It’s Friday…happy hour somewhere…and I am preparing to attend the first BlogHer Food conference in San Francisco tomorrow. I have the usual butterflies – going into a room filled with ‘celebrity’ writers in my field, knowing them only through pumpkin pies and sustainable seafood, and being somewhat overwhelmed by the list of questions I have compiled for at least 20 of the speakers (me and the rest of the participants;-)  So as I study-up re-reading blogs by many of my fellow foodies, I thought it was only fitting that I pull out the Vita-Mix and take the edge off…

Greeña Colada – Serves 2

This recipe comes from Elana’s Pantry – one of the speakers at tomorrow’s conference.  I did a chef demo at the St Helena Farmers’ Market using “zucchini: three ways” and this was the substitute I made in the drink.  Plus I added some banana. It’s a great morning beverage, or…if the mood strikes you (like right now,) maybe add a splash of rum? I know it sounds weird, but it’s really quite delicious. TGIF!

1 medium zucchini, chopped
½ cup water
½ cup parsley
½ cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 piece frozen banana
1 tablespoon coconut oil (extra virgin for more coco flavor)
5 drops stevia*
4 ice cubes – optional

Place zucchini and water in a blender/Vita-mix and process on high until smooth.
Add parsley, pineapple, coconut oil, stevia and blend until creamy.
Add more water and ice depending on texture preference.

*Stevia is a a relative of the sunflower family, native to South America. It is commonly known as sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sweetener and sugar substitute, stevia’s taste has a slower onset than that of sugar, which is low on the glycemic index.
With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar (5-9 drops = 1 TB sugar), stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on sugar restrictive diets.

I try to use Stevia whenever possible as a natural sweetener, but it is tricky with baking.