Not your usual summer smoothies

July 26, 2010 (PRESS RELEASE) -- Smoothies are popular summer beverages. They're refreshing, easy to make -- and with the right ingredients -- they can be healthy treats. Smoothies have such appeal that the suburban prasino cafes have appointed a "Smoothie Sommelier." John Parker has come up with several recipes with interesting twists that make these not your usual summer smoothies.

Parker's organic beverages complement to Executive Chef Scott Halverson's popular, locally-grown fare at prasino in LaGrange and (soon-to-open) St. Charles. Parker has crafted a menu of over two dozen house-made smoothies. His combinations offer on-the-run sips that can substitute as a meal. Monkey's Uncle marries banana, peanut butter and soy milk. Prasino blend features avocado, pear, apple, lemon, non-fat yogurt and agave nectar.

In addition to the smoothies, the cafes offer coffee and specialty drinks like cinnamon crème latte, white chocolate mocha and Greek-style frappe. You can also find blended juices like "Ginger and Maryann" (apples, carrots, ginger) and "Cucumber Melon" (cucumber, honeydew, ginger, lemon juice). The fruit and vegetable based beverages are part of prasino's "green" attitude. The name means "green" in Greek and the owners boast that their restaurants are the first eco-friendly cafes in Chicago's western suburbs.

You can make these smoothies at home with John's recipes or try one at prasino in LaGrange and St.Charles. For more information, visit http://www.prasino.com.

Prasino Blend

• 1/2 avocado
• 1 pear
• 1 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 5 oz. organic apple juice
• 2 oz. non-fat plain yogurt
• .5 oz. agave nectar
• 1 scoop of ice

Blend all for 30 seconds and garnish with wheel of pear on smoothie glass rim

Tropical Berry

• 5 oz. blueberries
• 1/3 banana
• 3 oz. fresh mango
• 1 oz. Acai juice (from Brazilian rainforest)
• 2.5 oz. pomegranate juice
• 2.5 oz. cranberry juice
• 1 scoop of ice

Blend all for 30 seconds and garnish with banana wheel on smoothie glass rim and three whole blueberries on top

Monkey's Uncle

• 1.25 bananas
• 3 T. peanut butter
• 5 oz. vanilla soy milk
• 1 scoop of ice

Blend all for 30 seconds and garnish with banana slice on smoothie glass rim

Blueberry Banana

• 3/4 banana
• 6 oz. blueberries
• 4 oz. vanilla soy milk
• 1 scoop of ice

Blend all for 30 seconds and garnish with blueberries and a banana wheel on smoothie glass rim

Mango Tango

• 4 oz. fresh mango
• 3 oz. strawberries
• 2 oz. pineapple
• 4 oz. fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 scoop of ice

Blend all for 30 seconds and garnish with strawberry on smoothie glass rim

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