Elsewhere Note: I interviewed Alison St. Sure of Sure Foods Living on the topic of a Gluten-Free Thanksgiving. She offers great tips and a couple of family-tested recipes that are at their feast every year. You can see the post here: Making Gluten Free Holidays Merry.
After discovering that many of my online friends didn’t have a single acorn squash recipe posted, I went a little nuts with trialing out different recipe ideas to inspire them … and this one was too delicious not to share. Yes, it is November, freezing, and I’m talking about smoothies and milkshakes, but really, ice cream never goes out of season, so why should shakes?
I think what surprised me most about the flavor was how it tasted a bit nog-inspired. No, I’m not claiming that this tastes just like eggnog (see my article on Dairy-free Egg Nog for some options in that department), but it does have a similar rich and creamy texture, in addition to those “warm” holiday flavors. And more importantly, this holiday beverage is virtuous enough to enjoy for breakast or as an afternoon treat. The acorn squash provides loads of vitamin A, vitamin C, and a whole host of other nutrients, the pecans and flaxseeds balance the carbohydrates with a touch of protein and some healthy fats, and don’t even get me started on the banana. Bananas are a key “superfood” in my world. I’m also addicted to adding fresh ginger to my smoothies lately. It adds a clean, but spicy taste, along with some more healthy benefits to help ward off winter colds.
The recipe below makes one really big serving, but I still wanted more …
Recipe: Dairy-Free Holiday Spice “MilkShake”
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons (.5 oz) Pecan Pieces
- 1/2 Teaspoon Flaxseeds
- 1 Medium to Large Ripe Frozen Banana, broken into chunks
- 1/2 Cup Cooked Acorn Squash (roughly 1/4 of a medium-sized acorn squash – see below for other options)
- 1/2 Cup Vanilla Milk Alternative (I used Pacific Foods 7-Grain Vanilla Non-Dairy Beverage)
- 1-Inch Chunk Fresh Ginger, peeled
- 1/4 Teaspoon Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- Pinch Salt
- 1-1/2 Teaspoons Maple Syrup
- 1 25mg Scoop Pure Stevia Extract (or sweeten to taste with more maple syrup or your sweetener of choice)
Instructions
- If you aren’t using a high power blender (that can pulverize little seeds and such), place the pecans and flaxseeds in your spice/coffee grinder and whiz them for about 30 seconds, or until finely ground (the pecans may start to clump, that is okay).
- Place all ingredients, including the pecan-flax mixture in your blender, and blend until smooth. I recommend making sure the squash is closest to the blades to allow the blender to work with ease before it hits those frozen bananas. This is particularly important if you aren’t using a high power blender.
- Feel free to adjust the liquid (by adding more milk alternative) and/or sweetener to taste.
Variations
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I had some leftover roasted acorn squash, which worked so well in this, but you can substitute pumpkin puree, cooked sweet potatoes, or cooked butternut squash for the acorn squash.
Preparation time: 5 minute(s)
Diet type: Vegan, Dairy free, Egg free, Peanut free, Soy free, Refined Sugar free, optionally Gluten free
Number of servings (yield): 1
Copyright © Alisa Fleming.
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I’ve submitted this recipe to Wellness Weekends ate Diet, Dessert & Dogs.