CRANBERRY CUTIE

I love to use single-ingredient proteins in my recipes including Bob’s Red Mill Hemp Powder or Chia Seeds, or I use whole raw nuts to add good fats, protein and fiber to my smoothies and other recipes.

Depending on the nut, however, it will add a level of grittiness or creaminess to the recipe depending on the type of blender you are using.

Cashews are my go-to nut that I use in many of my recipes thats adds a lovely level of creaminess to soups, dips, dressings and puddings.

I usually use almonds as a snack or I blend them to make almond mylk after soaking them, but then I end up with a ton of left over mush after straining the mylk. I have not learned how to ferment this to make a nut cheese or yogurt yet.

Walnuts, pistachios and pecans I typically used for toppings, crusts and granola mixes. And then of course, there are seeds! Seeds also add a nice element to whole food recipes. I use soaked sunflower and pumpkin seeds to make a pate or couscous-style recipe to use as a base for lettuce wraps or veggie burgers. And you know I am a huge fan of chia seeds and use them as a thickening agent in lots of different recipes.

Just Add JOI and Blend!

However, I found a new-to-me product called JOI that is a single-ingredient nut base that is already ground into a butter, so when added to any liquid, it comes out as a smooth and creamy nut milk! They offer several types of nut bases and a few blends to make your own, as-needed, nut milks.

What a genius idea!

My daughter drinks oat milk and we find that buying it in a half gallon size is just too large and it ends up spoiling before she uses it all. And the smaller sizes are usually more of a coffee creamer and are too thick to use the way she wants it. That’s when I started hunting around for something we could mail order and found and fell in love with JOI! Although they do not make a product yet that comprises just oats for making oat milk, they do make a nut-oat blend that sounds pretty yummy.

The joy of using the JOI nut bases nut bases is that you can make a cup at a time, a pint a quart or a half gallon, depending on your needs! And, you can make your milk as thick or thin as you like it. It is so versatile that is not just for making milk! You can use it in lots of different recipes for cooking or baking as well as raw recipes, too. I absolutely love it, and I am so glad we found it!

In honor of the green smoothie challenge we took this month, I am sharing my new favorite smoothie recipe which does include the JOI Cashew Base…OMG! So lovely! Feel free to use it without the JOI or any other nut for that matter (I do realize that not everyone loves nuts and some people are allergic) as it is PLENTY delicious without it as well.

Also, feel free to modify any of my recipes to suit your taste buds as well as your personal dietary restrictions.

I am having fun creating and perfecting easy recipes using the JOI Cashew Base to share with you that are coming soon, so stay tuned!

CRANBERRY CUTIE SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
  • 2 cutie tangerines
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1 cup packed kale or spinach
  • 1″ fresh ginger root
  • 1 Tblsp JOI Cashew Base
  • 1 1/2 cups water (or coconut water)
  • 1 Tblsp Bob’s Red Mill Hemp Protein Poweder (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Add ice cubes instead of or in addition to the water if you want it more frosty!

You can go to my SHOP to learn more about JOI products and get more fun recipes. If you decide to purchase from the JOI website, you can use my discount code RAINDROP at check out for a 10% discount!

I am having fun creating and perfecting easy recipes using the JOI Cashew Base to share with you that are coming soon, so stay tuned!

Some links are sponsored affiliates links to the JOI website, which means I may earn points towards a discount or a commission if you make a purchase using a link from my page.