My birthday party last weekend was great fun. The only snafu? Excess victuals. There must have been 1 pie per person in attendance at our gathering. And while a good time seemed to be had by all –a couple handfuls of children jumped on the trampoline with the sprinklers going under it –my refrigerator was still overflowing by the evening’s end.
Luckily, our friends Chris and Larry had their own soiree the next night and were kind enough to let me bring my extra quiche, pies and cookies to their place to serve to their guests. So, as you can see it was quite a busy weekend.
Right now the boys and I are in recuperation mode, making quick and easy snacks and meals. Yesterday, my younger son came up with this delicious fruit smoothie comprised of raspberries and peaches –very refreshing. While his version of the beverage calls for apple juice (super sweet in result), mine uses rich and creamy cashews blended with water (cashew milk), adding a bit of protein to balance out the sweetness of the fruit.
Raspberry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 cups (raw) cashews, soaked 4-8 hours, discard soaking water
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup raspberries (frozen)
- 1 cup peaches (frozen)
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 ice cubes (if you want it colder)
Instructions
- Place cashews and water in a vitamix and process on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute
- Add raspberries, peaches, agave and vanilla and blend until rich and smooth
- Blend in ice cubes if desired
- Serve in tall glasses
Equipment
You can always make this without soaking the cashews, however it will be much creamier if soaked prior to making the smoothie. Also, be forewarned that I made this in my Vitamix and cannot vouch for the results when using a regular blender. I highly recommend the Vitamix; I use mine at least once a day and it may be one of the best major investments I have made –ever.
I drank a lot of this tasty, refreshing smoothie this afternoon; it’s delicious and quite filling! Enjoy.
elana says
Hi Viktoria,
Thanks so much for your comment and for pointing out the lack of clarity regarding water in this recipe! I’ve amended the recipe so that it includes instructions to discard the soaking water.
Thanks,
Elana
Viktoria says
Hi Elana,
I plan to make this asap but I’m wondering if the water called for in the recipe is the same water the nuts were soaking in. Is it OK to use the soaking water or better to discard?
Thanks,
Viktoria
elana says
Steph -You are very welcome.
Lynn -Yes, it is interesting, they are so creamy, it actually works quite well.
Chrissy Thanks for another great comment.
Jessica -Yes, I find it too time consuming to make my own almond flour and also the quality is not as good as purchasing Honeyville. If you go to the purchase section on my side bar you can find links to most of the ingredients that I use on this site. The vita-mix is very expensive –however I use mine every day and have found it to be a worthwhile investment for me.
Jessica says
Hi Elana,
Am I correct that you purchase your almond flour already ground? I’m about to purchase a vita-mix and would like to ground my own flours (from nuts and legumes mostly) – they offer a dry blade container for an extra $140…I’m conflicted as to whether or not I really need this. Any advice?
Chrissy says
Elana,
Our kids LOVE to jump on the trampoline with the sprinkler underneath! I thought we had come up with something new! LOL!
This sounds yummy – I am out of cashews though. Sad. Gotta get some more!
Chrissy
Lynn says
This looks so creamy and refreshing. It’s interesting to use cashews in a smoothie.
Steph says
I love almond milk and fruits together. I’ve used several different fruits, but never these two together. Thanks for the idea!
elana says
Susie – I’m not sure if almond flour can be used for all baking. The only suggestion I can give you is to experiment with converting recipes using almond flour. You may also want to try posting this question in the forums to see if anyone else has any other suggestions.
Jill – Thank you for your kind words! I actually use the Vita-Mix 5000 series. I’ve changed the link in this post to reflect the Vita-mix I use at home.
Elana
Jill says
Elana~
I stumbled onto your website and it has truly been a ray of hope. I am a young mom who loves cooking and eating and was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis Oct. of last year. I have chosen the road less traveled and am opting to try food as medicine as my main treatment rather than traditional Western methods of treatment. Hence why I have found your recipes and site so hopeful! I am wondering however if the Vitamix you have the link to is the one you use personally, I have began upgrading my appliances and this seems to be the next step but am unsure of which one to purchase. Thank you for being such an inspiration and for sharing your recipes and journey.
Jill
susie says
Elana,
I am 44 years old and newly diagnosed with Celiac’s. As you can imagine, I have been cooking my favorite recipes for years. I come from a big Italian family and every year my siblings and I get together and make our Grandmother’s cookies. What better way to honor and remember a person then to bring joy to others using the very thing she loved. FOOD. Here is my dilemma. I have no idea how to convert her recipes. The flour is the biggest concern. I have seen your recipes and you have suggest Almond flour for baking. Can this be used as a substitue for all baking? I only found out about the Celiac’s about 3 weeks ago, so I am truly grasping at straws about what to do with all of the information I am finding. Thank you for your site, It’s very helpful, and delicious.
HELP!!
Susie