Pink Tea

Recipe adapted from Caroline Wachsmuth

7 oz. mineral water
A dozen fresh mint leaves
Pinch of black cardamom pods
2 heaping tsp. dried hibiscus flowers
1 tsp. dried chamomile flowers
Juice of 1 lime
3 tsp. agave syrup
Small handful of pine nuts (to pour in the bottom of each glass)

Boil the water and pour in the fresh mint, cardamom pods, hibiscus, and chamomile. Let infuse 5 minutes.

Filter out flowers and pods; add lime juice and agave syrup and heat for about 5 minutes — but don’t let it boil.

Scatter the pine nuts in the bottom of two small glasses. Filter the tea again and pour into the glasses. If it’s not sweet enough, add more agave syrup or flower honey.

Green Smoothie

Recipe from Jenny Nelson's Clean 

3 cups spinach
1 cup frozen blueberries (or raspberries, blackberries, mangoes, papaya, etc.)
1 tablespoon flax oil
1 tablespoon maca powder
1 tablespoon spirulina
1 cup almond milk
2 dates

Blend until creamy.

Cinnamon-Flavored Ice Milk with Coffee

Recipe from Penelope Casas The Foods & Wines of Spain

1 and 1/2 cups strong black coffee, preferably espresso, chilled

Leche Merengada
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Peel of 1 lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
4 egg whites
Few drops of lemon juice
Cinnamon for dusting

Make the Leche Merengada. Bring to a boil the milk, cream, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the lemon peel, and the cinnamon sticks. Reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool, the refrigerate until cold. Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon sticks. Beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff but not dry. Slowly beat in the cold milk mixture. Freeze in ice cube trays. Dust with cinnamon when serving.

Pour 1/4 cup chilled coffee into each of 6 parfait glasses, then add scoops of Leche Merengada. Serve immediately.

Sangria

Recipe from Penelope Casas The Foods & Wines of Spain

Start preparations several hours in advance.

1 bottle (24 ounces) dry, full-bodied red wine, preperably of Spanish import from Valencia or Valdepeñas
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier (optional)
1 tablespoon sugar
Orange and lemon slices
Apple and/or peach wedges
1 cup club soda or sparkling water

Mix together in a large pitcher all ingredients except the club soda. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Add the club soda and ice cubes. Serve very cold.

Green Berry Coconut Smoothie

This recipe is from Health Coach Susan Whang and was recommended by my friend Vanessa.

1/2 cup Frozen Spinach
1/2 cup Frozen Organic Blueberries
1/2 cup Light Coconut Milk
1 Banana
1 tablespoon Ground Flax Meal
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Soy, Rice or Nut Milk

Blend all ingredients til desired consistency is achieved. Enjoy!

Simple Syrups

Recipes from Sips and Bitters

Simple syrups are key to making a good, balanced drink. The sugar is already dissolved in the water, so there’s no need to swirl around crunchy sugar granules. You can start with your own clear simple syrup for making mojitos and mint juleps, but why stop at just water and sugar? Why not make your own infused syrups for drinks? The recipe is pretty easy:

Classic Simple Syrup 
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil; simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Now let’s get the party started. Think about the types of flavors you like in cocktails. Citrus? Ginger? Spice? You can add quite a bit of flavor with a little bit of infusion.

For citrus simple syrups: using a vegetable peeler, carefully peel off the outer peel of an orange, lime, Meyer lemon, or grapefruit. For a strongly flavored syrup, I would choose 2-3 blemish-free, wax-free fruits, preferably organic. Avoid getting any of the white rind, as this is quite bitter. Place the peels in the sugar/water solution right after boiling and then pour the infusion into a glass jar. Infuse for 2 weeks and then strain the syrup and discard the peels.

For ginger simple syrup: Cut the skin off a 3-inch piece of ginger and slice into rounds. Place the ginger rounds in the sugar/water solution right after boiling and then pour the infusion into a glass jar. Infuse for 2 weeks and then strain the syrup and discard the ginger rounds.

For herbal simple syrups: Get creative here. You can use thyme (for a pear-thyme vodka-based cocktail), mint (for extra minty mojitos), lemon verbena (for a fragrant lemon drop), lemongrass (for an exotic mojito or caipirina)… the sky is the limit! Use organic herbs and make sure they are clean. Place the herbs — fresh or dry, but remember that the dry will be more concentrated –  in the sugar/water solution right after boiling and then pour the infusion into a glass jar. Infuse for 2 weeks and then strain the syrup and discard the herbs.

Spirulina Super Food Smoothie

Almond Milk
Spirulina
Dates
Blueberries
Banana
Brazil Nuts

Blend and serve chilled.