Green Mango Tahini Smoothie

Some mornings, I am not super hungry, so I only have some cashew-milk-creamed coffee and apple slices. Some mornings, I make oatmeal and go crazy with my toppings. And, some mornings, I really want a smoothie milkshake.

What’s that, you ask?

I have shared a dessert smoothie with you before, and this one falls in the same category…only it packs way more vitamins and fibre than said dessert smoothie. It tastes ridiculously decadent, is topped off with a huge dollop of whipped coconut cream, and looks super pirdy. And, it’s so healthy! I really should have this smoothie more often! And so should you.

Last week was really not a super happy one for me. I am not sure as to why, but maybe it’s just that the adrenaline levels have gone back down, and I am starting to understand the reality of my job. While I really enjoy it, it is also a) a lot of work and b) a lot of responsibility. I am getting the hang of it, though, and, while I am really glad that next week we have a week off, I am also excited to start teaching my own classes.

I had some trouble eating regularly the first few weeks, because everything was so chaotic and it was quite tough to figure out when to eat inbetween lessons etc. The “breaks” you may remember from your own childhood don’t really count as such for teachers…15 minutes go by extremely quickly! But I feel like I am getting the hang of that, too. The most important thing for me is to take some lunch to school, because you never know if you will actually be able to go home when you planned. And, it’s important to eat breakfast, even if it’s “only” a smoothie.

The smoothie I made last week, though, is far from being “only” a smoothie. It is extremely creamy, thick, and very mild in taste. Eventhough spinach is involved, you can absolutely NOT taste the “green”! Depending on how ripe the mango is that you are using, you may or may not feel the need to add dates. Since the one I used when I shot this recipe wasn’t too ripe, I added two dates and it added the perfect hint of sweetness.

As for the topping…of course, as always, it’s completely optional to add whipped coconut cream on top. However, I must say it really took this smoothie to another level for me. It makes it feel like a real “milkshake” rather than something healthy. If you sprinkle some bee pollen on top, it even looks pretty (and adds a fun crunch to the whipped cream).

This recipe makes about a litre of smoothie, which is a crazy amount. But feel free to save half for a later time – that way you get to add coconut whipped cream twice! That’s a win-win in my book!

• Servings: 1-2
• Time: 3 min.
• Print

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 mango (including the middle part)
• 1 Tbs. tahini
• 1 cup soy-rice milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 dates (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. barley grass powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. bee pollen
• 1 dollop whipped coconut cream

Procedure:

1. Blend all the ingredients above into a smoothie, excepting the bee pollen and coconut cream.

2. Top with whipped coconut cream and bee pollen. Enjoy with a straw and spoon!

I have gotten over the fear of making smoothies in my new apartment now. The first few weeks, I was worried that it would wake up my landlords, who live on the floor below; but so far, they haven’t complained, so either they are very sound sleepers, or they are up at 6 in the morning and don’t mind. Either way, I use my blender whenever I want to!

I usually make whipped coconut cream from scratch, but since I discovered this “coconut topping cream” in one of the local supermarkets two weeks ago, and made the whole package when I prepared the 3-course-meal for my mom and I, I had some left-over (it keeps quite a long time!). It is sweetened, which I don’t particularly like, but they use molasses to sweeten it instead of refined sugar/powdered sugar, so I can fool myself into thinking it’s slightly more healthy.

I have been cutting back on my use of soymilk, as I feel like it’s not perfect for my allergic tummy. I have been using cashew milk for my coffee, and only use soy-milk (soy-rice milk in this case) for smoothies or oatmeal.

Of course, this smoothie is splendid without the coconut cream, but I really do suggest you try it with the toppings on top at least once…you’ll never look back! And don’t worry too much about the whipped coconut cream making the smoothie “unhealthy”; you need a little luxury in your life, especially if you’re drinking green smoothies. Live a little, okay?

Bee pollen aren’t only pretty on top of this smoothie, but they are also super-healthy. I always buy them at a local market/fair in my hometown, and was told that you can fight pollen allergies if you regularly consume bee pollen. I don’t suffer from a pollen allergy, but I figure I can reap the benefits all the same.

I can really only suggest you make this smoothie sometime this week, as I bet it’ll make the start of your day that much better! The mix of mango, tahini and banana is truly perfect – though I must say that I have been loving tahini, so anything including the seed butter is something I am adoring right now.

I am off to a staff training week, after which I will be able (in theory) to do theater courses at schools. I’m a bit anxious to see how my eating will be dealt with this week…I called the kitchen of the place we’re staying ahead of time, but they didn’t really evoke much confidence concerning their knowledge of cooking for allergy-people. Let’s hope for the best, though!