The perfect meal for staying healthy on-the-go: A Hawaiian style smoothie with no processed juice. Add extra protein if preferred, for a “protein shake”, but this already has protein from the cashews. With the nuts and the coconut cream (or virgin coconut oil), this can be a “meal replacement drink” full of healthy oils and “good fat”. (Yes, there are good fats!)
Freeze bananas ahead of time, and this smoothie comes together quickly. Note that room temperature banana can develop a different texture from blending, but frozen bananas whirl up with a texture like ice cream. Delicious!
For a smoother texture, soak the dates and cashews a day ahead, covered with cold water and stored in the refrigerator. Contains no dairy, but it’s still nice and creamy- a vegan delight!
INGREDIENTS
- 1-2 c. frozen banana pieces
- 1/3 c. “cashew milk”, or one handful raw cashews (soaked a day ahead, or not)
- small handful dates, pitted (soaked a day ahead, or not)
- 1-2 TBS. or so of coconut cream (more if using coconut milk)*
- cold water as needed, for blending
PREPARATION
1. Ahead of time, prepare a bunch of bananas. Peel the bananas, slice through them, and lay them out on a tray that’s covered with an inside-out zip-loc bag (or other thick plastic bag). (Note: Plastic wrap is thin and might break apart and stick to the frozen bananas.)
2. Let the bananas freeze solid. Store them for weeks in the zip-loc bag, using as needed.
3. This step is not necessary, but for smoothest smoothie, soak raw cashews and dates in water; refrigerate overnight.
4. Blend all of the above until smooth in a blender.
* If using virgin olive oil, perhaps mix it with some boiling water first. It’s very solid, which can make it challenging to work with.
