Smooth Operator

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by Hannah (BitterSweet)
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“Citrus fruits are some of the very few redeeming aspects of winter,” I declared with no uncertainty in my voice, immediately following yet another grating comment about all of the snow. Just as the novelty of trudging through dense, wet, frozen slush wears out quickly, so does one’s patience for hearing about it. So, instead of boring you with yet another long rant about how nasty this season has been behaving, let’s skip right to the good stuff, shall we?

Blood oranges, those elusive orange globes that masquerade as a standard Navel or Valencia, only reveal their true colors when sliced open. Crimson red, their juicy dips do look every bit as macabre as their name, but their flavor is so much more enticing. A bit sharper and more intense than their paler brethren, these babies are worth waiting all year for. Their season is pitifully short though, so enjoy them while you can- As soon as that snow starts to thaw, they’ll vanish from store shelves and farmers markets so fast, it will be like there never were blood oranges at all.

Though this sweet and tangy winter smoothie is a disarming shade of creamy pink, it actually tastes like a brilliant orange creamsicle. Thanks to the unusual hue, you could even get away with sneaking in a good splash of beet juice too, should you want to squeeze in a serving or two of veggies.

Yield: 1 - 2 Servings

Midwinter Morning's Dreamsicle (Blood Orange Smoothie)

Midwinter Morning's Dreamsicle (Blood Orange Smoothie)

Though this sweet and tangy winter smoothie is a disarming shade of creamy pink, it actually tastes like a brilliant orange creamsicle. Thanks to the unusual hue, you could even get away with sneaking in a good splash of beet juice too, should you want to squeeze in a serving or two of veggies.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Blood Oranges
  • 1 Frozen Banana
  • 1 Cup Orange Juice
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 1 - 2 Tablespoons Light Agave Nectar (Optional, if you like it sweeter)

Instructions

  1. Slice or peel away the skin from the oranges and remove any pips you should find. Toss the whole oranges, membrane and all into your blender, along with all of the remaining ingredients.
  2. Blend on high for a minute or two until pureed and completely smooth. Enjoy with a straw for ultimate satisfaction (because smoothies really taste better slurped through a straw, of course.)

Notes

Standard navel oranges can be substituted, but the color won't be as rosy.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 237Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 5gSugar: 41gProtein: 3g
© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: American / Category: Beverages

43 thoughts on “Smooth Operator”

  2. That looks and sounds incredible!! I love blood oranges, but always seem to have trouble finding them. They only have a slight difference in taste, but I am absolutely in love with the juicy red hidden color.

  3. I absolutely LOVE that little glass jug. Can I ask where you got it?

    I’ve always hated anything orange, but I’ve been coming around on including it in my smoothies. This sounds great, a little like the Mango Creamsicle shake at 105degrees. Try throwing in a little coconut butter next time for extra wow!

  6. I love your glass half full approach to the snow. Citrus is definitely the most redeeming part of winter..grapefruit, blood oranges and now this glorious smoothie. What a way to get through it all.

  17. I couldn’t agree more with your quote! I was driving through the fog this morning, which is usually depressing but it wasn’t so bad with a pile of tangerines in my lap :)

  18. Hannah – this recipe would be the perfect burst of sunshine to add to a day where Toronto was -26 Celsius. As always, I salute your culinary genius!

  20. That looks so good! I’m not a big juice drinker, especially orange juice. But…we’ve been getting tons of oranges in our CSA share. AND…I know that blood oranges are in next week’s box. What perfect timing!

  21. I may never have had a creamsicle, but that doesn’t detract from my firm opinion that this smoothie-ish creation look wonderfully refreshing, and that the bottle you served it in is one of the most gorgeous things I’ve ever seen!

  23. Sounds like it would scare away any nasty winter cold too. OhSheGlows had something like this a while ago with cute little clementines. I love winter citrus too and have recently discovered Cara Cara oranges; have you had these? They’re a little less sweet than navel and are pink like a grapefruit inside!

  29. I completely agree about citrus — it is defintely one of the best things about winter! And mmmm, blood oranges…what a great use for them this is. I love creamsicles and I have everything on hand for this…I’m definitely making it today!

  31. What a beautiful picture! I look forward to *favoriting* it on Foodgawker! :)

    I don’t think I’ve ever had a blood orange. Do you watch Dexter? In case you don’t: during the show intro, he slices a blood orange for breakfast and it looks so gory! It’s the complete opposite of your lovely smoothie!

  33. That looks so refreshing and healthy. I love the straw in it as well! I think I’ll have a change from my regular banana smoothie and try this :)

  39. Hmm, I keep clicking on your deconstructed falafel salad recipe and this is what comes up. Is there another way to get to the salad. It’s all I can think about now! :)

    1. Thanks for letting me know, it really does fit nicely in your blog post. ;) I’m appreciative that you credited and linked, because that makes all the difference in the world to me. Looks good!

  41. […] caught the ice cream bug again because all of a sudden, I just can’t stop churning! With a few more gorgeous blood oranges languishing in the fridge, I felt compelled to do something special with […]

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