Ginger Berry Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie

It's finally starting to feel like summer around here.

The temps are rising, the sun is out, and I'm eating berries at an alarming rate. Smoothies have also made a steady comeback into my weekly eats. All things that point to summer.

This post is sponsored by Earthbound Farm.

I've recently been experimenting with packing smoothies full of anti-inflammatory ingredients. You may be wondering, why? No reason in particular, except for general well-being and to try something new. It's fairly well known that excessive + chronic inflammation in the body is not ideal for a variety of reasons. Excess inflammation can be triggered by a diet heavy in processed foods, refined sugars and carbohydrates, and trans fats. While I don't eat a strict, anti-inflammatory specific diet, I do strive to consume foods that fit into this category on a daily basis.

It seems appropriate during these warm, summer months that Earthbound Farm is celebrating smoothies. They're focusing on creating recipes that include spicy additions (not necessarily spicy-hot) you may not automatically think about adding to your daily mix. It's easy to overlook fresh and dried spices when making smoothies, but they can add an amazing pop of flavor and tons of healthy benefits. I really wanted to think outside the box for my contribution to their summer smoothie recipes, which is what spurred my interest in anti-inflammatory ingredients. 

I did quite a bit of ingredient research and a lot of experimenting in the kitchen to come up with today's smoothie recipe. This was the most challenging smoothie recipe I've ever tried to create. The first few were barely drinkable and definitely not share-worthy. I wanted to pack in as many of these anti-inflammatory ingredients as possible:

• berries
• ginger
• basil
• turmeric
• chia seeds
• pineapple
• beets
• walnuts
• leafy greens
• tart cherries
• hemp seeds
• avocado

Luckily, EBF's product lineup is filled with many of these anti-inflammatory foods, in fresh + frozen form. And with conventional produce like strawberries and spinach having some of the highest pesticide content loads you'll find, it's comforting knowing everything grown from Earthbound Farm is organic and non-GMO. 

And for this spiced summer smoothie, I went outside of my comfort zone and added frozen organic beets. If you know me, you know that I am not a fan of beets. However, I know they're incredibly healthy and full of anti-inflammatory properties, so I wanted to give them a chance.

Thanks to the berries, pineapple, and ginger, I was able to incorporate the beets without detection. I packed this smoothie with berries for their antioxidant powers and the pineapple for a nice boost of vitamin C. The avocado + chia seeds add healthy fats and staying power, to really help this smoothie stick with you all morning long. The avocado also adds a super creamy texture without the use of banana. I wanted all of the banana haters out there to be able to enjoy this smoothie, too! Turmeric and ginger are loaded with anti-inflammatory super powers, and ginger gives this smoothie a major kick of flavor + spice. I'm totally addicted.

Print Recipe!

Ginger Berry Beet Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie

gluten-free, vegan option // yields 1 large smoothie

• 1+ cup non-dairy unsweetened milk
• 1 cup frozen berry blend
• 3/4 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/4 cup frozen red beets
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated turmeric
• 1/4 small/medium avocado
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 2 teaspoons raw honey (raw agave or pure maple syrup)

Place 1 cup of milk in your blender. Add all other ingredients. (If your berries are stuck together or there are large strawberries in your mix, try chopping them for easier blending.) Blend until smooth, adding more milk if needed. Taste and blend in more fruit/beets/avocado to your liking. 

Serve immediately, or store in a sealed bottle in the fridge for 24hrs (for the best flavor).

I like my smoothies super thick + served in a bowl with lots of toppings. How about you?

Ashley

Today’s post is sponsored by Earthbound Farm. Product opinions are always my own. If I didn’t love it, you wouldn’t hear about it.Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored post that helps fund all the deliciousness + behind the scenes action you see here.

red velvet pancakes

PANCAKES!

Red velvet pancakes to be exact.  Minus the whole red food dye thing.

If you wondered what I was going to do with my leftover beets from the beet stamps, well, this is it.  Pancakes.  Batch after batch of pancakes.

You know I can’t eat straight up beets.  Steamed, roasted, whatever.  No thanks.  Even the smell while they were steaming…blegh!

But hidden in these pancakes?  No problem!  The point was not to hide vegetables in something delicious.  It was purely to turn them a pretty pinkish-red hue.

A little late for Valentine’s Day, but whatever.

We’ll call these, Everyday Love Cakes.  No special “holiday” required.

I’m sure there are a million other uses for beet puree.  You can experiment and let me know.  I think I’ll stick to adding them in small doses to baked goods so they go undetected.

The color was quite vivid as they cooked, but once flipped they had a brown-orange coloring marbled with the pink-red.

Tie-dye pancakes? 

With a light hint of cocoa, and a soft-cakey texture, these pancakes get the job done.  You will never in a million years guess they are gluten-free.

And how could I make these beauteous pancakes and cover them with only maple syrup??

A little something extra special for you here…

Cocoa-maple-coconut syrup anyone?

Mmmm-hmm.

Print this!

Red Velvet Pancakes

gluten-free + dairy free // yields 8, 5-inch pancakes

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons gluten-free oat flour
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3 1/2 tablespoons beet puree
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• unrefined coconut oil [or other] for the pan

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the wet ingredients together in another bowl until fully combined.
3. Add the wet to the dry and stir with a large spoon until just combined.
4. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes without disturbing.
5. Heat a griddle or large pan over medium and grease well.
6. Scoop approximately 1/4 cup scoops of batter in the pan and swirl around with a spatula or spoon to about 5” wide.  For thinner pancakes, add 1-2 tablespoons more milk to the batter and gently stir until just incorporated.
7. Let cook 2-3 minutes until you see the top filled with bubbles.  Then flip and cook another 1-3 minutes until golden brown.  Avoid overcrowding the pan and adjust heat as needed so the pancakes are fully cooked.
8. Serve hot.  Pancakes can be cooled, wrapped tightly, and refrigerated for 2-3 days.

tips/notes: Melted coconut oil can be used as the oil in these, just make sure all other wet ingredients are at room temp so the coconut oil does not solidify.  There is no substitute for sweet rice flour. 

Chocolate Coconut Maple Syrup

• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, warmed
• 1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Whisk together until fully combined.  Will thicken as it cools.

Beet Puree

• 1 dark red large beet
• 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Wash and cut ends off the beet.
2. Cut or peel the skin from the beet.
3. Cube the beet and steam for about 18-22min until fork tender.  You can also roast the cubed beet in the oven wrapped in foil with a little oil at 375* until tender.
4. Rinse with cold water and place in a blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender.
5. Combine with the milk and lemon juice and puree until the consistency of applesauce is reached.  Add more milk if needed.  With only 1 beet it may be hard to blend in a blender, so if using a blender I suggest roasting 2 beets and doubling the milk/lemon juice.
6. Let cool fully and store covered in the fridge for 5-7 days.

We all need a little everyday love, don’t you think?

Especially on Monday.

Ashley