[Recipe] Cranberry Grape Smoothie

The sweetness of the grapes complements the sharpness of the cranberries beautifully in this recipe from Helen at FussFreeFlavours. Freeze them overnight if you like an icy smoothie. (If you’re making this in the middle of winter, in cold, snowy climes, you may not want to bother.)

Sweetness also comes from the roasted butternut squash. Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars thus making it more sweet – a good thing when using natural cranberries and not the dried variety which has sugar added. You can also use leftover butternut squash you have previously frozen after making too much.

Adding a little of your favorite spices: pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon and nutmeg is Helen’s tasty tip. (Note they are not listed in the ingredients list, but assumed in the cooking.)

Butternut squash is one of Helen’s favorite ingredients and she says …

… once peeled, chopped and roasted (with the aid of a good heavy sharp knife), the flavours become concentrated and the flesh caramelised and sweet. It is the perfect addition to salads, wraps, dips, bakes, omelettes and pasta sauces. Once cooked you can freeze it, but it loses some texture so once defrosted it is better reheated, or puréed, with other ingredients.

I also like it raw; the trick is to grate it which makes it easier to chew, or you can juice it.

For this recipe I roasted the squash with a sprinkling of Biscoff or speculoos mixed spice blend, or of course you can use your favourite mixed spice blend, they all vary massively – I’m not a fan of either too much cinnamon or nutmeg, which some people love.