I usually encourage my readers to eat the rainbow, but rainbows are somehow out of place on Halloween. Just look around. You find ghostly whites, blacks, purples, and electric greens next to the vibrant orange of the pumpkins and persimmons. This color palette dominates home decor, costumes and even the Halloween menus in coffee shops and restaurants.
I decided to tune in and created my black smoothie. I hope you can get the ingredients to try it out. I made it slightly less sweet that most smoothies because there are already too many sweets everywhere. You are welcome to make it a little sweeter if you want to.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw black sesame paste
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
- 1 small hot pepper or a teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 cup purified water, add more as needed
- 3 soft Medjool dates or a few drops of liquid stevia
- 1 tonka bean, ground
- 2 vanilla beans, cut lengthwise and scraped (vanilla bean caviar)
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin spice
- tiny pinch Celtic sea salt to balance the flavors
- 1 vanilla bean for garnish per portion
Method:
- Whiz all ingredient in a blender until smooth. Add a little more water if too thick, or two, three ice cubes if too watery.
- Adjust the taste to your personal liking and pour smoothie into chilled glasses. Garnish with whole vanilla beans and enjoy in good company. Boo!
Tip: Black sesame seeds have a very strong, nutty taste and will dominate this smoothie no matter how much tonka, vanilla, or pumpkin spice you add to it. You can make it taste a little more fruity if you add freshly pressed lemon juice. Also, use frozen blueberries if you do not have blackberries.
As you are dusting off your ouija boards and preparing treats for the big day, take a moment to consider the health benefits of black sesame seeds. They not only look great in all kinds of Halloween recipes, but are incredibly good for you.
Rich in B vitamins, especially thiamine; vitamin E; fiber; minerals such as copper, manganese, selenium, molybdenum, calcium, magnesium, and zinc; lingans sesamolin and sesamin; and the essential amino acid tryptophan; black sesame seeds are powerful superfood whose anti-aging properties were known for centuries.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) they were used to slow down or reverse such symptoms of aging as poor memory, grey hair, hearing loss, and poor eyesight. Research shows that black sesame seeds promote bone health, digestion, respiratory and cardiovascular health. They help fight inflammation in the body, protect against cancer, help increase libido, promote well being and help reduce anxiety.
All other ingredients in this smoothie are packed with health promoting nutrients. You can truly indulge without guilt.
~ Happy Halloween! ~
In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
*Information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.
Dominique Allmon©2018