After a delicious but calorie laden sweet, I thought of posting a healthy but just as tasty treat. This simple and sugar free smoothie used to be my afternoon snack when I was child. Well, to be honest my mom would not put ginger in it (this is my own twist to the recipe) as “exotic” spices were not so common in Italy at that time. I used to love it. My mom used to make smoothies (frullati) with all kinds of fruits, but the banana and pear smoothie has always been my favourite. Try it… it is a delicious and healthy snack.
Ingredients (this recipe makes 1 big glass):
1 medium glass milk
1 small banana, peeled and chopped
1 pear, peeled and chopped
1/3 tsp ginger powder
Keep the milk, banana and pear in the fridge for a couple of hours before you make the smoothie.
Put all the ingredients in a mixer.
Blend them for a couple of minutes or until they are well combined. Your smoothie should be creamy and slightly frothy.
Pour it in a tall glass and decorate with some fresh mint leaves. Drink cold.
A quick note… Paolo from Quatro Fromaggio honoured Manu’s Menu with yet another award! He gave it to me with possibily the best motivation ever. He said: “I’m happy to have the opportunity to give you an award, as you are the true binding force that unites half a world of bloggers”! Isn’t that flattering?? 🙂 Thank You Paolo, grazie mille! For whom among you who do not know his blog yet, you should absolutely check it out. He writes about all the misrepresentations of Italian cooking in North America, where he lives and you will also find lots of very interesting and informative articles on Italian food and culture. Check out Quatro Fromaggio and you will be hooked!
As I have received a few awards lately and have just shared 7 things about myself, I will skip this part (sorry guys!). If you missed the last 7 things I shared, you can find them here and you can also hop over at Sandra’s Easy Cooking to read my little interview along with my guest post.
Time to pass on the award… this time it is going to go to some of the latest blogs I have discovered and loved:
Gina from SPCookie Queen
Jamie from Wokin Time
Jill from Dulce Dough
Juliana from Simple Recipes
Kate from Diethood
Lyn from My Lil Messy & Cheeky
Marsha from The Harried Cook
Purabi from Cosmopolitan Currymania
Sawsan from Chef in Disguise
Spice from Spicebuds
Have fun browsing among mouthwatering recipes and pictures! And thanks again Paolo from Quatro Fromaggio!
On a completely different note, I have a little piece of news regarding the blog. I am thinking of creating a new page called MsM in your kitchen (the name is tentative though). As all you bloggers out there know, there is nothing more flattering that knowing that someone else (even better when it is someone whose food and site you love) has remade one of your recipes! I recently had this honour a few times and I thought it would be a nice idea to feature these recipes on my site. So if you have made any of my recipes, please send me a picture of the final dish to [email protected] and I’ll publish it on this new page with a link back to your site. You can do this even if you do not have a site/blog and I will put your name on the picture. Feel free to write a little comment on the final outcome (both good or bad… hopefully there will be more good reviews… hehehe) and I’ll add that to the page as well. So… what do you think guys? Should I go ahead and create the page?
this, I’m sorry to say, is NOT sugar free. Bananas are loaded with sugar, pears, any fruit will have sugar. It’s what they are, basically. If someone has issues with their glucose levels, this is not the drink for them. However, it does look and sound delicious!
This looks so delicious, smooth and packed with flavour – pear and banana go so well together, there truly should be more desserts with them 😀
Thanks!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
really good information. i never knew ginger had so many uses
I used to put ginger in my smoothie all the time when I had terrible morning sickness when I was pregnant with my daughter. It always helped me feel better! You may have inspired me to bring that back into my smoothie routine even sans morning sickness.
This sounds soooo refreshing!! Great flavors! Thanks for sharing.
Interesting recipe…never tried this combination before…thanks for sharing:)
https://mywanderingspoon.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/stuffed-portobello-mushrooms-with-tahini-beef-protein-power/
I love pear, banana and milk and mixing them together will be so perfect 🙂 And that idea on creating a MsM is excellent and so creative !
This looks like a real healthy smoothie! Congrats and I have lost count on the awards you have!!
I love banana and strawberry smoothie…but I never thought of banana & pear combo! This sounds really good esp with the hint of ginger!
The idea of adding MsM In Your Kitchen is really great, Manu! Go for it!
Lastly, congratulations once again on The Versatile Blogger Award! You deserve it, for you are versatile indeed! 🙂
Great combo….!!
You are amazing Manu..You made my day..it is an honnor and a joy to recieve an award from a wonderful talanted blogger like yourself..Thank you so much!
That smoothy looks just amazing! I have never combined pear and banana..and I think the ginger makes it wonderful
Congrats on your award..you deserve it 🙂
and the MsM is a great idea..I might be participating in that real soon 🙂 I have quite a few recipes of yours on the must try list
Hi Manu,
Thank you for passing this along to me, I’m flattered. I will go visit your friend and I like your smoothie.
-Gina-
Anche la mia mamma mi faceva sempre il frullato da piccola!! Con la banana è il mio preferito, proverò con un tocco di zenzero!
I have to say I have tried lots of smoothies with bananas but never ever tried on with pear! What a great combo and I love the addition of ginger. And I love your new page idea! Congrats on the award and thank you so much for passing it along to me! I am honored!
Manu, I’m so glad you liked the motivation to your award, you totally deserve it. Thanks so much for promoting my work! You drive a lot of traffic, you know? 🙂
I really like your idea of “MsM in your kitchen”. See? you *are* a binding force!
And I like your frullato, I find the hint of ginger absolutely enticing 🙂
Pear is such a lovely flavor. I really only get it in fruit juice anymore cause the ones at the grocery store in Cayman are usually a little worse for the wear. Very nice idea with the new blog! I’ll have to go through my food diary and see if I took any pictures of a ‘Manuela’ recipe 😉
I have never tried pear and banana combination and that sounds really good! Congrats on award and I’ll be checking his site after here. I like the idea of MsM in your kitchen! Very creative and it’s nice way to connect with readers!
Hi Manu! Nice smoothie combo and I can try it (w/o ginger as my girls don’t like the taste of it but maybe yes for mine! ^.^) these few days coz my husband just brought back 2 BIG BUNCHES of bananas that his uncle grows from Kelantan, Malaysia! 😀
Congrats on your award and thank you so much for passing on to me! I’m really very happy and honored! 😀
I TOTALLY AGREED WITH PAOLO on that! “you are the true binding force that unites half a world of bloggers”! You’re always so kind, sweet and welcoming to us, making us have the sense of belonging here in the blogging world, esp. to newbies like me. Truly appreciated. 🙂
Yes! I love your new idea! We’re going to have another great blog to follow! 😀
Tks so much again Manu! 😀
Ohhh thank you sooo much Lyn! You are sooo sweet, I mean it!!! 🙂
Thank you, Manu! You are so sweet! 🙂 I will also stop by and look at Paolo’s blog.
Never had pear and banana in a smoothie together, but it sounds very interesting! I think my daughter would enjoy this one. Great idea on the new page!
Thank you so much, Manu! I am flattered… I love your blog and am so glad that you are loving mine, too!!! :))
And my dad is going to love you for this smoothie – he needs to watch his sugar intake so he will be really happy to see one of these waiting for him today! Thank you for sharing!!
This smoothie sounds so delicious..really refreshing and have the kick of ginger..really healthy stuff:)
MsM sounds like a new journey for you and I love the idea! I think you should totally go for it! Congrats on one more well deserved award!!!
I used to work at a smoothie place and used to love juicing ginger and adding it to my smoothie! I can’t wait to try adding in ginger powder- so much easier, especially if you dont own a juicer.
Oh I love smoothies. Never tried this combo but will now! Sounds great. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I have to admit, this is not a combination I would have ever dreamed to put together but now that I see it I’m sooooo intrigued. I’m running right now to gather the ingredients. It sounds perfect!
Lots of yummy love,
Alex aka Ma What’s For Dinner
http://www.mawhats4dinner.com
I had a smoothie craving earlier and bought one but this looks way more delicious and fresh. Next time, I shall buy the fruit and milk and make this one, Manu. It’s almost as quick as opening the carton.
Congrats on being a versatile blogger and thanks for introducing me to a whole new range of blogs.
Oh, this smoothie looks absolutely delicious! And as usual, GREAT photography!
Thank you so much, Manu, for the wonderful award! So thoughtful of you to pass the award to me. Thanks for appreciating my blog.
Never thought of pear and banana together.. with a ginger twist! Nice and easy! 🙂
Congrats on the award and I like very much the idea of a “MsM in your kitchen”… I’ll participate soon! 🙂
I never actually had banana and pear together in a smoothie, sounds delicious 🙂 and your page is a great idea, I’m happy to email a photo whenever I cook one of your dishes.
Thanks!!! You could also send the korma picture if you like… it would be great! <3 Have a great and possibly warm evening (it's getting chilly isn't it??)!
I love this smoothie! I bet it was so thick and creamy from the banana and pear! I often use ginger juice, but the powdered ginger is so much easier (and less messy!). And congrats on your award!
Ooh, what a yummy refreshing smoothie, Manu…and I love that it’s something from your childhood 🙂 Congrats on your award, and I will pop over to see Paolo’s blog! Go for the new page…sounds like a fun idea…I bet there will be TONS of great reviews~
I love this combination and addition of ginger! Great smoothie!
Great idea!!