When it’s too hot, cool drinks with greens plus fruits will have you feeling cooler. Bitter greens are added to sweet fruits, making a drink that’s sweet but balanced. With a single spice or maybe two spices to your taste you’ll have a soothing mocktail par excellence! See more about mocktail recipes and ideas about spices here.
Speaking strictly of seasonal foods, certain flavors are best for seasonal use, not necessarily year-round. Did you know that according to Ayurveda, summer’s flavors are bitter, sweet, and astringent? Ayurveda gives less emphasis to sour and salty foods for summer months, because sour and salty encourage heat and sweating—we are already too hot! But sour and salty are welcome at other times of the year.
When the weather’s too hot, you’ll reach for cooling drinks. Lemonade’s a favorite—it’s both sweet and astringent. But since the fruit is also sour, choose limes instead of lemons and add ground cardamom and coconut sugar for deep-summer refreshment. See Kate O’Donnell’s “The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook” and this post for more.
Kate O’Donnell recommends drinkable recipes that calm you in her book “everyday ayurveda cooking for a calm, clear mind”. Fruit and bitter greens (such as dandelion) are blended on high speed for about 2 minutes in liquid. That’s it! Oh—and a little bit of spice—ground cardamom was my choice—really kicks up the flavor. It’s so easy to make and the benefits are that you’ll cool down with pure digestive aids of the bitter greens, fruit and spice.
First, Get Whole Fruits and Vegetables
Shop for whole fruit (over canned) and green leafy veggies—from the farmer’s market or your local source for tropical fruits.
You’ll need these ingredients: pineapple, dandelion greens, water (or coconut water) and ground cardamom or fennel seeds.
Drink Recipe Instructions
For a frothy, light drink, measure out your water to equal the volume of fruit and greens. With one cup each of fruit and greens which totals 2 cups, you should measure out 2 cups of water (or coconut water). For a dense, smoothie texture, adjust the volume of water down, decreasing it by 1/2 cup. But keep in mind that a denser drink results in lots of fiber you have chew–unless your blender is truly high-powered! You can always add more water and re-blend.
Place water (or coconut water if you prefer) into the blender carafe. Pour the fruit and greens into the water and add the spice*—you need about 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon for two glasses of your blend.
Then blitz away on medium-high to high speed–one to two minutes–until all ingredients are smoothly incorporated into the liquid. Pour into chilled glasses and serve, with a wink and a smile! It might be your new favorite—and not fattening, either!
*As I write this post, I’m thinking about the spices and ground fennel seeds came to mind. They might be a nice combo with this juice/blend, if you prefer a mellow slightly licorice flavor over the brightness of cardamom. And they would add a measure of digestive aid as well!
For more summer drinks, see When It’s Too Hot! The Fiery Breath of Summer
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