It’s Smoothie Week here at Everyday Cooking Adventures in conjunction with Williams-Sonoma, my favorite kitchenwares  and gourmet foods store. For Christmas this year I received a blender, something perhaps mundane sounding, but to me quite exciting. Now I can produce homemade sauces, soups, salsas, and of course smoothies! If you don’t own a blender yet for your kitchen, it is an invaluable, multipurpose kitchen essential. Williams-Sonoma has a wonderful variety to choose from.

My favorite smoothie combination is always strawberry and banana but today I’ve changed up the routine to come up with something new and delicious. If you haven’t seen (or even heard of) quince before, it is a round fruit that has a pale yellow skin and most closely resembles the smell and taste of an apple. When I am out to eat and order a cheese plate for dessert or as an appetizer, I typically see a paste made out of quince that is brownish and seedy and incredibly sweet alongside the cheeses.

I played around with a few different quince combinations and found that when blended with strawberries produces the nicest flavors. It is a gently sweet, light pink smoothie that will boost your immunity system this winter and bring a smile to your lips. I encourage you to go out there and give it a try and see how good these fruits taste together. Happy Smoothie Week and Blend On! For more Smoothie Week ideas go here: Williams-Sonoma Smoothie Recipes.

Strawberry Quince Smoothie

Recipe By: Everyday Cooking Adventures, 2015

Makes: 12-16 oz. smoothie (Serves 1)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 quince, peeled and cut into 1/2″ chunks (cut around the center seeds as you would an apple)
• 6 strawberries, green leaves removed, sliced in half
• 1 ice cube
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. low-fat or non-fat vanilla ice cream or yogurt
• Optional: 1 Tbsp. water if you prefer a thinner smoothie

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients into a blender (water is optional) and blend on medium-high for 30 seconds until smooth.

2. Pour into a glass and enjoy! Garnish with a whole strawberry on the rim.