So It’s the weekend and I know we’ve all got life going on all around us so I’m keeping it short and sweet today. I’m just popping in to share this smoothie recipe that I made this past week because it’s one any smoothie lover is going to be thrilled with. That is, of course, unless you’re one of those fruity smoothie people who think chocolate should be strictly in desserts. You’re not, right???
This smoothie is simple, fast, and only a few ingredients. It’s also gluten free, dairy free, and vegan, and you can adapt it very easily too. For example, peanut butter is a great sub for the tahini and if you want it creamier just trade out the almond milk for regular or some lite coconut cream for something really decadent!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 cup almond milk (plain or vanilla)
- 1/2 of a large banana (or a whole one for a thicker and more filling smoothie)
- 1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup ice (optional)
- 1 tablespoon natural sweetener such as honey or maple syrup, or to taste (use stevia for a sugar free option)
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash of sea salt (optional but so good!)
- Optional garnishes: sasame seeds, cocoa powder, shaved dark chocolate
Instructions
- Combine all of your ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Top with some shaved dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and/or sesame seeds if you want. That's it, enjoy!
Friday Favorites:
I feel like I’ve been seeing the pictures of this cake popping up this week all over the internet and it’s killing me. Omg, I.MUST. MAKE. IT!!!
I’ve never seen such a glamourous protein bar. These “Perfect” Cashew Butter Protein Bars are definitely worth bookmarking, YUM!
If you’re wanting some cozy soups to warm up this week, I thought these all looked and sounded soup-er good (he he he)!
This is one of those recipes that seems like it would be something you have to be into this kinda thing or you won’t like it. As it happens, I’m totally into it ->> Singapore Sweet Potato Noodles from Tieghan over at Half Baked Harvest
Next time you’re in the mood to make something delicious and hearty you have to try these burritos. Don’t they look amazing????
Okay, and here are some blogs that I came across this week. Not like “Hey, look at how cool I am because I discovered these!”, actually some are quite popular. It’s more like “Wow, I love this blog, why didn’t I know about it???”
This is a blog about a girl who loves food and travel: Black.white.vivid.com
This one is written by a girl who knows her stuff. Check out how many inspiring and helpful things she’s up to and sharing with her readers: Kotrynabass.com
I’m not like huge on fashion at this point in my life but I’ve got this feeling I might stumble into it more at some point and I was just inspired by this blog – > GirlMeetsGlam.com
Here’s another blogger out there writing about travels and food and enjoying life. The blog is in the Netherlands but it has English translations: YourLifestyleGuide.nl
Also, does anyone else ever get overwhelmed by the sheer number of amazingly talented bloggers out there? Thoughts?
Oh man! That tahini sounds like it would go so well with a chocolate smoothie! I’m a huge chocolate-smoothie-for-breakfast kind of girl. I’ll have to give this a try this weekend!
So glad you feel like I do about this, Stacy!
I had a question about the smoothie…does it taste tahini-y or kinda has savory undertones due to the tahini, or does it just add general nuttiness? I’ve never tried the tahini+chocolate combo and I’m wary and skeptical, but I figure you wouldn’t lead us astray. ?
You can’t actually taste the tahini in particular. Like you said, it’s a very light undertone similar to that of peanut butter. It’s amazing! I hope you enjoy it and don’t hesitate to adapt the flavor to your own taste by adding more or less of the cocoa, tahini, and sweetener! Thanks for reading!
You are so cute.