Almond Pu-erh Protein Shake

I’m always surprised by the kitchen sophistication of my 14-year-old niece. When we hang out, she often brings a long list of homemade cooking projects she wants to accomplish. Our latest hang-out session included crepes, walnut bread, cardamom buns, granola, seed crackers, and four-bean chili. All of which we tackled over two days.

This simple yet sophisticated protein shake is inspired by my niece too. During our two-day cooking marathon she rattled off her “recipe” for her favorite smoothie: almond milk, almond butter, cinnamon, yogurt, and protein powder. Easy, healthy, and delicious. I added a few tweaks to my version…to include tea of course.

Why this recipe works with tea: One of the easiest ways to incorporate tea into smoothies or shakes is to freeze strong-brewed tea in ice cube trays. You can add a handful of tea ice cubes to your favorite blended beverage for a healthy energy boost, including naturally-derived caffeine, antioxidants, and amino acids.

While you can freeze any type of tea into ice cubes, I like the earthy notes of pu-erh for this protein shake.

Pu-erh is a post-fermented tea; meaning it goes through a microbial fermentation process after the tea leaves have been oxidized, shaped, and dried. During this process the tea is actually aged, like a fine wine, anywhere from months to years to decades. This fermentation process yields a unique earthy flavor derived from friendly bacteria and fungi and tinged with woodsy and savory notes.

For this protein shake recipe I used Adagio’s Pu-erh Hazelberry loose leaf tea. Hints of nuts and berries make this a smooth-drinking pu-erh that’s still rich and earthy. It’s not overly flavored either; just a bit of cocoa nibs with light strawberry and hazelnut flavoring helps balance the pungent savory notes a traditional pu-erh naturally emits. This is a great pu-erh to try if you’re new to this unique category of gourmet tea. It makes delicious ice cubes for nutty smoothies too!

Happy cooking and sipping!

P.S. Thanks a bunch to Adagio Teas for sending me a selection of teas to review in my Tea Foodie kitchen.

By Suzanne Klein, Tea Foodie

Makes one shake, with enough tea ice cubes for two more shakes.

Ingredients

For tea ice cubes:

1 tablespoon pu-erh loose leaf tea (I used Adagio’s Pu-erh Hazelberry tea)

2 cups just boiled water

For one shake:

1/4 cup almond milk

1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1 banana

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 teaspoon honey

1 scoop of your favorite protein powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 to 6 tea ice cubes

Chopped strawberries and almonds for garnish (optional)

Preparation

For tea ice cubes: Steep pu-erh in just boiled water for 5 to 7 minutes. Strain and let tea cool. Pour tea into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight. Makes enough ice cubes to make three shakes.

For one shake: Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with chopped almonds and strawberries if desired.