Ren Behan - Author Wild Honey and Rye

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Super Smoothie: The Goji Beetroot Blast

Charlie Richards, John Lewis Smoothies

Recently, I was invited along to the Waitrose Test Kitchen to create my ultimate super smoothie recipe for the John Lewis website. Images courtesy of Charlie Richards. Smoothie styling by Cynthia Blackett. Recipe by Ren for John Lewis. 

Charlie Richards, John Lewis Smoothies

Move over clean eating, the new kid on the block is wellbeing. This is good news, because it means we can move away from ruling things out, and instead, focus on the good stuff that we can put in to keep ourselves nourished, well and happy.

I was very excited to be invited along to the Waitrose Test Kitchen by the John Lewis team – cue shelves packed with colour-coded cookbooks, and a workspace filled to the brim with fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and a selection of alternative milks plus an array of mixers and blenders for us to try out.

Here are some smoothie-making tips:

  • Add a small amount of liquid to your chosen blender first to help everything blend well and add more at the end to get the consistency you require.
  • Fruit smoothies can be sweetened with fresh or frozen berries and a squeeze of honey – keep small bags of pre-prepared fruit and veg in the freezer ready to whiz up into instantly in a high-powered blender.
  • Creamy smoothies, such as smoothies blended with banana, go well with dates, honey and almond, coconut or oat milk.
  • One of my favourite smoothie secret ingredients is half  an avocado, peeled and stoned which lends extra silkiness plus a boost of good fats. You’ll never know it’s in there.
  • Sprinkle in nuts, seeds and powders, such as spiriluna or stir in a little nut butter for an extra protein boost. If adding chia seeds, flax or spirulina – do so carefully and sparingly. A little goes a long way.
  • Experiment with adding organic, natural yoghurt or kefir for better digestion and gut health.
  • Add a variety of fruits/vegetables or greens and try and vary the textures. Dried fruit, such as goji berries, work too and add a great boost.
  • A cube or two of ice can help to keep your smoothie fresh and cool.
  • Experiment with nutritional extras such as a little bit of grated fresh ginger, mint, spinach, unsweetened cocoa powder, a pinch of cinnamon or ground turmeric powder – depending on your base ingredients. Check out our varied super charged smoothies here for more ideas.

So, our challenge was to get creative and to blend our own recipe inspired by the freshness in front of us – our signature smoothie perhaps – which was then be beautifully styled by Cynthia Blackett and professionally shot by by Charlie Richards.

And ta-dah – here is my recipe creation for John Lewis, full of goodness – beetroot, avocado, goji berries, raspberries, strawberries, a dash of almond milk and a squeeze of lime.

1 vote

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Ren's Goji Beetroot Blast 

Yield 1 smoothie

A super-charged smoothie, featured by John Lewis.com 

Ingredients

20 raspberries (frozen, ideally)

10-12 Waitrose LOVE life dried goji berries

5 strawberries

1 small cooked beetroot (not in vinegar)

1/2 avocado, peeled, stone removed

A squeeze of fresh lime

125ml almond milk (or more depending on thickness)

1 ice cube

Instructions

Place all the ingredients into a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth, adding a dash more almond milk if required.

With thanks to John Lewis for the invitation to this smoothie and #MyWellBeing event. I received a fee for taking part.

How to make an Aperol Spritz Cocktail #ItStartsNow

This summer, I’ve been re-living some of my Italian holiday memories by making a simple 1950’s-inspired Italian cocktail at home called an Aperol Spritz, which is made with Aperol, Italian prosecco and a dash of soda water.

Aperol Spritz Cocktail

A classic Aperol Spritz made with the 3-2-1 method!

If you’ve ever visited Italy, particularly Venice or the North of Italy, then you might have tried a version of the classic Italian ‘Spritz’ cocktail – traditionally made with Aperol or Campari, white wine and soda water. I’ve certainly sampled my fair share of these, most recently, at Attilio Beach at Milano Marittima near Rimini, close to where my sister lives. In her region of Italy, my sister tells me the Aperol Spritz is considered an aperitif and a ritual. It is also often taken as an aperitivi usually with complimentary nibbles, or stuzzichini. During one sunny afternoon, we had a huge Italian pasta feast, with plenty of fresh sea food and lots of Aperol cocktails!

Given it’s simplicity as a cocktail, the Aperol Spritz makes the perfect summer cooler and it’s a great welcome drink to serve when entertaining. All you have to do is remember the 3,2,1 formula – 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, 1 part soda – mixed with plenty of ice and a few slices of fresh orange.

Aperol Spritz

Start with a big glass, with plenty of ice and some orange slices

Tasting Notes

I’m a big fan of Aperol (11% ABV) and Campari (23% ABV), both of which are described as ‘bitters,’ with Campari being slight more bitter in flavour than Aperol.  Aperol is made from a secret infusion of citrus orange, rhubarb, herbs and roots and has a bright orange/red colour.

Click here for more Aperol cocktails.

You can also watch the official Aperol Spritz ‘perfect serve’ video which shows you how to make one, too.

If you are feeling particularly brave – add a shot of vodka for my ‘extra kick’ version!

Aperol Spritz Cocktail

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How to Make an Aperol Spritz

Prep

Total

Yield 1 Spritz

An Aperol Spritz is a typical early evening drink in Italy made with Aperol, Italian Prosecco and a dash of soda water. All you have to do is remember the 3,2,1 formula – 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol, 1 part soda – mixed with plenty of ice and a few slices of fresh orange.

Ingredients

  • 75ml Prosecco
  • 50ml Aperol
  • 25ml soda
  • Plenty of ice
  • 2 slices of fresh orange

Instructions

  1. Fill a large wine glass with ice. Add the prosecco, aperol and a dash of soda.
  2. Stir and add the orange. Serve immediately. 

Courses Drink

Cuisine Italian

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 glass

Amount Per Serving

Calories 120

% Daily Value

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Holiday snap!

Our Aperol Spritz by the beach in Rimini

Aperol Spritz

Disclosure: I’m joining in with the official 3-2-1 Aperol Spritz challenge and received the ingredients and glasses at home to make my own cocktails.

Share your Aperol Spritz cocktail on social media @aperolspritzuk (Instagram) or on the AperolSpritz Facebook page #ItStartsNow

Homemade Citrus Infused Vodka for JamieOliver.com

It’s all going on! As Easter approaches, I’m happily marking the one-year milestone of writing a weekly blog for JamieOliver.com. My very first post was published just before Easter last year and focused on the Italian dish of lasagne as an alternative to a traditional Easter Sunday lunch, with a second Easter post focusing on the perfect roast. Since then, I’ve been able to settle into my ‘home-from-home’ writing about a whole host of foodie topics, which have included ideas for cooking with kids, as well as themed round-ups and highlights of some of my favourite hand-picked recipes from Jamie’s site. I’m marking my second year by taking a slightly new direction – my blog posts will now often feature some of my own exclusive recipes and photos. There are always plenty of exciting things going on at Jamie HQ. Most recently, the team marked the launch of a brand new site dedicated to all things drinkable Drinks Tube and so in my latest post, I’ve joined the party by contributing an exclusive recipe for a homemade citrus infused vodka – based on my Polish favourite Cytrynówka. I hope you’ll be able to pop over and read some of the posts over in the News and Blogs section of the JamieOliver.com site in the weeks (and hopefully) months to come!

Citrus-Infused Vodka - Cytrynówka for JamieOliver.Com
Citrus-Infused Vodka – Cytrynówka for JamieOliver.Com

I’d love to say a big thank you to Jim Tanfield for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the team and for guiding me editorially throughout the year. A second shout-out goes to Merlin Jobst, as well as to my fellow bloggers, who are all brilliantly placed to share some of the coolest content on the web.

Get the recipe here –

You can find my recipe for Homemade Citrus Infused Vodka and follow the rest of my posts here on JamieOliver.com

Ren Behan is a freelance contributor to JamieOliver.Com

Citrus-Infused Vodka

Other infusions/cocktails you may enjoy –

Pomegranate and Vanilla Vodka

Rumtopf or Rum Pot

Ren’s Gin and Rhubarb Fizz

What’s your favourite cocktail or sunshine tipple?

 

New Year’s Eve Cocktails

2012 is almost drawing to a close. Christmas is behind us and I’m planning some New Year’s Eve cocktails. Since having children, we’ve softened. Torn between going out for the evening and staying home to cuddle the children at midnight. This year, we’re staying home, but I always like to have a few nibbles and some elegant cocktails to hand. 

New Year's Eve Cocktails

Although a popular spirit to go for is vodka, and I have to admit a little Polish bias here, I’ve recently discovered No. 3 London Dry Gin, which has one of the most interesting and complex blends of botanical flavours of any gin I’ve tried – juniper, Spanish orange peel, grapefruit peel, angelica root, Moroccan coriander seed and cardamom. It packs a real punch and you’ll notice the strength, too, 46% volume in a 700ml bottle, so you’ll genuinely only need a shot or two of this! To make matters slightly more interesting, I tried the gin with a rhubarb and apple juice by Cawston Press. You’ll find these British juices by the cordials, not in the chiller section. Gin has definitely moved on from its iconic partner, tonic. For New Year’s Eve, add a splash of Prosecco and a twist of orange peel and you’ll be ready to party.  

Ren’s Gin & Rhubarb Fizz

  • 25ml No. 3 London Dry Gin
  • 100ml Cawston Press Apple and Rhubarb Juice
  • Prosecco, Champagne or Sparkling wine to top up
  • A twist of orange peel
  1. Mix the gin and apple & rhubarb juice in a cocktail shaker. Pour the contents into a Champagne flute. Top up with champagne.
  2. Add a twist of orange peel and serve

No.3 London Dry Gin

If you are looking for something a little more comforting and warming, try a hot toddy made with tea, honey and vodka. For a twist, I tried them with a Masala Chai by Tea India, a splash of my pomegranate and vanilla vodka, which made it as a featured recipe post on US site Blisstree.com! Although, you could just use plain vodka and add a few fresh pomegranate seeds to the warm tea. The particular blend of Masala Chai tea I tried was made up of black tea, ginger root, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, cloves and star anise. For good measure, I added some fresh orange zest and a whole star anise to my hot toddy.

Masala Chai Hot Toddy

Ren’s Vodka & Masala Chai Hot Toddy

  • 1 cup hot water + 1 tea bag
  • 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
  • 25ml vodka or pomegranate and vanilla vodka
  • 1 star anise per cup
  • 1 twist orange peel per cup
  1. Pour freshly boiled hot water over the tea bag in a cup, allow to infuse a minute or so.
  2. Add a teaspoon of honey and a splash of vodka, stir. 
  3. Add a star anise and a twist of orange peel, drink whilst hot.

With many thanks to Martin at Piracy Corporation for the No.3 London Dry Gin and for the Cawston Press Samples and to Tea India Uk for the Masala Chai and Black Tea samples. I was under no obligation to feature these products or write positively about them.

I have one more post to share before we see the year out, featuring a guest photographer and some very simple five-minute dessert recipes. The New Year might see me taking a little break to focus on one or two writing projects I have up my sleeve, but I’ll keep you posted.

What are your plans for New Year’s Eve? Do you brave the elements and crazy prices or stay cosy at home?

 

Keep or Give: Pomegranate and Vanilla Vodka

I’ve got the bug – the preserving, gift making, home brewing, bottling bug. It began when I made the Purple Fig and Pomegranate Jam from Salt Sugar Smoke. I realised then, with a few simple instructions, how easy it was to preserve – the process was no longer shrouded in mystery. I was also lucky enough to get some expert tips from Vanessa Kimbell whilst making greengage jam, which I’ll be posting about soon. Next came the Rumtopf, or the spiced rum soaked fruit and now, influenced by my Polish roots and partiality to vodka, I’ve been making these gorgeous little bottles of Pomegranate and Vanilla Vodka. Having followed Vanessa’s adventures and recent trip to Uganda, I now always look out for and use Fairtrade Ndalli vanilla. By complete coincidence (although you won’t believe me) when I placed the bottle, pomegranate and ribbon on the table, they arranged themselves exactly like this – two heart shapes. The kink in the ribbon was entirely natural, it must have been the way it was wrapped.

Pomegranate Vodka
This vodka is so easy to make, I promise you. I’ve seen a few pomegranate vodka recipes, in particular this one in Woman and Home, but I haven’t seen the combination of pomegranate and vanilla and I thought it would work well. A little bit of ribbon and a homemade gift tag, and you’re well on your way to making your own Christmas gifts.

Pomegranate Vodka

There is one really important thing to remember when preserving or making bottled gifts – you must sterilize your jars or bottles (and funnels, if using) but this is easy.

How to sterilize your equipment/bottles and jars

  • Boil them in plain water
  • Wash them in hot soapy water then put them in the oven (lids, too) at 170 degrees Celsius
  • Put them through a dishwasher cycle

NB The Kilner bottles I used had plastic or rubber stoppers, so I put mine through a dishwasher cycle rather than in the oven. Jam lids are usually fine in the oven. Fill your bottles or jars when they are still hot.

The alcohol preserves the fruit, but I also always use spirits which are 40% ABV.

Pomegranate Vodka

Pomegranate and Vanilla Vodka

This makes enough for 3 x 250ml  bottles or a large 1 litre preserving bottle

Ingredients

  • 120g or 2/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (roughly the amount from one large pomegranate or a packet)
  • 3 Fairtrade vanilla pods (I used Ndalli pods)
  • 75cl bottle vodka (40%ABV)
  • 220g or one cup sugar
  • 240ml or one cup water

Method

  1. Sterilize your bottles and funnel, if using (see above for How to Sterilize tips)
  2. Put the pomegranate seeds and vanilla pods into sterilized bottles or one large litre Kilner jar. Carefully pour in the vodka.
  3. Put the sugar and water in a pan, boil for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves. Leave to cool slightly.
  4. Pour the cooled sugar syrup into the vodka and shake well. Store in a cool, dark place and shake every few days.
  5. Before drinking or giving as a gift, strain the vodka into a newly sterilized bottle or container, removing the pomegranate seeds.
  6. Pour the strained vodka into three smaller sterilized bottles, adding a pod to each one and a few fresh pomegranate seeds.

Pomegranate Vodka

After just a couple of days, the vodka has turned a beautiful translucent peachy colour. When you shake it, you see pretty specks of vanilla.

Pomegranate Vanilla Vodka

Exciting – my first photo taken with a macro lens!

I’m sending this across to Laura and Nazima’s One Ingredient Challenge, this month hosted by Laura at How to Cook Good Food with the challenge of using The Pomegranate.

Have you been getting a head start on making any Christmas gifts yet?

Other Christmas gift posts you may like –

 

 

Healthy Hot Chocolate Breakfast Smoothies

My children love chocolate and they’d ask for a sprinkle of cocoa every day if they could. Luckily, we manage to avoid most sugary breakfast cereals and instead we go for a bowl of milky porridge or Weetabix, so they are usually allowed a little pinch of cocoa. Breakfast smoothies are a good option, too, if time is tight. I’ve even found a way of making hot chocolate breakfast smoothies, which are always a hit, by blending the ingredients with warm milk. I also add oats and chia seeds for an extra health kick.

Hot Chocolate Smoothies

When I saw that Helen’s Breakfast Club this month was being hosted by Choclette with a theme of chocolate, I knew that it would be really easy for me to rustle up one of our favourite chocolate-themed morning treats. We’re not talking bars of Dairy Milk here, just a square or two of Fairtrade, organic dark chocolate. We like chocolate orange flavour and we buy ours from The Co-operative Food as their own-brand range is Fairtrade.

Chia Seeds and Chocolate

Earlier this year I was also incredibly lucky to win a Vitamix machine, by entering my card into a draw at Food Blogger Connect. I’ve learnt that the trick, with any kitchen gadget, it to keep it out on the counter. As soon as it goes into a cupboard, whether its a juicer, blender or food processor, it never gets used again. So my Vitamix has taken pride of place on my counter and we use it most days. It has encouraged me to experiment with extra ingredients in our smoothies, such as adding a handful of spinach, or a ripe avocado, or some super-healthy chia seeds. It would be incredibly difficult to get the children to eat any of these ingredients in large amounts, so blending them with milk and dark chocolate is a great way to sneak in some extras. I’ve also been whizzing up super-fast and healthy soups, sauces (cheesy bechamel in an instant) and you can even make sorbets, frozen cocktails and ice-cream. We no longer have a fridge full of leftover vegetables, they all get whizzed up in some form or another in our Vitamix.

Vitamix

The main advantage to the Vitamix machine over a standard blender is the power of the commercial motor and the blades – the Vitamix will even blitz down peel, pulp and seeds and you can use raw ingredients, too. Unlike a juicer, you don’t lose any of the fibre because it all gets whizzed up. It can also make steaming hot soup in under five minutes and if you use ice-cubs and frozen fruit, you can make instant ice-cream. They are pricey…but if Santa is feeling generous this year…

Back to the smoothies, I think you could make these in a standard blender, too. Just keep whizzing, grate your chocolate and use a very ripe avocado. You could add spinach, a banana and more milk if it is a little thick. If you haven’t heard of Chia Seeds yet, pop down to your local health food shop. They are being described as the new super-food (there’s always a new one, isn’t there?) containing stacks of Omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fibre. They are gluten free and sugar free and were the ancient discovery of  the Aztecs.

Healthy Smoothies

Healthy Hot Chocolate Breakfast Smoothies

Ingredients:

  • 50g/a couple of squares Fairtrade dark chocolate (grated if not using a Vitamix)
  • 1 avocado – super-ripe, stone removed, scooped out
  • 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds – or you can use flax seeds
  • 1 teaspoon honey, we used local honey
  • 2 tablespoons raw oats or up to one Weetabix biscuit
  • 500ml/2 cups warm milk – we used whole milk
NB You could also use a banana in place of the avocado.

Method:

Vitamix Instructions –

  1. Place all the ingredients together into the Vitamix container and secure the lid. Select Variable 1. Turn the machine on and increase the speed to variable 10. Blend for 30 seconds or until you get the right consistency. Add extra milk and blend again if the smoothie is too thick. Pour into small cups or milk botttles and drink immediately.

Jug Blender/Hand Blender Instructions –

  1. Put all of the ingredients into your jug blender or into a tall container if you are using a hand blender stick blender. Add all the ingredients together (apart from the milk) blend together and then slowly add the warm milk. Blend for another two minutes until the mixture is smooth. Pour into small cups or milk bottles and drink immediately.

Healthy Smoothies

Note: I won a Vitamix blender through a random prize draw at Food Blogger Connect – I was not required to write a post about it, but since I use it so often, it was bound to feature! Many thanks to Vitamix UK.

Hope you enjoy these smoothies for breakfast soon!

The Kraken Rum ‘Rumtopf’ or Rum Pot

I’m still in the mood for preserving. This time it’s fruit and alcohol. A little while ago, when I posted this recipe for my Poppy Seed and Plum Cake to use up a glut, Mark, from Mark’s Veg Plot asked if there was a Polish version of Rumtopf. Rumtopf or ‘Rum Pot’ is a way of preserving summer or late summer fruits, such as plums, berries, cherries and apricots. There is something similar in Poland,  called Nalewka, made by infusing berries, herbs or fruit in spirit, usually vodka, and letting it ferment for six months.

Strangely enough, on that very same day though, I received a bottle of  The Kraken Rum…so Rumtopf it was!    

Rumtopf

First of all, to the The Kraken Black Spiced Rum. I haven’t had rum since a holiday in Cuba many years ago, punctuated with many glasses of rum and coke or Cuba Libre. I seem to recall there being an all-inclusive bar and that rum was on tap.

This Kraken Black Spiced Rum is imported rum from the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago) distilled from molasses made from local sugar cane and then aged with spices, such as cinnamon, ginger and clove. It’s named after a sea monster and is very dark in colour. The flavour reminds me a little of whiskey. It makes a mean hot toddy and I’ve also been making hot ‘Calypso’ rum coffees with rum, black coffee and cream. A splash of rum might be hitting some brownies later, too. It is almost winter and there are lots of bugs to fend off… 

Rumtopf

The rest of The Kraken Black Spiced Rum has made it into a Kilner jar, with some sugar and fruit, including figs, peaches, pears and more recently, some strawberries and cherries. It should be ready by Christmas.

Rumtopf

How to make Rumtopf or Rum Pot

Traditionally, a Rumtopf would be made in a stoneware pot, actually called a Rum Pot. I must look out for one. You can also make it in a large Kilner or preserving jar.

  1. The best fruits to use are cherries, peaches, raspberries, plums, apricots, strawberries and redcurrants. Avoid fruit that is overripe.
  2. Weigh your fruit as you add it to the jar and then add half the weight of the fruit in sugar. I used golden caster sugar. You don’t need to mix it.
  3. Pour in the rum (minimum 40% alc/volume) making sure the fruit is completely covered. Seal so that it is airtight and store it in a cool, dark place. Around two months is best.
  4. You can add more fruit as you wait, always adding half the weight of the fruit in sugar. Lots of cherries and plums would be lovely.
  5. After 2-3 months, drain the liquid. The preserved fruit can be eaten and the resulting liquid is a liqueur.

With many thanks to The Kraken Rum team for sending me the bottle ‘o rum to sample.

Have you preserved any fruit lately? If so, what have you made?