Holy cow, it's been almost 2 weeks since I've posted. Thanks to a not-so-friendly cold virus, I've spent the last week and half walking around in some kind of foggy haze since my youngest has been coughing throughout the night, waking everyone up (except Cora). To be fair, the last two nights have provided a good night's sleep, but the sleep-debt is yet to be paid in full, so I'm still a bit on the groggy side. I felt like we had a newborn all over again, waking up every 1 to 2 hours -- not cool.
So down to business. I'm trying to get into the whole smoothie craze. I know they can be full of some great powerhouse fruits and vegetables, but I've had a hard time breaking into the scene. For starters, I'm not a big fan of banana-flavored anything (unless it's a banana, then that's fine), and most smoothie recipes call for a banana as it tends to add thickness to the drink. Sometimes the flavor can be masked with frozen raspberries or strawberries, but I can still taste the banana. I even thought I could just get used to the banana taste... no such luck.
Then I remembered reading Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, which hides pureed vegetables into everyday foods. She has a recipe for chocolate pudding that's made almost entirely with avocado (not too bad, kind of rich, have to get used to the texture). Well, what if I used that same concept with a smoothie? I would avoid the banana, get all of the healthful benefits of avocado (fiber, complete protein, B vitamins, minerals and "good" fats) and still love drinking it. And it's chocolate, so what's not to love?
Chocolate Smoothie
Serves 2
1 avocado, fully ripened, room temperature
2 cups almond milk (or any other milk you prefer)
1/4 cup honey + additional if necessary
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup whey powder (optional)
2-3 ice cubes
Cut avocado in half, remove pit, cut into cubes and place into blender. Add milk, honey, cocoa powder and whey powder (if using). Pulse on high until well-blended and smooth, being sure no chunks of avocado remain. Taste smoothie and add more honey if needed, 1 Tablespoon at a time. Add ice cubes and pulse a few more times. Serve.
So down to business. I'm trying to get into the whole smoothie craze. I know they can be full of some great powerhouse fruits and vegetables, but I've had a hard time breaking into the scene. For starters, I'm not a big fan of banana-flavored anything (unless it's a banana, then that's fine), and most smoothie recipes call for a banana as it tends to add thickness to the drink. Sometimes the flavor can be masked with frozen raspberries or strawberries, but I can still taste the banana. I even thought I could just get used to the banana taste... no such luck.
Then I remembered reading Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, which hides pureed vegetables into everyday foods. She has a recipe for chocolate pudding that's made almost entirely with avocado (not too bad, kind of rich, have to get used to the texture). Well, what if I used that same concept with a smoothie? I would avoid the banana, get all of the healthful benefits of avocado (fiber, complete protein, B vitamins, minerals and "good" fats) and still love drinking it. And it's chocolate, so what's not to love?
Chocolate Smoothie
Serves 2
1 avocado, fully ripened, room temperature
2 cups almond milk (or any other milk you prefer)
1/4 cup honey + additional if necessary
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup whey powder (optional)
2-3 ice cubes
Cut avocado in half, remove pit, cut into cubes and place into blender. Add milk, honey, cocoa powder and whey powder (if using). Pulse on high until well-blended and smooth, being sure no chunks of avocado remain. Taste smoothie and add more honey if needed, 1 Tablespoon at a time. Add ice cubes and pulse a few more times. Serve.