Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Smoothies

After last Monday’s big snow…yes I said snow, I think the weather has finally decided to calm down and stick to warmer temperatures. We’ve been enjoying 70 and 80 degree temperatures here in Colorado for about a week now and it has been absolutely perfect! With warm weather comes shorts, cute sundresses and skirts, BBQ’s, ice cream, and smoothies like this Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Smoothie!

Before I dive into the amazing sweet combination of strawberries and balsamic vinegar in this smoothie I have to share the one thing I dread about warm weather, sandals. Now don’t get me wrong I love sandals. I love that there are endless styles of them, I love that my feet aren’t confined and claustrophobic like they are in tennis shoes and boots. What I don’t love is my runner’s feet. Are you familiar with runner’s feet? Have you had the pleasure of casting your eyes on a runner’s feet, shuddering, and turning your head in horror? Well, I hate to say it, but I have classic runner’s feet. These beauties consist of blackened or altogether missing toenails, calluses, blood blisters, and even a few scars from the repeated blisters. Have I grossed you out enough? During the winter I neglect my poor feet a little more than I should since they aren’t exposed for all to see, but during the summer it’s a constant battle to keep them looking half way presentable. I almost always do my own pedicures because I’m so embarrassed for the ladies at the nail salon to have to see my feet let alone touch them. I particularly love when I go in to get a pedicure and I have a nail or two missing or one that is deformed and yet they just paint my skin where the nail once resided. Try as I might I am at a loss when it comes to having soft, beautiful, perfectly polished toenails and feet. On the flip side though I can tell you every story about the run that caused the nail to go black, or at what mile that lovely blister made it’s appearance, this is all very weird, maybe I’m sharing too much, but hey it’s part of my life! Anyways lets get back to a more normal and attractive conversation like these Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Smoothies.

Have you ever roasted strawberries and balsamic vinegar together? If you haven’t add it to your list of things to try! The flavor and sweetness of the strawberries becomes amazingly intense, sort of like biting into the darkest and ripest strawberry in the box, I absolutely love it! As if these sweet strawberries weren’t good enough on their own, lets add them to our morning or afternoon smoothie. This smoothie isn’t one you can just whip up in 5 minutes, you’ll want to roast the strawberries ahead of time and then chill them in the fridge, because no one wants a warm smoothie…gross.

Once my delicious balsamic strawberries were cold I added them to my blender along with some milk, plain greek yogurt, half a banana, tablespoon of maple syrup (the real stuff), vanilla extract, ice, and another drizzle of balsamic vinegar. This smoothie is creamy, sweet, and has a tiny bit of sweet tang from the balsamic vinegar. If you are looking for a new way to jazz up your everyday strawberry smoothie try roasting the berries in some balsamic vinegar, the flavor will amaze you!

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Yield: 3-4 smoothies

Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Smoothies

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A simple strawberry smoothie with the flavor turned up thanks to roasted balsamic strawberries!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Inactive Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Roasted Strawberries

• 10 oz fresh strawberries
• 1 T. pure maple syrup
• 1 T. balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of salt

For the Smoothie

• 10 oz. roasted strawberries
• 1 cup non fat milk or milk of choice
• 1/3 cup plain non fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 of a frozen banana
• 1 T. pure maple syrup
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 t. balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup ice

Instructions

Roasting the Strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Wash and hull the strawberries, then cut them in half and put them in a bowl.
3. Add the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and pinch of salt to the strawberries and toss them together until the strawberries are completely coated.
4. Pour the strawberries out onto the lined baking sheet and bake them on the middle rack of the oven for 35-40 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and let the berries cool to room temperature.
6. Refrigerate the strawberries until they are cold.

To Make the Smoothie

1. In a blender add the chilled roasted strawberries, milk, yogurt, banana, maple syrup, vanilla, ice, and balsamic vinegar.
2. Blend everything until smooth.
3. Serve immediately/

Notes

Be sure to chill the roasted strawberries for at least 30 minutes before making the smoothie.