Drinks – Page 2 – Keeper of the Kitchen

What’s lovelier on a hot summers day than a refreshing mint cordial? Well, I don’t know, but a mint cordial definitely hits the spot. Mint is used to relieve normal pregnancy nausea, and abdominal pain. Chewing mint leaves will make your teeth whiter over the course of a couple of weeks, and eliminate toxins from the body. Some even claim mint can cure asthma, although I’ve not seen any research on that.

This easy recipe will make enough cordial for 3 – 5 litres of mint juice, depending on how strong you like it.

Welcome to the Festival of Food Carnival. This month, we celebrate Smoothies and Mocktails! Hosted by Diary of a First Child and Hybrid Rasta Mama, you’re welcome to join us next time, or if you have a previously published recipe you’d like to share, add it to the linky below.

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Festival of Food: Mint Cordial Recipe

Recipe Type: Drink

Cuisine: Summer

Author: Luschka

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 24 hours

Total time: 24 hours 15 mins

A gorgeous summery mint infusion

Ingredients

2 cups fresh mint leaves
500g sugar or rapadura
2 cups water

Instructions

Lightly crush the mint leaves to release some of the flavours.
Add sugar and water to a heavy bottomed pot and then add mint.
Bring the mixture to boil for five minutes, then simmer lightly for 15 minutes.
Cover and leave as is overnight
Strain the mixture to remove all the leaves, then decant into a bottle and refrigerate.
You can keep this in the fridge for 2 – 3 weeks.
Just add to still or sparkling water to taste.
Enjoy the refreshing yumminess.

Reprinted from Diary of a First Child

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Please take a moment to visit the blogs of our other Festival of Food participants. The links in this list will be live by the end of the day, as participants are all in different time zones.

Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares 5 “Real Food” Style Simple Syrup Recipes For Mocktails! This collection of homemade simple syrups includes fresh ingredients and no refined sugars. You will fall in love with them all! You can also find Jennifer on Facebook.
Luschka at Keeper of the Kitchen shares a wonderful Summer Mint Cordial. What is more refreshing than mint in summer? This mint cordial is sure to bring some cool to your summery afternoons. You can also find Luschka on Facebook.
Sam at Hobo Mama offers a vegan, dairy-free, sweetener-free smoothie with just four natural ingredients that’s sure to refresh both kids and adults. You can also follow Hobo Mama on Facebook.
Bianca at The Pierogie Mama shares a few delicious smoothies that use avocado as an ingredient. They are toddle friendly too! You can also find Bianca on Facebook.
Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy shares Frozen Green Dream which includes her favorite trick for a quick, satisfying smoothie your kids will run for a cup of! You can also find Jennifer on Facebook.
Lindy at Poppy Soap Company shares an energizing and refreshing morning grapefruit smoothie. You can also find Lindy on Facebook.

Stay connected! Be sure to “Like” the Festival of Food Carnival Facebook page.

I adore hazelnut syrup in my coffee. It’s almost a weakness. It’s definitely a craving. I sometimes crave it. I’ll drive out of my way to pick up a hazelnut coffee at Starbucks. But the problem is, I don’t think they’re very good for you! In fact, whenever I haven’t had one in a while, and then I drink one, I can ‘feel’ the chemicals sticking at the back of my throat.

I’ve recently learned to make my own hazelnut syrup and since then, I’ve not looked back.

Ironically, since I have been drinking my homemade syrup, I’ve twice had occasion to try my old favourite and you know what? I don’t like it anymore! I find it overly sweet, and I find that chemical taste really prominent in the back of my throat now.

This recipe uses Rapadura in place of sugar, so while it’s still quite calorific, it doesn’t have the highs and lows of adding sugar to your coffee.

I made these in my Thermomix, but the recipe below is very easy to adapt to even basic kitchen equipment, you may just take a little longer.

Also, with the leftover nuts you can make gorgeous crystallised hazelnuts.

Fun Fact: This recipe, based on RRP, for organic ingredients, cost me £5.49 for just under 1 litre. My Starbucks favourite used to cost me £3.75 for 375ml.

Home Made Hazelnut Syrup

Recipe Type: Drinks, Sauces, Deserts

Author: Luschka

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 1 litre

Ingredients

500g Rapadura
500g water
250g Hazelnuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F
Roast the hazelnuts until they are just starting to colour, and you can smell their warm aroma.
Remove from oven and turn off.
Place hazelnuts in the Thermomix bowl on reverse speed 1 for about a minute. The skins should come off pretty easily. (If you don’t have a Thermomix, or you need to remove more skin, agitate the nuts between two dishclothes.
Separate the skins
Place the hazelnuts back in the bowl and whiz for 5 seconds on speed 4. You want them broken up, but NOT powdered or turned to flour. Without a Thermomix, you can do this with a rolling pin.
Place the Rapadura and water in the bowl/a large pot and bring to the boil. Add the hazelnuts and leave to boil until the mixture has reduced by about 25%
You will need to stir it regularly to make sure it doesn’t burn. If you’re using a Thermomix, just keep it on speed 1.
Once it’s reduced, strain to remove the nuts, and put them aside for crystallised hazelnuts. Strain again to remove smaller nuts, and pour into the container you’ll be keeping it in. Leave to cool before refrigerating.
If you taste it straight away you’ll be disappointed by how mild it tastes. Leave for about 24 hours before having your first sip of real hazelnut syrup. You won’t be disappointed.