Mango Buttermilk Smoothie

This recipe is an easy way to use extra buttermilk!  I was pretty skeptical at first, but I love smoothies so much and gave in.  The buttermilk gives it a nice tang, like orange juice would.  From the NYT, it's a healthy start to your morning.

Mango Buttermilk Smoothie

Makes 1 serving
Total time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup whole buttermilk
1/2 banana
1 cup fresh or frozen mango
4 fresh or frozen strawberries
1 teaspoon honey or 1 serving vanilla protein powder

Directions:

Put ingredients into the blender and blend on high until smooth.  You may want to wait and add the protein powder, if using, until after the mixture is well-blended, or else the powder gets everywhere.


Recipe adapted from NYT author Martha Rose Shulman

Flavored Water

We all know that sugary beverages are something we should minimize in our diets.  Cut out the soda and sweet tea, replace it with water.  It's challenging when water is just flat-out boring some days.  Good news: it's easy to flavor your water without those artificial packets of who-knows-what-it-really-is fruit flavoring.  Use some real fruit instead!  You'll want to drink this water all day long.

I bought these 2 qt Takeya pitchers at Costco a couple of years ago, but you can find similar ones at Target, Walmart, etc.  I like that it has a fruit infuser basket that screws into the lid, making it easy to take the fruit out once I achieve the flavor I want.  

Flavored Water

Time: 5 minutes + 4-12 hours undisturbed for infusion

Directions:

Slice the fruits you are using and rinse any herbs.  Combine in the desired container, fill with cold water, and leave in the refrigerator to infuse anywhere from four to twelve hours, depending on personal taste preference.  Remove fruit and enjoy!

Delicious combinations:

Strawberry + lemon – a calorie-free strawberry lemonade, my current favorite

Strawberry + mint

Strawberry + basil

Watermelon 

Watermelon + mint

Watermelon + cucumber

Watermelon + rosemary

Cucumber + lemon with or without mint 

Lemon + lime 

Cucumber + mint

Lemon + lavender

Blackberry + ginger

Blackberry + thyme

Blackberry + sage

Possibilities are endless!  Plus it is an easy way to use up those extra herbs in your fridge.  

Fruit Tea

What do I miss most about Nashville?  Fruit tea.  Okay, maybe sometimes I miss my family, but mostly fruit tea.  A staple of many Nashville dining establishments, fruit tea is a glorious, refreshing concoction to be enjoyed at any time.  I finally found a recipe that lived up to my high expectations.  Is it better than sweet tea?  I'm not going to say it is, but I'm also not going to say it isn't.  You can decide for yourself!

Fruit Tea

Makes 2 quarts (64 oz)

Ingredients:

1 batch of Iced tea concentrate

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

Orange and lemon slices for garnish (optional)

For the iced tea concentrate, I use Tazo Iced Black Tea, easily found at Kroger, etc.  The tea bags are designed for making 64 oz of tea.  If you are using regular-sized black tea bags, use 5 bags.

For the juices, I actually buy the frozen concentrates.  I divide each can into thirds, freezing the other two portions for later use.  

1) Bring 32 oz of water to a boil.  Add to a pitcher with the tea bag(s).  Allow to steep for 5 minutes.  Remove the tea bags and stir in the sugar.  Set the pitcher aside to cool slightly.

2) Add the pineapple, orange, and lemon juices, and the fruit slices if using, and fill the remainder of the pitcher with cold water.  Stir to dissolve the juice concentrates.  Refrigerate until cold.

3) Allow at least 20 minutes before serving for the flavors to meld.

Cherry-Peach Sangria

Everyone knows sangria is delicious, especially once you get to the alcohol-soaked fruit at the bottom.  Sangria is made ahead of time to allow the alcohol and fruit to mix together, and the last few ingredients are added just before serving.  A little dash of forethought brings a boatload of compliments.  This white sangria brings a little Kentucky flavor in the form of bourbon, and it is perfect for summer with its seasonal peaches and cherries.  What's not to love?

Cherry-Peach Sangria

Hands-on time: 20 min.
Total time: 8 hour, 20 min.
Serves 6

I always use a Spanish albariño, but you can use any zesty white wine you enjoy.

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
2 1/2 cups pitted Rainer cherries
1 (750-mL) bottle albariño wine, chilled
1 cup chilled club soda
1 peach, thinly sliced
3 thyme sprigs

Combine the sugar and bourbon in a pitcher; stir until sugar dissolves (as much as possible).  Add the cherries and wine, and chill for 8 hours or up to overnight.  Just before serving, stir in club soda and remaining ingredients.

Recipe modified from Cooking Light