Durban — Summers call for cool, nourishing drinks and treats that are quick and easy to make, like lush smoothies and indulgent ice cream.
Given that many overindulged in December and started off the new year “dry” (sans alcohol) or took on the Veganuary challenge to go meatless for a month, a drink that tickles your palate and fills your belly will hit the sweet spot.
In the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Low-Fat Vegan Cooking it says lush blackberries blend perfectly with succulent peaches to create a refreshing fruit beverage that’s delicious served with leafy green salads and Mexican fare. Check out the sangria and colada from that book.
Coco Water Colada
What you need:
Water from 1 large young coconut (1½ cups)
Flesh of 1 young coconut (½ cup)
1 cup frozen pineapple bits
4 large pitted medjool or deglet noor dates
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
How to make it:
In a high-speed blender, combine young coconut water, young coconut “meat”, pineapple and medjool dates.
Blend until completely smooth
Serve in two glasses sprinkled with shredded coconut.
Variation: You can blend up an alcoholic version of this virgin colada by adding ¼ cup of your favourite rum during step 1.
Blackberry Peach Sangria
What you need:
1 cup water
2 medium peaches, sliced
¾ cup fresh or frozen blackberries
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup seltzer water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 small orange, peeled and cut into thin slices
How to make it:
In a high-speed blender, combine water, 1 peach and ½ cup blackberries. Blend until completely smooth.
Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, and reserve fruit purée for a dessert or breakfast topper.
In a pitcher, combine blended blackberry and peach juice, maple syrup, seltzer water and lemon juice.
Add remaining 1 peach, remaining ¼ cup blackberries and orange slices and stir well.
Variation: To make a traditional sangria, replace the water with 1 cup red wine and add ½ cup peach or blackberry brandy.
Gorgeous green smoothie
Vegan chef Leozette Roode says her “gorgeous green smoothie” is the perfect way to start the day, and if you don’t have all the ingredients, just play around with what you have. The ingredients below make two small smoothies or one large one, which she prefers.
What you need:
400ml Almond Breeze, unsweetened almond milk
2 bananas, peeled
½ papaya, pitted and peeled
1 cup spinach, washed
8 pitted dried dates
1 tablespoon desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon moringa powder (optional)
1 tablespoon ground flax or
1 tablespoon chia seeds
5-10 blocks of ice
How to make it:
Blend all the ingredients together in a high-speed blender or food processor. Pour into glasses, top with fresh fruit, hemp seeds, coconut flakes or chia seeds.
Variation: Play with broccoli, cauliflower, peas, sweet potato, pineapple, apple, kiwi or your favourite variety of veggies and fruits. Also, if you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak the dates in hot water / microwave them in water for a few minutes until the dates are soft. Just don’t add the hot date water to your smoothie.
No-churn milk tart ice cream
In her book, Feed My Tribe, chef Mmule Setati seduces the palate with this recipe which makes about 1 litre of ice cream.
What you need:
2 cups fresh cream well chilled
1 385g can condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
How to make it:
In a large bowl, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the condensed milk and fold it in using a spatula until well combined.
Stir in the remaining ingredients. Scoop the ice cream mixture into a square tin or dish, seal and freeze for 12 hours.
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