Iced Tea Quencher with Ginger and Pineapple

EASIER

VEGETARIAN

GLUTEN-FREE

Makes five 8-ounce servings

Here’s a tropical iced tea that’s great on a hot weekend afternoon. Or maybe with a Hawaiian pizza. Most supermarket produce sections have cored and peeled pineapple spears in the refrigerator case. Chop them into small bits for the best flavor. For a tropical cocktail, stir 1 cup gold rum and ½ cup superfine white sugar (or granulated white sugar) into the pitcher of tea until the sugar dissolves.

4 bags plain black tea

½ cup chopped peeled fresh pineapple

One 2-inch-long ginger knob, peeled and chopped

Boiling water

1. Place the tea bags, pineapple, and ginger in a 32- to 34-ounce French press. Fill with boiling water. Set the lid and plunger in place without pressing down. Steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

2. Press the plunger down and pour the tea into a large pitcher. Add 2 cups cold water, stir well, and serve over ice.

Voilà! Tzatziki is a Greek yogurt-cucumber sauce, but it can become a light meal to go with one of these iced quenchers in the summer—or anytime, really—when you add more veggies and even some berries to the mix. Blueberries add a tart/sweet pop, a decided bit of complexity in the creamy concoction. For each serving, mix ½ cup diced peeled seeded cucumber, ⅓ cup shredded carrots, ⅓ cup blueberries, 2 tablespoons chopped red onion, 2 tablespoons fat-free plain Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon honey, ½ teaspoon dried dill, ¼ teaspoon minced garlic, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper in a large bowl. Spoon it into a whole-wheat pita pocket.