Happy WIAW! Jenn at Peas and Crayons is over the moon now that her husband, Paul, is back form deployment (hooray!) But she still had time to serve up gorgeous food photos, and even one of her ferret! Check out her blog to see the happy couple, happy food, and a bunch of happy bloggers sharing their midweek treats!
Summer staples from last week included some zucchini that have been producing nicely in my garden, and this week I’d like to include yet another prolific producer–cucumber!
I love the taste and crunch of a fresh cucumber, and if you also like yogurt then yesterday’s Easy Tzatziki recipe is right up your alley. Vanilla Cucumber Smoothie might sound like some kind of body cream, but it’s a real, drinkable smoothie that has the clean, refreshing taste of cucumbers and the smooth sweetness of vanilla. I had one for breakfast, and it was a delicious and light post-workout snack:
Refreshing, packed with nutrients, and low in fat, carbs, and calories–just around 250 for 30 ounces of deliciousness (this glass is only 12 oz…refills!)
Lunch was another fruit & veggie yogurt bowl:
Cucumber, apple, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, and fat-free Greek yogurt mixed with vanilla protein powder & cinnamon. Celestial Seasonings Imperial White Peach tea.
Dinner was leftovers from the previous night, chicken tikka with biriyani:
Another good source of low-fat protein: chicken, yogurt marinade, brown rice and split yellow peas.
Dessert was an assortment of sweets, including some Dutch cookies sent by my husband’s grandma from the Netherlands (thank you, Omi!) We couldn’t eat everything, but it’s just nice to look at a bunch of assorted cookies:
Clockwise, top, L-R: spekulaas (traditional Dutch cookie, tastes like Xmas,) stroopwafel (“syrup waffle”,) roomboter bitterkoekjespencee (thick cookies filled with buttery, pasty filling,) Riesen chocolates, vanilla oreos, roomboter Fondantsprits (butter shortbreads,) fudge coconut oreos, Amarettini koekjes (tastes like almond cookies,) and gezouten drop (salted licorice.) Served with rooibos thee!
This smoothie recipe can be adjusted to your taste, and is yet another great way to use up all those extra cucumbers and zucchini piling up in your fridge. The mild flavors of the veggies add freshness, plus they provide fiber for bulk. The banana also helps thicken it up and gives it some sweetness. The vanilla protein powder gives it the creamy, vanilla flavor.
Vanilla Cucumber Smoothie
A thick layer of foam forms at the top, just stir gently to incorporate all the yummy goodness!
Ingredients:
12 ounces cold water
4 ounces almond milk (or milk, soy moo, more water)
1 1/3 scoops vanilla protein powder, or your favorite flavor protein powder
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves, rinsed and squeezed out
4″ cucumber, sliced thin
4″ zucchini, sliced thin (more cucumber is okay, too)
1/3 ripe banana, sliced
ice cubes (optional)
Directions:
In a blender, add water, milk, protein powder. Blend on low until combined, about 10 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients except ice. Blend on medium to medium-high until veggies are chopped up, 15-30 seconds. Add ice cubes and blend on high for 10 seconds until crushed. Makes about 30 ounces.
The bulk from the veggies makes this shake thick enough for a straw to stand up
Any favorite post-workout smoothies? What’s the greenest smoothie you ever tried? :D
August 22, 2012 at 08:09
just the name of the smoothie had me drooling!! Love your creative flavor combos – this is a must try for me! and your fruit/veg yogurt bowl looks oh so delicious!
August 22, 2012 at 08:56
Thank you! I wanted to add some greens to my protein shake, and this worked out perfectly. Fruit & veggie yogurt bowl has been my lunch Mon-Fri, haven’t gotten tired of it yet. :)
August 22, 2012 at 08:50
That smoothie sounds really good! Is your protein powder sweetened?
August 22, 2012 at 08:59
Yes, it has fructose, 13 grams of sugar. I have a picture of the canister in last week’s WIAW when I made peanut butter banana protein bars. I’m thinking of trying Sun Warrior protein powder, everyone seems to love it and it has less sugar/calories. :)
August 22, 2012 at 10:22
Interesting flavour combo in that smoothie. I never would have thought to throw cucumber or zucchini into the mix, but it sounds really refreshing.
August 22, 2012 at 10:35
I didn’t think of it either until I wanted to make a green shake. It has a nice, fresh flavor that’s not heavy or overly sweet. I still have lots of cucumbers so more tzatziki is on the way!
August 22, 2012 at 20:14
Yum, that smoothie looks delicious! Totally bookmarking that one!
August 23, 2012 at 02:08
My goodness, that smoothie sounds & looks so delicous & refreshing. I’ve never though to add a cucumber to my smoothie. Thanks for the idea :)