At last month’s Nike shoot, on break from dashing in and out of the 50-something-degree water, one of the production people kindly made a spicy produce-packed fruit and vegetable juice for Laurel and me.
I was so excited about the juice’s energizing kick that I emailed Melissa the ingredient list from the Santa Monica beach. Here it is:
1 carrot
1 celery stick
½ apple
½ peeled orange
Handful grapes
Handful cut up beets
1 inch of fresh ginger
Handful kale
Quarter peeled lemon
Dash of cayenne swirled into each glass.
Melissa immediately emailed me back from her desk in San Francisco, pointing out that the ingredients would completely fill her produce drawer. She had a point. But I was so taken with the juice, that I decided to see if I could streamline the ingredient list and still get the same savory, spicy effect.
“Pick four ingredients,” Melissa advised.
I started with carrots and apples for the sweet and savory balance. Then I fiddled with different amounts of ginger and jalapeno for kick.
Now I make this juice when I need to perk up, but have maxed out on caffeine for the day. Melissa drinks it with dinner, when she wants something special but has maxed out on wine for the week.
You need a juicer to make this. Read about why a juicer is a worthwhile investment and which model we like here. —Bec
Afternoon Pick-Me-Up
Time: 5 minutes
Yield: About 25 ounces (Serves 2-3)
4 apples
2 large handfuls baby carrots
1 inch fresh ginger
1 inch jalapeno (If you want more kick, add the seeds)
If the apples are too big to fit into your juicer’s feed tube, halve or quarter them. Juice the ingredients according to your juicer’s directions in this order: two apples, ginger, jalapeno, two apples, and then the baby carrots. Stir well and serve chilled.
