Chocolate Banana Shake

Summertime is when we crave ice cream most. Here's a non-dairy recipe to help you get through the summer and fulfill that icy craving without sending your diet into a tailspin.

Secret Ingredient: Frozen bananas. Just peel any bananas that get too ripe for eating and freeze 'em in a freezer bag. They'll keep for months (but mine never last that long).

I can whip up a shake in less time than it takes me to make tea. Give it a try -- this recipe makes 2 small shakes.

1 1/2 cups soy milk (or use regular, but I prefer the soy)
2 frozen bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp cocoa (I prefer Hershey's or Ghiradelli's)
1 tbsp maple syrup or sweetener of your choice

Blend in blender on puree until slushy and all the banana is crushed. Note: if your bananas are hard-frozen, you may have to start the blender on chop to break them up first.

Serve, preferably in metal glasses for full icy effect, and with two straws if it comes out really thick.

Avocado Chocolate Pudding

I'm always on the lookout for new ways to consume chocolate -- and this tasty treat was a real shocker.

Next time your avocado is a bit too ripe for slicing onto your salad, try this. Scoop the avocado into your food processor. Add 1/2 ripe banana (I always have some frozen ones on hand, but a fresh one will work, too), 1 tsp vanilla, about 3 tbsp of cocoa, and 1 tbsp maple syrup. The avocado creates a consistency very like pudding. I eat half when I make it, then freeze the rest for a treat the next day.

Yum!

Buy Local

Now that spring is here, why not check out your local farmers' markets? Nothing compares to the taste of fresh vegetables -- and if you shop carefully, you can prepare something for dinner that was still on the vine in the morning.

Look for farmers' markets in fun places -- our local microbrewer offers his parking lot up once a week on Wednesday to local producers -- and uses their produce at his restaurant. If yours doesn't do it yet, why not suggest it to them? It is great to get lunch, a beer, and my veggies for the week!

Padma Lakshmi's Hot New Commercial

If you haven’t seen the latest Hardee’s commercial featuring Padma Lakshmi, then check out the YouTube version – you’ll be glad you did! Guys will drool; gals will learn some cool moves to use at the grocery.




Check out the Entertainment Weekly article, or Bitten and Bound's post with the YouTube commercial and other photos of Padma.

Padma Lakshmi is the host of the hit Bravo show Top Chef. Her first cookbook was Easy Exotic, which she describes as a scrapbook that includes personal memoirs as well as recipes from around the globe. While not busy in the kitchen or on the Top Chef set, she follows her other careers of modeling and acting (nice sidelines for us chefs!).