The Sexy Vegan Kitchen #2: Sweet & Innocent Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie

So a couple of weeks ago, Aimee Hughes contacted me. A blogger from The Sexy Vegan Kitchen, she had released a new cookbook and asked me to review it! So I have decided to make 3 or 4 (depending on my time) recipes from her cookbook before giving it an overall review! :)

The name of Aimee’s fantastic cookbook is The Sexy Vegan Kitchen: Culinary Adventures In Love & Sex, and just like the title tells us, she does mix together the euphoric nature of sex with the deliciousness of her recipes to create a completely foodgasmic experiences, just begging you to read it and make its recipes!

In a couple of recipes time, I shall tell you a little about what this book offers,  the way it allows you to heal your skills in your love life and health life :) – But shhhh, … Spoilers… (If you understand this reference to Doctor Who, you and I are already best friends by the way, not optional :D )

Enjoy the foodgasmic journey Aimee takes us on!

Recipe #1: Wistful Walnut-Pear Salad

Today: Sweet & Innocent Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie

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That moment when you start writing with a pimple like vesuvius, covered with toothpaste burning its butt off…

AWKWARD sorry just thought I would give you a nice image… anyway onto the post now… :)

When you can make a smoothie whose base is nuts and water and without sugar, you know you are successful in the health industry. Ooft, just ooft.

Weirdest mix of ingredients ever!

When my mum and I both looked at and tried this recipe, it seemed like a ‘Hallelujah’ moment for us. Why?

My mum and I don’t see eye to eye when it comes to feeding me. Basically, though we both adore food, I am just not an eat-dahl-everyday kind of girl while mum is a stuff-alotta-protein-in kind of woman.

You see the problem here right? ;)

With the introduction of this smoothie recipe, this was my mum’s reaction:

Oh my goodness, you can, you should drink it everyday, it has nuts, oh my goodness, this is fantastic wow, so much goodness… – though translate at least half into hindi :)

Me being the noob in the morning, drinking away :)

And this was my reaction:

Wow… Boost what? **(Boost is the best smoothie franchise ever!)

Sweet it is but without sugar, innocent it is in how much goodness it gives you through such simple ingredients and strawberrilicious it is for sure but I am not entirely where the shortcake fits in here? Oh well, if the smoothie recipe insists, I will eat it with shortcake, it is not a problem ;)

Aimee’s chosen sexy players in this were:

• Citrus,  Perfumado Sexuelle – does the idea of using citrus in everything suddenly not seem more appealing just because there is a sexy accented language description of it?
• Strawberries, the Coquettes – Ok, so maybe

  I want to eat this picture… again

  I had to look up the word coquette but I totally understand it now – strawberries are definitely so teasing!

• Vanilla, Lover Exotique – One whiff of this innocently sweet fragrance and you will be hooked – and as bakers, we all know that :)
• Date, the Dandy – And that sexy, 50s, Frank Sinatra type dried fruit makes another appearance ;)
  

I love the way she describes, in the cookbook, the goodness of each sexy ingredient! :)

The taste of this smoothie is of course, different to the regular calorie-trap laden with fro-yo (frozen yoghurt), canned sweetened fruits and maybe a touch of syrup. There is almost an earthiness in this, which I reckon comes from the nuts :)

The aftertaste is almost reminiscent of soy milk, or almond/nut milk but it is not unpleasant in the least!

It is also a really heavy recipe, I mean, you drink this for lunch with maybe one piece of toast and it is more than enough considering everything is contains, and that is what makes it a really good on the go breakfast idea.

Ever had Up & Go? A common ‘breakfast in a tetrapack’ here in the Land of Oz, it has that same thickness and slightly same flavour but without any added artificial flavour of sweetness – I was surprised really at how thick this shake was considering it had no dairy at all!

And what the best thing is here is that you can make soooo many variations of which nuts to use, what fruit and all! I mean, in today’s one, I am planning on banana and kiwifruit combo with almonds and walnuts instead of cashews. Win right? :)

Notes:

• Why am I such a noob?

  I, obviously, used fresh strawberries but I am going to keep a steady pack of frozen mixed berries, I reckon they would be a winner in this recipe!

• I added in some chia seeds to the mix because I am cool like that ;) – Chia is actually another sexy player, The Warrior… ooooh ;)
• I didn’t have stevia so I ignored it – really depends on the sweetness of your berries or fruit you decide to put in – if I had macerated these strawberries (sprinkled 1 tsp of caster sugar on them) then this smoothie would have been delightfully sweet but in truth, it didn’t need it so I am glad I didn’t :)
  
• Also I used orange rind because it more accessible for me – go citrus crazy!
• Maybe next time I might use coconut water instead of regular? :)

Recipe #2 Rating: 4.5/5