Photo: Diane Schnier
By Diane Schnier, RealFoodTastesGood.com
This is healthy and easy to make − great as a breakfast drink or for a snack. Personalize it by adding your favorite frozen fruit.
Ingredients:
3/4 to 1 cup coconut-milk-tonic**
2 TBSP high-quality whey protein powder (optional)
1 banana
3/4 to 1 cup frozen fruit
Directions:
Add to blender (in that order), and blend.
Notes:
Yields one serving (approx 16 – 20 oz).
**Coconut-Milk Tonic
1 can coconut milk (regular, not “light”)
1 & 3/4 cup water
OPTIONAL:
3 drops liquid stevia or other sweetener
Heat coconut milk & water in a small saucepan over med-low heat for just a few minutes (just long enough to melt any solids & make smooth liquid). Stir or whisk occasionally as it’s heating up. Stir in stevia (or other sweetener) if using. Store in covered glass jar in the fridge, and shake before using. Makes approximately 3 & 1/2 cups of milk
SIDE NOTES:
I load the blender in that particular order for a reason. If you add the milk first, you can measure it accurately right in the blender (most blenders have measurement markers right on the carafe). This eliminates having to dirty a measuring cup which means less clean up. Putting the frozen fruit in after the bananas is much easier on the blender. If you’ve got rock-hard, frozen strawberries or peaches at the bottom of the carafe, the machine will have a hard time running, and you might even burn out the motor. Getting things going with the soft bananas at the bottom is the way to go.
Pictured above is peach, but there are so many tasty variations – try blueberry, pineapple, strawberry/raspberry, or any other flavor that appeals to you. If you prefer, thaw out the fruit ahead of time so your smoothie isn’t so cold. And of course, use fresh fruit when it’s in season and available.
There’s really no right or wrong way to make a smoothie. Just toss in the ingredients you’re in the mood for in amounts that taste good to you. This particular combination just happens to be one of our favorites. But here’s a tip for adjusting the thickness… If you like a thicker smoothie, be sure to use a large banana, and consider using 3/4 cup milk to 1 cup frozen fruit. If you like more of a middle of the road thickness, try using equal amounts of milk and frozen fruit. And if you prefer it on the thinner side, use 1 cup of milk to 3/4 cups frozen fruit (personally, we don’t like them that thin).
If you have a large enough blender and want to make 4 servings at once, just add a whole can of (regular, not “lite”) coconut milk, 1 & 3/4 cups water, 1/2 cup whey powder, 4 bananas, and 3 1/2 to 4 cups of frozen fruit.