Wow, February has flown by so fast, and in between the chocolate and red fruits of Valentine’s Day it’s been mostly sweet potatoes and golden spice blends in my kitchen. So, while the weather in bursting with hints of Springtime here in Berkeley, California, there’s still enough chilly weather to enjoy warm smoothies and warming spices for just a bit longer…Still time for a few cozy recipes…So here you go…
My February food journey began and now ends with… the sweet potato, mostly due to my exploration of an Ayurvedic Sweet Potato Smoothie recipe from What To Eat For How You Feel: The New Ayurvedic Kitchen, 100 Seasonal Recipes by Divya Alter. I recommend this book (here) because it’s a beautiful and approchable introduction to Ayurvedic cooking. Ayurvedic cooking is seasonal at its core and is based on balancing the doshas, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air in our bodies and seasonally. The balancing of the doshas is supported and fine tuned through the use of herbs and spices which, when used properly, can dramatically support our digestive fires, feelings of satiation, and overall well being.
Typically, smoothies are a wonderful way to start the day, and in winter, a warm smoothie can do just the thing that you need —nourish you and warm you up! Although a warm smoothie goes against the trends of freezing cold, styled smoothie bowls, on a chilly morning, your body will definitely thank you.
So, the first recipe I’m sharing is inspired directly from Divya’s book, as it’s the seed recipe for the other recipes, as you will see. I am also incorporating the wisdom of Seed Cycling to support hormonal balance for cycling women. To learn more about Seed Cycling checking out Seed Cycling 101.
White Sweet Potato Smoothie for Hormonal Balance inspired by Divya Alter, What To Eat For How You Feel
Ingredients
1 cup white sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup water
1 tsp sweet masala spice blend (a pinch of each: ground fennel, coriander, cinnamon, and cardamom)
1 Medjool date, pitted
dash of vanilla
1 cup plant milk* —homemade almond or Brazil nut milk, or oat milk are my favorite here
CYCLING WOMEN —ADD THESE SEEDS to support your hormonal balance of estrogen and progesterone during the follicular and luteal phases of your moon cycle. you can learn more about Seed Cycling here: Seed Cycling 101.
For the FOLLICULAR PHASE (Days 1-14 -ish) to promote balanced estrogen production ADD:
1 Tbl flax seds
1 Tbl pumpkin seeds
For the LUTEAL PHASE (Days 14-28 -ish) to promote balanced progesterone production ADD:
1 Tbl sesame seeds
1 Tbl sunflower seeds
*Please note: increase the liquid by about 1/2 cup by adding more plant milk or water, to adjust the smoothie consistency, as the ground seeds will significantly thicken it.
Procedure
In a small saucepan, combine the sweet potato, water, spices, salt and date. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce to a low. steady simmer for 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn this as it can easily burn if left too long (personal experience :-))
Transfer the mix to an upright blender and add in the vanilla , plant milk, and seeds (if using). Blend until smooth. Adjust consistency + taste as desired. Enjoy!
Now turn that White Sweet Potato Smoothie into a Golden Milk Sweet Potato Smoothie simply by changing up the spice blend! How fun!
Golden Milk Sweet Potato Smoothie
Ingredients
1 cup white sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
saffron, small pinch
3 slices fresh ginger root
2 twists of freshly cracked black pepper
1 Medjool date, pitted
pinch of salt
dash of vanilla
1 cup plant milk* —homemade almond, Brazil nut, or oat milk are my favorite here
ADD SEEDS FOR HORMONAL BALANCE —SEE ABOVE
Procedure
In a small sacuepan, combine the sweet potato, water, spices, ginger, salt, and date. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce to a low, steady simmer for 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn this as it can easily burn if left too long (personal experience :-))
Transfer the mix to an upright blender and add in the vanilla , plant milk, and seeds (if using). Blend until smooth. Adjust consistency + taste as desired. Enjoy!
Now turn that warming Golden Milk Sweet Potato Smoothie into a luscious Golden Milk Sweet Potato Chia Pudding!
Golden Milk Sweet Potato Chia Pudding
Ingredients
3 C white sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1.5 C water
1.5 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cardamon
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3-5 slices fresh ginger root (I prefer the gingery kick of at least 5 thick slices)
5-10 saffron threads (about 1/4 tsp)
freshly cracked black pepper, a few hearty twists
pinch of salt
3-4 Medjool dates, pitted
1 Tbl maple syrup (optional + to taste)
1 C plant milk —fresh almond, or coconut milk work beautifully
1 tsp vanilla extract or a few drops of vanilla essence
1 tsp fresh lemon or orange juice
6 Tbl chia seeds
Procedure
In a medium saucepan, simmer sweet potato, water, spices, ginger, salt, and dates for 15020 minutes until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Remove from ehat and allow mix to cool for 10 minutes.
Transfer mix to an upright blender and add in vanilla, maple syrup, citrus juice, and plant milk. Blend until smooth and adjust taste as needed. Because this is going to become a pudding, we want this thicker than a smoothie consistency, but with enough liquid for the chia seeds to soak up! And we don’t want it too thick or the pudding will be too thick and dry.
Transfer the mix to a bowl or wide mouth quart size mason jar and stir in the chia seeds. Allow the pudding to thicken sufficiently before serving. For best results, let the pudding thicken overnight in the fridge. Store in glass in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
I hope these recipes serve you in some small way and inspire you to get in your kitchen and try them, or play with them and create your own. Thank you for reading. Be well. xx Jennifer @foodsoulutions