Ingredients
Frozen mango chunks Lemon Ground turmeric Ground cayenne pepper Orange juice Fresh grated ginger Raw red beet Frozen raspberries Cara cara orange, blood orange, grapefruit Pomegranate juice Honey
Kitchen Supplies
Blender Tall Glass
The story behind one of my favorite smoothie recipes…
So I never told you guys this, but that week before and after Christmas my family was literally almost all hit with one bad string of colds. We all went down one by one, I swear it was a domino effect. Mine came a couple of days after Christmas, and while I only had one really bad day, the cold lingered, and lingered, and I’m only now just getting over it. From the day I started to feel the cold come on, I was consuming citrus like no other, eating orange, after orange, after orange. I’ve kept up with the mass amounts of citrus, but have since decided to blend them all up into a vibrant smoothie, along with some other winter favorites, to keep me feeling great all day long. Plus, I kind of just wanted to make a pretty layered smoothie with all the gorgeous blood oranges that are in season right now. Also? I’ve always wondered why the perception of winter produce is that it lacks in color. I mean, beets? oranges? rainbow chard? So much color! And color makes us happy, right? Let’s call this an antistress drink!
Here’s the deal. I actually hesitated to post this smoothie because it seems as though everyone and their mother are talking about smoothies right now. Something about January must just scream smoothies, because they seem to be trending. Anyway, after a lot of back and forth, I decided that I really just needed to share this smoothie with you guys. One, it’s too pretty not share. Two, it’s too full of good for us things not to share. Three, it’s way too freaking delicious not to share. Also, a lot of other recipe makers are sharing banana and almond smoothies – some with a cinnamon and chocolate mix – those have a time and place, but this winter smoothie highlights winter produce to keep things seasonal. So I’m sharing…bring on the January smoothies!
In all honesty, I’m not usually the biggest smoothie person. I really just prefer to eat my food rather than drink it, but I have times when a smoothie is all I crave. Whenever I make smoothies, I have to make sure they are one, not boring, and two, filled with both veggies and fruits. Enter this layered smoothie.
Step One
In a blender, combine the mango, lemon juice, turmeric, cayenne, fresh ginger and orange juice. Blend until completely smooth, adding more honey if needed to sweeten. Add extra ice cubes if your frozen fruit doesn’t create a thick consistency. Pour into a tall glass. The orangey yellow…ish layer mix of mangos, turmeric, ginger, a pinch of cayenne is just the start of this powerful drink. Again, sounds a little odd, especially the cayenne, but you guys, I swear this is so GOOD. The mango pairs so well with the turmeric and ginger and its sweetness cancels out the heat from the cayenne. The punch of citrus adds just the right amount of tartness.
Step Two
Rinse the blender out. Combine the beets, raspberries, orange, and pomegranate juice. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more pomegranate juice if needed to reach your desired consistency. Pour over the mango mixture and stir gently to swirl. The red layer mix of beets (YUPPPP, BEETS), frozen raspberries, oranges, and pomegranate juice adds more healthy nutrients to this drink. This might sound odd, but the red layer is full of some of my most favorite fruits and veggies. Granted, I normally prefer my beets roasted, but when they’re all blended up, you don’t even realize you’re eating beets. Especially with the sweet berries and pomegranate. It’s delicious.
You can really use any variety of citrus you love most, but I use a mixed of blood oranges and cara cara oranges. If you can’t find either of these, grapefruits and navel oranges will be amazing too!
As you can tell from the ingredients (and even just the vibrant color), this smoothie is jam packed with vitamin C and plenty of nutrients like fiber and antioxidants. It will keep your immune system strong and help you to feel your best plus stay energized all day long! Um, and did I mention it’s also addictingly good? Kind of like candy? I swear. My goal is to try to push this smoothie into my brother Red’s hands next time I see him. The Olympics are less than a month away and I have got to get that kid eating some more color. He’s what we call a snackster, and loves to just snack. So chips, maybe some carrots, and more chips…ya, I really have to work on him. Anyway, this makes for a great morning smoothie or mid afternoon snack and no matter what, this homemade juice smoothie is going to brighten your day. That I know for sure!
For real though, I love this smoothie! It’s taste plus looks…too good.
