"Pimms" and Lemonade

Pimms No.1, is a British Gin based liqueur that is served over ice or in cocktails. Pimms and Lemonade used to be the drink of choice on an English summer's day while watching Wimbledon, Cricket or simply lazing in the back garden... (so much fun to say this in my fake Brit accent!) :)

I tried this for the first time at a restaurant called "The Queen & Mangosteen", here in Singapore...served alongside a Ploughman's platter consisting of: Stilton Cheese, Grapes, sliced Ham, Salad leaves and fruit Chutney. Yum!

So anyway, since I didn't have much luck finding a bottle of Pimms No.1 at the Singapore Duty free, I asked Richard, a friend from work, to bring back a bottle for me from Ireland...and his timing couldn't have been more perfect... It was the perfect drink to celebrate my blogs 1st birthday :) God bless you Mr.Richard :)

Ingredients: (Serves 2)
- 90 ml Pimms No.1
- 330 ml (1 small can) Sparkling water/ Soda
- 1 large Lemon
- 5 tbsp finely chopped Apple
- 5 tbsp finely chopped Cucumber
- 3-4 Orange segments, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tsp finely chopped Orange peel
- 3 tbsp finely chopped Strawberries ( I skipped this since I could'nt find any)
- 8-10 Mint leaves, roughly torn
- 3-4 tsp White Sugar, powdered


Method:
1.) In a pitcher, make lemonade using the juice from the lemon, sparkling water and sugar.

2.) Stir in the chopped fruit and mint and add the Pimms No.1 to the mix. Stir using a long spoon.

3.) Chill for atleast 30 mins before serving. Serve over ice in a tall glass, garnished with a sliced orange :)


Vineet and I seriously recommend investing in a bottle of Pimms... pick one up yourself, or ask someone traveling abroad to get one for you, incase it is not available in your city... Trust me... it is a decision you will never regret! :)

Blueberry & Yoghurt Breakfast Smoothie

Another super yummy, super healthy, super quick breakfast in a glass.. using all of 3 ingredients - fresh Blueberries, Yoghurt and Honey. Can't possibly write a longer introduction for something that is made in just a few minutes :) But yes, I have to tell you that Blueberries are excellent fat  busters, are high in anti-oxidants and maintain healthy urinary tract and visual health. See this link for more information: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090419170112.htm

Ingredients: (Makes 2 glasses)
- 1 cup fresh Blueberries, washed & drained
- 1-1/2 cups plain Yoghurt
- 2 or 3 tbsp Honey

Method:
Stick everything in a blender and whirrrrrrrrr away. Add a couple of teaspoons of water to thin out the smoothie if its too thick. Garnish with a couple of blueberries, and Drink up!

Grape & Apple Sangria Blanca

Sangria is a wine-based punch or cocktail, that consists of wine, chopped fruit and a sweetener.

Although the wine used in a traditional Sangria is a dry Red wine, I wanted to use the bottle of White Wine I already had... So I looked up a couple of websites, and finally settled on a recipe that used fresh Grapes, Apples, Mint and White wine....served chilled over ice, it is - simply put- absolutely delicious... with freshness of the fruit and the kick from the wine, it is perfect to enjoy with friends (or just by yourself!) on a warm summer evening!




Ingredients:
- 1 Bottle (750 ml) White Wine (sparkling or still, your choice)
- 250g fresh Green Grapes (seedless)
- 1 bright red Apple, plus 1 for garnish
- 2-3 tbsp finely powdered Sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 6-7 fresh Mint leaves
- 1 tablet of Vitamin- C ( if you're making this in advance)


Method:
1.) Wash the grapes and drain. Peel and core 1 of the apples and chop into cubes. Squirt with some lime juice to keep them from browning.

2.) Puree the grapes along with the apples, sugar, mint leaves and vitamin C tablet. The Vitamin C tablet has ascorbic acid, which keeps the colour of the Sangria a fresh green for a long time. Add some of the wine to the pureed fruits ( about 1 cup), and puree again till well combined.

3.) Strain the fruit-wine puree through a sieve. Stir in the remaining wine, and pour into a jug and chill for about an hour or so.


Serve over ice garnished with some sliced apple.... Cheers! :)

Watermelon-Strawberry smoothie

Made this, just this morning. Gave me the much needed zap I needed to get my eyes to open. Super simple, nourishing and ultimately refreshing... perfect for the oncoming summer months.

Ingredients:
3 cups Watermelon, chopped in cubes
6-8 fresh Strawberries
Juice of 1/4 lime
5-6 fresh Mint leaves (optional)
4-5 Ice cubes
2 tbsp honey (if fruit isn't naturally sweet)
Method:
Chop all the fruits into big chunks. Stick everything into a blender and whirrr it till smooth and thick. Drink up!

Papaya-Orange Breakfast Smoothie

Breakfasts are the first meal of the day, that most of us including me, skip most of the times simply because we have just no time to put things together before we need to haul our reluctant selves to work...This section on beverages, which is not limited to non-alcoholic beverages (do I hear a, "thank god!" from you boys?) is my attempt to come up with something easy, delicious and healthy... basically, breakfasts-in-a-glass.
This recipe is super-healthy, low on fat and sugar, best made with freshly squeezed orange juice, and seriously takes all of 2 minutes if you take care to peel and cube the papaya the previous night. 

Ingredients:
1 small Papaya - peeled, de-seeded & cubed
(approx. 2 cups cubed Papaya)
1 cup Orange juice
1 cup Yoghurt (dahi)
3 tbsp Honey ( Or 2 tbsp Sugar)
6-8 Ice cubes

Method:
Just stick everything in a blender, and give it a whirrrrrrrrrrr! Add  a few tablespoons of chilled water or a few more ice cubes if you feel its too thick.
Pour into a glass and sprinkle some ground nutmeg. Drink up! :)