We haven’t posted a drink recipe here for a while now. That’s a bit strange, since we enjoy some kind of shake or juice every day. Let’s correct that situation.
Making a smoothie is a clever way of packing many nourishing ingredients into one glass. They’re especially great for kids, who will love their pretty colouring and fruity taste. Paloma drinks almost any kind of smoothie, and it is a great opportunity for me to bring variety to her diet.
I like to get creative with these drinks, as in the case of this layered one, featuring two superberries from opposite sides of the world.
I was delighted to find frozen sea-buckthorn berries at the Eastern European market the other day. I’ve forgotten all about them, since I’ve been away from that part of the world for a while now. Seeing the beautiful little berries brought back all kinds of memories.
In Russia, sea-buckthorn is seen as a highly medicinal, healing plant. Foraging the berries is challenging, because the branches have sharp thorns. That never stops people from gathering them enthusiastically during the season, however. Folk tales insist that even a bad scratch from the thorns will never be infected due to the special medicinal juices oozing from the plant. The berries are often made into preserves, jams, and even oil is extracted from the plant. Our grandmothers believed that sea-buckthorn can cure any ailment, from a common cold to ulcers and diabetes.
And now to the superberry of the New World – açaí. This one is probably old news to most, as it has been popping up everywhere in the recent years – in juices, supplements, and cosmetics. Açaí is native to Central and South America and is not only very good for you, but also delicious. The best way to enjoy it is in the form of frozen puree (we use Sambazon brand), which has no additives.
We have to thank Green Kitchen Stories for introducing us to this product and for their great recipe of the açaí bowl. As they predicted, the bowl became our obsession and one of Paloma’s most beloved breakfasts.
Layering the two smoothies does not only make for a pretty result, but also leaves you with a glass of great flavours, amazing colour, and the combined unique benefits of these two berries. The fact that you are most likely to find both of these berries frozen, means that you can enjoy them during any season. We did it while staring at the beautiful turning leaves. Cheers to autumn!
Sea-buckthorn Smoothie
2 cups pineapple chunks
1 ripe banana
1 cup diced ripe mango
1 cup sea-buckthorn
3 tablespoons raw honey or agave
1 1/2 cups nut milk or coconut water
Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender. You can eliminate the sea-buckthorn and you will get a tropical smoothie that is very good on its own.
Açaí Smoothie
(adapted from GKS)
2 packages of frozen acai Sambazon puree
2 ripe bananas
2 tablespoons hemp protein
1/2 cup frozen blueberries or strawberries
1/2 cup nut milk
Run the frozen acai packages under hot water. Cut one end of the package – the puree should slide out easily. Cut it in chunks and combine in a high-speed blender with the rest of the ingredients.
To assemble, gently pour the smoothies into glasses, alternating the layers. Tilt the glass if you want to create slopes.
celia says
oh my ! these colors are fantastic. What a yummy Halloween meal.
Sarah (Snippets of Thyme) says
They look delicious. Lucky Paloma! I’m going to keep my eyes open for these berries. I see the ingredients all of the time but I’ve never actually spotted the berries in a store or market.
Kelsey says
Sea buckthorn! My favorite! In fact, all of my skincare products have sea buckthorn in them. Have you heard of the brand “Sibu?” Such a fantastic super food. These look delicious. I regret that it’s been so long since I last checked in. Hope you are doing well.
Maria @ Scandi Foodie says
I adore buckthorn and in Finland we have it available even in powder form which is delicious sprinkled on yoghurt and added in smoothies. These look delicious, I can’t wait to try!
pure2raw twins says
sea-buckthorn is something I still need to try! love all those layers and colors, so vibrant and pretty!!
Joshua says
Love the sea-buckthorn folklore and both the shakes and Acai sound amazing. Pictures of the fall foliage are beautiful and the rest of the pics make my mouth water with anticipation of trying these recipes asap. Thanks for sharing!
Masha says
Iskusnica!!!!!!
MyFudo™ says
Can’t help but fall in love with the swirls of your smoothie! I am not used to incorporating berries for my daughter’s diet because her pediatrician does not recommend it (due to a condition known as g6pd…refrain from berries, soy, legumes, etc….) I bet I can still come up with a decent smoothie following your recipe (without the berries…) Thanks for sharing!
Tebasile says
Wow….this will be our breakfast tomorrow morning. Thank you Golubka.
Iuliana says
Now I have to find some frozen sea-buckthorn!
Golubka says
Thank you for you comments, everyone!
Kelsey, hope you are doing well aslo. From this post I found out that more people know about sea-buckthorn in this part of the world than I thought! Never heard of Sibu, but will be on the lookout.
Maria, that sounds great!
MyFudo, you definitely can! Eliminate the sea-buckthorn from the yellow smoothie recipe and you’ll still have a delicious, berry-less drink.
Tebasile, great! Hope you enjoyed it.
peaceloveandmungbeans. says
Yum this look great. I have made the acai bowl before. Mixing the two berries looks beautiful and im sure it taste amazing as well as being good for you! Thanks for sharing this delicious treat!!
Michael says
These look absolutely delicious.
Rachael says
There’s another superfood you should know about called the Aroniaberry (chokeberry). It is native to North America and contains one of the highest levels of antioxidants – anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins of any fruit. These powerful berries have been utilized for years because of their overall health and wellness benefits. Learn more at http://www.superberries.com.
sheena says
Buick Regal Supercharger
ur blog is really nice and interesting, You have maintain it so beautifully that I truly like & enjoy it.Really a great post.I liked it and i will share it with others too.