Red Velvet Smoothie (NO artificial coloring)

We went to Mahogany market last Sunday (Tagaytay) -- so I had a chance to work on beets ...for the first time! I was never drawn to beets as they're rare in the metro (or, too expensive). I'm not sure what made me buy them this time - Must be the sudden memory of Decembers when my mom would make potato-beet salad for family gatherings. :)

Ironically, I felt the need to use it for a smoothie first. Because there's more than enough for all the beet dishes I could think of anyway! I'll work on salads, sides, and soups later on, for now this needs to be shared because -- when it comes to beet-based recipes AND healthy dark chocolate smoothies -- THIS takes the cake!

Red Velvet Smoothie! I felt clever! Finally someone found a healthy alternative to that artificial red coloring I've always hated in red velvet desserts (ME!) ...But it turns out, a lot of health buffs out there are already doing that. Hahahaha!

In fact some sources online even say that adding beetroot (or its juice) to the cake batter is really the traditional way of making red velvet cakes. What do you know/think about that? Let me know! This is really interesting. :)

My toppings: chopped almonds, crushed cereals, and grated dark chocolate acai! The last one is from our friend, who hosted the last weekend's Tagaytay getaway. To Roch, in case you're reading this...thank you!!! Yay to outing leftovers! Haha! :)

Red Velvet Smoothie (All-Natural, Vegan) Ingredients: 1. Beets - yielding to 1 cup when chopped 2. 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 3. 1/2 cup coconut cream 4. 1 cup water 5. 1 cup ice cubes 6. 1 tbsp vanilla-flavored coffee syrup 7. 1 packet (1 gram) stevia sweetener 8. dash of cinnamon 9. (optional) favorite toppings - cereals, chocolates, nuts, etc Instructions: 1. Slice the beets in quarters, then boil for 10 minutes 2. Peel the beets, chop, and let it cool. 3. Blend the beets with the rest of the ingredients (except for toppings) 4. Optional - add toppings! Makes 1-2 servings.

Now I'm wondering if this would have been better with cream cheese frosting. Hmm.

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:)