I have a confession to make that may not be too surprising since our Herb of the Month for July is hibiscus. I have been drinking lots and lots of hibiscus tisane. I think I’ve got a case of Hibiscus fever, and I believe I’ve passed it on to our neighbor Sophia.
One morning I left, at her doorstep, samples of dried and powdered Hibiscus for her to try. When she found her surprise gift, she didn’t waste any time and sun-brewed the dried petals the very next day, and has since turned into quiet a Hibiscus tisane connoisseur.
All the enjoyment of brewing and drinking hibiscus tisane has left behind a lot of the used pedals. While looking at all those used brewed petals, Sophia came up with an idea. She shared this great idea with me and I want to pass it on to you. These petals retain their deep rich red color even after they have been used, so why not reuse the petals as potpourri! How clever is that! Reuse and recycle ~ love it!
The Hibiscus fever continued on as I set my sights on experimenting with the powdered form of this gorgeous showy flower — three smoothie recipes later. Each is totally different and quiet delicious, and today I want to share with you one of these recipes called Flower Power Hibiscus Smoothie.
So what do we have in this smoothie mix? Hibiscus powder of course, and hemp seed milk, which offers an alternative to dairy and soy milk, provides a source of protein, and adds a nutty flavor to the mix [Sources: Manitoba Harvest and Nutiva]. We also have orange, lemon, banana, lucuma, and a bit of coconut oil – blended together these ingredients create a pretty shade of liquid pink, and a big burst of luscious flavor. This is my fourth time making this particular smoothie and I know it won’t be my last.
Flower Power Hibiscus Smoothie
Lucuma powder is a natural alternative sweetener that I choose to use this time around. You can also use one large pitted dates or agave for added sweetness. Some like it more tart than sweet, so feel free to omit these suggested sweetener. Besides the fresh squeezed orange juice on its own adds a good amount of sweetness to this smoothie.
If you don’t have hibiscus powder on hand, substitute the 1 cup of pure water with 1 1/2 – 2 cups of hibiscus tisane. If you don’t have hemp seeds on hand, feel free to use a nut of seed milk of your choice, and keep in mind each has it own flavor and texture and end result of this recipe will be slightly different.
1 cup pure water
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 banana
1 tablespoon hibiscus powder
1 tablespoon lucuma powder or sweetener of choice, optional
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
First place the hemp seeds in a high-speed blender and the water and blend until liquified. Strain the hemp seed milk through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, set aside. Rinse out the blender container and place on its base. Pour the hemp milk into the blend and add the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Serves 2
