[Recipe] Date Tropical Smoothie

Ah, now here’s a great tip from Sommer at A Spicy Perspective: throw together the ingredients for a dozen of your favorite smoothies and freeze the ingredients in one big ziplock bag or in single or double batches, depending on how many you usually make each morning. Now isn’t that a good idea to get a head start on your day?

I also love her tip about freezing tinned coconut milk in ice cube trays. Thanks Sommer! It’s a great way to prevent waste – and save money – as it’s not the first time I’ve found a container with the last drop of coconut milk that has gone off at the back of the refrigerator. And it’s too expensive to waste like that!

Here’s what Sommer has to say about her favorite smoothie recipe (you’ll find it at the end of the post) …

These babies are hearty, with a satisfying complexity that will keep you coming back for more. The roasted macadamia nut flavor and touch of salt, combined with the earthy flavor of the dates and bright tropical fruits, creates something magical. Plus, they are naturally gluten free and dairy free, using coconut milk and rice milk as the base.

Please turn to the Next Page for the recipe …

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Recipe: Date Tropical Smoothie

To make freezer bags you need to plan in advance.  And in advance of packing the freezer bags you want to freeze the coconut milk.  I’d suggest doing this the day before you plan to make up your bags.

Serves 10 large; 12 regular

Ingredients:

• 2 – 14 ounce cans lite unsweetened Coconut Milk
• 2 ripe Mangoes
• 2 ripe Papayas
• 3 Bananas
• 1 pound roasted Macadamia nuts
• 30 Dates
• 10 cups Rice Milk

Directions:

1. Before you want to pack your freezer bags, shake the cans of Coconut Milk to mix. Then pour the coconut milk into two ice cube trays (standard ice cube trays with 16 cubes per tray.) Place in the freezer.
2. When you are ready to pack the bags: Cut a small slit in each Date and remove the pit. Peel and cut the Bananas* into chunks the same size as the coconut ice cubes.
3. Peel, seed, and chop the Mangoes* and Papayas* into chunks the size of the coconut ice cubes.
4. Place all items, including the Macadamia nuts, into zip bags and place in the freezer, until frozen solid. Keep the rice milk in the fridge.
5. For EACH smoothie, place in the blender: 3 coconut milk cubes, 2 mango chunks, 2 papaya chunks, 1 banana chunk, 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, 3 dates, 1 cup rice milk. Puree until smooth and thick.
6. Enjoy :o)

*  Note: It’s worth freezing the fruit in a single layer in advance; it much easier then to distribute and separate them later.

Source: A Spicy Perspective

Photo: A Spicy Perspective