Bored with your banana smoothie recipes? Try this for a twist…

Boring? With peaches and chia seeds, a superfood containing omega 3, it’s more like ‘wow’!

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 1 medium-size banana
• 2 ripe peaches
• 1 tbs chia seeds
• 350ml almond milk (cold from fridge)
• Mint leaves for garnish

Method

1. Pour the almond milk into the jug of your blender
2. Add half the fruit and whiz with blender (or blending wand)
3. Add remainder of fruit and chia seeds
4. Whiz again until well blended and slightly frothy
5. Pour into pretty glasses, garnish with a sprig of mint…and enjoy!

When Dubbo nutritionist Jennifer Price told Mim about a smoothie she’d just invented, Mim knew she had to have to recipe to try it…and share it.

Full of superfoods such as chia seeds, this smoothie is the ultimate healthy indulgence.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 400ml almond milk
• 5 dates, plus water for soaking them
• 1 dessert spoon of organic cocoa powder
• 1/2 dessert spoon of chia seeds

Method

1. Remove stones from dates (or check for remnant pieces, if using pitted) then cover with water and soak.
2. When the dates have plumped up, pour them into a blender with their soaking syrup.
3. Add the chia seeds and the almond milk…and blend.
4. Pour into two glasses and serve.

Chia seeds were a staple grain of the Aztecs and Mayans. High in soluble fibre and a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids but low in calories, they contain potassium and calcium.

Cocoa, another Aztec/Mayan food was made into a bitter drink called xocoatl. Containing epicatechin, an antioxidant that helps to prevent heart disease, cocoa can reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure. Cocoa also contains phenylethylamine, a feel good brain chemical released when we are in love…or eating chocolate.

Chai is a spiced black tea which originates in India. It can be brewed in milk with honey or sugar to taste.

Ingredients (Makes 3-4 cups)

• 6 green cardamom pods, crushed
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 12mm (1/2 inch) fresh ginger root, chopped
• 4 black peppercorns
• 3 cups cold water
• 2 tbsp sugar or honey (to taste)
• 2 cups milk^
• 1 tbsp strong black tea leaves, such as Assam

^Milk is the traditional way to make Chai. However, one can substitute soy milk, rice milk or even no milk if preferred.

Method

1. Place spices and water in saucepan
2. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes
3. Add milk, honey or sugar (to taste)
4. Bring to boil again
5. Throw in tea leaves
6. Turn off heat and infuse for 2 minutes
7. Strain and enjoy

Chai tea is also delicious iced.

A delicious and nutritious winter coffee or tea replacement.

Method

1. Place 50g frozen mixed berries in the bottom of your mug.
2. Fill with freshly boiled water.
3. Wait for 5 minutes and enjoy the perfectly pink brew brimming with antioxidants.
4. Fill up a couple more times if you’re thirsty… then eat the berries. YUM!

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 stalks lemongrass, very finely sliced
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups soda water
• 2 tablespoons honey

Method

1. Place sliced lemongrass in a teapot, pour 2 cups boiling water over it. Cover and infuse until it cools.
2. Strain the tea into a jug, add honey and stir well. Refrigerate.
3. Place ice cubes into 4 glasses.
4. Stir 2 cups of soda water into the lemongrass tea, pour into the prepared glasses.

A variation on the Virgin Bloody Mary cocktail…with a spicy twist.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 litre bottle unsweetened tomato juice
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8 drops Tabasco sauce
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• pepper to taste
• 4 lemon wedges

Method

1. Place 8 ice cubes into a large jug, top with 1 litre tomato juice.
2. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, celery salt and pepper. Stir well.
3. Place a lemon wedge into 4 glasses, top with tomato juice.

Nothing so comforting in winter as a cup of hot cocoa

If you’d prefer a low-fat hot chocolate, leave out the milk. Use soy or rice milk for a dairy-free version.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 teaspoons cocoa powder
• boiling water
• honey to taste
• milk to taste

Method

1. Place a teaspoon of cocoa powder into 4 mugs.
2. Pour boiling water into the mugs, stir well until cocoa dissolves.
3. Top with milk to taste.
4. Add honey to taste, stir well.

Warming and soothing for the tummy

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 tablespoon peppermint tea-leaves (or 6 teabags)
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 cups (1 litre) boiling water
• 12 mint leaves (extra)

Method

1. Place peppermint tea (or tea bags) mint leaves and ginger into a teapot. Top with 4 cups boiling water. Infuse for 15 minutes.
2. Strain tea into a jug, add honey and stir until it dissolves.
3. Cool tea in the refrigerator.
4. Place ice cubes into 4 glasses, top with peppermint tea and 3 mint leaves.

Simply delicious

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 8 ripe pears, washed and quartered
• 12cm piece of ginger

Method

1. Put pears and ginger through the juicer. Stir well
2. Add a little cold water if ginger taste is too strong.
3. Place ice cubes into 4 glasses, top with pear juice.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 8 carrots, washed and cut into halves
• 1/2 celery, washed and cut into half
• 4 beetroot, washed and scrubbed, cut into quarters
• 12cm piece of ginger
• 4 lemons, peeled and quartered
• bunch of parsley, washed
• 4 cloves garlic, optional

Method

1. Put all the prepared vegetables through the juicer, a little at a time. Stir well.
2. Place ice cubes into 4 glasses, top with vegetable cocktail.

Find this recipe, and other tasty drinks, in Mim Beim and Gül McCarty’s book FeelGood Food