Spring is almost upon us, although judging by the weather we’ve been having here in Victoria this week, it is arguably already summer. It seems unfair that the effects of climate change could ever be so sweet. What seems a little more fair, though, is that we should celebrate this budding universe of colour with a little sweetness of our own making.
I took one of my favourite childhood breakfast combinations — grapefruit and maple syrup — and upgraded it with yogurt, coconut milk and taro root, making a smoothie so thick, it would better be called a pudding (and so I did).
There you go: a dessert that looks good amidst the crocuses, snowdrops and daffodils that characterize the month of March in Victoria and usher in the fragrant and melodic breezes of spring.
This dessert is grain-free and refined sugar-free. And no worries, the bubblegum pink hue of the top layer comes from beets, not from whatever it is that makes bubblegum pink.
So, find your most unapologetically frivolous-looking glass, fill it up with citrusy pink goo and go celebrate the blossoms, the hummingbirds and the warm weather, no matter how precocious.
Joëlle
A little bit of sweetness to celebrate the coming of spring, this dessert combines grapefruit, yogurt and coconut milk. It is thickened with taro root and chia seeds, coloured with beet powder and sweetened with maple syrup. (Gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free).
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Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup taro root, peeled cubed*
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- Juice of one grapefruit
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tsp beet powder
Instructions
- Bring coconut milk to a simmer
- Add taro root and simmer for about ten minutes, until the cubes are cooked through.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract and maple syrup. Let cool.
- Once the mixture is cool, transfer to a blender along with all the other ingredients, except the beet powder. Blend until smooth and well-combined.
- Pour half the mixture into a glass.
- Add the beet powder to the blender with the other half of the mixture, and blend until the colour is evenly mixed in.
- Pour the rest of the mixture into the glass, shaking it gently to even out the top. Refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight. Serve cold with a few slivers of grapefruit zest (optional).
Notes
There are many varieties of taro root. For this recipe I used the large taro commonly used in Chinese cuisine. It has dark brown, hairy skin and whitish flesh with little purple filaments. You can use other types of taro for this recipe as well. The skin is very thick, so I recommend using a knife to peel it.
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Inspiration
Hello Glow — Grapefruit Immune Boosting Smoothie
❤ Thank you Ana!
