Exposure to dry environments can often cause symptoms such as dry cough, sore throat and dry lips and mouth, to say nothing of cold and flu season in general which seems to always be a factor.  

This week's recipe is a wonderful twist on the conventional fruit smoothie. Our main ingredient, pears, is highly valued in China as the fruit that is most beneficial for coughs.

Pears are "sweet, slightly sour, and cool." They "generate fluids" but also "dissolve phlegm," so they are ideal for treating dry coughs, a hoarse voice, and thirst and agitation in general. 

Our second key ingredient is almonds, which are found in some of the border regions of China but are not common in Chinese cuisine. Almonds, however, are closely related to apricots, and apricot seeds are one of the key medicinal for treating coughs in Chinese medicine. Almonds are not powerful like apricot seeds (which can be mildly toxic and cannot be consumed daily) but they share some common characteristics - moistening the lungs, relieving coughing and panting - that make them the perfect complement to pears in this smoothie. 

Great recipes don’t need more than three great ingredients. Here, we flavor the pear and almonds with garam masala, a pungent spice mix, which can be made of things like black pepper, mace, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and nutmeg.

These spices all have "warm, dispersing" properties. They not only add nice complexity to the flavors of this smoothie, but they can also help to driving out a persistent cough. For those of us who have ever suffered with a chronic bronchitis-type cough, we know how unpleasant it can be. The key to treating this problem clinically is to add warm, dispersing medicinals to a formula that treats coughs.

We hope this smoothie helps everyone settle into the new season and gives relief to anyone struggling with a persistent cough.

Curried Pear Smoothie with Almonds and Chia 

Serving Size: About 1-2

Prep Time / Cook Time: 5 minutes / 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Pear
• ¾-1 Cup Almond Milk (how thick do you like it?)
• 10 Almonds
• ¼-1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala (to taste)
• Dash Cayenne
• 1 Tablespoon Chia Seed
• 1-2 Teaspoons Honey

Directions

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Enjoy!

The recipes on The Way are intended as an East meets West look at food and its relationship to health and nutrition. Food is powerful, and every bite can either greatly benefit your system or effectively work against it. In Chinese Medicine, each grain, vegetable, meat, fruit, and spice has unique properties that can be harnessed to help us achieve and maintain balance in our bodies. Our recipes seek to incorporate some of the age-old principles of Chinese medicine into the culinary practices more familiar to the West.

Dining with Culinary Artist Travis Metzger is an unforgettable experience. You can taste the passion, creativity and culinary expertise in each of Travis’s one-of-kind recipes. Most would agree that Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs in their original form taste less than delectable, but Travis has proven that TCM for today can taste great with DAO Labs. Travis develops unique flavors for each DAO formula to complement the proprietary blend of herbs and their health benefits. After extensive training at the New England Culinary Institute, Travis ran some of the finest restaurants across the country before starting his own in Minneapolis. To survive the stresses and physical challenges of the kitchen heat, Travis focused on combining natural ingredients for healthy AND delicious eating and juicing.