Making juices and smoothies with infused spices such as cloves, cinnamon and ginger takes a little extra time, but you will be rewarded with a wonderful depth of flavour.
300 ml/1¼ cups coconut drinking milk
1 stick lemongrass, bruised
2 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1-cm/⅜-inch piece fresh root ginger, unpeeled and sliced
½ large pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into long wedges
2 teaspoons lacuma powder (see page 16)
½ teaspoon toasted unsweetened desiccated coconut, for sprinkling
SERVES 2
Pour the coconut milk into a pan and add the lemongrass, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Heat over a medium-low heat until just warm then turn off the heat, cover with a lid and leave to infuse for 1 hour (or overnight if making the next morning). Strain and discard the lemongrass, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Juice the pineapple and stir in the infused milk and the lacuma. Pour into glasses and sprinkle with the coconut.
Spices have been valued for their medicinal properties for many thousands of years, particularly for their digestive, antibacterial, antiseptic and antiviral qualities. They taste great, too…