If you live in the Northern hemisphere you might have experienced some cold weather already. Parts of Europe and North America are under snow that fell over the weekend. In Germany, Munich was completely cut off the rest of the world due to exceptionally big snowfall. 2023 might be the warmest year on record but winter, when it comes, it comes will full force at least to some of us.
When it gets very cold, many of us tend to spend more time indoors. Our food choices also change with the falling temperatures. The cold weather affect our skin and the effects are visible at the end of winter: dehydrated skin, breakouts, changes in skin tone and complexion. More than ever, we have to keep our skin pampered and moisturized with proper skincare and well nourished from inside out.
To stay healthy in winter, and keep my skin glowing and my body warm, I add warming spices, raw honey and nutrient rich fruits and vegetable. I use organic, seasonal, locally grown produce whenever I can. I do not add any ice to my winter smoothies, and I always add some virgin olive oil, or cold pressed flax or hemp oil. These healthy oils help me absorb the fat-soluble nutrients.
For this smoothie I used my favorite, fragrant and very juicy Nutmeg pumpkin or the Muscade de Provence, also known as “Musquee de Provence,” “Fairytale pumpkin” or the Calabaza de Castilla in Spanish. It is very soft and easy to blend. If you are using Hokkaido pumpkin in this recipe, you might have to blend a little longer to obtain the same smooth texture.
Ingredients:
- 3 cup chopped raw pumpkin
- 1 ripe persimmon
- 1 cup freshly made nut milk of your choice (I used hazelnut)
- freshly pressed juice of 1 large orange, about 2/3 cup
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin spice
- 1/2 inch chunk fresh turmeric root
- 1 inch chunk fresh ginger root
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
- 1/2 tsp virgin olive oil
- pinch Celtic sea salt to balance the flavors
for the garnish
- bee pollen and a few petals of edible flowers, optional
Method:
- Place all the ingredients, except honey, olive oil and salt, in the bowl of your blender and process until smooth. Add honey, virgin olive oil and pinch of salt, and blend again. Adjust the taste as needed.
- Pour the smoothie into glasses, garnish with bee pollen and fresh petals, if using, and enjoy in good company!
Tip: If you have tree nut allergy, use sunflower seed or hemp seed milk.
I hope that you will have a chance to try and enjoy this recipe. As always, use it as an inspiration to your own creations.
In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2023