Spirulina Nice Cream

I love spirulina so much so that I could be its unofficial spokeswoman. My friends and family as a result have been coerced into trying spirulina in everything from mashed potatoes to fudgy raw cacao bars.

It's very versatile, vibrantly green, and wonderfully good for you.

The first time I rambled off a list of what I use in my kitchen to a good friend delving into the world of nutrition and healthy eating, she did a double take when I mentioned "spirulina" and asked me to repeat it slowly, and when I described the nutritionally dense algae superfood, she looked understandably dubious. But then I got a text a few days later that she had begun taking a spirulina supplement and already had more energy on her runs. Done! Another spirulina convert. And it does boost energy, as well as a whole host of other health benefits.

I love using powdered spirulina (often sparingly, as it is quite potent) in sweet and savory recipes. The color is a rich, beautiful green, which means for St. Patrick's Day, it finds itself in almost all my dishes, and it makes a good addition to mint recipes or anything where you want a rich green color but without artificial food dye (yuck). It can be taken in a tablet form, or used as a powder to boost the nutritional content of a smoothie or almost any meal.

For this recipe, this spirulina is best to use for my Matcha Mint "Nice Cream," which tastes like a decadent bowl of soft serve but is in fact, an energizing and nutrient-rich snack!

Matcha Mint "Nice Cream"

serves 1

Ingredients:

1-2 frozen bananas

2-4 tablespoons coconut milk

1/8 teaspoon mint extract

1/2 tablespoon matcha powder

1/2 teaspoon spirulina

optional: 2 to 3 tablespoons raw cacao nibs

Directions:

Food process all ingredients except the cacao nibs until creamy and smooth, then pulse in the nibs last. Use as much coconut milk as needed to reach your desired consistency.