Kiwi, Pear & Mint Frappe

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This was great for breakfast but would also be gorgeous on a hot summer’s day or served at a party (maybe with a splash of vodka).

Like most people I fall into the trap of eating the same things every day. These days though I make a concerted effort to use ingredients I either don’t like and/or never use. Kiwi fruit falls into both those categories so I grabbed half a dozen the other day at the grocer. Now after experimenting by adding them to some other much loved flavours, I have created a drink that I really enjoyed, will make for others and drink again.

The best bit about this though is it’s fat free and full of Vitamin C.

 

YOU NEED

4 kiwi fruit, peeled

1 large pear

I lime

10 cubes of ice

½ cup of fresh mint leaves, washed

# optional 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup

 

YOU DO

Juice the kiwi, lime and pear in a juicer.

Place the juice, mint, ice cubes and maple syrup (if you are using maple syrup) in a blender and blend until all are combined and the ice has broken up.

ENJOY!

 

Serves: Serves 1- 2

Time: Takes about 10 minutes to make.

Freezing: Not suitable.

Note:  To add another dimension to this, make some ice cubes with coconut water and use those instead of plain ice cubes.

Mayan Hot Chocolate

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Cocoa was a sacred thing to the Mayan people. They created a savoury drink with it where the added spices were dominant and it was used in religious ceremonies. Over time this tradition was exported to Europe where it was altered and sweetened. This sweetened version is the one we now mostly see. Ingredients such as cayenne, chilli and ground almonds are also used

 

 

Recipes I have seen from more recent times contain cream, dairy and honey as is so often the case. But with very simple changes I have created my plant based version of a modern day Mayan hot chocolate.

 

YOU NEED

2 red chilli bullets, sliced lengthways and seeds removed

2 cups of water

4 cups of plant based milk. (I usee Bonsoy soy milk for this because it’s so creamy)

2 vanilla beans, sliced lengthways

4 cloves

½ cup of pure maple syrup

2 cinnamon quills

½ cup sugar free cocoa (I use Dutch cocoa)

grated nutmeg to taste

 

YOU DO

Place the chillies and 2 cups of water into a small pot. Bring them to the boil then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer until the water reduces to one cup in volume.

While your chilli water is reducing, place the milk into a large pot, scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the milk and add the rest of the vanilla beans.  Add the cloves, maple syrup, cinnamon, cocoa and nutmeg and very slowly bring it to the boil. Once it comes to the boil turn the heat down and gently simmer the ingredients for a few minutes to give the flavours all time to infuse. Then set aside.

Once the chilli water has reduced down to one cup, discard the chillies and add the chilli water to your milk mixture. I like to add all of it but add it slowly and to your own taste.

Bring the hot chocolate back to the boil now and turn off the heat. Strain the milk now if you wish and discard the cloves, vanilla bean and cinnamon but I prefer to serve mine with them still a part of the hot chocolate.

Garnish with some nutmeg and serve.

I haven’t timed this one but it serves 4, will make you happy and will fill your home with warm aromatic scents 🙂

Fresh Mint Hot Chocolate

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17th june 2012

Seriously you don’t need to buy hot chocolate mixes that are expensive, full of dairy and more highly processed sugars than you need. By using a small amount of fresh herbs or fruit skins, some pure cocoa and your favourite plant based milk you can achieve the most incredible and fragrant results.

So next time friends drop over instead of just boiling the kettle and grabbing a can from the pantry go old school and heat some milk on the stove loaded with fresh mint and pour your work into a beautiful tea cup or mug. There is way more soul in that my friends.

 

YOU NEED

1 cup of plant based milk (I used Australian’s Own Organic rice milk because I wanted quite a sweet flavour which rice milk offers)

½ – ¾ cup of fresh mint, well washed so you don’t suffer gritty bits

½ tablespoon of pure maple syrup (or agave)

1 tablespoon of cocoa (I use Dutch cocoa which is super rich so I didn’t need any more than this)

 

YOU DO

Place all the ingredients into a small pot and very slowly and gently bring the milk to the boil. You want to allow the mint time to infuse into the milk.

Remove the mint. Whisk to ensure there are no cocoa lumps and that the maple syrup is mixed through well

Serve.

I plonked a load more fresh mint into my cup when I served mine up today. 🙂

 

Serves: 1

Time: Took me less than 10 minutes

Freeze: N/A

Berry & Orange Infusion

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I have discovered that berries and oranges are a match made in heaven! So apologies in advance for all the orange and strawberry recipes that are to come. These Twining’s Infusion bags are really fragrant and with the juice this made a really lovely, iced tea, style treat. Perfect for a hot day and a really special non alcoholic drink.

 

YOU NEED

5 Twining’s “Infusions” bags, Raspberry, Strawberry and Loganberry flavour

4 cups boiled water

3-4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

½ cup of orange juice (I used freshly squeezed)

½ cup of strawberry juice (I used freshly juiced)

1 orange, finely sliced for garnish

1 punnet of strawberries, finely sliced for garnish

Ice for serving

 

YOU DO

Place the Twining’s Infusion bags into the boiled water for 4 minutes. Remove and discard the bags and refrigerate the tea.

Once the tea is chilled, add the maple syrup and both the juices and whisk well to combine.

Pour the tea into a large jug, with loads of ice, orange slices and the strawberries and serve

 

Yields: Makes approx 1.5 litres

Time:  10 mins. Plus the cooling time.

Notes: If you don’t have maple syrup, you can substitute it with sugar.

Orange & Almond Hot Chocolate

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It was overcast outside today and I was feeling rather glum and felt like chocolate. I love the combination of orange and chocolate too, so this is something I have had on my mind to try out for a while and it seemed like the perfect day to give it a go.

Whenever you have a recipe idea that you have never made before you worry it’s not going to work or live up to the picture you have in your head. I was worried the orange was not going to be strong enough or way too strong but it worked out PERFECTLY and with next to no effort and no need to do a few trial runs. The result was just as I had hoped… rich, sweet, generously scented with orange and really decadent tasting.

This will now be a family treat in our house on a cold day or when someone feels down and needs that warming feel of homemade hot chocolate.

 

YOU NEED

1 cup of almond milk (found pretty much everywhere these day. I buy Australia’s Own organic almond milk or make your own. See my Almond Milk Recipe)

1 large orange

1 tablespoon of pure cocoa

1/2 to 3/4 of a tablespoon of pure maple syrup or agave (if you dont’ have maple syrup or agave just use sugar)

 

YOU DO

Slice the rind from the orange then very carefully remove all the white pith from the rind.

Put the almond milk in a small pot with the orange rind and **slowly** bring to the boil. This is important because you want to give the oils in the orange peel time to impart their flavour into the milk.

Add the drinking chocolate and the agave and whisk till combined. Turn off the heat. Remove the orange rind.

Pour into your favourite mug and serve.

 

Servings: Serves 1.

Time: Took me less than 10 minutes to make.

Freezing: Not suitable

Pomegranate Citrus Iced Tea

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YOU NEED

4 cups of boiled water

1 lemon, finely sliced

1 lime, finely sliced

3-4 tablespoons of agave (if you don’t have agave just use sugar)

5 plain black tea bags

1 cup of pomegranate juice (I used freshly squeezed)

ice for serving

 

YOU DO

Place the teabags into the boiled water for 5- 10 minutes. Don’t leave them too long as it will make the tea bitter. Remove the tea bags and refrigerate the tea.

Once the tea is cold, add the rest of the ingredients and combine. Put in a large jug, with ice and serve 🙂

 

Servings: Makes approx 1.5 litres of Iced Tea.

Time: 10 minutes plus cooling time.

Freezing: Not suitable for freezing

Dragonfruit, Nashi Pear & Ginger Juice

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I am pushing myself top regularly try new foods. Today it was dragon fruit. I was lucky enough to get a stunning ruby red dragon fruit. Such an exotic looking fruit, it tastes a little like a pear but its the colour that impresses me most. Absolutely beautiful.

 

YOU NEED

1 dragon fruit

1 nashi pear

1 apple

2 soaked dates

½ teaspoon ginger

 

YOU DO

Cut the dragon fruit in half lengthways and remove the peel.

Juice the dragon fruit, pear and the apple.

Blend the dates and ginger through the juice.

 

Servings: 1

Time: 5 minutes

Freezing: Not suitable for freezing

Notes: This is gorgeous with lime juice too. It gives the juice a lovely lift.

Orange Juice & Co

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Lately I have been eating a lot of the same coloured foods~ bread, cereal, bread!

I got up this morning and JUST NEEDED FRUIT and colour.

 

YOU NEED

1 small pear

1 small apple

1 cup of fresh pineapple

1 small orange, peel removed

1 lemon, peel removed

1 lime, peel removed

2 very large carrots, skin left on

1/4 teaspoon ginger (I would normally use fresh but only had minced this morning)

 

YOU DO

Roughly chop all the ingredients and throw through your juicer. Stir in the ginger if minced.

Enjoy.

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Servings: 1

Time: 10 minutes

Freezing: Haven’t tried freezing this one.

Summer in a Glass

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YOU NEED

the flesh of 1 mango

1 cup of fresh pineapple

1 large orange

1 fresh lime

1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

handful of ice

 

YOU DO

Juice all the fruit. Mix through the ginger.

Pour into a glass.

Add ice.

Sit in the shade on a hot day, listen to the birds and watch the butterflies!

 

Servings:  1

Time: 5 minutes

Freezing: Best to drink straight away