We are down a teacher at Bikram Yoga Kawana & Noosa; HELLO, DIDN’T YOU SEE THE JOB ADVERT – IT’S STILL UP FOR GRABS!. So I’m teaching a lot atm, plus I’m on a six week Bikram Yoga challenge! Veronika usually keeps me pumped full of goodness with more raw than roasted these days but she’s away so it’s just Sura Dog and I fending for ourselves. I’m missing Veronika’s magic so I asked her to join the blog this week. Here’s her take on protein smoothies:
Carob Protein Powder:
I use Carob as a nut substitute when I’m short on nuts or as an extra ingredient because it has a nutty taste. I usually add 1-2 heaped tablespoon/s to the smoothie before blending.
Some nuts taste more nutty than others so when I make a protein drink and I want to make a ‘chocolaty’ one, I like using hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds and sort of ‘save’ the cashews and macadamias for more fruity smoothies, like the featured Papaya Smoothie.
I was told by some real nutters (Mick’s Nuts, in Brisbane) to keep Matt’s nuts fresh by keeping them in the fridge! Also try to buy fresh nuts instead of packaged ones from the supermarket.
Papaya Smoothie:
- 1/4 medium papaya or pawpaw
- 1 small banana
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 cup mixed nuts: macadamia, cashews
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- Blend until smooth
Chocolate Smoothie:
- 1 cup of mixed nuts: pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts (whatever you like or have in the fridge)
- 1 banana (on hot days you can use a frozen one)
- 1 cup soy milk (or more if the texture is too thick)
- 1-2 tsp cocoa powder
- 3-4 dates to sweeten / 1-2 tsp honey, agave (whatever you prefer)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla paste / 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon / 1 tbs coconut flakes (you can skip them but one day you may want a coconut smoothie, the other day a cinnamon smoothie etc)
- 1/4 or 1/2 avocado (if you want to boost your smoothy)
- Blend until smooth
Fruit Smoothie:
Similar to the Chocolate Smoothie recipe except:
- Instead of cocoa powder you can use papaya, mango, berries, etc.
- I prefer to use cashews, macadamias, almonds, not so much walnuts and pecans (but really, it’s up to you)
- Blend until smooth
Now before you get too excited, I just want to say that I’m not a nutritionist, raw food chef or vegan expert; I’m just experimenting and having some fun with smoothies to keep us in good health. Any comments are most welcome!