Strawberry Smoothie à la Erewhon
Plus, introducing Maddie!
Hello, lovely Recipe of the Month community!
I am thrilled to introduce you to someone special. Please meet Maddie Kirkby, the newest member of the team! You are going to absolutely love Maddie. She is a talented cook and writer, and she’s also off-the-charts kind, thoughtful, and funny. My job is different from a lot of other people’s jobs (you knew this already) because I work mostly out of my home kitchen. That means I am smack dab in the middle of all the things happening in our house, with family and two young sons running around. One of the greatest gifts Maddie has given me already (and we’ve only been working together officially for a month) is grace amidst the chaos. She doesn’t bat an eye when I need to make Arthur’s lunch or put Lulu down for a nap. My friend Hannah had a baby and I told Maddie that I needed to gather some hand-me-down newborn clothes from the basement and cook a nourishing meal for her. Maddie jumped right in to help. Basically, what I am trying to say is, Maddie fits seamlessly and unflappably into my sometimes wild and regularly unpredictable life and work, which often blur together. I’m so grateful for her contributions and steady presence. Welcome to the party, Maddie!
Hello! My name is Maddie Kirkby and I am so excited to have the opportunity to introduce myself to you all. Before officially joining Maria’s team at the beginning of May, I was working full time as a Pastry Cook at Standard Fare, a local breakfast and lunch joint Maria and Graham frequent. Working at Standard Fare has been incredible. I love spending my workday prepping beautiful ingredients, brainstorming new ideas, and creating delicious treats for the community alongside some of the most amazing, passionate people I know. I am stoked to continue my journey in a professional kitchen, while also getting the chance to use these skills in a new and exciting way… to help Maria make cookbooks!
When I first met Maria, I couldn’t have been more in awe. She has authored five of her own cookbooks, she is the go-to for many for Americanizations, and she has co-written countless cookbooks for famous chefs, restaurants, and bakeries. We counted how many books she has worked on in depth, and she is sitting at 45! Last but certainly not least, she literally teaches the class on cookbook writing at UNISG in Pollenzo, Italy. Truly amazing!
I began working with Maria two years ago on and off as a recipe tester for her Americanization projects. I have always been obsessed with cookbooks, and couldn’t believe my luck when I got the opportunity to help such a powerhouse in the kitchen. Since that very first Americanization project together, I have learned so much about the cookbook world, and I know that we are only just beginning.
Maria has been so generous with her expertise, and I am so excited to officially join her team and have the opportunity to expand my role with her, and continue my cookbook education. Maria has welcomed me into her world, and graciously continues to show me the ropes. I’m so excited for all of the grocery store runs, americanization edits, brainstorming sessions, and recipe development that is yet to come.
When we were brainstorming what recipe to include in the May newsletter, Maria was struck with a craving. Ever since her visit to Erewhon in Los Angeles, she has been daydreaming about the viral Hailey Bieber Strawberry Glaze Smoothie. Seeing as we are entering peak strawberry season, we thought that there would be no better way to kick off the unofficial beginning of summer than to re-create it. We used Adrianna Adarme’s beautiful version as our inspiration. We want you to be able to make this, a smoothie that makes you feel great and just a little glam, exactly when you're craving it, any time during strawberry season. Because of this, we decided to omit some of the extra add-ins, instead emphasizing whole foods and pantry staples.
If you can find a can of coconut whipped cream at Trader Joe’s, we think it is a perfect and nostalgic way to adorn the glass and top this smoothie off. If not, feel free to use coconut cream instead, spooning a bit along the inside of the glass and dolloping a bit on top for an extra dose of healthy fats.
Cheers to strawberry season! And so happy to be here with you all :)
Strawberry Smoothie à la Erewhon
Serves 2
Strawberry Glaze
1 ½ cups roughly chopped strawberries (about ½ of a 1 lb package)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch of fine sea salt
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Smoothie
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 frozen banana
¼ ripe avocado
½ cup oat milk
1 pitted date
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 scoop collagen powder (or your favorite protein powder, preferably unflavored or vanilla)
Pinch of fine sea salt
Coconut whipped cream, for garnish
1 fresh strawberry, sliced, for garnish
For the glaze, combine the fresh strawberries, maple syrup, salt, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the strawberries start to soften and release some of their juices. Turn down the heat to medium low, continuing to stir often, until the strawberries have broken down and reached a jammy consistency, 13-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. If you are a fan of a chunkier consistency, your glaze is ready now! If you prefer a smoother texture, put the jam in a blender and purée until smooth.
For the smoothie, put the frozen strawberries, banana, avocado, oat milk, date, vanilla extract, collagen powder, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. The texture should be thick and creamy, not unlike a milkshake.
To serve, tilt one tall glass and, using a spoon, dribble about a tablespoon of the strawberry glaze along the inside in two different places. Next, in between the sections with the strawberry glaze, spritz the coconut whipped cream along the inside of the glass (feel free to get creative with this step!). Repeat with the second glass. There will be some strawberry glaze left over. You can save it for your next smoothie, or use it to top a stack of Sunday pancakes. Finally, divide the smoothie into your two prepared vessels, topping each off with an extra spritz of the coconut whipped cream and a slice of fresh strawberry, if desired.
Enjoy!
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