Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothies

These mint chocolate chip smoothies have been my life for the last month or so. I'm not even kidding. I've been making them for dessert every single day and they still haven't gotten old. Each batch I make is different presumably because the ripeness of the bananas is not consistent and the strength of the fresh mint varies. I recommend adding ingredients a little at a time, tasting, and adding more. You cannot detract mint extract from a recipe. I would know since I drank a fair share of smoothies that taste exactly like toothpaste. On the plus side, they make my breath really fresh! The smoothies are based off of the Oh She Glows recipe.

Just last weekend I was in town for the Pittsburgh half marathon. I wasn't planning on actually doing it but I did. It was seriously painful and I promised myself I would not sign up for another race without training again. It was so much fun since I saw so many friends that weekend and during the race. I do love marathon weekend. There's nothing better than 10,000 runners gathered for 1 event. I was in Pittsburgh when the marathon started up again. Brittany and I handed out water and we were inspired to sign up the next year! When we finished she wouldn't even speak to anyone. That gives you a small idea of how difficult running a half or full marathon is (but still totally fun and worth it). Every year the race keeps getting bigger and more awesome. Yay Pittsburgh!

Makes 2 smoothies

2 frozen ripe bananas (but not too ripe)

1 3/4 cups light coconut milk (1 can)

1/4 cup almond milk

2 handfuls baby spinach

1 small handful fresh mint leaves

1/4- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp maca powder (optional)

1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Add spinach and mint to blender first. Then add milks, bananas, and vanilla. Blend. Taste then add the peppermint extract. Add the optional ingredients if desired. Blend until smooth. Then add chocolate chips and blend just until suspended. You could also just use mini chocolate chips and skip blending them. Try cacao nibs stirred in for a healthier option!

Mango Smoothie

I've been meaning to do a mango smoothie post for ages now. This one is based off of the blood orange smoothie post but with mango instead!! These saved me when I was in Vietnam. I love mangoes. I would eat them daily there. Here, I just settle for frozen mango smoothies. Still delicious!

This recipe makes 2 servings 

1 ripe mango (or equivalent amount frozen mango)

1 large ripe banana, frozen

6 clementines, peeled

1 can light coconut milk 

1 tbsp hemp seeds

5 ice cubes

Coconut flakes for topping 

Peel and cube the mango. Slice the banana. Place all ingredients in blender except ice and blend on high for awhile. Since we're adding whole clementines it takes longer to blend the pith. Add the ice and blend for a bit. Then pour into glasses and top with coconut flakes and additional hemp seeds. Also you can throw in a handful of spinach but it'll change the color.

Blood Orange Smoothie

I know, another smoothie post. But this is necessary, I promise. Also, it's from How Sweet Eats. So Laura and I are continuing on the trend of how we make everything she does. Also I super stalk her baby page. So much cute. And I'm writing incomplete sentences. What else is new? That's how excited I am about this smoothie. I made it like 5 times already. The best part? I can share the leftovers with Rex because it's vegan and delicious. I kept the recipe the same but sometimes I would add an extra blood orange or clementine depending on what I had. The ganache recipe makes a lot so when I doubled the recipe, I only made one batch.

Makes 2 smoothies

1 can coconut milk

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1 frozen banana

6 clementines, peeled

1 blood orange, peeled

Ice cubes

Take out 4 tablespoons coconut cream at top of the can and place into bowl of chopped chocolate. Microwave on low for 30 seconds at a time, stirring until melted. Place the rest of the ingredients in blender and go crazy!! Then spoon the ganache into sides of glasses and pour smoothie up to the top.

Tahini Date Smoothie- 2 ways

Lately I've been into smoothies and doing yoga. They kind of go together. I also just biked to work for the first time since August since the weather is now only somewhat chilly. My bike route takes me on a bike trail right next to the Schuylkill river. It is actually a pleasant commute minus the fact that I'm completely out of bike shape! Anyways, I've been making this shake from Cookie+Kate continuously. In fact, I'm drinking it for breakfast right now. I use Soom tahini in the smoothie. It's super smooth and made of Ethiopian sesame seeds. My cousin turned me onto this brand which is Philly based. In fact, one of the best restaurants here (Zahav) uses it in their hummus. Soom also makes a chocolate tahini which is the second way I make this smoothie!! I know a tahini smoothie sounds strange but I promise it's delicious.

Tahini Date Smoothie

Makes one large smoothie 

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 frozen ripe bananas

1/4 cup tahini 

4 Medjool dates

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Pinch cardamom

Ice cubes, if desired

Soak the dates in some warm water for a couple hours if they seem tough. Then drain and throw everything (minus Ice cubes) in a blender. Blend until really smooth! Then add ice cubes (maybe like 3) and blend again. Top with more cinnamon and black sesame seeds.

Chocolate Tahini Smoothie

Makes 2 medium smoothies

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 frozen ripe bananas

1/4 cup chocolate tahini 

2 dates

1 blood orange, peeled

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1 pinch cardamom

Place everything in blender and blend until completely smooth. Alternatively you could make the smoothie above and add cocoa powder if you don't want to buy chocolate tahini paste. But then you wouldn't have a whole jar to eat out of!! If you choose to go this route, I would taste once blended and see if some maple syrup is needed.

Green Smoothies

It's our second last day in Orange County. We're staying with my aunt Theresa in Westminster which is where little Saigon is located. It's basically like a warm-up to Vietnam with more space. Every morning we wake up, drink Vietnamese coffee that my uncle makes, eat Vietnamese pastries from the French bakery down the street, and drink a green smoothie made for us by my cousin, Kevin. He got a Nutri-blend (magic bullet on steroids) and it liquifies almonds. Pretty awesome. Just because it's your lucky day, I'll be blogging 2 of my favorite green smoothie recipes that he has made for us.

We've been spending a lot of time with my little cousins and my aunt. The thing about not having a job is that it leaves time for other things like extra eating time and daily mass. All in all, it's pretty amazing. Everyone in our family has been taking us out to the best Vietnamese food in town (which by deduction via my uncle is the best Vietnamese food in America). We've had pho, crawfish, a 7-course spring roll dinner, French-Vietnamese pastries by the dozen, and so many other treats. I'm grateful for the green smoothies so we have some small amount of healthfulness going for us.

Also, my aunt lives just 15 minutes from the beach! We rented single speed bikes that were the heaviest things in the world and biked 14 miles from Huntington to Newport beach and back. We were fueled by ham and cheese croissants, poke bowls (like a Hawaiian sushi bowl) + a spam roll, and banzai bowls.

This is not a picture of the smoothies Kevin made for me, but rather a failed attempt by me to replicate him by not using any part of his recipe.

So back to the recipe (each recipe makes enough for you plus a friend.)

Pumpkin Chai Smoothie

Can you tell I've been roasting pumpkins by all the pumpkin recipes lately? Well here's another one.

1 large, ripe banana
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup pumpkin chai tea mix (I picked up some Tazo chai)
3 ice cubes
1 tsp bee pollen

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour into glass and top with additional bee pollen.

Blueberry Avocado Smoothie

Since warmer weather is finally here, I have been making lots of smoothies. Mostly after yoga class. Best combination ever!!! Yoga + smoothies = happiness. I made this one for Brittany and myself, but I ended up drinking both servings. Whoops. I added some raw, local honey to help with my allergies this time of year!

makes 2 servings

2 heaping cups frozen blueberries

2 ripe avocadoes

1 tablespoon raw honey

1 packet stevia powder

2 cups vanilla almond milk

1. Slice the avocadoes in half, and then scoop out the pits. Then use a spoon to scrape out all of the pale green flesh. Throw into the blender.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. You have to make sure to blend really well when using blueberries since they can end up kind of chunky.

3. Pour into pint glasses and enjoy!

Avocado Smoothie

My favorite drink in Vietnam is an avocado smoothie. My mom used to make these for me when I was little. This is a great way to use ripe avocados. They turn out to be such a pretty pale green color. This recipe is just  for 1 smoothie so feel free to double or triple it for multiple people (or just for yourself).

1 ripe avocado, seed removed and flesh scooped out
1 large spoonful of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup almond milk (more or less depending on how thick you want the smoothie)
1 squirt of agave nectar (or 1 spoonful of granulated sugar)
5 ice cubes

Place in a blender and blend until smooth. I put my smoothie in a mason jar so I could take it to work. Yum! Next time, I think I'll add some spinach for some more green color!

The Great Pumpkin Breakfast

It's Halloween weekend, so after going to Amazing Yoga with Nick, I decided to make us a seasonal breakfast. After all, I had to find something to do with all that pumpkin puree that I made earlier.

I was inspired to make pumpkin pancakes by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's article on all things pumpkin, but I definitely changed it up a little. My version follows.