Nettle shake, but not necessarily

Dodane przez rude - wt., 05/16/2023 - 14:11
Nettle shake, but not necessarily

First shake was made, or at least described, in 1885, but it was different from today's shakes. It was a sweetened alcoholic drink made with whisky, eggs, and milk, somewhat similar to eggnog (and here's my "coconogg").

INGREDIENTS:
1 ripe mango
1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon of ground nettle
300 ml of oat milk (or any other milk)
1 teaspoon of turmeric
optional agave syrup or other sweetener
50 g of peanut butter
juice of half a lemon

PREPARATION:
Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 2-3 minutes on high speed.

VARIATIONS:
You can omit the nettle, although it's nice, especially for those who, like me, don't eat meat, as it provides a lot of iron.
For milk, I think using cashew milk or any other thick, "full" plant-based milk would give an interesting effect.
See additional NOTES.

NOTES:
The measurements of one mango and one banana are imprecise, not only in terms of size but also sweetness. Both the taste and caloric content of the shake depend on how ripe and sweet the fruits are. A ripe banana is heavily browned and has much more sugar than a yellow (or green, for that matter) one. A ripe mango is very soft. If they are not sufficiently ripe and sweet, you may need to sweeten the drink with something.
Lemon (you can use lime instead, I happened to have a lemon on hand) balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor.
It's always worth combining or counteracting flavors, seasoning sweet with sour and vice versa. Lemon also improves the absorption of iron from nettle.
Peanut butter provides protein (alternatively, tofu and chickpeas can be used) as well as fat. And as old chefs say, "fat is flavor." Fat is a carrier of flavor, but evolutionarily we are wired to enjoy what is fatty more. Instead of peanut butter, almond butter would be interesting, as it also contains a lot of protein.

SERVING:
Personally, I'm a fan of glass jars, but any kind of glass or a nice cup will be suitable for the shake. You can add a sprinkle of spice or chopped fresh chili (if using chili, the shake itself should be sweeter), chopped roasted seeds, a slice of fruit like orange, or a piece of fresh fig.
You can also use this type of beverage for muesli or as a sauce for desserts.

The problem with classic shakes is their composition. They are sugar and calorie bombs, which is not good. On the other hand, "diet" shakes are not necessarily good either.
What can we do, how can we make our shakes equally or even more enjoyable but less fattening? Or not fattening at all? And overall, healthier.
1. Fruits instead of sugar. A good solution is to use sweet fruits like mango, ripe bananas, dates for sweetening. Of course, sugar is still sugar, but fruits also contain many other valuable nutrients and fiber, which slows down the absorption of sugar and protects the liver from a sugar rush.
Additionally, because fruits add their own flavor along with sweetness, we can achieve a good, distinctive taste in a less sweet beverage.
2. Fat. Fat carries flavor. So, it's definitely worth ensuring that our shake contains healthy unsaturated fats. In this case, it's peanut oil from peanut butter. Almond butter or tahini (although, keep in mind, it will thicken the shake over time) are also good options. You can also use coconut milk or add flavorful oils like sesame oil, roasted almond oil, or peanut oil

3. Protein. Adding protein lowers the glycemic index, which is usually high or even higher in heavily sweetened and fragmented beverages. Protein also induces a greater feeling of satiety than other products. Good ingredients for shakes include tofu, chickpeas (like in this "coconoggu" http://rudekitchen.pl/kogo-nog), peanut butter, and chia seeds. All of these ingredients, it should be noted, will thicken the shake, and chia seeds will have a similar effect to tahini, thickening over time.

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