Pages

Monday 29 April 2013

Avocado, coconut and lime smoothie

Time for a break from all the assisted reproduction/medicated cycles/baby making talk. My head is spinning with thoughts of what the future holds and so for now, I'm going to do what I often do best with overwhelming situations: hide my head in the sand for a bit longer let things take their course until Wednesday when I go in for my progesterone levels. Let's talk about more mundane and pleasurable things for a moment.

I'm now in week four of my new gluten free diet and I have to say that there hasn't been much of an adjustment. I'm not a big bread/cake/muffin person, and I've found awesome ways to incorporate starches and flours typically found in Asian and African cooking, so my experimentation with international cooking has become more and more the norm. Fun! I've lost weight, (which wasn't my goal but it certainly doesn't hurt), and am feeling generally a bit lighter and more energetic - yay!-  so I think there's something to this, whether or not it will aid in the improved functioning of my lady parts.

My only real challenge has been breakfasts. I'm not really a breakfast person, per se, so I have a usual rut of going for a slice of wholegrain toast and peanut butter, or oatmeal, both of which are now off the proverbial table. I have a stomach that is extremely vocal and vociferous in its demands for regular nourishment - I'm talking disruptively so.* So skipping breakfast is not an option whether I'm hungry or not. Since going gluten free though, I've had to rely on lots of smoothies to keep me going and my fruit choices are growing rather monotonous.

I need to be more adventurous: enter the avocado. I loooove avocado, and at my favourite Vietnamese restaurant in Toronto I always used to order their avocado shake, so I thought I'd attempt something along those lines. I also had a half used can of coconut milk in the fridge, so I chucked that in, and a star was born. Oh my lord, you guys how has it never occurred to me to pair avocado and coconut before now? I want to eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner, in a variety of combinations. Breakfast this morning was this smoothie using half an avocado and whatever else I had in the fridge/fruit basket. It has the added benefit of being vegan (which I am not, but cutting animal fats down to such brilliant effect is never a bad thing).



Avocado, coconut and lime smoothie
  •  1/2 a ripe avocado
  • one kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 cup of coconut water (or milk, if you want it thicker)
  • juice of 1/2 a lime
  • a handful of mint leaves
  • shaved coconut if you want some texture

Throw all this stuff in a blender and tell me it's not amazing.





In university I had one morning lecture that I couldn't reschedule to a more civilized hour, and once, in a hurry, showed up without having eaten. My stomach was typically clamorous that day, to the extent that the lecturer stopped talking at one point, glared at me three rows back, and asked if I'd like to step out for a snack. At which point I wanted to hide under the paltry little writing board attached to the arm of my seat, and made a mental note NEVER to attend an event of any kind without first feeding the beast. I really am ruled by the whims of my stomach.  H finds something oddly adorable in my (foodsexnow!) complete deference to my lizard brain, but I'm not sure others see the charms.


14 comments:

  1. Oh this sounds delicious. I am trying to cut down sugar and breakfast is the hardest meal to do that.. because I normally have tea and toast with jam or honey. The granola I like has sugar or honey, and if I make porridge (there is gluten-free oatmeal) I also add sugar.

    I did try an avocado shake at a fruit / juice place in Mexico some years ago (called 100% natural) and it was delicious. I am crazy about avocado, and it's so good for you(full of vitamin E, omega 3, essential oils). Might try this soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, avocado is a total 'superfood' beauty that has it all.

      I am still trying to experiment with breakfasts on this new diet because eventually smoothies are quite boring, but for now I found a winner!

      Delete
  2. I looove avocado too!! That smoothie looks delicious, thanks for sharing the recipe :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Avocado is one of my favorite foods! Having an avocado tree is a dream of mine, but unless I move, that's not happening.
    Funny, the only place I've ever gotten avocado shakes were in Vietnamese restaurants in Toronto. I'm going to have to try this smoothie. I've tried making avocado ice cream, but it didn't quite turn out as delicious as it sounded.
    Like Amanda, I'm trying to cut down on sugar & have a hard time doing that with breakfast. I've been using gluten-free oats for oatmeal, but I still add brown sugar to that. Thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooohh, when we lived in Portugal we had avocado, lemon AND fig trees in our backyard; even though we were right in the city. Amazing. We would love to move back there one day, buy a small patch of land and farm it, because really, that climate is *perfect* for grwoing everything from pineapple to runner beans.

      Funny, I didn't know the avocado shake thing was such a Toronto/Vietnamese speciality!

      Delete
  4. Have you heard of avocado pudding? My friend is trying to go G-free and she eats a sweet potato for breakfast, sometimes with maple syrup. She also uses coconut oil to roast asparagus. Weird combo, but it is so good!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know I keep reading that avacado pudding recipe that's doing the rounds. One day I'm going to have to try it! I could eat sweet potatoes with EVERY meal (love), and I've been cooking a lot with coconut oil too.

      Delete
  5. Yum yum! Gotta give this one a go!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Alicia! It's so delicious and bursting with flavour, it's like a little glass of the tropics :)

      Delete
  6. This sounds SOOO good. Thanks for the recipe!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Give it a try, I'm betting it'll quickly become a favorite as it has for me!

      Delete
  7. Wow, I'm impressed. It sounds great and refreshing. Good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yum! And, what a bonus, this totally fits in with new mediterrean-style IVF diet. Can wait to give it a go. How very inventive of you, to come up with a whole new recipe.

    ReplyDelete

Don't be shy, leave a comment. Your words brighten my day!