Raw in a Flash Video: Strawberry Banana Shake

Today I'd like to share the first video of a new recipe series that I call 'Raw in a Flash'. For various reasons, many of us don't have the time and energy to play in the kitchen for long or as much as we'd like. That doesn't have to mean that we compromise our health with junkie fast food or that we need to be ever munching on celery sticks and green mush! ;-) In 'Raw in a Flash' I will be presenting simple yet very tasty recipes that can be prepared in a short time with a minimum of equipment.

Since a good blender is a 'raw foodie's best friend' and a great time saver, it will be the appliance that will be called for the most. In that light I've decided to feature the Omni V, a relatively new 3HP blender that I discovered a year and a half ago. While its performance is very comparable to other high quality power machines on the market, at $250 it costs significantly less than these, making it the 'best bang for your buck'. This series will give you an opportunity to see for yourself how well it fares. You might also want to check out this page dedicated to the Omni.

To launch this series I've chosen to share with you guys one of my favorite smoothies. In fact, once I'm done typing this I'll be whipping up a batch for today's breakfast. ;-) It's actually a recipe that I developed for the Deliciously Raw book that I wrote especially for the Omni blender. Originally it was made with strawberries but you can easily substitute these with any other type of berries that you have on hand. 

And now for the recipe...

Strawberry Banana Shake
From Carmella's Deliciously Raw

Prep Time: Less than 10 mins (a little more if you don't have almond milk already made)

Serves 2

2 cups almond milk*
2 medium frozen bananas
2 cups strawberries or other berries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup soft dates
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or liquid vanilla
2 tablespoons lucuma
1/2 cup ice cubes

*To make almond milk, blend 1 cup almonds that were soaked overnight with 3-5 cups of water - depending on how thick you like it - in a high power blender until nuts are completely dissolved. (About 1 min. or so) Then strain mixture through a nut milk bag, a paint straining bag or even a panty hose. Refrigerated, almond milk will keep for 3 to 5 days.

Process all ingredients in a high power blender until smooth and creamy.

If necessary, adjust sweetness by adding a raw liquid sweetener, such as coconut nectar, honey or agave, and blending again briefly.

Carmella's Note: If you don't have ice cubes, you may want to add some water until the desired consistency is reached. 

Enjoy!