I’ve used frozen cherries for this smoothie as they come ready-pitted, saving the hassle of removing the stones – and there’s no need to defrost them first. Purple-skinned plums don’t just add a great colour and flavour, they are also rich in antioxidants, good for digestion and the blood – make sure they’re ripe though.
1 star anise
2 tablespoons goji berries
175 ml/¾ cup coconut water (see page 54)
2 large handfuls of pitted frozen dark cherries
4 purple plums, halved and pitted
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
50 ml/3½ tablespoons natural bio yogurt
1 tablespoon flaked quinoa
SERVES 2
Soak the star anise and goji berries in 50 ml/3½ tablespoons hot water for 1 hour. Remove the star anise and tip the goji and the soaking water into a blender with the coconut water, cherries, plums, ground cinnamon, yogurt and quinoa, then blend until smooth and creamy.
plums In addition to relieving constipation thanks to their high fibre content, plums are a good source of vitamin C, beta carotene and vitamin K. Eating extra vitamin C around the cold or flu season is a sensible idea.