It’s no secret that Weekend Candy HQ has gone plant-based (since watching Gamechangers) – if you haven’t seen it, watch it! Which means, we’re embracing every plant-based recipe we can get our hands on. From plant-based weekend dinners to vegan Sunday desserts, we’ll take the lot.
Of course, we’re not the only ones. There has been a huge surge in people turning vegan and starting plant-based diets in the UK in recent years and, as such, plant-based milks have recently witnessed a dramatic rise in popularity and consumption.
Plant Milk Power is a new recipe book from Meze Publishing, featuring recipes for homemade plant-based milks and smoothies that are easy to make and provide fresh, healthy options for breakfast and snacking.
And we’re lucky enough to be able to share 3 of those delicious plant-based smoothies for you to try, right here, right now: Banana, Cacao and Coconut, Blueberry and Oat, Raspberry and Cashew. Enjoy.
Banana, Cacao and Coconut Smoothie
Prep time: 30 mins | Overnight soaking|
Serves 1
Banana and coconut is a lovely tropical pairing that creates a rich, thick smoothie with a high fat and fibre content to keep you feeling full.
To make this smoothie
You need
200ml coconut milk
1 ripe banana, peeled
15g chia seeds, soaked in 60ml water overnight
2 dates, pitted
¼ tsp vanilla paste, powder or seeds from a pod
Pinch of kelp powder (optional)
1 tsp cacao powder or nibs
Do this
Buy or make the coconut milk.
Blend the milk with the banana, chia seeds, including the water used to soak them in, the dates, vanilla, kelp (if using) and cacao in a high-powered blender until you have a velvety smoothie.
How to make coconut milk Holding the coconut in one hand, hammer around the circumference of the coconut using the blunt end of a large knife or a pestle.
Put the coconut in a clear bag and seal the bag. Throw the bag with the coconut inside it onto a hard floor until the outer shell of the coconut breaks.
Collect the water from inside the coconut and set aside. Remove the coconut flesh from the shell with the help of a butter knife and then cut the flesh into small pieces.
Weigh the coconut flesh and place in a high-powered blender. To this, add water. The amount of water required is twice the weight of the coconut flesh collected. This should include the coconut water collected and set aside earlier. For example, if the coconut flesh weighs 200g and 20ml of coconut water has been collected, add 380ml fresh water plus the 20ml coconut water collected to the coconut flesh. Blend together until a milk is formed.
Sieve the milk through a muslin cloth or nut bag into a jug. Place the flesh back into the blender, add 200 to 250ml water and blend again. Sieve this through the muslin cloth or nut bag into the jug containing the first lot of coconut milk.
The coconut milk is now ready for use.
One coconut should yield approximately 500 to 700ml of coconut milk. Any extra milk can be stored in an airtight glass container and refrigerated for up to two days.
Blueberry and Oat Smoothie
Prep time: 10 mins | Overnight soaking| Makes 450ml
Serves 2
Colour your day with the delightful flavour of blueberries. Energise with this antioxidant-rich smoothie.
To make this smoothie
You need
30g jumbo or rolled oats, soaked in 120ml water overnight
150g blueberries
2 dates, pitted
1/4 tsp vanilla powder, paste or seeds from a pod
Pinch of kelp powder (optional)
120ml water
Do this
Soak the oats in 120ml of water overnight – the oats will absorb all the water.
Add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until you have a smoothie.
Add more water for a thinner consistency if preferred.
Variations
For a raspberry and oat smoothie, replace the blueberries with 150g of raspberries and blend as above to make a pink smoothie. (Makes 450ml)
To make any of the above into chia bowls, soak 15g of chia seeds in 60ml of water overnight. Add the chia seeds, including the water they were soaked in, to the smoothie and stir well to remove any clumps.
Raspberry and Cashew Nut Smoothie
Prep time: 5 mins | Overnight soaking
Serves 1 | Makes 300ml
The sweet and floral combination of raspberry and rosewater lends the chia bowl variation of this smoothie its ‘Turkish Delight’ nickname. Rose is a signature flavour for the traditional Turkish confection.
To make this smoothie
You need
6 cashews (about 9g), soaked in 60ml water overnight
150g fresh raspberries
2 dates, pitted
Pinch of kelp powder (optional)
1 tsp rosewater
1/2 unwaxed organic lemon, zested
110ml water
Do this
Remove the cashews from the water used to soak them.
Add the cashews, raspberries, dates, kelp (if using), rosewater, lemon zest and 110ml of fresh water to a high-powered blender. Blend until a smoothie is formed.
Variation
For a ‘Turkish Delight’ chia bowl, soak 15g of chia seeds in 60ml of water overnight. Add the chia seeds, including the water used to soak them in, to the smoothie and stir well to remove any clumps. (Makes 385ml).
More plant-based milk smoothies and recipes, plus 10% off the cookbook!
These healthy plant milk smoothies are just one of the delicious recipes in Plant Milk Power – a debut recipe book from Aparna Prinja, a doctor and nutritionist, and Shital Shah, a private catering entrepreneur.
“This book aims to give you the inspiration and know-how to experiment with and enjoy a whole new world of nutrition and flavour. Learn how to nurture new habits, tantalise your taste buds and reinstate the equilibrium in your daily life,” said Dr Aparna Prinja and Shital Shah, authors of Plant Milk Power.
It is available to purchase from Amazon and online from www.mezepublishing.co.uk.
If you fancy getting a copy, you can save 10% with an Weekend Candy exclusive! Simply use the code: Candy10 at the Meze Publishing checkout.
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