Green Smoothie Pudding

This recipe is basically baby food grown up. Anyone who has made their own baby food knows that mashing banana and avocado together is an easy and almost foolproof baby pleaser.  And whenever it hasn't been, I have been happy to eat the leftovers--which led me to conclude that this winning combo must just not be for babies. And, indeed, the banana and avocado mash-up has grown with my kids. Whenever I make yogurt nowadays, Abiline always wants either purple (whipped with frozen blueberries) or green, which is how this pudding version of a green smoothie has developed over time. This pudding is great in a parfait with banana and granola, or you can go all out with the baby food idea and eat it with baby "puff" cereal on top, like Abbie likes it. Go ahead--regress! We do it all the time around here...

This recipe makes two generous or four dainty servings.

3/4 cup white beans, rinsed and drained, if canned
1 small, ripe avocado
1 medium, ripe banana
1/2 cup plain non-dairy yogurt (I use homemade.)
1/4 tsp. stevia powder (I use Trader Joe's organic.)
2 Tbsp. coconut sugar or 2-3 pitted medjool dates, to taste
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. spirulina powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup spinach leaves
2 Tbsp. hemps seeds
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1-3 Tbsp. rice or coconut milk

Combine all the ingredients (starting with 1 Tbsp. non-dairy milk) in a high-powdered blender or food processor and blend until totally smooth, adding additional milk if necessary to get the mixture moving enough to blend up. I have used both a blender and food processor successfully, but if you are using a food processor, I have had better results with using the coconut sugar over the dates.  If you want a n utterly smooth consistency, you've got to use the blender.

Some after dinner smiles from this evening. Happy tummies, happy kids...

This recipe is linked to Allergy-Free Wednesdays Wellness Weekend Healthy Vegan Fridays