Quick & Easy Banana Chai Smoothie

So the “Sunday Chef” took the holiday off yesterday, but I’m hoping that today’s recipe will make up for it. :) I stumbled upon this banana chai smoothie last week and rounded up the ingredients at my recent trip to the grocery store. The recipe makes one serving and only takes about eight minutes. The few ingredients needed are listed below:

• 1 banana (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 chai tea bag (read about chai tea benefits here)
• Ground Ginger (a pinch or to taste)
• Cinnamon (a pinch or to taste)
• 2-3 ice cubes

I first brought the water to a boil and removed it from the heat. I added the chai tea bag and let it steep for about 4 minutes (it was pretty strong). I then removed the tea bag and added the tea to my Magic bullet. I also added the milk, banana, cinnamon, and ginger and blended them all together. I then added the ice and let it process until mostly smooth.

I decided to use a fresh banana because the one from my freezer seemed unpeelable. Little did I know that waiting about 5-10 minutes will allow the peel to thaw enough to easily remove it. However, I was too late and had already blended in the fresh banana. The drink was delicious, but not as smoothie-like as I would have hoped and using the frozen banana would have made it perfect.

Still, I sprinkled more of the cinnamon on top and added some extra ice cubes to keep it cool and refreshing. I really recommend giving this recipe a shot and using the frozen banana to give it that frothy, smoothie texture. Hopefully you enjoy it if you have a chance to try it!