Since joining the ranks of those supporting a vegan diet, and giving up dairy, I have really missed sherbet. I get it, of all things; that's kind of "weird" right? Many ingredients or flavors, I have found great (if not better) substitutes for dairy-based foods. But, sherbet - it has alluded me.
For those that don't know, sherbet has some dairy (usually 1-2%) to give it that dreamy creamy consistency that sorbet just cannot quite compare. I also find that sorbet tends to be more sweet than sherbet; which has a lovely sour note as well which appeals to me greatly. To date, I haven't found any sherbet that is dairy free when I have found options at an ice cream shop or even at the grocery store. I guess the masses just haven't had a "demand" for dairy-free sherbet.
So, when, "surprise!" I accidentally made (what tasted like) a strawberry sherbet smoothie today, I almost died in flavor heaven!
Sustainability Spotlight: Many of you that already have, or are considering / trying to, transition to a vegan diet have no doubt poured over ingredient labels and had "that" moment at the grocery store. Maybe "that" moment was at 9pm when you have already been at the store for a good hour looking at ingredients and labels. And maybe, as you stared at the tiny print under the sterile light of fluorescents, and you started to doubt whether this was something you really could / wanted to do, you yelled to yourself like a crazy person in your moment of full breakdown scaring the poor lady unlucky enough to be in the aisle with you at "that" moment - "And just why the F!*k does everything have DAIRY in it!"
Yep, "that" moment is the moment all of us have at least once during the vegan journey. It's 100% frustrating, discouraging in some cases, and (very often) considered to be "limiting." But....that limitation is only in your highly trained consumer-based mind. Okay, so you can't have those cheesy crunchy snacks with the cheetah cartoon character in black shades on the bag. Ask yourself - do you really want to keep eating that highly-processed, nuclear orange stuff anyways? Isn't your vegan journey about moving away from processed, animal-based ingredients, and getting back to whole / real foods? Isn't your sustainability impact to omit or limit plastic packaging, pollution from the food manufacturing process (i.e. - air and water discharge), and strengthening the human relationship with the planet by cultivating and consuming whole food choices?
Hopefully, you answered "yes" to all the questions above, and once you remember what your journey is about, you will be able to turn your emotions and your mind-set towards the joy of doing better; being better. Don't forget that there are a lot of vegan home cooks, chefs, bloggers, and food companies out there growing their ranks, refining their foods, and are 100% amazing at turning whole foods into your favorite flavors; only the vegan and sustainable way!
Much like this smoothie that tastes incredibly similar to sherbet; I don't feel bereft or frustrated. I feel creative, fulfilled and joyful, and I hope you do as well!
Ingredients:
2 cups frozen mango
1 cup frozen halved strawberries
1.5 cups fresh chunked pineapple
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup plant-based vanilla yogurt (I used Silk - Almond Milk Vanilla yogurt)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Garden of Life - Plant-Based Sport; Vanilla)
2 cups (or more) oat milk (I used Oatley)
Garnishes (optional): frozen strawberry halves
Directions:
Place all ingredients (mango through oat milk) in the order shown above in a high-powered blender.
If you have a Vitamix with smoothie button, turn on and wait for the blender to automatically stop. Proceed to Step #4.
If you do not have a Vitamix with a smoothie button, turn on blender on low and gradually increase in increments of 20 seconds each all the way up to the highest setting. Use a tamper or scrape down sides as needed and blend until smooth (~4 minutes).
Pour into glasses and top with the optional garnish(es) noted above. Serve & enjoy!
With love & hope for a better future for all of us - Jamie