••••BANANA SMOOTHIE INSTRUCTIONS••••

(Source: Chiquitabanana.com & iconfinder.com photo)

How to Make a Perfect Banana Smoothie

Here's a short course in the proper banana smoothie technique.

• Start with the perfect banana.  For the most intense banana flavor, we recommend a Chiquita at room temperature that is yellow or yellow with brown spots.
• Peel and cut into bite-size chunks for quick blending and consistent texture. This is a smoothie, not a chunky.
• Use fresh ice. If your tap water tastes yucky, make your ice with filtered or bottled water. As soon as the cubes freeze, store them in air-tight plastic bags so they don't take on any unsavory freezer flavors. 
• Wash, pat dry and cut up any other fruit ingredients before you add them to the blender.
• Don't overfill the blender unless you enjoy cleaning smoothie recipe off your walls.
• Blend until smooth. Pour and enjoy immediately. 

Smoothie Trivia

Smoothies are blended beverages that are often mixed with fresh fruit, crushed or shaved ice, frozen fruit, or other fruit juices. Smoothies usually do not contain ice cream (that’s what milk shakes are for). Smoothies date back to the 1960s when they were offered as healthy alternatives to milk shakes but it wasn't until the 1990s that they began to really catch on. Stephen Kuhnau, founder of Smoothie King, the second largest smoothie franchise in the US, claims to have coined the term “smoothie” in the late 1960s though a company named Waring made a blender in the 1940s that had an accompanying booklet publishing recipes for “smoothees”.

••••HAPPY AUGUST!!!••••

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••••MORE BANANA RECIPES••••

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••••BANANA HEALTH TIP••••

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••••BANANA SPLIT••••

Source: oneingredientchef.com & photos also & clip art.com)

••••INGREDIENTS••••

•1-2 fresh bananas

•4 frozen bananas

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•6 frozen strawberries, divided 

•1 TB cocoa powder

•1/4 cup fresh or frozen pineapple

•2 TB cacoa nibs

•1 can full-flat coconut milk

•3 fresh or frozen cherries

•2-3 TB walnuts

Prep: Make sure you have 4 frozen bananas in your freezer and a can of coconut milk that has been chilling in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Step One: Banana Ice Cream

Start by making some whipped banana ice cream. I have an entire post on this but it’s incredibly simple: cut up all 4 bananas into very thin rounds, add them to a food processor with a teaspoon of vanilla, and pulse for 2-3 minutes until all the banana pieces are broken down and the mixture is whipped into a smooth soft-serve consistency.

Now, divide this into three equal bowls. One will be vanilla (and it’s done, pop it back in the freezer to harden). Add the second third back into the processor with 3 frozen strawberries and whip until the strawberries are incorporated (add this to the freezer to harden). In the final third, add about 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and whip until incorporated (again, add this to the freezer to further harden).

Step Two: Toppings

While the ice cream is becoming a little more firm, prepare the toppings. We’ll use crushed strawberries on the strawberry ice cream, crushed pineapple on the vanilla, and cacao nibs (instead of chocolate sauce) on the chocolate ice cream.

Take two ramekins and add a few frozen strawberries to one and a few chunks of frozen pineapple to the other. Microwave these for a few seconds until soft and use a fork to mash them: voila, crushed pineapple and strawberries. Refrigerate these until ready to assemble. Also, set aside 2 tablespoons of cacao nibs. 

Step Three: Whipped Cream

Make the coconut whipped cream. Again, I have a separate recipe that describes this process in detail  but it’s very easy. A can of full-fat coconut milk should separate into the solids and liquids when refrigerated. To make coconut whipped cream, simply spoon all the solids into a bowl and use a hand mixer to whip into whipped cream. Done.

Step Four: Assemble

Slice 1-2 ripe bananas in half and place them along the edges of a long, narrow dish. Add the three flavors of banana ice cream (which should be a bit more firm by now), top the vanilla with crushed pineapple, strawberry with crushed strawberry, and chocolate with cacao nibs.

Finally, add a dollop of coconut whipped cream to each scoop of ice cream, top each dollop with a fresh (or frozen, if out of season) cherry, and sprinkle a few crushed walnuts over everything. For best results, serve (or freeze) immediately because this will begin to melt very quickly.