Our month in Austin is coming to a close far too quickly. I only have two more nights left before we pack our bags and head north. I kind of want to throw a flailing fit about it. “It’s not fairrrrrrr!”
I haven’t crossed off all the restaurants and activities on my Austin bucket list, so I’m feeling some intense pressure to take advantage of every minute left. It always kills me to leave a place without seeing it all. I want to cross off one place on my list to move on to the next, but that won’t happen with Austin. It rarely happens that way. I almost always want to go back! There’s always more to see and do, isn’t there?
I feel the same way about Austin as I do about my trip to Israel last fall. One of my favorite restaurants in Tel Aviv was Café Louise, where we must have sampled just about everything on the menu. They handed out tiny tahini-date-banana “shakes” to enjoy before dinner. I loved that shake, and I’ve recreated it at home a few times.
This recipe is rich and creamy, featuring nutty tahini and sweet dates, two of the Middle East’s most beloved ingredients. The result is a decadent treat that is closer to a milkshake than a smoothie in terms of sweetness and richness, although there’s no ice cream involved. It’s dairy-free and vegan. This “shake” is a little on the unusual side, but I hope you’ll give it a try!
Tahini Date Shake
This creamy, dairy-free shake is made with tahini, dates and bananas. This rich smoothie would be a lovely after-dinner drink or afternoon treat! Recipe yields two small shakes.
- In a blender, combine the milk, frozen banana slices, tahini, dates, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Blend until smooth. Taste and add more vanilla or cinnamon if desired. If you’d like to lighten it up, blend in some ice as well. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.
Notes
*Date tip: If your dates are old and difficult to tear open, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes before using.
Change it up: Substitute nut butter for the tahini, like peanut butter, almond butter or pecan butter.
Nutrition
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