tropical summer smoothie

 

hello friends! i hope your summers have been off to a great start & that you are staying cool. as the heat waves of summer continue to strike in niagara, give me all the frozen smoothies! this tropical smoothie features banana, pineapple, mango & coconut. the perfect pool side treat that is good for you too. one sip & you will instantly feel transported to the beach! if i'm not drinking an iced coffee, you can bet i have a fresh fruit smoothie in hand.

this recipe features naked nutrition's collagen peptide packets which are loaded with health benefits. think radiant skin, strong hair + nails, boosted joint health & more. the perfectly portioned stick packs are great for on the go as they are highy soluble & tasteless. you can even add it to your hot morning coffee (ok, iced coffee) or bedtime tea! naked nutrition also has an amazing grass-fed whey protein powder that would be a great addition to this smoothie too if you are looking for a post workout protein kick. a splash of coconut rum would be good in it too, but i'll leave that part up to you.

cheers!

ingredients

  • 1 naked nutrition collagen peptides packet (9.5 grams)
  • 1 frozen banana, diced
  • 1/2 cup diced frozen pineapple
  • 1/2 cup diced frozen mango
  • 1/2 cup coconut yogurt
  • 1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • hemp hearts, to garnish
  • coconut flakes, to garnish
  • sliced lime, to garnish

directions

  • place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. puree until smooth. if smoothie appears thick, add an extra splash of orange juice.
  • transfer to a serving glass. garnish with hemp hearts, coconut & a wedge of lime. enjoy!

rhubarb, apple + coconut crisp

 

rhubarb is one of my all time favourite ingredients to bake with. i love all things sour, so it only makes sense that i love rhubarb in my desserts. this recipe is a pleasent change from a strawberry & rhubarb based recipe. it combines fresh rhubarb & apple, with a coconut topped crisp. as always, the topping portion of this recipe yields a very generous amount, because i don't like to be skimpy on my fruit to crumble ratio. i want each bite of fruit to have an equal amount of sweet, buttery oats!

for this crisp i used bob's redmill unsweetened coconut flakes. i always stick to unsweetened coconut in my recipes, so i can control the amount of sweetness being added to a dish. i absolutely love working with the coconut flakes, as the texture of them is so light & (well) flaky! i like to snack on them too & use the large flakes in my granola or cereal. so good.

ingredients

for the fruit filling

  • 4 cups fresh rhubarb, diced
  • 3 cups apples, peeled & diced
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

for the topping

directions

for the fruit filling

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • in a large mixing bowl toss together the rhubarb, apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, vanilla & lemon juice.
  • transfer mixture to a 9 by 12 inch baking dish & set aside while you prepare your topping.

for the topping

  • in a large mixing bowl whisk the oats, flour, flaked coconut, pecans, brown sugar & salt.
  • add the cubed butter. using your hands workthe butter into the mixture until it resembles a pea sized crumb consistency.
  • evenly disperse over the filling & bake for 50 to 50 minutes, until the fruit filling is bubbly.
  • remove from oven & let cool slighty.
  • serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

this post was created in partnership with bob's red mill! 

like what you see? get it here. baking dish | mixing bowl | tea towel | flatware

green tea ice cream + white chocolate fudge sundae

 

the warm weather means it is time to start enjoying ice cream again! i can't stress enough how easy making ice cream from scratch really is. the only investment it require is an ice cream maker. i use the kitchen aid ice cream maker attachment. i have had it for a few years now & it works perfectly everytime. plus it is way easier to store then owning a separate machine! once you make the investment, you will be creating all sorts of delicious ice cream flavours at home. the key is to place the bowl in the freezer before bed & make the ice cream base before bed too. that way when you wake up, everything is ready to go & all you have to do is churn the mixture into ice cream! the base takes literally 10 minutes to make, so you can do it right before you go to sleep.

for the first ice cream recipe of the year, i am kickin things off with a green tea ice cream, topped with a homemade white chocolate fudge sauce. this sauce is so good, you'll be eating it with a spoon. it is like liquid white chocolate gold. this month also marks aiya's 130th anniversary! since 1888, aiya matcha has been producing premium japanese matcha green tea. the company has been owned by the same family since the beginning & i am so excited they asked me to be part of the celebration! i think a fun, matcha inspired ice cream sundae is the perfect way to celebrate this huge milestone. read all about the history of the company & it's may celebrations here. celebrate by making your own green tea ice cream sundae with the recipe below!

xo

ingredients

green tea ice cream sundae

  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons aiya's matcha powder (i use the cooking grade blend)
  • 1 ½ cups whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • white chocolate fudge sauce (see recipe below), for serving
  • whipped cream, for serving
  • sprinkles, for serving
  • cherries, for serving

white chocolate fudge sauce

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups white chocolate chips
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla

directions

green tea ice cream

  • chill the ice cream bowl in the freezer overnight if required.
  • in a saucepan over medium heat add the milk & matcha powder. bring to a simmer & remove from heat (do NOT boil). whisk until the matcha is evenly distributed.
  • in a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and white sugar until combined.
  • temper in a cup of the matcha milk, whisking vigorously to ensure the eggs do not cook.
  • pour mixture back into the saucepan & cook on low heat until it thickens slightly.
  • strain base into a mixing bowl and stir in whipping cream. let the ice cream base cool overnight in the refrigerator tightly covered with cling wrap. do not skip this step, ice cream will be too soft if the mixture isn't chilled properly.
  • transfer mixture to desired ice cream bowl and churn for 20 minutes.
  • transfer mixture to a freezer safe container and freeze until solid, about 4 hours.
  • when ready to serve, scoop mixture into serving bowl & drizzle with white chocolate fudge. top with whipped cream, sprinkles & a cherry if desired!

white chocolate fudge sauce

  • in a saucepan over low heat add the sugar, cream, corn syrup & butter. cook until the sugar fully dissolves, do not let mixture come to a boil.
  • remove from heat & stir in the white chocolate chips, salt & vanilla.
  • strain into a glass jar & refrigerate until ready to use. sauce can be served both hot and cold!