mango lassi

Mango-Kefir Lassi

in

Have any of you ever tried a traditional Indian Mango Lassi? Have any of you proceeded to fall in LOVE with this drink, before learning it's loaded with sugar, fat, and calories? (guilty). I decided to put the Tovita touch on this smoothie because I felt it had so much potential to be a healthy dessert (or breakfast, or snack, or whatever you want to call it) and honestly, I love mangoes. It's that simple. 

Some ingredients worth mentioning: I added tofu as a source of protein. Rather than adding protein powders, tofu is a good source of protein (7 - 9 grams per serving) and easily absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients. Plus its natural pudding-like consistency makes it a perfect addition to the recipe. Next, I added kefir because it's a great source of probiotics. Remember, probiotics are those organisms that provide a host of benefits to our guts. 

Ingredients (serves1):

  • 1 cup cubed, frozen mango 
  • 1/3 cup plain, unsweetened kefir 
  • 1/3 inch slice of silky, organic tofu 
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cup of vanilla almond milk (or other milk substitute) 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • dash of turmeric

Directions:

  1. Blend all ingredients together until evenly distributed. Note: may add more liquid base per consistency preference. (more liquid = thinner consistency; less liquid = thicker consistency) 

 

Mango Kefir Ice Cream

in

We've made berry ice cream, we've conjured up recipes for banana sundaes, but we have yet to use our beloved mangoes in the dessert department. This recipe is actually inspired by the traditional Indian lassi smoothie, which is essentially a mixture of fruit, milk, and spices. However, below we've swapped the milk for kefir to provide some probiotic power and a more ice-cream-like consistency. We've also topped the sweet treat with chili lime powder to give the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and zesty!  

Ingredients (serves 1): 

  • 1 1/2 cups frozen mango, cubed
  • 3/4 cup of plain kefir (we used Lifeway) 
  • Chili lime powder 
  • Optional: coconut flakes 

Directions:

  1. Blend mango and kefir together on high, until contents appear well blended. 
  2. Pour mixture into bowl, and top with ~1/2 teaspoon chili lime powder (may add more/less to taste)
  3. May add ~1 tsp coconut flakes