Feeling Mallow

It may just be the season, but the whole blogosphere and Instagram community seems to be going crazy about smoothies and smoothie bowls at the moment. I’ve also been observing an increasing demand for smoothies low in fructose, which are just a little bit more challenging to make. I already introduced you to Smoothies recipe a while ago, but in general I keep on combining and testing whichever ingredients I manage to get my hands on. One of my favourite finds so far this year is marshmallow. Ok, not quite, but close. It’s actually the common mallow. Common mallow is this lovely little plant, which grows on the side of roads and hiking paths, which we usually don’t pay much attention to. Most people don’t even know that its leaves as well as flowers are edible and that both make wonderful additions to any salad. When added to soups, mallow acts as a thickening agent. Of course you can make some delicious tea with it too. But it is not just its taste that draws me to common mallow. In the end it’s all the more fun, when there are some additional health benefits involved, right? So what good can mallow do for you? First of all it is rich in Vitamin C and beneficial mucilage. The abundant mucilage soothes throat inflammations and coughs. It also has a slightly laxative effect. Not too shabby, don’t you think? What’s best is: Common mallow is free. When you are out on your next walk in an area that resembles nature you’ll probably start spotting it everywhere. Because it literally grows everywhere. That small patch of grass, the one that all the dogs in your neighborhood choose to pee on, does not count though. So grab your book for identifying local, wild flora, go out and collect some mallow for your salad and this fructose free smoothie recipe.

P.s. When gathering your mallow make sure to check for any yellow spots under the leaves. Yellow spots are a sign that the plant is sick. Holes in the leaves don’t matter though.

Fructose free smoothie with mallow (Serves 1)
Usually leafy smoothies can be a bit chunky if you don’t own a high-speed blender. I don’t own one so I usually try not to go overboard with green leaves as I don’t like this chunky feel to them. This smoothie though is astonishingly smooth despite the leaves. Be warned, it is also amazingly filling.

1 hand full freshly picked mallow, (thoroughly washed)
1/2 banana
1/4 avocado
1 EL chia seeds
1 leveled tbls maca powder
1 sprig of mint leaves
1 inch fresh ginger
juice of 1/2 lime, optional
1 tsp coconut oil, optional
water, about 1 cup in total

optional: topping of choice e.g. mallow flowers, hemp seeds

Put all ingredients except water and topping into your blender and pulse for 20seconds. Add about 1/2 cup (100 ml) of water and blend for about 60 seconds. Slowly add more water and blend until everything is smooth and the smoothie has reached your desired consistency (I usually add about 1 cup/200ml in total). Fill in a glass and top off with topping of your choice. Enjoy!