Kitchen MacGyver: Tropical Smoothie

I’m lucky and I know it. At the risk of sounding boastful, I live in an incredibly beautiful, temperate, relaxing part of the country. I moved here eight months ago and I’ve only recently learned the socially acceptable response to SoCal residents bemoaning less-than-perfect weather: sympathetic head nod, not jaded East Coast eye roll. Because of the recent time change, it’s been very dark when I head out on my morning runs—particularly this morning, when it was midnight black the first hour of my run and a thick fog hid the sun for the last 30 minutes. This is a long-winded way of saying that I miss the sunshine and, for those of you who live in places where there’s still snow on the ground, I’m sympathetic. I created this tropical smoothie, a sweet, but protein- and vitamin-packed pick-me-up after a semi-long run, for mornings when the sun sleeps in.

Tropical Smoothie  

1 cup nonfat milk or soymilk

1 (12.3oz) package soft silken tofu

1 carton washed, hulled strawberries (organic, if possible), or 2 cups frozen strawberries

1 cup fresh or frozen chopped pineapple (if using canned, don’t use pineapple canned in syrup)

1/4 cup shredded toasted coconut*

water, to thin out mixture (use just enough to blend contents smoothly)

handful of ice cubes, if not using frozen fruit

Starting with the milk, blend all ingredients together (adding just enough water to blend ingredients).

*To toast coconut, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, depending on your preference) in a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Toast in oven for 5-10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden. If you’re using sweetened coconut, keep a close eye on it because the added sugar can cause caramelization to occur faster.

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Sabrina Grotewold is a senior editor for Competitor. Christened the Kitchen MacGyver by her husband, she’s determined to persuade people to eat their veggies.