Amanda’s note: Here is another great recipe from Ramya Venkateshwaran, writing in India from her website WildTurmeric.net. We asked her to share a recipe that would help with iron absorption and she offers this high vitamin C drink, a nutrient that supports our absorption of iron.
When I was searching recipes for high iron smoothies, I came across this recipe with papaya. I know many don’t like the thought of papaya in a smoothies, but trust me, this tastes really heavenly. Papaya is high in vitamin C (100 grams of papaya contains 60 mg of vitamin C) and the vitamin C greatly helps in iron absorption. If you are a person who does not like to eat papaya by itself, then you should give this smoothie a try, as it is very easy to make and is very filling. Here in India we get two varieties of papaya — the regular orange-colored and the reddish orange colored papayas. I prefer the reddish orange colored papayas for this smoothie.
The original recipe called only for almonds but I added walnuts along with almonds and it made the recipe even more tasty. This recipe has coconut milk as a base. As a person who uses coconut milk every single day in my cooking, I can safely say that this is one coconut milk based smoothie that I will keep making often. This smoothie is an ideal breakfast drink, as it will keep you full until lunch, as both coconut milk and the nuts will keep you satiated for a long time.
I prefer making my own coconut milk at home, as I personally feel it has the best flavor, nutrients and taste. To make the coconut milk at home, take a fresh coconut, break it in half, and scrape the flesh. In India, we use a special instrument to cut and another instrument to scrape the coconut. Then grind the coconut with just a bit of water and extract the milk by pressing the coconut mixture through a strainer and reserving the liquid for your coconut milk. (We extract the second milk too when we are using it for gravies and sauces, but for this recipe, you need only the first thick milk.)
Of course, you can use whatever coconut milk is available to you but some canned brands are richer than others. Find a rich one for best results with this smoothie.
Blend the nuts along with the extracted coconut milk first to get a smooth puree. Add the freshly cut papaya pieces, nuts, honey and blend well to a smooth mixture and strain using a soup strainer. All that is left to do is refrigerate and your delicious homemade papaya smoothie is ready!
Serves: 2
A lower-carb chocolate chip cookie (gluten-free to boot)
Making coconut milk at home from fresh coconut (in a lesson from India)
Coconut Pineapple Candy
With coconut oil as the glue holding together a mix of chocolate goodness, this is a no-fail candy treat (and it’s gluten- and corn-free)