitcher so you can make more than you need and store the excess in your fridge. For about half the price of the Cuisinart juicer you can get the Big Mouth Pro Juice Extractor from Hamilton Beach. It doesn’t have as powerful of a motor and doesn’t have multiple speed options or the blue LED light ring that Cuisinart’s has, but if you’re on a budget it gets the job done.
The possible juice combinations are endless and if you’re feeling adventurous you can even add in some cayenne, garlic or ginger. Don’t want to splurge on a juicer? Or conversely looking for something more original and complex than your run-of-the-mill mango and berry concoction? Jump for two recipes you might not have thought of on your own!
Sparkling Apples Recipe from “The Comfort of Apples”
Ingredients:
3 cups unpeeled, cored, chopped apples
2 cups apple juice
1 tablespoon sugar
Champagne or Prosecco
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
Ground cinnamon
1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring apples, juice, and
sugar to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until reduced by
half, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain and refrigerate until cold.
2. Pour 4 ounces Champagne or Prosecco into a cold champagne flute, top
with 2 ounces of the strained juice. Drop in 1 tablespoon of the diced
Granny Smith apple and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon.
Easy Cashew Milk from “The 3-Day Cleanse“
Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked 1 hour (in 1 cup water)
2 cups filtered water
1 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon agave
Pinch of sea salt
Drain the nuts. Combine all the ingredients and blend until completely
smooth. Store in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Shake well before use.