Morning Magic
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
January. Back to work. The indulgence of the festive season is over and there’s a sense of anticipation and excitement for what lies ahead. It’s a time of year many of us seek inspiration for the healthy lifestyle we’ve resolved to stick to. One easy and deliciously healthy way to set yourself up for an energy-filled day is the ever-popular smoothie.
Creating a nutritious breakfast drink at home is as simple as throwing some ingredients in a good blender and pressing go. The choices for what to include are up to you.
Liquid bases include cow's milk; pouring yoghurt, such as kefir; coconut milk or water; almond, oat, rice or soy milk, or a combination. For vege smoothies it’s often best to use a fresh juice, homemade lemonade or a water base.
Chopping up fresh fruit and freezing it is a handy way to always have ingredients to hand, plus adds just the right chill factor – bananas, berries, cherries, peaches, apricots, pineapple and grapes are among those that freeze well and will blend easily as long as you cut them small and add sufficient liquid.
For a lovely creamy textured smoothie, try cooked oats, avocado or unsweetened yoghurt. Peanut, almond, coconut oil or other nut or seed butters add a lovely creaminess too. Additional ingredients for a flavour and/or nutrient boost include flaxseeds, chia seeds, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger – just a very small quantity will suffice), vanilla, honey and good-quality cocoa powder.
For something a bit different, cooked pumpkin can be whizzed up and we think would be especially delicious with soy milk, cinnamon and dates (soak in a little hot water and mash to a paste for ease of blending if necessary).
Experiment with combinations to find the flavour that will have you springing out of bed in the morning. Here are three of Dish’s favourites to get you going:
latest issue:
Issue #114
Autumn has arrived, and with it, the latest issue of dish, jam-packed with recipes that will have you fizzing to get in the kitchen! With a long Easter lunch featuring perfectly pink, blushing roast leg of lamb and wildly decadent baked mashed potatoes with caramelised onions, to simply scrumptious chocolate treats and sensational seasonal baking this issue has you covered - we reckon the Hot Cross Buns are our best yet! Salads make way for soothing soups, pies, puddings and our cover star beef cheek ragù with spaghetti – a must-make dinner for family and friends. With over 60 recipes in our latest issue there’s plenty of inspiration to keep you busy – and well-fed! Don’t forget to share your dish dishes with our Facebook community.