Green Juice: #4

Okay.

So, what we have here, folks, is what I consider a basic juice.

With a slight twist.

The heavy presence of citrus—from both lemon and orange—coupled with cilantro really takes the flavor up a notch.

Here's the rundown, from left to right:

Collard greens, lemon, cilantro, orange, cucumber...and the speck at the bottom center of the plate is one bulb of garlic.

And, man, did the garlic bring the noise, as only garlic can.

Now, let's take a look at the nutritional benefits of each ingredient:

Collard greens are one of my go-tos for juicing. Collard greens contain a high fiber content, and this can cause stomach discomfort, gas, and bloating for some people. (Personally, I haven't experienced this and neither have my kids.) Collard greens are on the bitter side, but they play well when mixed with other fruits and vegetables. 

Lemon These tiny yellow wonders are known for their high vitamin C content and can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Cilantro is most often cited as being effective for toxic metal cleansing. The natural chemical compounds in cilantro bind to toxic metals in the body to help remove them from the body.

Orange juice is high in many nutrients, including vitamin C, folate, and potassium. But, let me just be honest: They're just here for the sweetness they bring to the table. Remember: This batch of juice is for the kiddos.

Cucumber helps rid the mouth of odor-fighting bacteria, contains numerous antioxidants, and fights inflammation.

Garlic, according to the website Conserve Energy Future, possesses over 400 chemicals that interact with the body to keep it firing on all cylinders. It boosts levels of insulin that naturally occur in the liver to help keep sugar levels regulated.

I simply threw everything into my juicer exactly as it appears on the plate in the photo above.

And here's what the finished product looks like:

And remember how I stated in previous posts that I store the leftover pulp (usually in Ziplock bags in the freezer) for future recipes?

Well, this time, I didn't wait: I threw it in the skillet immediately and made a delightful egg scramble:

I tossed in some fresh Roma tomatoes, too.

It was good eatin'.

I estimate that this meal alone may have accounted for half my daily fiber intake. (Juice pulp is notoriously high in fiber, which promotes regularity and gut health.)

(FYI, our home's vintage Thermador range is electric, but sometimes we prefer cooking with gas, hence the fact that I whipped this up on our portable gas burner.)

Are you into juicing?

If so, I wanna hear what you make. Drop your recipes in the comments.

Until we juice again...

Cheers!

© Copyright Courtney Conover, 2022

If you are new to my juicing posts, please visit Juicing: How I started, which details the exact juicer and glass bottles I use as well as some background on how I got started.