German Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie

It is Saturday of a long weekend, which means that the weekend feels luxuriously long and full of possibilities. And, it is also September 3 already –how did that happen? I wanted to remind you all of the Zucchini Chocolate Blog Party which I am hosting with Victoria, the District Chocoholic.  Entries are due September 12.

I have a baked good and a savory dish in mind for this challenge, but have not yet made either – so I have a smoothie instead for you today. And, because I like to tweak, I played around with the Frozen Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie from a few weeks ago to boost the nutrition and change the flavors. Faye reviewed the recipe and added some hemp protein powder, which got me thinking that all the initial recipe needed to become a breakfast smoothie for me (as opposed to its initial snack or dessert status) was some protein and greens.  Also, I was thinking that walnuts and cinnamon get German Chocolate Cake-like with some coconut and caramel (right? It has been a long time since I have had German Chocolate Cake anything) and, using mesquite to get the caramel flavor in, this is what I came up with:

German Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Soy-Free) – Makes about 16-20oz

A note: I used frozen zucchini pulp, but Gena of Choosing Raw made another version of this smoothie recently where she used grated zucchini pulp and froze it to equally good effect.

• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk of your choice
• 1 cup raw spinach
• 3 Tbsps raw cacao
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsps hemp seeds
• 1 Tbsp mesquite powder
• 3/4 cup frozen zucchini pulp, preferably broken into pieces (see method here. If your zucchini pulp is not frozen, I would recommend adding some ice cubes.  To substitute grated zucchini, use equal amount and see here)
• 1/8 tsp vanilla stevia
• Flaked coconut and chopped walnuts, for topping

Blend all ingredients except walnuts in a high-speed blender until smooth.  If using a Vitamix, use the tamper to push the ingredients into the blade, which will heighten the frozen texture of the smoothie and make it soft-serve-like.  If using a regular blender, you may need more liquid and lose the frosty texture of the smoothie, but I do think you can still make this smoothie.  Top smoothie with flaked coconut and chopped walnuts

I am submitting this recipe to the following blog events:

Wellness Weekend, hosted by Ricki of Diet, Desserts and Dogs. The concept behind Wellness Weekends (now a year-round event!) is “any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.).”  Here there mesquite (contains amino acids, calcium and other minerals), as well as some of my usual anti-oxidant filled suspects like is cacao, leafy greens, and hemp seeds.

A blog event hosted by Flip Cookbook called Sugar Free Sunday, which includes sweet and savory dishes made with non-refined sugars.

Seasonal Sunday, a blog event hosted by Brittany of Real Sustenance. Here the spinach and zucchini are both very seasonal.

Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays

Gluten-Free Wednesday at the Gluten-Free Homemaker

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