Raw Smoothies

3 More Recipes from What Do Raw Fooders Eat Volume 2 by Nomi Shannon

September 5, 2015 by Veronica Grace

Hello again!

My friend and colleague Nomi Shannon just sent me three more yummy recipes from her latest collection. I’m forwarding them to you so you can try them out and enjoy them as much as I have.

From Nomi:

“Would you like to know the fascinating recipe ideas I got from reading “What Do Raw Fooders Eat, Volume 2 ?”

Then keep reading. Because right here in this email, I’ll share a few of them with you.

You might think that I have “tasted it all”. But to my delight, I was tantalized by many of the recipes I discovered.

Try these yourself and dazzle your taste buds.

Elaina Love’s Hot Chocolate Elixir

I sometimes miss coffee, and occasionally I have some. But when I made this luscious ‘brew’ I knew I’d found a nutritious, filling coffee replacement. In fact, I’ve made it with a bit of instant coffee I keep in the house for company. This yummy hot drink is the perfect replacement for those $6- plus tip -drinks you buy at coffee houses. What a concept: a pick me up that’s actually good for you! Elaina Love is a SUPERSTAR international raw chef and teacher.

Ingredients:

2 cups hot water

2 Tablespoons Desiccated coconut, ground in a coffee grinder

2 Tablespoons xylitol (super low glycemic sweetener made with Birch Bark)

1 Tablespoon raw cacao or carob powder

1 Tablespoon coconut oil (I skip this)

1 teaspoon maca powder

1 Tablespoon soaked chia seeds (to make soaked chia seeds, mix ¼ cup of dry seeds with 1 cup of water and soak overnight if possible)

2 teaspoons instant coffee substitute (Dandy Blend) OR 7 drops of coffee essence (Medicine Flower)

10 drops vanilla liquid stevia or to taste

¼ teaspoon high mineral salt

Directions: Blend on high until creamy and frothy. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg

Penni Shelton’s Blueberry Hemp-Nut Shake

This smoothie is a real winner. It takes under 5 minutes to make and will keep you fueled until lunch time with healthy fats and protein. Penni, you are a genius, such a simple but delicious recipe.

2 cups water

½ cup hemp seeds

1 Tablespoon coconut nectar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 x 10 ounce package frozen blueberries

1 banana

Blend all ingredients into a smooth, creamy, yummy shake.

From Penni: With the high protein and essential fatty acids of hemp nuts and the powerful antioxidant superfood status of blueberries, I knew this shake wouldn’t let me down.

Deb Durrant’s Chocolate and Raspberry Parfait

An innovative recipe creator and fabulous teacher, caterer and Raw Food Guru in the UK, Deb creates amazing raw desserts as well as anything else you can think of, in her signature Super Gourmet way.

Mousse Ingredients (serves 4):

2 medium size, very ripe avocados

1 heaping cup raw cacao powder

1 cup coconut sugar

1/3 cup coconut butter, melted (I skip this part since there’s already enough fat in the recipe from the avocados)

1 Tablespoon vanilla paste

Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

For the fruit layer:

1 punnet (approximately 1 pint US) raspberries

1 Tablespoon agave syrup (I’m not a fan of agave, so I skip this)

For the chocolate mousse: Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. Then make the raspberry jam: Mash half the raspberries with the back of a fork and mix in the agave syrup. Spoon a bit of jam in the bottom of each of the glasses. Then add the chocolate mousse layer and top with a teaspoon of raspberry jam. Top with the remaining fresh raspberries. Put it in the refrigerator for an hour or two to set.”

Wow! These three recipes are from Nomi’s latest collection: What Do Raw Fooders Eat, Volume 2– but I haven’t even mentioned yet the $212.72 worth of Super Bonuses you get with purchase of What Do Raw Fooders Eat, Volume 2!

That’s right, you’ll get instant access to Nomi’s carefully curated BONUS BUNDLE of products including: Amazing Recipes, How To Make Salves & Creams at home, Detox Protocols and Recipes, Health & Beauty Tips, How To Create 5 Minute Breakfasts, Healthy Party Food, Transition Recipes, Power Breakfasts, Meals Made From Greens and so much more…Plus 3 full length books from well known authors Nathan Crane, Frederic Patenaude and Dr.Ritamarie Loscalzo.

Nomi is offering a 3 MONTH MONEY BACK GUARANTEE AND OVER $212 IN BONUSES THAT YOU GET TO KEEP, NO MATTER WHAT…So, What are you waiting for?

The Fruitarian Restaurant: A Decadent Fantasy on Rarotonga, The Cook Islands

June 17, 2013 by Veronica Grace 10 Comments

A friend of mine just came back from a trip to an exotic island in the Pacific called Rarotonga in the Cook Islands and was raving about this “amazing” restaurant he had discovered there.

It’s called “The Frutarian”, and truly, it’s the most amazing place I have ever heard of. Apparently the owners have been raw for over 20 years, and have decided to open this place in this remote island, and in spite of all expectations, it’s doing great!

Beach on Rarotonga - by Veronica Grace

I was a little curious because I have yet to find a restaurant that truly blew me away with the type of cuisine I enjoy on a regular basis: low fat raw vegan. Every vegetarian restaurant, let alone raw food restaurant I’ve been to featured the same staples of fatty salads and or nuts as the base of every dish.

So my friend went on describing this place as the new “it” restaurant in the Pacific, it was drawing in lots of tourists among vegetarians, raw foodists and other various health seekers.

It had a breathtaking view of the ocean and an open air sitting room for about 25 people, they were open from 8-5pm and always had a steady flow of satiated patrons. “What did you order there that was so amazing?” I asked my friend. “Fruit and salad!” He exclaimed. I raised my eyebrow in curiosity and he went to elaborate.

Sunset on Rarotonga - by Veronica Grace

Apparently this place had combined all the great things about a juice bar, a smoothie bar, a salad bar and a sit down restaurant and rolled it all into one. He pulled out a To Go menu from his pocket to satisfy my skepticism. I transcribed it for you below:

Breakfast:

All-You-Can-Eat Mono Fruit Plate (banana, mango, papaya, pineapple or watermelon) $10.99
Sunrise Pudding (blend of sweet papaya and bananas garnished with chopped fruit) $7.99
Green Goddess Smoothie (bananas, fresh lettuce) Regular $5.99 Large $7.99
Wake Me Up Mango Smoothie (fresh orange juice, mangos) $5.99 Large $7.99
Going Bananas Smoothie (3 kinds of bananas) $5.99 Large $7.99
Vitality Vegetable Juice (tomato, cucumber, celery, lettuce, carrot, beet) $6.99 Large $8.99

Lunch/Dinner:

All-You-Can-Eat Mono Meal Fruit Plate (banana, mango, papaya, pineapple or watermelon) $10.99
Banana Sandwiches (bunch of bananas served with fresh lettuce) $6.99
Guacamole Wrap (avocado, cherry tomatoes, and lime served with fresh lettuce) $8.99
Veggie Wraps (shredded carrot, cucumber, beet, zuchinni served with avocado and lettuce) $7.99
Island Tacos (guacamole and salsa served with lettuce and cabbage leaves) $9.99
Going Greek Salad (cucumber, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and Greek dressing) $7.99
Mango Love Salad (mangos and sweet oranges on spinach leaves) 8.99
Super Size Me Salad Style (build your own: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, green onions, red onions, sprouts, snap peas, celery, heart of palm, fresh herbs, apple, raisins, mango) Reg. $10.99 Sumo Size $15.99
Fresh dressings: light guac, sundried tomato, Greek, summer dill, mangolicious, Reg. $1.99 Large $2.99

Appetizers:

Gigantic Fruit Plate *serves 3-4 (banana, mango, papaya, pineapple, apple, kiwi) $15.99
Skewer Me Fruity (pineapple, mango, papaya fruit skewers) $9.99
Mini Pizzas (zuchinini rounds topped with sundried tomato sauce and cherry tomatoes) $8.99
Little Dippers (celery, cucumber and zucchini dippers served with guacamole and salsa) $9.99

Juices:

Fresh Green Coconut $3.99
Pressed Cane Juice $4.99
Orange Juice $4.99 Lg. $6.99
Apple Juice $4.99 Lg. $6.99
Watermelon Juice $3.99 Lg. $5.99
Vitality Vegetable Juice $6.99 Lg. $8.99
Build Your Own Juice $6.99 Lg. $8.99

Smoothies:
Reg. $5.99 Lg. $7.99

Going Bananas Smoothie (3 kinds of bananas)
Wake Me Up Mango Smoothie (mango, orange juice)
Green Goddess Smoothie (banana, lettuce)
Banana Loves Papaya (banana, papaya)
Island Love (coconut water, pineapple, passionfruit)
Workout Buster (coconut water, banana, celery, lettuce)
Green and Lovin’ It (Coconut water, kiwi, dates)
Build Your Own Smoothie

Desserts:

Coconut Cream (Coconut water, jelly and dates) $5.99
Banana Icecream (frozen bananas and vanilla made into softserve) $4.99
Glazed Fruit (fruit plate glazed with date sauce) $6.99
Fresh Dates (seasonal) $6.99

Rocks on Rarotonga by Veronica Grace

This menu looks amazing, I thought. It has everything that a raw food restaurant is missing, fruit and healthy low fat recipes. I couldn’t wait to check out this place and try it for myself. I asked my friend, do you know who owns this place? He flipped over the back of the menu and showed it to me. It read, “Owned and Operated by Veronica Grace”.

Sadly, I woke up at just that moment and realized that this amazing place was purely a figment of my imagination. Yet it had seemed so real. I could actually picture this place existing from the description I was given and this menu flowed out of me with some items I’ve never even made before! It got me thinking though, wouldn’t it be nice if someone somewhere had the same dream as me and was looking for a fresh new edge on the raw restaurant scene?

Muri Lagoon, Rarotonga by Veronica Grace

Maybe one day… but hey until then feel free to reference this imaginary menu to get creative in your kitchen and try some amazingly tasty low fat raw vegan cuisine! You’d be surprised how great your food can taste with only a few ingredients and some simple tools like a mandolin and blender.

This is the menu I dream of and have yet to see anywhere in the Raw Food World!

I actually have visited Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands and unfortunately it was not the fruit paradise I dreamed of, but it was still gorgeous nonetheless so I’ve included some beautiful photos I took on my travels there in 2011. Hope you enjoy my menu suggestions and my island shots!

Muri Lagoon, Rarotonga by Veronica Grace

Soy-Free Vegan Tropical Acai Berry Bowl Recipe

June 9, 2013 by Veronica Grace 1 Comment

Whipping up acai bowl recipes are pretty easy. I like to use whatever fresh and frozen fruits I had on hand. This one is similar to my Acai Banana Berry Bowl Recipe , but it’s perfect for summer with fresh mango and berries. Acai bowls can be topped with your favorite fruits, but I know some of you have never had one before and are unsure how to make them at home.

Acai is usually sold in a frozen puree for use in smoothies, acai bowls and frozen desserts. You can also buy acai juice, powder and supplements, but I stick with the puree because it’s delicious and a little less processed.

Acai bowls are made up of frozen acai puree, apple juice or soy milk, frozen fruit, granola, fresh fruit and sometimes honey. If you do not have acai frozen puree in your country (I found it at the health food store in Canada and the USA) you can substitute about 1 cup of frozen blueberries.

This is a soy-free version which uses apple juice instead of soy milk to blend it together. You can also use fresh pressed apple juice if desired as well.

Soy-Free Vegan Tropical Acai Berry Bowl Recipe

Serves 1

Bowl Ingredients:

4 oz/ 1/2 cup apple juice (unsweetened if desired)
2 100g packets of frozen Acai (I used Sambazon Original Smoothie Packs)
3/4 cup frozen mango (sub a fresh mango if you do not have a high powered blender such as a VitaMix or Blendtec)

Garnish Ingredients:

1/3-1/2 cup low fat granola of choice (I like Galaxy Granola as it’s oil free)
1/2 -1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup fresh ripe ataulfo mango, diced
1/2 cup diced strawberries
Small handful of blueberries
Drizzle of honey or agave *optional (I don’t find I need this in mine)

Directions:

1. Remove packets of acai and frozen bananas from freezer.

2. Slice the mango, slice the banana and wash the blueberries and set aside.

3. Add apple juice to your blender. Break up the frozen acai into smaller pieces and cut the plastic open and pour into blender. Add the mango. Blend on low or pulse to break up the frozen fruit. If you have a VitaMix use the tamper to puree into a soft serve. If you have another type of blender you may have to stop and stir and keep pulsing to combine. Stop blending when smooth.

4. Scrape acai mixture into a bowl.

5. Top acai with granola.

6. Top with diced mango, bananas, strawberries and blueberries.

7. Serve.

Have you ever had an Acai bowl? What’s your favorite topping?

Tropical Mango Banana Acai Bowl

May 8, 2013 by Veronica Grace 3 Comments

I have another delicious acai bowl recipe for you with mango and banana. This one is similar to my Acai Banana Berry Bowl Recipe , but it’s perfect for summer with this tropical twist. Basically you can top your acai bowl with anything you want, but I know some of you have never had one before and are unsure how to make them at home.

Tropical Mango Banana Acai Bowl

Serves 1

Bowl Ingredients:

Garnish Ingredients:

1/3-1/2 cup low fat granola of choice (I like Galaxy Granola as it’s oil free)
1/2 -1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup fresh ripe ataulfo mango, diced
handful of blueberries or other berries
Drizzle of honey or agave *optional

Directions:

1. Remove packets of acai and frozen bananas from freezer.

2. Slice the mango, slice the banana and wash the blueberries and set aside.

4. Scrape acai mixture into a bowl.

5. Top acai with granola.

6. Top with bananas, strawberries and blueberries.

7. Serve.

Have you ever had an Acai bowl? What’s your favorite topping?

Vitamineral Green Smoothie Recipe

February 3, 2013 by Veronica Grace 17 Comments

So can you use green powders in green smoothies instead of fresh greens? Why yes you can!

I think a lot of us are guilty of not getting enough green leafy vegetables in their diet day after day. Myself included. Sometimes I don’t have enough room in the fridge to have salad ingredients every single day, and sometimes I get tired of chewing salad every day. So I often opt for a green smoothie to get more greens in my diet and it’s pretty fast and simple.

You kind of need a decent blender to blend the fresh greens though otherwise they can end up a little chunky or not so smooth. So you may consider using green powders in your smoothies instead for texture.

Or you may not have access to the best fresh greens all year round so a green powder is a more attractive option for you as well.

You can find a variety of green powders at the health food store and on Amazon.com. Some are based on wheat grass, barley grass or a mixture. I picked up a new one the other day to try out called Vitamineral Green. I’d heard people talk about it before and really liking it so I thought why not give it a shot.

I first tried mixing Vitamineral Green into some water and stirring well in an attempt to drink it. I figured I could manage it. I was dead wrong! It’s not very edible this way! So instead I’ve been playing around added it into smoothies instead of my regular baby spinach or baby greens or kale.

As soon as I started drinking this green smoothie I immediately felt more alert and had a very positive reaction to it. My body definitely enjoys getting more greens!

This is my favorite version that I came up with so far and it definitely tastes like a fruit smoothie with some greens in it, instead of a strong green drink so I think you’ll enjoy it.

Veronica’s Vitamineral Green Smoothie Recipe

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

1/2 cup filtered water
2-3 large bananas (I use 3 so it’s filling)
1-2 heaping tablespoons of Vitamineral Green (I use 2, but you can work up to it)
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup frozen cherries or blueberries

Directions:

Place ingredients in a Vitamix or blender in the order listed and blend on high for about a minute until smooth and creamy.

*Note: You can adjust the thickness of the smoothie as desired by added more or less water and banana. If desired you can add some ice and blend again.

Other Tips:

Make sure to add enough water and sweet fruits such as banana or mango to help mask the strong flavor of Vitamineral Green or other green powders.

You don’t have to use Vitamineral Green, you can use another green powder. Be careful as straight wheat grass or barley grass powder may be stronger in taste. Use a small amount of Vitamineral Green or green powders to start until you get used to them. Gradually increase until you use 1 – 2 heaping tablespoons per smoothie.

Try using 1 banana and 1 fresh mango and frozen berries.

Try 1 Hawaiian papaya 2 bananas and frozen berries.

Try 3 bananas, 1/2 cup almond milk and a scoop of cocoa powder.

What’s your favorite green powder to use? How do you drink it?

(Vegan) Holiday Eggnog Smoothie

December 16, 2012 by Veronica Grace 15 Comments

When I was a kid I used to love eggnog. I have no idea why, but I would go crazy for it at Christmas and couldn’t help myself. Now I can’t even imagine drinking that stuff because it’s just so thick and rich and obviously not vegan. Last year I tried some vegan eggnog from the health food store, but it was also very thick and rich. My tastes have definitely changed and it just wasn’t my thing!

So this year I decided to make a healthier version, using ripe bananas. If your bananas are really ripe and spotted it will make the perfect drink. Please do not use green/yellow bananas as they are too starchy and not sweet enough or ripe enough to be used in smoothies. The bananas I used for this recipe looked like the one on the right, lots of dark brown speckles.

First I peeled and froze some bananas the night before, and then I left a few ripe ones on the counter to use in smoothies as well.

I find frozen bananas are excellent for adding an ice-creamy like texture to blended drinks, so I highly recommend trying it! They make this eggnog smoothie so delicious I’ve been making them all weekend! It takes a boring old banana smoothie to the next level!

To make this creamy you’ll need some non dairy milk as well too. I used almond milk. To make this a completely raw recipe, you can make your own raw almond milk from my recipe here.

Either way I think you will have a new favorite holiday breakfast or snack recipe! Feel free to impress your family or guests with this one too!

(Vegan) Holiday Eggnog Smoothie

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk, or other non dairy milk (unsweetened)
1/8 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
2 ripe bananas, frozen (and broken into pieces if using a regular blender)
1 fresh ripe banana
1/4-1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon (true cinnamon)
dash or two of ground nutmeg
dash or two of ground cloves

Directions:

Place ingredients into blender or Vitamix and combine until smooth and creamy. If using a regular blender you may want to let the bananas defrost for a few minutes before blending to make it easier on the blender. Cutting them into smaller pieces helps too.
Garnish with additional cinnamon or nutmeg if desired.
Serve immediately

Additional Tips:

If you don’t have plain cloves or nutmeg you can use a little pumpkin pie spice instead.

What’s your favorite holiday beverage?

Fruit and Veggie Smoothie Recipe with Beet Juice

September 10, 2012 by Veronica Grace 14 Comments

Sometimes people ask me, “Can I put vegetables into my fruit smoothies?”. And I say “Well that depends”. I wouldn’t necessarily tell a novice that they should try broccoli or carrots in a smoothie, because those vegetables are pretty hard to blend and you may not like it. Same goes for beets. Don’t just toss them into your blender (unless you have a really high powered one and like a gritty chewy smoothie). So instead I recommend for those wanting to up the nutrition of their fruit smoothies that you juice some veggies like carrots or beets and use that as a base for blending. That way you can get the added nutrition of veggies in your fruit smoothies just like a V8 juice, but a much much healthier version.

Normally I only use water to blend my smoothies (because I use sweet fruit like ripe bananas I can get away without using packaged fruit juice), but using a fresh pressed veggie juice is an idea you can try as well. We all know you can certainly drink more beets or carrots than you can chew, so once in a while this may be a good option for you to sneak in some more veggies to your diet. (Or the diets of your loved ones!)

I decided to try it out, and it’s a very interesting taste, you get the earthiness from the beets, without the smoothie being too overly sweet and it’s a cross between a smoothie and plain veggie juice. It’s nice actually. So this way you are still keeping a lot of the fiber intact and this helps create bulk and fullness so your smoothie is much more satisfying as a meal than just a plain old juice.

Here is my beet juice smoothie creation:

Beet Banana Mango Strawberry Smoothie

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh beet juice (about a bunch of small beets juiced, tops optional)
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango
1/2 cup strawberries

Directions:

Pour beet juice into blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend on high until smooth. You can either juice the beet tops or you can chop them up and blend them in.

Additional Tips:

Remember beet greens are a little stronger tasting than lettuce so start out with a little at first and taste test and see what you think. To make this even sweeter add another banana.

Other veggies you can consider juicing to add to your fruit smoothies:

carrots
golden beets
cucumbers
celery
greens (but you can always blend them in too)
other mild veggies

I don’t recommend strong vegetables from the brassica family such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower etc. You CAN however make a savory blended salad or savory veggie stew if you use things like tomatoes for the base and skip the fruit. I just don’t find strong sulphur containing vegetables go well with fruit.

Have you ever had beet juice or beet greens in a smoothie before? What did you think?

80/10/10 Recipe: Raw Vegan Strawberry Banana Green Smoothie

August 13, 2012 by Veronica Grace 14 Comments

So last week I launched my new ebook ‘Simply Decadent Smoothies’ as part of my combo recipe package with ‘Savory Raw Dinner Recipes’ and ‘Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm’ and gave it away as a free bonus.

The combo package was incredibly popular, but a few of you wanted to know if you could get just my smoothie ebook if you had already purchased one or more of the other products before. So I just wanted to let you know that ‘Simply Decadent Smoothies’ is now available at a special discounted price here.

Today I’m going to share with you a tasty new green smoothie recipe that is featured in the recipe ebook. Often people have a hard time finding enough green smoothie recipes that they like and that contain different greens so they are not just eating the same ones all the time like baby spinach.

So because I have a few greens growing in my garden (like leaf lettuce, Swiss chard, kale and spinach) I like to at least rotate through those ones and think up new combinations that work well while masking the taste of the greens with sweet fruit.

This green smoothie recipe features banana, mangoes, strawberries and red leaf lettuce and looks more of a burnt orange color than green for a typical green smoothie recipe.

So let’s check it out:

Raw Vegan Strawberry Banana Mango Green Smoothie

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
1 ripe mango (flesh only)
2 cups whole strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 handful of red leaf lettuce or other mild green
1/2 cup of water

Directions:

Place ingredients into VitaMix or blender in order listed. Blend on medium speed and use the tamper (if necessary) to push the lettuce down until they are incorporated. (If you have a regular blender you may want to chop the lettuce first into smaller pieces.)

Garnish with a fresh strawberry and serve!

What do you think of this smoothie recipe? Have you ever used red leaf lettuce in a green smoothie?

For more delicious smoothie recipes check out:

Simply Decadent Smoothies

Over 50 raw fruit and green smoothie recipes

In this 46 page ebook, you will discover:

What tools are necessary to create the best tasting smoothies
How to tell if your fruit is ACTUALLY ripe
How to design your own fruit smoothies that taste great every time
How to design your own green smoothies that taste great every time
How to make your green smoothies more appetizing and attractive
25 delicious raw and vegan fruit smoothie recipes
26 delicious raw vegan green smoothie recipes

Order Now

Raw Vegan Summer Piña Colada Recipe

July 29, 2012 by Veronica Grace 6 Comments

“If you like piña coladas and being caught in the rain…” goes the song by Jimmy Buffett… I think almost everyone knows the lyrics to this song. Even when I was a kid we would sing the words to this song and we had never had a piña colada before haha!

But the song sure made them sound good, didn’t it? I have to confess I never really liked regular piña coladas, I didn’t care much for their extra sugary, synthetic, milky flavour (or the alcohol).

What I have for you today is an exceptionally simple, yet amazingly delicious raw vegan AND much healthier version of a piña colada. It’s so good, you’ll never lament over those old creamy dairy based Summer beverages again. My piña colada is much better for you too!

photo credit: The Green Lean Bean

You can buy Thai coconuts at health food stores and Asian markets. These are young GREEN (not little brown) coconuts that have had their outer husks shaved off mechanically to reveal the white part surrounding the actual coconut. Thai coconuts contain a clear coconut water that is full of electrolytes and is very refreshing. They also contain either thin coconut jelly, or firmer coconut meat (this depends on how old the coconuts are, the older they are the thicker the inside coconut meat will be.)

Sometimes you can buy the coconuts with the very tips shaved off so you only need to poke a straw in the middle to be able to drink the coconut water. Others are full sealed so you will need to use a heavy knife to crack open around the top of the coconut.

Here is a youtube video showing just how easy it is to open a Thai coconut. (Not you do NOT have to buy a machete to do this, but you will need a heavy knife that has a sharp heel to it.)

I would say the recipe below can serve 2 people, but I’m not going to lie, I drank the whole thing! It’s that delicious. So I recommend buying at least 2 Thai coconuts if you plan on sharing your piña colada with others as well. 🙂

Raw Vegan Summer Piña Colada Recipe

Serves 1-2, yields about 3 cups

Ingredients:

1 medium Thai coconut – water and meat scooped out
2 cups pineapple chunks (about 1/2 small fresh pineapple)
1 large ripe banana (frozen is best)
1/2 cup of ice

Directions:

Place ingredients in the order listed into your VitaMix or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Add more ice if desired. Serve with a fresh pineapple wedge and a straw.

Enjoy!

*Note that this is a high fat recipe, coconut meat is high in fat and contains saturated fat. So enjoy this treat, but you don’t need to eat coconut based foods every day.

Have you ever had a Thai coconut before? Have you ever used them in recipes?

80/10/10 Recipe: Raw Vegan Watermelon Banana Peach Green Smoothie and 7 Ways To Enjoy Watermelon This Summer

July 24, 2012 by Veronica Grace 12 Comments

Ah Summer… who doesn’t love enjoying a hot summer day and diving into some ice cold juicy watermelon?

Watermelon is the PERFECT Summer fruit and it can be enjoyed so many ways.

7 Different Ways To Enjoy Watermelon This Summer:

#1. Sliced up and served traditionally

#2. Diced into a fruit salad (or use a melon baller)

#3. Blended into fruit smoothies

#4. Juiced (you can even juice the rind!)

#5. Cut into thin slices and dehydrated into watermelon “candy” or fruit roll ups

#6. Grilled and served over a salad

I know right, grilled watermelon? That sounds so weird… But I was at a vegetarian restaurant once that had a grilled watermelon salad on the menu. I thought it was odd, but who knows maybe it could be delicious! I don’t have a barbecue though, so if you try it out let me know what you think!

You should definitely try out dehydrated watermelon slices though if you have access to a dehydrator. It’s like a homemade fruit rollup but tastes like watermelon candy! Kids really love these things and it’s a fun way to get them involved in making healthy treats at home. I was really impressed by how tasty dehydrated watermelon was.

And #7… You can make a watermelon birthday cake like this one I found online!

This watermelon fruit cake would be great for kids with gluten, dairy or egg allergies or if you just want to offer something fresh and wholesome instead of a standard sugary birthday cake. The fruit kabobs make it really easy for kids to eat as well.

Really watermelon is such a versatile fruit and there are so many ways to enjoy it! It makes the perfect base to fruit smoothies too.

Check out my watermelon green smoothie recipe below…

80/10/10 Watermelon Banana Peach Green Smoothie

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

4 cups/20 oz. watermelon chunks
2 ripe bananas
3/4 cup frozen peaches
1 cup packed baby spinach (or other mild greens like lettuce, Swiss chard etc)

Directions:

Place ingredients in Vitamix or blender in the order provided and blend until smooth. Garnish with a spinach leaf or slice of watermelon if desired.

Variations:

Try out different melons! Cantaloup or honeydew will be delicious as well and make for a great variety.

What’s your favourite way to eat watermelon or favourite watermelon recipe?