Cherry Ripe Smoothie

Who in their right mind, wouldn't enjoy a deliciously healthy smoothie when chocolate is one of the key ingredients?

Whatever your dietary persuasion, have you at some point in your life enjoyed a cherry ripe - of the bought or homemade variety? The deliciously juicy, slightly chewy cherries lathered in dark chocolate, melting between your fingers as you try ever so hard to slow the disappearance of this tasty morsel. The answer I know is a resounding "of course!"

I have it on good authority that those of us in the Southern Hemisphere are fast running out of time to enjoy the last of our beloved cherries in their fresh and juicy form. I've therefore taken it upon myself to help you make the most of this gorgeous seasonal produce by bringing to you a cherry ripe in a glass, a healthy smoothie recipe combining both fresh fruit and our beloved cacao.

Serves 2.

2 cups cherries, ideally fresh (pitted)
1 cup water
1-2 frozen bananas (size pending)
4 heaped tablespoons coconut cream
2 handfuls shredded coconut
2 heaped tablespoons natural, flavourless protein powder of choice
2 heaped tablespoons raw cacao
1 teaspoon vanilla powder/essence
1 pinch sea salt

Whack it all in your blender and blend until super smooth. Pour the deliciousness into 2 glasses and plop a cherry on top.

Then, whip out your phone or camera and take a photo. Stick it on instagram, tag it #theholisticingredient and be sure to share the love with me so that I can inturn share the love with you. You may even like to pin it to your favourite healthy smoothie board so that you'll never ever forget about it's mere existence!  But whatever you do, please let me know what you think of it in the comments below! 

For those of you looking for more smoothie inspiration, there's a whole section titled 'A Sip or a Slurp' in my eBook A Nourishing Morning (full to the brim with 75 recipes for any time before noon).