chocolate-cherry protein smoothie

In an effort to NOT turn the stove on AND to try and get more creative with smoothies---my latest experiment gone successful is the chocolate-cherry smoothie.
Healthy too.
Loving the abundance of fresh cherries at whole foods this year, and wanting to use them in a ice cold drink during the heatwave--I came up with cherry smoothie, but then thought why not add cocoa powder to it?
Dark cocoa powder is actually good for you.
I kept this healthy by not adding any sugar, using protein powder, banana, and lowfat milk (or almond milk).

You could easily swap out protein powder and use greek yogurt.
Adding toasted coconut sounds good too.
Endless combinations really.
Just make sure to add ice.

chocolate-cherry protein smoothie
print recipe

1/2 - 3/4 cup of chopped fresh cherries (minus the pits)
1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I used plain or vanilla flavored)
1 TB dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 banana (or whole)
1/2 cup (or more) of cold milk (or almond milk)
about 1/2 cup of crushed ice

Blend all in a blender until smooth.
This make one smoothie.
Just double up ingredients for 2 or more servings.

modern milkshake: mocha-cardamom shake

Cardamom.
In a milkshake?
Like with dairy as in milk?
Yes, oh yes.
Unbelieveable winning-tasty combination.
The genius behind this is Adam Reid, author of "Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes".
There is a blog-wide "great shakes of 2012" event happening Monday June 25, 2012. Several top food bloggers are participating in this milkshake event. The list of participants is here.


Click me for preview

I love when I get a chance to review a book that has creative recipes. Taking the milkshake, old and new, and turning them into modern day creations.
From the publisher: "The time-honored combination of milk, ice cream, and syrup has satisfied ice cream lovers for generations. In this collection of 100 new recipes, Adam Ried brings America’s favorite concoction into the twenty-first century with familiar ingredients turned into foolproof shakes. Featuring a wide range of blended treats such as the bold Mexican Chocolate Shake with Chipotle and Almond and the traditional Malted Caramel, Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes gives us a whole new take on the shake."

About the author: "Adam Ried is a columnist for the Sunday Boston Globe Magazine and a regular guest on America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts."

A few of Adam's creations:


Malted caramel shake. Pg. 175

Cold buttered rum shake. A delish concoction of butter pecan ice cream, with dark rum, a few spices. Pg. 172

Date-buttermilk shake. Made of ice cream, buttermilk and dates! So good. Pg. 140

Bananas Foster Shake. Made with bananas, amber rum, ice cream and a couple spices. Pg. 112


Peanut-molasses shake. Pg. 159


Cholado. Pg. 179 "....Cholados come from Colombia, but I encountered them first in the Latino neighborhood of Jackson Heights, Queens, in New York City. There is no ice cream involved, so a cholado isn't a shake per se. With distinct fruity, icy, and creamy elements, you might think of it as fruit salad meets Slurpee meats melted sherbet. Eat the fruit with a spoon, and by the time you're done, the ice will have melted and blended with the syrup and milk. The mixture will be ice cold and thick, yet liquidy enough to slurp through a straw....."

I made the mocha-cardamom shake from page 97.






top with espresso powder. truly a tasty, unique shake.

mocha-cardamom milkshake
from Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes
print recipe

1/2 cup cold whole (or lowfat) milk
2 ts instant espresso powder
1/4 ts ground cardamom
4 medium scoops coffee ice cream (about 1 pint), softened
4 medium scoops chocolate sorbet (about 1 pint), softened

Place the milk, espresso powder, and cardamom in a blender and blend to mix thoroughly, about 15 seconds. Add in the ice cream and sorbet and pulse several times to begin breaking them up. With the blender motor off, use a flexible spatula to mash the mixture down onto blender blades. Remove hand and spatula, place cover back on blender and continue to pulse, stopping and mashing again (if needed) until mixture is well blended, thick, and moves easily in the blender. Pour into chilled glasses, and serve at once.
Does not re-freeze well at all. Should make about 3 1/2 cups or 28 ounces.

chocolate-banana vivanno (copycat)

For the longest time (since last summer) I vowed to save money and figure out how to make those Starbuck chocolate-banana vivanno's at home. Little did I know that making them at home not only saves you a ton of money but that you pretty much come 99% close to the exact same drink.
Ripe banana, whey protein, cocoa powder, milk and ice. I also added in a bit of greek yogurt to thicken it up when I didn't have ice cubes on hand.
Tastes exactly the same as Starbucks.
So why not share with you all.
It's been my go-to morning drink all week.
I just love them. I've added coconut to it just for a little extra something something.




Nice and easy.

chocolate-banana Vivanno (copycat)
inspired from Starbucks
print recipe

1 banana
¼ cup plain greek yogurt
½- ¾ cup lowfat milk
1 scoop whey powder
½ - 1 TB cocoa powder (the amount all depends on your level of chocolate taste; I used double dutch ½ TB)
handful of coconut, optional but wonderful
½ cup ice (or more?)

Blend all in a blender until smooth. Top with additional coconut and serve.
Makes one giant smoothie.