Blueberry Citrus Smoothie

Hold the phone and shut the front door! Blueberries, peaches, and mandarin oranges? Oh, yes. Oh, yes, my friend. They are here, and they are wonderful in this Blueberry Citrus Smoothie. This fruit medley is the very reason breakfast was invented.

Breakfast was also invented because K-Hubs had a creamy blueberry smoothie he crushed on. It was his everything. Right up there with his pumpkin pie, french toast, and eggs with salsa recipes. I just dated him for the food, and instead of buying my own cookbook, I decided to marry him.

When I started throwing around more ideas for what to do with those peaches I got at Costco a few weeks ago, I remembered back to K-Hubs’ beloved smoothie. Could I make a paleo version to match it?

Quite possibly, I believe I have. This has turned K-Hubs into one happy dude. Now he’s married to ME for MY recipes. Much easier than buying his own paleo cookbook. Turnabout is fair play.

Can I also just interject that this Blueberry Citrus Smoothie comes not a day too late? Thanksgiving is under our belts, quite literally, and it’s comforting to have a healthy, filling smoothie to offset the turkey, mashed potatoes, and pie. We aren’t quite through with Thanksgiving, however, which gives us ample opportunity to indulge a few additional favorite recipes. Tonight we visit more family where we will wow their tastebuds with Marinated Greek Olives, more Seasoned Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”, and Mini Vegan Key Lime Cheesecakes, to name a few. We also pondered Olive Tapenade, Lemon Avocado Dip (quite possibly our second most frequent recipe, behind On-the-Go Strawberry Breakfast Smoothie), and Avocado Pesto. For gatherings, we serve these dips and spreads with seafood or vegetables. To. Die. For.

So if your holiday diet is already needing an intermission, a commercial, a dietary break in regularly-scheduled programming, grab this and go.

Blueberry Citrus Smoothie is filling without being heavy. The combination of berries and citrus give it balance. I, for one, feel better after drinking it. Dr. Morgan at your service, except I’m not really a doctor, and I don’t play one on tv. I just know the blueberries, peaches, and mandarins offer a balance not found in every smoothie.

I also love to alternate it with the Strawberry and Peach Breakfast Smoothie I shared a few weeks ago. Different ingredients for a variety of nutrients, different health benefits each day. I don’t know about you, but I tend to gravitate toward the SAME foods all the time. And, for as much as I love food, I have to push myself out of the culinary comfort zone I often call home. K-Hubs is even worse. We need a kick every now and then to do new. This smoothie is new, and we love it.

It’s a known fact that K-Hubs has a crush on blueberries, and we know that a few healthy recipes come in handy during the holidays. But can we just talk for a moment about mandarin oranges. Aren’t they one of the most amazing, unassuming fruits out there? I can’t believe as a child I used to turn my nose up at them. I seriously cannot believe I did that. Mom probably told me they were healthy, so I decided I couldn’t possibly want them. Worst. Eater. Ever. I grew out of it by the time I was 32. Poor Mom. I tell Toodle there is hope for her yet. #TastebudTwins

Speaking of picky eaters, might I also suggest this as a smoothie for the kiddos between now and January 1st? Seriously, this smoothie is worthy of long car rides and filling for when they refuse to eat a vegetable at Aunt Edna’s. The holidays are emotional enough without adding to the fray. This is one of the ways we will be getting by.

In fact, I made this AGAIN for our Thanksgiving journey and popped over to the grocery store for more peaches. The poor produce guy. “Sir, I can’t find the peaches. Do you have any in stock?” No, ma’am. We’re out. “Out temporarily or out for the season?” His wheels started to turn, I could tell. The customer is always right, he was thinking, but how do I tell this lady that peaches aren’t even in season right now? From what fruit-laden planet does she descend? How do I clarify politely and still keep my job? Ma’am, we are out for the season. *Insert winning employee smile.* Well done, sir. Well done.

In my defense, Costco had them by the pallets just a few weeks ago. Of course, in the fruit world, a few weeks is at least a century. Maybe an era. But I did discover something AWESOME about this recipe as a result of my fruit ignorance. Frozen peaches work incredibly well with this smoothie. So if you make this in the dead of winter and fresh isn’t available, fear not, frozen fruits will work perfectly.

But, anyway, the mandarin. Why are they always so good? Mandarins just make everything better, including this blueberry deliciousness. They put the “citrus” in Blueberry Citrus Smoothie, and they do their job well.

And this smoothie? Well, it:

• Tastes like dairy while still remaining dairy-free.
• Is gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, vegan, and paleo without skimping on flavor.
• Stores well and thickens as it stands.
• Can be made with fresh OR frozen fruits, which is great heading into winter weather (drain excess juice after thawing OR omit added water before blending).
• Uses fruits that often go unnoticed, adding a little flair to an otherwise basic family of recipes.

Whether this smoothie is how you balance Thanksgiving carbs, survive long car rides, or simply add new food combinations to your diet, I hope you enjoy it as much as much as we do!

In holiday solidarity,
Morgan

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