Drink
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Recipe: Protein iced coffee
This protein iced coffee makes a great pre- or post-exercise drink with all the benefits of coffee and protein in one tasty beverage. As seen in the article Coffee and health, coffee may improve many aspects of health. When it comes to exercise, these potential benefits including metabolic, bone and neurological health. While a cup of coffee usually doesn’t contain enough caffeine to enhance athletic performance, it can certainly increase your alertness before a workout. It also has the potential to help with post-exercise muscle glycogen recovery. This recipe uses both milk and protein powder to achieve a great combination of protein content and taste. The protein will help counteract…
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Recipe: Kefir banana smoothie
This kefir banana smoothie is a great way to incorporate fermented milk drinks into your diet. It is great for breakfast or as a post-workout drink. You can use any kind of dairy or non-dairy unsweetened kefir or other fermented milk drinks, such as filmjölk or drinking yoghurt. The protein powder is optional, depending on your needs. For example, you can add it if you’re having this smoothie as a post-workout drink or it’s all you’re having for breakfast. I prefer unflavoured protein powder, such as natural whey protein isolate (WPI) from either True Protein or 180 Nutrition. You can also use your favourite unflavoured plant-based protein.
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Recipe: Chocolate peanut butter protein shake
This recipe is for the chocolate + PB combo lovers out there. It is great as a post-workout drink if your next meal is a few hours away or can sub for breakfast as it is high in protein and reasonably filling. This shake can be made dairy-free depending on the protein powder you use. I used natural grass-fed whey protein isolate (WPI) from 180 Nutrition. I’m also a big fan of the True Protein natural WPI. For a dairy-free/vegan version, you can use pea or rice protein (or a blend) from one of the brands mentioned before. I used peanut butter powder from True Protein. Other supplement shops also…
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Recipe: Cucumber lemon green protein shake
Green smoothies and protein shakes can be a great way of increasing your vegetable intake. My cucumber lemon green protein shake is a refreshing and nutritious option you can have for breakfast or post-workout. Adding some fruit to smoothies is good but adding too much can be a problem for some people who need to regulate their blood sugar. This recipe uses natural sweetener for taste (e.g. Raw Earth or Natvia). I recommend using a neutral-tasting protein powder, such as natural whey protein isolate (WPI) from either 180 Nutrition or True Protein.
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Recipe: Peruvian hot chocolate
In Perú there’s no such thing as Christmas in July. Instead, we eat and drink all the wintery Christmas stuff in the middle of summer. The large Christmas eve dinner of roasted turkey (or suckling pig), applesauce and/or mash, Russian salad, rice, etc. is followed by hot chocolate and panettone. Peruvian hot chocolate is made with blocks of bitter cooking chocolate that are simmered with spices and then mixed with evaporated milk and sugar. It is not a “light” beverage by any stretch of imagination. However, when the weather cools down, our bodies crave hot beverages that provide energy and comfort. Hence, I’ve created a version of Peruvian hot chocolate…
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Recipe: Low sugar pisco sour
Today is pisco sour day. The Peruvian national cocktail is celebrated on the first Saturday in February every year since 2005. I published my standard recipe a couple of years ago. I mentioned in passing that you could use water and stevia instead of syrup but did not give any quantities. This year I decided to make myself a low sugar pisco sour using Raw Earth stevia & monk fruit sweetener. A few notes on ratios and ingredients, rehashed from the original article: I like my pisco sour made with the ratio 3:1:1:1 (pisco to egg white to syrup to lime juice). If this is too strong, try 2:1:1:1. If…
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Recipe: Lúcuma smoothie
I wrote about lúcuma a while ago (check article here). Just like other foods hailing from the Andes, it is considered a superfood in the first world. For us, it’s just fruit. One of the most common forms of consuming lúcuma in Perú is as a smoothie (called “jugo de lúcuma con leche”), which is naturally thick and sweet. The powder, which is available outside of Perú, doesn’t have the sweetness or texture of the fresh fruit. The solution: frozen banana. You can use any type of milk you like (I used unsweetened almond milk). You can also add some unflavoured protein powder if you’re having it post-workout.
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Recipe: Jugo surtido ("assorted" juice)
The funny thing about this juice is that the name tells you nothing, however everyone in Lima (possibly in Perú) knows exactly what to expect. The taste of a classic jugo surtido is, I’m sure, ingrained in the memories of millions of limeños who have ever set foot in a juguería (juice bars). When I was growing up, the best juguerías could be found in mercados (markets). Popular flavours were papaya, lúcuma con leche (lúcuma and milk), fresa con leche (strawberries and milk), plátano con leche (banana and milk), surtido and especial (surtido plus algarrobina and egg). I hated lúcuma until my mid-20s, the other single-fruit ones were common at…
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Recipe: Cacao maca smoothie
Confession time: despite being Peruvian, I don’t like maca. I do try to get some in my diet because it’s meant to help with hormonal balance, but I have to find ways to disguise its flavour. I’ve been making a smoothie mix with the dry ingredients listed below, which I multiply 3 or 4 times and store them in a jar, making it easy to chuck in the blender in the morning. I’ve used avocado and/or coconut milk for thickness and fat content. I don’t use any sweetener (IMO you don’t need any if using coconut milk, anyway) but that might be overkill for you, so go ahead and add…
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Recipe: Kombucha chilcano
This is a healthier twist on the traditional cocktail chilcano de pisco. I use kombucha instead of ginger ale to lower the sugar content. I’m not sure if the alcohol negates the beneficial probiotic effects of the kombucha but it sure tastes great. I used ginger & lime kombucha this time, but any ginger-flavoured kombucha will do.
