LAVENDER AND CAROB BEDTIME ‘HOT CHOCOLATE’
FOR MORE DRINKS IDEAS TRY:
We have something for every occasion here, from refreshing wake-up breakfast lifts, such as the Ginger Zinger Smoothie (see here) or Berry Brain Booster (see here), to soothing brews like Salabat (see here) for later in the day. As for hot chocolate, we’ve got a naturally caffeine-free version that uses carob and lavender to send you off for a good night’s sleep (see here), and if you’re looking to cut down on or avoid coffee, we recommend the Chicory Bullet with Cinnamon (see here) for a pick-me-up.
When it comes to alcohol, be selective and look for the ‘better than’ choices. Try organic and biodynamic wines, for example, to avoid unwanted tannins and sulphites. Steer clear of sugary sodas and juices in your cocktails too. They increase the likelihood of your getting a hangover and all that sugar will leave you with a sweeter tooth than you started with. For a healthier cocktail, nothing can beat our Beetroot Bloody Mary (see here): full of goodness but still packing a punch!
Making sure you’re well hydrated is key to curbing cravings, easing headaches and avoiding energy slumps, so for those who find drinking water a chore, make it more appealing by adding slices of citrus fruit, ribbons of cucumber or sprigs of fresh mint or rosemary to a glass jug of water to infuse. A decorative jug like this makes a beautiful table centrepiece. If you find that cutting out that takeaway coffee or your favourite fizzy drink leaves you with a hole in your life that herbal tea bags just don’t fill, then a refreshing, vitamin-rich homemade juice is for you.
Juices are a wonderful way to pack in more veg, especially for those who don’t always relish the thought of sitting down to a bowl of greens. Play around with the flavour until you’re happy – adding a little extra fruit if you are still working on that sweet tooth. Over time, as your taste buds adapt, you can introduce more greens and reduce the fruit – just a little bit of apple will be all that’s needed to make them taste delicious – and you can start upping the parsley, coriander, ginger and turmeric.
A well-balanced smoothie is a meal in itself and, done right, one for breakfast will keep you full until lunchtime. They’re a great quick way to get greens, essential fats and proteins in at the start of the day – and all under the guise of something creamy and delicious! The combinations are endless, too: if you run out of coconut oil but have some coconut milk left over from a recipe, add that, or swap almonds for cashews or add a scoop of tahini.
Ideally, we would make fresh juices and smoothies daily and drink them immediately, but when we’ve gone to the effort of making one in the first place, we’d rather make double and store one half in the fridge for the next day. Just remember that they are not an overall substitute for food, so drink responsibly!
KEEP COLD OR FREEZE Smoothies and juices will keep for 48 hours in the fridge (72 hours max). You can always freeze them in portions (allowing 2.5cm space in the container for expansion). Make sure they come to room temperature first before drinking, as ice-cold drinks shock the system and disrupt digestion.
ON THE MOVE Store your juice or smoothie in a stainless-steel flask or glass jar (we love jam jars!) for short journeys. Combine with a cool bag and freezer block or even freeze before transporting for longer journeys. Vacuum flasks are also useful for keeping drinks cold. Just chill your fresh juice or smoothie in the flask before transporting.
CHECK DRINKS LABELS When you are out and about, read drinks labels very carefully. Look for organic, cold-pressed, unpasteurised juices, and choose freshly made smoothies with no added sugar, limited fruit and a good balance of fats, such as nuts, avocado or coconut milk.
KEEPING EVERYONE HAPPY If you’re making them for the whole family or for people new to greens in juices or smoothies, pour out your portion first with the amount of greens you like, then add more fruit to the remaining drinks, mix and blend again.
BLENDING SMOOTHIES You’ll need a high-powered blender for a quick and (completely) smooth result. We’ve included tips to suggest how to adapt each recipe if you’re using a food processor instead. Don’t leave the motor on the blender running when you’re making smoothies. Blending too long will begin to heat up the smoothie and can damage the nutrients. Use a tamper, if your blender has one, to keep the mixture moving while it blends, or switch the machine off at regular intervals (or use the pulse button) and use a spatula to push down the sides.
SOAK IT Remember to soak whole nuts and seeds where appropriate (see here). We soak them in the blender overnight, then rinse, drain and add the other ingredients to blend the next morning.
JUICING Although you can store juices (see here), we like to drink one portion of juice immediately to ensure we get the best from the ingredients right away. Cold pressing is best for nutrient preservation, but these machines are more expensive, slightly slower and more fiddly to clean. If this puts you off, a centrifugal juicer is your best bet.
ALTERNATE HARD AND SOFT Remember when juicing to put leaves and soft vegetables between harder fruit and vegetables to get the most from them, such as sandwiching mint between two pieces of celery.
PASS THE PULP If the pulp left over from juicing is still damp, you can re-juice it. Leftover pulp can be used to bulk out stews, soups and even baking!
SPACE YOUR DRINKS Just as with alcoholic drinks, don’t down juices and smoothies too quickly too close to meals. It’s important to ‘chew’ your drinks – not just to experience their flavour and texture but to help digestion, maximise what you get from them and to avoid flooding your stomach.
This vibrant green summer drink is soothing on the digestive system and refreshing on the taste buds, making it the perfect accompaniment to a barbecue feast, or whenever you feel you have overindulged. Think of it as the hot-weather version of Salabat (see here). This sparkling drink makes a lovely mocktail at dinner parties, or add a splash of your favourite spirit to take it up a level. Make sure to juice the mint leaves with the apples, sandwiching them between two pieces of apple, to ensure you get the most from them, especially if using a centrifugal juicer.
SERVES 5 (250ML EACH)
4 green apples
1 small handful of mint leaves (about 15g)
70g (8cm piece) fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic)
1 litre sparkling water
1 handful of frozen berries, to serve
1 Wash the apples, mint and ginger, then chop the apples to fit your juicer. Juice the mint leaves between the harder apples and ginger.
2 Pour into a large jug with the sparkling water and mix together. Add the frozen berries, just before serving, as colourful ice cubes.
After a workout it’s easy to turn to sugar-laden ‘sports drinks’ for a quick recovery. With a good diet and plenty of water, most of us can stay properly hydrated and recover from sweating in the gym without having recourse to such drinks. For those times when you want more than just plain water, however, try our favourite recovery drink, made with revivifying coconut water, citrus fruits and Himalayan salt (which contains the same 84 trace minerals and elements found in our bodies) or a good sea salt. If you have had a particularly hard workout, you could also add a scoop of protein powder, or sip a mug of hot Bone Broth (see here) as the ultimate recovery drink.
SERVES 2 (500ML EACH)
1 litre coconut water (with no added sugar or other ingredients, preferably raw /unpasteurised)
Juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime
¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt or sea salt
1 Combine the coconut water with the lemon and lime juices and add the salt.
2 Mix together or shake thoroughly before drinking.
Don’t let the sound of this put you off! Team it with the zingy flavours of ginger (proven to be effective in combating symptoms of gastrointestinal distress and nausea) and sweetness from apples and carrots and you have a powerful anti-inflammatory – and that makes one mighty tummy tonic!
SERVES 1 (300ML)
10g (3cm piece) fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic)
¼ small cabbage (about 150g)
1–2 green apples
2 medium carrots (about 200g)
1 Wash all the ingredients and chop to fit your juicer.
2 Juice everything together and pour into a glass to serve.
This juice is a real pick-me-up, perfect if you are feeling under the weather or struggling after the night before. Fresh beetroot is a powerful cleanser and helps to support liver function. In modern life, the liver can often get overwhelmed and toxins can build up, so it’s good to give it a helping hand whenever possible. The celery, carrot and cucumber add to the nutrients, helping you feel energised, while your immune system will get a boost from the antibacterial and antiviral properties of basil, parsley and the optional garlic. If you do add the garlic, be sure to save a sprig of parsley to chew on afterwards as it may not be only vampires who try to avoid you!
SERVES 1 (300ML)
1 large carrot (about 150g)
2 celery sticks (about 80g)
1 medium beetroot (about 120g)
½ large cucumber (about 150g)
1 small handful of fresh parsley (15g), leaves and stalks
1 small handful of fresh basil (15g), leaves and stalks
1 garlic clove (optional)
1 Wash all the ingredients and chop the vegetables to fit your juicer, placing the leaves/herbs between the harder veg.
2 Juice all the ingredients together, stir well and drink immediately.
This is an everyday favourite as the ingredients are available all year round. Celery and parsley are known detoxifiers and we love their taste. Use mint instead of the parsley, for a sweeter taste, and if you’re just starting out, add as much or as little apple as you need to make the juice more palatable. Once you’ve got used to the bracing flavour, up the vegetables and reduce the apple and play around with the herbs and greens you use.
SERVES 4 (300ML EACH)
1 lemon (unpeeled if organic)
12 celery sticks (2 bunches)
2 large cucumbers
100g (12cm piece) fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic)
1–2 green apples (optional)
1 large handful of fresh parsley (leaves and stalks) or fresh mint leaves (30g)
1 Wash all the ingredients and chop the fruit, vegetables and ginger to fit your juicer, placing the leaves/herbs between the harder veg.
2 Juice all the ingredients together and stir well before drinking.
TIP
+ Don’t throw away the celery leaves: juice them too or save and put into salads, or packed lunches. Since a juicer removes all the tough bits, you don’t need to trim celery at all except to remove any bits that have gone brown.
This smoothie is one of our favourites for getting revved up, ready to tackle the day. It’s a filling powerhouse of nutrients, with anti-inflammatory turmeric, iron-rich spinach and creamy fats, in the form of avocado and coconut oil. Mint boosts the flavour as well as the digestive effects. If you’re not drinking the smoothie straight away, add another 100ml water, as the chia seeds or flaxseeds will thicken the smoothie over time.
SERVES 2 (400ML EACH)
1 ripe avocado (or ½ avocado and ½ banana)
2 large handfuls of fresh or frozen spinach (no need to defrost) or kale (stems removed)
10 fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon chia or flaxseeds
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
700ml water
1 Place all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses to serve.
TIP
+ If blending in a food processor, use ground chia or flaxseed, and spinach instead of kale.
A great starter smoothie for people who are new to the ‘green’ smoothie. We love avocados but bananas help offset the bitterness of the spinach, so for those still getting used to the taste of veg in drinks, it’s ideal. We chop up very ripe, peeled bananas (you can often get a good deal on them) and freeze, which makes our breakfast smoothie that much easier and quicker – and gives it a cool texture that will feel more like a commercial smoothie. (Just don’t forget to warm it in your mouth before swallowing.) This one’s great for breakfast: it injects a big dose of healthy greens, rejuvenates with immune-boosting lemon and ginger, adds coconut oil for energy and maca for stamina, helping you to power through the day!
SERVES 2 (400ML EACH)
1 small ripe avocado or 1 small banana
200g fresh or frozen spinach (no need to defrost)
50g (6cm piece) fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic)
4 celery sticks
1½ tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons chia seeds or flaxseeds
2 tablespoons maca powder (optional)
Juice of 1 small lemon
600ml water
1 Peel the avocado or banana, removing the avocado stone, then place in a high-powered blender with all the other ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses to serve.
TIPS
+ If blending in a food processor, use ground chia or flaxseed, grate in the ginger and replace the celery with handfuls of watercress or more spinach.
+ If you’re not drinking the smoothie straight away, add another 100ml water, as the chia seeds or flaxseeds will thicken the smoothie over time.
This smoothie was created to keep the body topped up with vital vitamins and minerals and the brain firing and focused. Berries may be small but they pack a powerful nutritional punch. Feel free to mix up the varieties you use, as different coloured ones offer different phytochemicals and hence differing health benefits. Fresh berries can be expensive, but we try to buy them when they are in season and cheaper, and then freeze in portions. In this smoothie we use Brazil nuts, not just to give a creamy texture but to provide a detoxifying selenium boost. They’re also great for a last-minute smoothie as they don’t require pre-soaking. For a final hit of goodness, we add flaxseeds, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and coconut oil to give a sustained release of energy and balance the sugars in the fruit.
SERVES 2 (400ML EACH)
150g fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to defrost)
200g fresh or frozen strawberries (no need to defrost)
25g Brazil nuts (about 8) or 1½ tablespoons almond butter
1½ teaspoons coconut oil
5 tablespoons full-fat probiotic yoghurt
1 tablespoon flaxseeds or chia seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
A good pinch of sea salt
400ml water
1 Add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses to serve.
VARIATIONS
+ You can substitute the Brazils for cashews, almonds or macadamia nuts, or use different nut butters.
+ For a dairy-free option, leave out the yoghurt or use coconut yoghurt instead.
TIPS
+ If blending in a food processor, use almond butter and ground chia or flaxseed.
+ If you’re not planning on drinking your smoothie straight away, it may thicken up, so a quick stir or blast in the blender will sort that out. Alternatively, let the smoothie set for a few hours in the fridge to enjoy it as a chilled, creamy pudding!
If you rely a little too heavily on that morning cup of joe, then this is the recipe for you. Ground chicory has a rich, nutty, bitter flavour which will make weaning yourself off coffee that little bit easier. This caffeine-free alternative is far better for you than drinking standard ‘decaf’ which, unless Swiss water-filtered, can contain up to 30 per cent caffeine as well as chemicals from the decaffeination process. Add your favourite milk to make it creamy, or drink it black if you like, but definitely try this Chicory Bullet – our take on a ‘Bulletproof Coffee’, which is prepared with a hint of coconut oil and grass-fed butter or ghee to reduce the consequential energy crash that a caffeine-hit induces. It’s also a great way to get some good fats in, so we’ve adopted the technique for our morning hot mug of chicory, for the sustained boost of energy you won’t get from coffee.
SERVES 2 (250ML EACH)
2 tablespoons ground chicory or Swiss water-filtered decaffeinated coffee (see here)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter or 2 teaspoons ghee
500ml just-boiled water
Milk or almond milk, to serve (optional)
1 Add the chicory or coffee to a cafetière with the cinnamon, vanilla extract (if using) and coconut oil, butter or ghee. Top with the just-boiled water and leave to brew for 5 minutes.
2 Pour into mugs and stir, adding milk or almond milk, if desired, for a creamy bullet. The oil will rise to the surface unless properly mixed, making the drink very hot, so be careful when taking the first few sips.
Sipping this blissful bedtime hug in a mug is going to set you up for sweet dreams. Lavender has been used for years to help people relax and unwind. Carob adds a chocolatey maltiness, while being naturally free of stimulating caffeine, and the coconut milk supplies satiating good fats to stave off any late-night hunger pangs. If you find the coconut milk too rich, you can always use almond milk or half and half instead. Dried lavender is easy to find but this is just as delicious without, and cocoa powder makes a good substitute for the carob during the day – just remember that carob isn’t as bitter as cocoa powder so you’ll need to add a little more maple syrup.
SERVES 2 (250ML EACH)
1½–2 tablespoons carob or cocoa powder
½ teaspoon dried culinary lavender
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ tablespoon maple syrup
A pinch of sea salt
1 × 400ml tin of full-fat coconut milk or use almond milk
100ml water
1 Over a medium heat, whisk all the ingredients together in a small saucepan until the carob or cocoa powder has dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
2 Continue whisking the mixture, letting it simmer very gently for a couple of minutes to infuse the lavender.
3 Remove from the heat, let it cool slightly and pour into mugs. You can strain it if you want to, but we quite like having the lavender in the mug.
There is no need for cough syrup or central heating with this strong ginger and lemon concoction! Our recipe is based on the traditional Salabat tea from the Philippines that our mum and aunties would make us drink to ward off colds and flu. We really simmer the ginger for maximum effect and include the lemon peel too. It’s fantastic as a general pick-me-up or after-dinner digestif, and if it’s a cold we’re busting then we allow it to cool down and swirl in some raw honey for its antibacterial and antiviral properties – manuka would be a great choice here. Served hot or chilled, this is a spicy, soothing tea to nourish your body and lift your mood at any time of day.
SERVES 4 (200ML EACH)
1–2 lemons
750ml water
120g (14cm piece) fresh root ginger (unpeeled if organic), sliced
1 tablespoon raw honey (optional)
1 Juice the lemons and set aside. Slice up the leftover peel and bring to the boil in a large saucepan with the water and ginger.
2 Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, topping up with more water if necessary.
3 Strain the tea into a pot or mugs and allow to cool slightly. When at drinking temperature, add the lemon juice and sweeten with a little honey if desired.
TIP
+ Refill the pan of lemon peel and ginger and simmer again for a weaker tea that’s still good.
A rich, jewel-coloured cocktail, this is a real show-stopper that will tantalise the taste buds and pep up even the most retiring wallflower at a party. Made from beetroot and celery juice – as delicious and uplifting as a cleansing juice, minus the vodka of course!
MAKES ABOUT 800ML
SERVES 4 (200ML EACH)
4 medium beetroots
4 celery sticks, plus extra (optional) to garnish
1 lemon (unpeeled if organic)
2 limes (unpeeled if organic)
2 teaspoons (peeled) grated fresh horseradish (see here)
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or a dash of Tabasco sauce
¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt or sea salt
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
100ml vodka
150ml water
Ice cubes, to serve
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
Splash of port
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Splash of sauerkraut or pickle juice
Pitted olives, pickles, sprigs of fresh herbs, celery stick, to garnish
1 Wash the beetroots, celery and citrus fruits and chop to fit your juicer. Juice together, then add to a large jug with the rest of the ingredients except the ice. Add any optional extras and stir to evenly combine.
2 Serve in tall glasses over ice and garnish to your heart’s delight – anything goes!
TIPS
+ If you can’t find fresh horseradish use a teaspoon or more of horseradish in a jar, to taste.
+ Serve as a mocktail – it’s so hearty you won’t miss the vodka.
SERVES 2
(ABOUT 85ML EACH)
This quick cocktail is based on the ‘Tom Collins’ – a traditional London tipple consisting of gin and lemonade. It is an alcoholic favourite of ours when catering or hosting events. Light and refreshing with a bit of kick, it’s perfect to get your party off to a flyer. If you have a gluten intolerance, make sure you buy potato-based vodka as opposed to wheat-based. Choose naturally sparkling water, as opposed to carbonated natural water, for a better taste and the mineral goodness that comes with it.
50ml vodka
40ml lemon juice
20ml raw honey (runny)
75ml sparkling water
Ice cubes, to serve
1 Mix together the vodka, lemon juice and honey, or shake together in a cocktail shaker.
2 Pour into ice-filled glasses in equal measure, top with the sparkling water, stir and serve.