Tag: Drinks

The Ultimate Holiday Recipe Roundup

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

In the spirit of giving, gathering and celebrating, I  am sure you are all overwhelmed like I am. Aren’t you?  As I was checking the recipe index page, I was surprised to realize how much cooking has happened in this space. And now since it is the season to be jolly and merry, wouldn’t it be a good idea to have a recipe guide. I hope this round-up inspires you to create or make something for your family  and friends.  Also you can download the e-book in the sidebar if you would like to print some of these recipes. Above  all, I hope you have a wonderful joy-filled holiday. Remember to share your creations with the #AkitchenInUg.

Happy Holidays

🙂

Sophie

Fresh Carrot Juice

~ Sophie ~ 3 Comments

How is December treating you so far? It’s that time of the year!  Where it is OK to outdo ourselves cooking for family and friends. It’s a wonderful time. My little brother is all in.  The other day he sat next to me with a pen and a notebook in hands and suggested we plan for Christmas.  He had the perfect holiday in his head and he went on to tell me how the decoration should be, the kind of cards to send out (he has already made them complete with a list of people to send to), the kind of food that will be served and the games afterwards. I didn’t pay much attention to him because I happened to be reading a magazine.  Its only after he had left (after making me promise to brainstorm with him the next day) that I realized how enthusiastic, sincere and pure his intentions are. For him, it’s the season to celebrate.  Watching the innocence in him made me feel like a child again.  Somehow along the lines of growing, we stop dreaming and stop having imaginative lives because we are all on a mission to make a living. If only we could just stop for a moment and enjoy the little things that life has to offer.  So I was thinking it is time I stepped up my drink game because well you know, drinks will be needed.  Yes I am now inspired by my 9-year-old brother to make this holiday worth remembering.  Also, I promised to make drinks and dessert (among many other things) for his ‘dinner party’.  The amazing thing is that this juice is easy to whip up, does not need a long list of ingredients and is a crowd pleaser.

What you will need:

7 Large carrots

Juice of 2 Lemons

3 C. Pineapple juice

3 C. Cold water

Ice cubes

Sugar

Mint to garnish

 

Method

Wash the carrots well and dice them. Mix the lemon juice with the pineapple juice. In a blender, add the diced carrots, pineapple juice and blend till smooth. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the juice. Place the carrot pulp back in the blender and add the water.  Blend again till smooth.  Strain the juice and mix it with the first juice. Add sugar according to your liking and still well.  Using a peeler, peel some carrot ribbons and insert them in the glasses. Fill glasses with ice cubes and pour the juice in. Garnish with fresh mint.

Very easy! The key here is to make the juice concentrate and use lots of ice cubes to balance out the sweetness.  Also it can be doubled (…and tripled) to accommodate the number of people you will be serving.  If you desire, keep the carrot pulp for stews. It works really well in thickening them.

Happy Holidays!

🙂

Sophie

Chilled Pineapple Juice

~ Sophie ~ 5 Comments

I think it is pineapple season. The reason I say so is because somehow they are easier to find and a little bit cheaper. With the scorching sun that is hitting us these days (right before massive downpours), I thought it is time to step up my game of making fruit drinks. Do you love experimenting with fruit drinks? What are your favorite combos? This one is as simple as having a blended pineapple, some lemons and sugar really. As simple as it is, it really is refreshing because the secret is chilling well before  serving.

What you will need:

1 Large pineapple

5 Lemons

Water

Sugar Method

Wash all the fruit and set aside. Using a sharp knife, peel the pineapple and core it then cut it into pieces. Put the pineapple pieces in the blender and add water. Blend till smooth(without any chunks).  Sieve the juice to remove tiny pieces of pineapple. Add sugar and stir till dissolved. Squeeze four  lemons in the pineapple juice(make sure the lemon juice is sieved).  Chill the juice.  When ready to serve, cut the remaining lemon into thin slices,  insert them into glasses, add ice cubes and then the juice.  Serve.

Observations:

  1. I did not put any specific measurements to the water and sugar because I believe we all have varied preferences. If you want the juice slightly sweeter and more concentrated, add less water and more sugar and if you want it a little lighter in taste and sweetness, add more water and less sugar.
  2. The lemon juice enhances the flavor while the slices are garnish.

I hope by this you will be able to conquer the heat. Plus you can easily double (and triple even) the recipe to serve guests.

🙂

Sophie