Back on the Smoothie Game

Last year, every weekend morning you would find me in the kitchen busily making smoothies.  I was quite obsessed.  But then, like the fickle girl I can be, I just suddenly stopped.  I don’t remember why, how or when.  Suddenly that was it.  The one woman smoothie production line ground to a halt, my blender lay dusty and unloved for months.  When I saw this recipe on My New Roots it re awakened my inner smoothie making gene...stick with me here...and so I dusted off my blender and made the most amazing smoothie.  I think the problem was I just lost my inspiration.  I made the same smoothie every week.  I loved it but it just got old.  It reminded me I need to mix things up a bit and try different ingredients more often.  We still have the central game players, frozen banana, kale, almond milk but a few unexpected guests have turned up to make this smoothie way more interesting.  In particular it’s packed with protein which is something I don’t always feel features enough in my diet.  It also makes the best of summer fruits peaches and blueberries.  So make this smoothie, it tastes like heaven in a glass, thick and creamy with pops of fruit and it’s really good for you.

For those who are put off the whole frozen banana idea, all you need to do is peel and chop up your banana and stick it in the freezer on a plate for about an hour.  You want it frozen but it doesn’t need to be rock solid.  I’m sure you’ll be riveted to know that I do this first thing in the morning and then pop off and have a shower.  By the time I drag myself back downstairs it’s usually had a good 45 minutes in the freezer and is ready to use.  Freezing the banana just makes the smoothie extra creamy but it’s by no means essential.  Happy smoothie making!

Recipe very slightly adapted from My New Roots.

Makes 1 huge glass or 2 smaller ones.  This was plenty for myself and my husband.

1 cup blueberries, mine were frozen

1 frozen banana and frozen peach (same method as banana)

5 large basil leaves

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 teaspoon bee pollen (optional)

1-2 teaspoons pea protein powder (optional and use more if you like)

1 handful of kale, finely chopped and stems removed

200ml almond milk

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  I usually do this in stages starting off with the kale and almond milk and then adding the other ingredients one by one.  It’s easier on the blender that way.