Chef Joey's Young Coconut Smoothie

Chef Joey Z.'s Note:

I love the milk and flesh from young coconuts and its much sweeter then old coconuts. I buy mine in our local Asian market. This drink is delicious anytime, but I prefer it in the morning as a pick me up. The raw cacao nibs in this drink give it a nice kick without the crash other chocolate drinks give you. You can use other types of berries besides Strawberries in this recipe. And, you could also substitute all or some of the non-dairy milk with pineapple or apricot juice to give it a tropical kick.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 young fresh coconut (milked and cleaned of flesh)
• 4 tablespoons cacao, nibs (ground to a powder in a coffee mill)
• 1 cup milk or 1 cup non-dairy milk substitute or 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 banana
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup fresh strawberries (cleaned)
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar

Directions:

1. Grind up the cacao nibs in a coffee mill until it resembles coco powder. Set aside.
2. Clean the berries and set aside.
3. With a hammer and pointed screw driver make three holes in the top of the two young coconuts. Drain the milk out into a large measuring cup through a sieve.
4. Cut the two young coconuts in half. My hubby uses his table saw and it works very nicely for this.
5. Rinse the coconut insides to remove any of the outer shell that might have coated the coconut flesh.
6. Scrape out all the flesh, get every bit as it's so delicious.
7. Put the flesh and the coconut milk into a blender and process until well combined.
8. Put the coconut mixture through the sieve again to remove the little pieces of shell. Put the coconut mixture into a container and set aside.
9. Clean out the blender cup and lid and put the coconut milk/flesh mixture back into it. Add the one cup coconut milk or non-dairy milk, the banana, the ground cacao, vanilla, cinnamon and berries.
10. Process until smooth and creamy.
11. Drink ASAP!
12. Bon Appetit!