This Summer's Top 3 Cooling Drinks

Summer certainly seems to have come early this year (not that I am complaining!) but this does mean we will be on the hunt for ways to stay cool and keep our body temperature regulated both during the day and at night.

In India where temperatures soar during the summer months, yogurt is often used to make drinks known as lassi's to help people stay cool. Yogurt is naturally cooling on both the digestive system and body generally and when added to water, it becomes a great hydrating drink to quench that thirst!

A Traditional Lassi is usually savory, seasoned with cumin, salt or cilantro or all of these things. I have put a more middle eastern twist on this first recipe with sumac, another spice known for its cooling properties.

Serves 2

1/2 cup greek yogurt (full fat please!)
100 ml cold water
1/4 tsp Spice Sanctuary cumin ground
1/4 tsp Spice Sanctuary sumac

Mix all ingredients in a blender and drink cold!

My second version of lassi is using watermelon, another cooling ingredient in itself and buttermilk. Buttermilk is essentially a fermented milk drink with acidity in its taste which actually benefits the gut as it acts like a probiotic. For a little exoticness, I've added rose water into the mix to further boost the cooling nature of this delicious drink! And for spice, I chose fennel seeds and fresh mint. Both of these work on the digestive systems, dispersing the heat away from there and also cooling the body down too. So much of our body heat and internal heat resides in our gut and it is important to cool this area down as much as any other.

Watermelon Mint & Rose Lassi

Serves 2

1 cup watermelon chunks

1/2 tsp Spice Sanctuary Fennel Seeds

2   fresh mint leaves

1/2 tsp Rose water

200ml Buttermilk (or you could also use kefir as an alternative probiotic)

Blend all the ingredients together and enjoy cold over ice.

Last but not least, since the base of lassi is always dairy based, I would be remiss if I didn't create a recipe suitable for those with lactose intolerances. 

This Peach and Pistachio Lassi is quite rich and decadent and so easy to make.

Serves 1

100-125 ml cold Pistachio milk (made from pistachios and water, blended and strained - no need to soak)

1/4 tsp Spice Sanctuary Cardamom Ground seeds

1 Peach, cut into chunks with skin on

drizzle maple syrup to taste

Blend all the ingredients together and enjoy immediately!

There you have it, 3 easy ways to help you sip on something cool this summer and guaranteed to be patio pleasers too!

Anti-Inflammatory Banana Bread

Ahhh Spring is in the air (or at least it should be!) and it's time to get rid of those cobwebs and surplus things around the house with some spring cleaning. But have you ever thought our bodies may also need a spring cleaning to stretch out those joints and muscles and aches and pains that have been harbouring within through the winter?

Whether you've had a cold or joint pains, inflammation is so common and lately I have become a bit of an obsessive about boosting my immunity and reducing inflammation. The one spice that speaks (or shouts, depending on how many clinical studies you have read) is Turmeric! I have been using it a lot (well more than usual for a Spice Queen!) in Golden Milk and more recently in the sweeter things in life.

We all know that sugar is an inflammatory food but, like anyone, I get cravings for that something sweet or  even cake, so I decided that I needed to face my baking demons (I am not a baker at all) to create something that would satisfy the craving but also use ingredients that help against inflammation.

Bananas, Nuts, Spices including True or Ceylon Cinnamon, Gluten Free flour and no refined sugars and voila, here's a banana bread that is both guilt free and tasty!

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY BANANA BREAD

Gluten Free; Dairy Free; Vegan ; Sugar Free

Ingredients:
2 cups Almond Milk (unsweetened)
2 frozen or really ripe bananas
3 Tbsp Apple Sauce (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda (aluminium free)
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1/2 tsp Spice Sanctuary Cardamom Ground
1/4 tsp Spice Sanctuary True Cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped walnut pieces
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1/2 Tsp Spice Sanctuary Turmeric
6 twists of Spice Sanctuary Peppermill Pizzazz Spice Blend (or 1/4 tsp if manually grinding)

How to Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a loaf pan with some melted coconut oil or line with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas and add in the wet ingredients: almond milk, apple sauce and vanilla extract and mix well.
3. In another bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients except for the coconut oil, turmeric and peppermill pizzazz.
4. Slowly combine the dry ingredients in with the wet until you get a fairly thick batter.
5. Melt the coconut oil and add in the turmeric and peppermill mix into the oil and combine well so that the anti-inflammatory properties get to work.
6. Now, add in the turmeric mixture into the batter and fold in really well.
7. Transfer the mixture into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
8. Allow the bread to cool before turning out. If you're feeling adventurous, you can ice the bread with my chocolate dipper sauce.

How to Enjoy:

You can cut into slices or squares and enjoy this guilt free with a cup of Golden Milk for a real turmeric boost or with any herbal tea!