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.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Vegetable fried rice has been a favorite dish of mine since I was a kid. Chowing down on a huge pile while dining out was always great, but the best thing was eating it straight out of the cardboard take-out container.

You totally know what I’m talking about.

Vegetable Fried Rice | edibleperspective.com

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.

I feel like fried rice is pretty tricky to recreate at home, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to truly create an authentic recipe. Similar to other ethnic food, I think it takes years of training or a grandma who’s been cooking for a million years to show you how it’s done.

Vegetable Fried Rice | edibleperspective.com

However, this vegetable fried rice is about as close as I’ve ever come to the real thing. It’s simply flavored and doesn’t take long to throw together. The key is you must cook the rice ahead of time and let it chill for at least 1 night in the fridge. Using just-cooked rice is seriously disappointing. Trust me.

Vegetable Fried Rice | edibleperspective.com

Lately I’ve been loving veggie-packed meals that come together in under 30 minutes and are easy to shop for. I mean, who doesn’t love a good quick and simple meal? With prep and cook time I’d say you could get this finished in 25 minutes, and you’ll even have leftovers for lunch the next day. Not too shabby.

Vegetable Fried Rice | edibleperspective.com

I almost always have all of these ingredients on hand each week, but in case you don’t, you can always make substitutions with other vegetables you have in the fridge. It’s a great “pantry” meal with the mix of fresh and frozen ingredients that I’ve used.

And while “fried” is in the title of this recipe and the rice does sort of get fried, it’s actually a super healthy meal. I’ve loaded this with some of my favorite vegetables like Earthbound Farm’s frozen peas, fresh broccoli, and carrots. I just love the vibrancy and texture that those vegetables add.

Vegetable Fried Rice | edibleperspective.com

For an added kick of protein I’ve also added shelled edamame. And for a little pop of juice and sweetness I added frozen mango. You may be familiar with adding pineapple to fried rice and other Asian dishes, but I thought I’d switch things up today with mango. It was a welcome change!

This is the type of comforting winter meal I adore and it totally sticks to your ribs.

You’ll see in the instructions that you combine the rice and vegetables together in 2 batches. I know that sounds annoying but it really helps keep the rice from turning mushy and the veggies from going limp. Using a large wok or your largest pan possible also helps!

Vegetable Fried Rice | edibleperspective.com

Print Recipe!’

adapted from: the Thug Kitchen cookbook

Vegetable Fried Rice

gluten-free, vegan // yields 3-4 large servings

• 2 1/2 tablespoons refined avocado oil (or other high-heat cooking oil)
• 2 cups EBF broccoli, chopped into florets
• 2 1/2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• 2 teaspoons sriracha
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 large EBF carrot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1 cup EBF frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup shelled edamame, thawed
• 4 cups pre-cooked short grain brown rice (chilled for at least 8 hours after cooking)
• 1 cup EBF frozen mango, thawed and chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced EBF green onion

Place about 2 teaspoons of oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the broccoli and cook until vibrant green, about 4-5 minutes. Toss every minute or so.

While the broccoli cooks stir together the tamari, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Set aside.

Add the onion and carrot to the broccoli and cook until starting to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Stir every minute or so. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds - 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the thawed peas and edamame and cook for 1 minute. Stir a few times. Remove mixture from the wok onto a large plate or baking sheet. Wipe out the pan.

(Have all of your ingredients ready as the next part moves quickly over high heat to avoid soggy rice.)

Set the wok (or large pan) over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add 2 cups of the rice and let fry for about 1 minute (very hot! watch for spattering), tossing a few times. Pour half of the sauce on top. Toss to combine and let cook for about 30 seconds, stirring 2-3 times (you want some of the sauce to soak in, but you don’t want the pan to dry up). Add 1/2 of the veggies back to the pan along with 1/2 of the mango and 2-3 tablespoons of green onion. Cook for about 1 minute until well combined and hot.

Serve hot and top with sriracha, tamari, green onion, sesame seeds, etc. Repeat the same process above with remaining rice and vegetables.

Let cool before storing in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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Notes:

• It’s very important to use a wok/pan over high heat with high-heat oil. If you don’t do this, the rice will turn mushy. Also, cooking in 2 stages prevents the rice from becoming mushy as well.
• Thaw and drain your peas and edamame. No boiling is required. Just toss them in the pan as directed.
• It is crucial to use rice that is chilled and has been pre-cooked, or you’ll end up with soft, mushy fried rice.
• Long + medium grain rice also works well and will have less stickiness and a more toothsome bite.
• scant 1 1/4 cups uncooked short grain brown rice = appx. 4 cups cooked

Vegetable Fried Rice | edibleperspective.com

One of the best combination of ingredients ever. I will forever be a fried rice lover.

Ashley