Mango Coconut Smoothie

After an evening running around and a rushed veggie patty sandwich on the go, we felt the need for a little sweet treat at home.  Digging around in the pantry, I found some canned full-fat coconut milk, mango chunks in the freezer, and a last little bit of orange juice--barely enough for breakfast--in the fridge.

I have developed a lactose intolerance over the winter, possibly due to a nasty flu bug, so when I crave something creamy I now resort to a variety of alterna-milks.  There's the coconut as mentioned earlier--really nice over cereal--but a bit overpowering in cooking.  Then we have the soy milk, which can be quite neutral in flavor, but delicate in sauces--you don't want to boil it because it gets lumpy.  Almond milk is the most expensive and it's probably the most flexible in cooking, though not as creamy.  I love almond milk in a cafe latte or cappuccino.  For whatever reason, the lower fat content produces a more frothy and stable steamed milk.

In the blender, I whizzed up the coconut milk, mango chunks, juice, with a few drops of vanilla extract and crushed ice cubes.  Out poured a luscious and semi-frozen treat, perfect for a warm May evening.  I didn't even get brain freeze.