MINTY GINGER COOLER
Ingredients:
2” piece of ginger, peeled & grated
½ cup fresh lime or lemon juice (any citrus juice will work well)
¼ cup sugar, to taste (or you can add honey)
pinch of ground cumin powder (optional)
pinch of salt & pepper, to taste
6 cups water (you can use sparkling water, club soda, orange juice…)
½ cup fresh mint leaves, plus a few extra for garnish
METHOD:
Blend all the ingredients (except for the garnish) together in a blender until smooth & frothy. Pour over ice, garnish with a mint leaf or two & serve.
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WATERMELON CUCUMBER COOLER
Ingredients:
1 cup diced cucumber, peeled & seeded
3 cups water melon cubes, peeled & seeded
1” piece of ginger, peeled & grated
¼ cup sugar, to taste (or you can add honey)
pinch of ground cumin powder (optional)
pinch of salt & pepper, to taste
4 cups water (you can use sparkling water, club soda, lemonade…)
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, plus a few extra for garnish
METHOD:
Blend all the ingredients (except for the garnish) together in a blender until smooth & frothy. Pour over ice, garnish with a mint leaf or two & serve. You can also used cantaloupe, honeydew or chanterais melon in this recipe.
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MANGO COCONUT COOLER
Ingredients:
2 cups diced fresh mango, peeled & seeded
1 cup coconut milk
¼ cup sugar, to taste (or you can add honey)
pinch of ground cardamom powder
pinch of salt, to taste
4 cups water (you can use sparkling water, club soda, various fruit juices…)
½ cup toasted coconut flakes for garnish
METHOD:
Blend all the ingredients (except for the garnish) together in a blender until smooth & frothy. Pour over ice, garnish with a little toasted coconut flakes & serve. You can also use pineapple, peach or papaya in this recipe – they all work well.
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POMEGRANATE ORANGE COOLER
Ingredients:
2 cups pomegranate juice
1 cup orange juice
¼ cup sugar, to taste (or you can add honey)
pinch of salt, to taste
4 cups water (you can use sparkling water, club soda, ginger ale…)
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, plus a few extra for garnish
METHOD:
Blend all the ingredients (except for the garnish) together in a blender until smooth & frothy. Pour over ice, garnish with a mint leaf or two & serve. Fresh blueberries also work well in this recipe.
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TAMARIND COOLER
Ingredients:
4-5 tbsp tamarind concentrate, to taste
1½” piece of ginger, peeled & grated
½ cup fresh lime or lemon juice
¼ cup sugar, to taste (or you can add honey)
pinch of ground cumin powder (optional)
pinch of salt & pepper, to taste
5 cups water (you can use sparkling water, club soda, ginger ale…)
½ cup fresh mint leaves, plus a few extra for garnish
METHOD:
In a small saucepan, heat 1½ cups of water & bring to a gentle boil. Add the tamarind concentrate & sugar, stir well to dissolve completely and allow to cool. Blend the cooled tamarind water with the rest of the ingredients (except for the garnish) together in a blender until smooth frothy. Pour over ice, garnish with a mint leaf or two & serve.
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VARIATIONS:
You can simply turn any one of these coolers into a smoothie by adding a cup or so of yogurt during the blending process. Instead of water, try using coconut water or you could also add a little coconut milk for a delicious nutty flavor.
You can also pour the coolers into popsicle or kulfi molds for a delicious frozen treat.
